TEN - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 10, 2017
COUNTY COURT
-Continued from PAGE ONE old. On Aug. 18, he said staff is working out well, it counts but was told only
the cities and then di-
viding up the balance based
on population. The funds
for the grant will come
from Strategic Investment
Program (SIP), which is
money coming in lieu of
taxes from various energy
projects, mainly wind, lo-
cated in the county.
Russell said he pre-
ferred a base amount first
to each city. “If we just did
it on population Ione and
Lexington would not get
enough dollars to do any-
thing with,” he said. The
commission did not make
a final decision on how the
grants would be distributed.
The commissioners
also heard from Morrow
County Assessor Mike Gor-
man, who said only $1.8
million in the current year’s
property taxes were yet un-
collected. He said that was
a pretty good collection rate
and that the final payment
date was May 15 so more
money may come in.
Gorman also went over
the collection process with
the commissioners, saying
the county starts collection
procedures after four years’
delinquent taxes. He said on
May 16 his office will send
out delinquent notices and
then in June start sending
out foreclosure notices on
tax bills over four years
four-year delinquent taxes
will be published in the
newspaper and then the
court will get involved and
issue a judgment against the
property for the back taxes.
Property owners have
two years after the judg-
ment to pay up and get re-
moved from the judgement.
He said the county does not
really like to go through the
foreclosure process, and
would rather property own-
ers get caught up on back
taxes. However, if after the
two years from the date of
the judgement no payment
is received then the title is
transferred to the owner-
ship of the county, and the
property is sold to satisfy
the lien.
Personal property taxes
such as business equipment
or mobile homes are treat-
ed differently and can be
seized by the county. “We
don’t make that a practice,”
he says, saying the county
would rather work with the
owners and get a schedule
set up for payment. He
said the county can charge
16 percent interest on late
taxes.
Gorman also reported
that he has new staff on
board and they have been
attending training classes
to get up to speed and are
doing a good job. “The new
will take a couple of years
but I see good things,” he
told the commissioners. He
said Derek Gunderson had
taken the retired Cyde Es-
tes’s position. Gunderson,
who has worked there three
years, “has really stepped
up,” Gorman said.
Gorman also told the
commission that his of-
fice plans on starting re-
appraisals next year in some
parts of the county. They
will probably start with
Boardman he said. Gor-
man added that his office
is behind on market pricing
farm valuations, especially
irrigated ground, and plans
to work on that also. The
assessor uses past sales to
valuate property, and he
said they will team with
Gilliam County, which has
some dryland and irrigated
sales also, to help do proper
evaluations. He said the last
county valuation study was
in 2010, which found ir-
rigated land around $5,000
an acre, which “might be a
little low, maybe.”
In other business, the
commission heard a re-
port from Morrow County
Treasurer Gayle Gutierrez.
Commissioner Lindsay
told Gutierrez she had tried
to access information at
the bank about county ac-
the treasurer could see that
information. Lindsay said
she felt more than one per-
son should have access
to the accounts. Gutierrez
said that was not necessary,
since all Lindsay had to do
was ask her and the infor-
mation would be provided.
Commissioner Doherty said
checks and balances were a
good thing, and Russell said
if the commissioners have
a question “we should not
have to go to the treasurer
and then get the answer
from her.”
The commissioners
instructed county staff,
however, to draw up bank
instructions allowing all
commissioners and the fi-
nance director access to the
county banking accounts.
Gutierrez said she did not
agree, “and would not sign
off on that.”
In other action the com-
mission awarded three roof-
ing bids to Seth Moses
Roofing of Heppner. Moses
will put on foam roofing
with coating to the county
shop building at Lexing-
ton, the library in Heppner
and the health building in
Boardman. Moses was low
bidder on all projects for a
total of $37,875.
“I am pleased this went
to a Morrow County con-
City landmark gets
welcoming new look
The storefront of the Gilliam-Bisbee building in Heppner got
a minor facelift recently with a window display welcoming
visitors to the community. The display, which combines coun-
try whimsy with helpful visitor information, was created by
Babette Wall of Heppner. -Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
tractor,” Lindsay said. “I
have been pleased with
Seth’s work on previous
occasions.”
The county also voted
to sign a three-year truck-
ing contract with Andy
Ashbeck Trucking, LLC.
