TEN - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 13, 2010
CITY COUNCIL
-Continued from Page ONE and extrem ely reliable.
and with a popula
tion increase o f about .5
percent predicted the study
will address how the system
will take care of them, both
through improvements and
expansion.
In response to De-
M ayo’s concerns Baird
wrote “Your (Demayo’s)
comments about the study
being biased for an unfavor
able outcome are very trou
bling to me. Anderson Perry
& Associates, Inc., does
not have a biased approach
to the services we provide
and ethically we cannot
be biased. Please let me
know what you have heard
from me in this process that
makes you thing we are bi
ased in our approach. 1 need
to understand why you feel
this way,” he said.
DeMayo told the
city council Monday night
that he was being stem in
his correspondence with
Anderson Perry to protect
the city’s interests. "I didn’t
want him to come in here
and we roll out the red car
pet and open the city purse
strings,” DeMayo said. “If
he wants our money he is
going to have to fight for
it.”
DeM ayo is con
cerned an “unfavorable
o u tco m e” to the study
would be more work and
city expense done on the
waste water system than
was actually needed. “I find
it interesting that the type
of technology used in our
plant was developed in the
1950’s and probably ear
lier. It is relatively simple
G enerally speaking, the
greater the complexity of a
system the more vulnerable
it becomes to mechanical
breakdown, and our plant
has functioned well overall
for the past 15-20 years,”
DeMayo said in a further
email to Anderson Perry .
“ S eco n d ly , you
cannot deny that you have
a vested interest in the study
outcomes. The spin-offs,
such as rate studies etc.
could prove lucrative for
your company. The tempta
tion is too great unless some
means is used to prevent
this from occurring. O f
course, you will argue, that
this is simply good busi
ness. Is it? This practice
will inevitable lead to the
suspicion, whether justified,
or not, that needs can be ar
tificially created. Thus truth
is sacrificed on the altar of
profit (good old fashioned
manna),” DeMayo wrote in
his email.
Baird also asked:
“I would also submit that
if you feel that an Update
showing you need to com
plete significant improve
ments (to Heppner’s waste
water treatment system) is
an unfavorable ‘expensive’
outcome, then why is the
City proceeding with the
Update at all?”
DeM ayo eventu
ally comprised and said “I
am willing to meet half
way. Which is to say that
if Anderson Perry does the
study, after consulting w ith
the city as to our concerns;
in return if additional work/
MORROW COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
study is needed, that is
the City’s decision. If the
City chooses not to ask
Anderson Perry to do the
additional work, that is the
City’s option. It stops there.
There will be no high pres
sure salesmanship. If there
is, the contract will cease,”
DeMayo wrote.
A fter some d is
cussion Monday night the
council voted unanimously
to authorize DeMayo to sign
the contract with Anderson
Perry for the waste water
treatment system study. The
council is to meet with the
engineering firm Jan. 19 to
begin the process.
In other business at
the meeting the council vot
ed to purchase two pieces
of equipment. The city will
purchase an ATV mower
attachment from Heppner
resident John Murray for
$1,300, and a scissor lift
from RSC for $3,300. The
city crew will use the lift
to put up flower baskets
and change city street light
bulbs. The crew currently
uses a ladder and Public
Works Director Brian Har
mon said the lift will be a
safer way to do these jobs.
The council also
agreed to pay Allstott Con
struction $2,400 to repair
damage done to the city
shop building.
In other action the
council voted to appoint
Sam Hornbeck to the city
parks and recreation, and
heard that the F arm er’s
Market went well last sum
mer and organizers are
wanting to do it again.
Heppner Elks Most Valuable
Students place in district contest
The E lks M ost
Valuable Student district
contest was recently held
with winners from 10 local
lodges com peting. Em-
ily Thompson placed third
for the girl’s division and
was awarded $1,200. Eric
Jepsen placed fourth for the
boy’s division.
T he 10 lo d g e s
competing in the district
included: Baker, Condon,
Enterprise, Heppner (lone),
Hermiston, Hood River,
LaGrande, M ilton-Free-
water, Pendleton, and The
Dalles.
-Continuedfrom Page ONE student instruction days.