The contract spells out the
costs the county will pay for
various trucking equipment
when it calls on Ashbeck
to help with road projects.
“If deadline to get a proj-
ect pave road repaired and
need gravel, this will allow
someone else to call upon
if needing the additional
equipment,” the contract
states.
The commissioners
also discussed an earlier
proposal to change the ro-
deo board from its present
committee structure to a
county recognized board.
The county and the rodeo
have been talking over the
change and what it would
mean for the rodeo. No
agreement has been signed;
however, Lindsay agreed to
be the liaison between the
county and the rodeo.
SCHOOL DISTRICT
-Continued from PAGE ONE man, educational assis- ic director, head football, ing employment action: tive rules on reimbursable Elementary, Jan. 2018-no
Elementary and Windy
River Elementary; and Lois
Tallman, SBE ed assistant.
In other business, the
board:
-received the follow-
ing enrollment report for
May: A.C. Houghton El-
ementary, Irrigon-276; Sam
Boardman Elementary,
Boardman-336; Heppner
Elementary-171; Irrigon
Elementary-198; Windy
River Elementary, Board-
man-227; Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School-161; Irrigon
Jr./Sr. High School-370;
Riverside Jr./Sr. High
School, Boardman-428;
Morrow Education Cen-
ter, Irrigon-62; total-2,229.
Dirksen reported that the
district is up 61 students
over last year and is opti-
mistic concerning contin-
ued growth.
-approved the follow-
ing recommendations to
rehire for 2017-18 (Hep-
pner listed only): Heppner
Elementary: educational
assistants-Jackie Alleman,
Lorna Botefuhr, Rebecca
Evans, Tami Lien, Janet
Wilson, one vacant ed assis-
tant position, ed assistant/li-
brary tech-Debra Campbell;
head cook-Kim Carlson,
assistant custodian-Kathy
Cutsforth, facilities coor-
dinator-Kelly Fox, assistant
custodian-Linda Workman,
head secretary-vacant; Hep-
pner Jr./Sr. High School:
library tech-Ginger Bow-
tants-Tiffanie Greenup,
Ken Grieb, Jessica Lentz,
Larissa Maddern, depart-
ment secretary-Tracie
Bunch, head secretary-
Darcy Hostetler-Robinson,
head cook-Lori McCabe,
assistant custodian-Teresa
Parret, head custodian-
Robert Wilson.
-approved the follow-
ing extra duty contracts
for non-coaching positions
recommended for rehire
for 2017/18: Heppner El-
ementary: TAG (talented
and gifted program) coordi-
nator-Madison Rosenbalm;
half-time DART (early
intervention)-Sarah Ma-
theny, Melissa Coiner, ELL
site coordinator-Mary Ann
Elguezabal; Heppner Jr./Sr.
High School: annual-Jere-
my Rosenbalm, band-Rick
Drake, drama advisor (fall/
winter and spring)-Alaina
Lemmon, half-time TAG
coordinator-John Flaherty,
Petra Payne, Dart-John
Flaherty; district level: RTI
(response to intervention)
district coordinator-Melis-
sa Coiner, Jill Ledbetter,
ELL (English Language
Learner) district coordina-
tor (extra duty pay schedule
D)-Theresa Proctor-Reece,
RTI system district-wide
coordinator-Kaira Rysdam.
-approved the follow-
ing extra duty coaching
contracts (Heppner list-
ed only): Heppner High
School: Greg Grant-athlet-
C-team boys’ basketball,
head golf; Virginia Grant-
half-time cheerleading, Les
Payne-assistant football;
Kevin Payne-half-time as-
sistant football; Jeremy
Rosenbalm-half-time as-
sistant football, head
boys’ basketball, Mindy
Wilson-head volleyball,
Russ Nichols-half-time
head cross country, head/
assistant track, Antonia
Nichols-half-time head
cross country, Ken Grieb-
assistant boys’ basketball,
Robert Wilson-head girls’
basketball, Mark Lemmon-
head wrestling, Andy Stelk-
head baseball, Timothy
Wilkins-assistant baseball,
Laura Winters-head/assis-
tant track, Matt Scrivner-
assistant golf, Rick John-
ston-head softball, Janelle
Ellis-half-time assistant
softball, Mike Correa-half
time assistant softball, va-
cant-assistant girls’ bas-
ketball, assistant volley-
ball; Heppner Junior High:
Chad Doherty-head foot-
ball, Joe Armato-assistant
football, Terri Gentry-head
volleyball, Rocky Turn-
er-head boys’ basketball,
Jeremy Arbogast-assistant
boys’ basketball, Antonia
Nichols-head track, Brandi
Sweeney-assistant track,
vacant-assistant volleyball,
head girls’ basketball, assis-
tant girls’ basketball, head
wrestling.