-received the fol
lowing attendance report:
A.C. Houghton Elemen
tary, Irrigon-262; Heppner
Elementary S chool-196;
H eppner High School-
226; Irrigon Elementary
School-203; Irrigon High
School-328; Riverside High
School, Boardm an-401
Sam Boardman Elemen
tary School-305: Windy
River Elementary School,
Boardman-215; Morrow
Education Center (M or
row County School Dis
trict students)-51; Morrow
Education Center (Umatilla
School District students)-
22; total 2209. Burrows
said enrollment figures were
down, but added that those
figures were traditionally
low er in January because of
extended family vacations
following the holidays.
-recognized School
Board Recognition Month
as declared by Governor
Ted Kulongoski, presenting
the board members with
gifts, praising them for their
volunteer service and serv
ing cake.
-h eard a rep o rt
from Burrows on State
Ballot M easures 66 and
67. He ¿“aid that contrary
to local opinion, current
statewide polls indicate that
Oregon voters will pass the
measures with 53 percent
agreeing with passage of
the measures and 40 per
cent against passage. He
said that if the measures do
not pass. Morrow County
School District “has the
potential” lose around $1.5
million in funding, which
most likely will result in
the loss of 20 teachers or 18
The board earlier
split on support of the mea
sures which were enacted
by the state legislature in
July and will come before
the voters on the January
26 election. Ballots have
already been m ailed to
voters.
A “yes” vote on
Ballot Measure 66 would
raise taxes on incom es
above $250,000 for house
holds and $125,000 for
individuals. This measure
also elim inates income
taxes on the first $2,400
of unemployment benefits
received in 2009. This mea
sure, if approved, would
raise approximately $472
million currently budgeted
for education, health care,
public safety and other
services.
A “ n o ” vote on
Ballot Measure 66 would
not increase taxes. It would
not include a tax exemption
for the first $2,400 of unem
ployment benefits received
in 2009 and would leave
education, health care, pub
lic safety and other services
under-funded by approxi
mately $472 million.
A “yes” vote on
Measure 67 would raise
the corporate minimum
tax from $10 to $150 for
most businesses and would
increase taxes for corpora
tions with over $500,000 in
Oregon revenues. It would
also increase the tax rate
som e corporations pay
on profits; and increase
some business filing fees,
ft would increase filing fees
by $50 for Oregon business
and $225 for out of state
businesses. The measure
would raise $255 million
to fund current budgets
for education, health care,
public safety and other
services.
A “no vote on Mea
sure 67 would retain a $10
corporate minimum income
tax rather than raise it to
$150 and would not raise
corporate profits taxes. It
would leave current edu
cation, health care, public
safety and other services
budgets under-funded by
around $255 million.
-learned from Bur
rows that the district will
set up Twitter and facebook
accounts to facilitate com
munication throughout the
district. Burrows said that
electronic communication
such as Twitter and face-
book may prove helpful in
the event of school closures,
for example. “We’re being
dragged into the 21st Cen
tury,” laughed Burrows.
-approved the fol
lowing extra duty contracts:
Rick Gerard, Irrigon Ju-
nior/Senior High School
head baseball coach; Matt
Weseman, Riverside Junior
High School head wrestling
coach.
-approved unpaid
leave for Mary Koertje,
Windy River Elementary
School ed assistant.
-heard the follow
ing announcements: Janu
ary 14, end of the semester;
January 18, Martin Luther
King, Jr., Day holiday; Feb
ruary 8, next board meeting,
Riverside High School.
-held an executive
session to discuss legal is
sues and negotiations.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
-Continuedfrom Page ONE the past. I look forward to
to have a great
team to work with and it
didn’t take me very long
to figure out who would fit
that bill,” she said before
honoring B abette Wall,
Joanne Burleson and Doris
Brosnan.
To W all, B ates
said, “Babette - you amaze
me every time you put your
‘decorations’ hat on. You
are one talented lady and I
am so thankful to have you
as part of the community
volunteers who do so much.
I can always count on you to
come through (of course it
takes a storage shed or two
to hold all of your decora
tions). Thank you for being
such a strong proponent of
the events and activities that
the Chamber has hosted in
many years of having you
as part of my team.”
About Burleson,
Bates said, Joanne - I hon
estly d on’t know when
you have time to sleep.
You have so much energy
and commitment to being
involved in com m unity
events. I can always count
on you to carry through
with whatever it is that we
are planning ... and you
have been a life saver when
it comes to being a very
involved ‘volunteer’ and I
just wanted to say thank you
for all you do to help the
events and you are always
a welcome team member to
any event planning.”
And to Brosnan
she said, “Doris - you have
supported me in so many
different capacities, and
although you are taking a
‘little’ heat for being gone
during this year’s St. Pat
rick’s event, I have found
that I can always count
on you to be a great team
player, one that steps up
and gets things done. You
are committed as a great
volunteer and step up and
take the lead and do it well.
You always have the energy
and are willing to adjust
your schedule to accom
modate whatever is needed.
We will miss you during St.
Patrick’s.”
The chamber elect
ed H eppner M ayor Les
Paustian as vice president
and Dean Antonucci as sec
ond vice president. Lisanne
Currin will continue to be
treasurer.
BOARDMAN GRANTS EXTENSION
-Continuedfrom Page ONE o f Boardman. He added
G r o w in g
healthy families to g e th e r .
Connect with WIC.
Investing in O regon’s future
with nutrition education and healthy foods.
Learn more about how the Oregon WIC Program helps families:
www.wic.oregon.gov
1-800-SAFENET (1-800-723-3628)
WIC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Oregon
>‘( dhs
wic
Oregon Department
of Human Services
program
I
Some Boardman
business owners in the audi
ence asked the council not
to extend the agreement,
fearing the businesses lo
cated w ithin the city would
be hurt. Jack Triperinas,
new owner of the C & D
Drive In, told the council
he may not have purchased
the C & D if he had known
of the city’s agreement to
sell the land to Love’s. Jim
Magoteaux of MJ’s Motel
said Love's would advertise
their business in both direc
tions along the interstate
and customers would by
pass Boardman altogether.
Rich Devin of Devin Oil
is concerned about the city
businesses being able to
compete with Love’s. He
said the city could also see a
loss in lodging tax revenues
should Love’s draw hotel
developers to their Travel
Stop.
Mr. file assured the
Council Love’s would be a
good neighbor to the City
they wish the businesses
of Boardman well and be
lieves their project would
actually increase business
for all. He said Love’s par
ticipates with local Cham
bers o f Commerce, they
donate to local athletics and
charities, and to local high
schools. He said the Travel
Stop project would bring
50 new jobs to the area, and
bring in contractors for six
to seven months during the
construction phase.
After a lengthy ex
ecutive session, council
ors voted 6-0 in favor of
extending the agreement
to sell the land to Love's.
Mayor Phillips explained it
was a not an easy decision
and the council took all
considerations into account
before deciding in favor of
extending the agreement.
Love’s is headquar
tered in Oklahoma City, OK,
and has been in business
since 1964. If the project
proceeds as planned, this
would be Love’s third such
project in Oregon, adding
to the over 200 nationwide
they currently own.
In other city news,
councilors set the date for
their Strategic Plan Work
shop for Saturday, January
9, at 7 a.m. at City Hall.
The council also passed
a budget resolution for a
$7,000 grant from Morrow
County Needs & Issues.
The city was awarded the
grant for new lights at the
city’s basketball court and
soccer field, as well as for
new picnic tables. The city
manger and mayor were
appointed to serve as the
city's representative on the
Columbia River Enterprise
Zone and councilors ap
pointed Mr. Cullen Martin
to the City’s Planning Com
mission.
The next regularly
scheduled meeting of the
Boardman City Council
is Tuesday, January 19, at
7 p.m. at Boardman City
Hall.
PGE Employee Giving Campaign to make donation
to United Way of Umatilla & Morrow Counties
The United Way of
Umatilla & Morrow Coun
ties w ill received more than
$13,900 in donations from
Portland General Electric’s
Employee Giving Cam
f
paign. The donation amount
includes PGE’s 50% com
pany match.
U n ite d Way o f
Umatilla & Morrow Coun
ties is a featured agency of
the campaign and received
approximately 30 pledges
from employees and retirees
during the campaign and
has received approximately
$101,200 since 2003.
I