-approved the follow-
resignations/non renewals-
Devin Bailey, Irrigon Jr./Sr.
High School science teach-
er, end of 2016-17 school
year; Beth Garnett, River-
side Jr./Sr. High School sci-
ence teacher, Brenda Profitt,
Sam Boardman Elementary
special ed teacher, Adara
Spring, Sam Boardman
Elementary ed assistant,
Renee Zielinski, RJSHS
head secretary; retirement-
Lloyd Bowman, June 30;
employment/promotions/
transfers 2017-18-Katie
Burton, SBE first grade
teacher, Julia Finch, SBE
third grade teacher, Tiffany
Jordan, RJSHS language
arts teacher, Christine
Moore, Windy River El-
ementary sixth grade teach-
er, Heather Noble, SBE/
WRE kindergarten-grade
six music teacher, G’Ann
Thomas, RJSHS language
arts teacher, Sarah Wells,
SBE kindergarten teacher,
Jacquelynn Whitesell, SBE
special ed teacher, Haily
Wooldridge, Irrigon Jr./Sr.
High School language arts
teacher, Lucia Zavala, SBE
ed assistant.
-approved the first
reading of policy on the su-
perintendent’s evaluation,
the local wellness program,
staff-student-parent rela-
tions, whistleblower, family
medical leave.
-adopted policy on
head lice.
-adopted administra-
We know your business makes our business.
Take us along, too.
school meals and milk pro-
grams.
-viewed a presentation
on the district’s science
textbook adoption by teach-
ers Dawn Callow, Kaitlin
Gustafson, Jason Palmer
and Danielle Wardle and
adopted textbooks. The
presentation also included
information on the online
forensics classes held in
Boardman and Irrigon, but
not available in Heppner
due to science teacher staff-
ing shortages.
-received the following
2017-18 board calendar
as follows: July 2017-no
meeting, Aug. 14-RJSHS,
Sept. 11-district office,
Heppner Elementary, Oct.
9-Sam Boardman Elemen-
tary, Nov. 6-A.C. Houghton
Elementary (changed from
Nov. 13, due to the district’s
observance of Veteran’s
Day), Dec. 11-Windy River
meeting, Feb. 12-Irrigon
Jr./Sr. High School, March
12-Heppner Jr./Sr. High
School, April 9-Irrigon El-
ementary, May 15 (changed
from May 14)-Morrow
Education Center, Irrigon,
June 11-Heppner Elemen-
tary.
-heard the follow-
ing announcements: May
12-make up snow day for
north end schools only, May
15-Crystal Apple awards,
May 25-seniors’ last day,
May 29-Memorial Day
holiday, June 3-gradua-
tions- 10 a.m., Riverside,
Boardman, noon, Irrigon,
2 p.m., Heppner; June 8,
students’ last day, June 13-
30, Irrigon and Heppner
summer school, June 12-30
and July 31-Aug. 5, Board-
man summer school, June
12-next board meeting and
budget hearing.
Youth invited to
‘Disco with It’ at
tri-county 4-H camp
Each year Oregon State
University staff from Gil-
liam, Wheeler and Morrow
counties host a Tri-Coun-
ty 4-H Summer Camp at
Cutsforth Park outside of
Heppner. This year’s camp
dates are Thursday, June 15,
through Sunday, June 18.
Cost is $85 if regis-
tered by May 25 and $100
from May 25 through June
5. Scholarships are avail-
able to enrolled 4-H mem-
bers; please check with
your county 4-H Office.
No registrations are will
be accepted after June 5.
T-Shirts are included with
the registration fee.
While this is a 4-H
camp, it is open to all youth
from these three counties;
they need not already be
enrolled in 4-H in order
to participate. The camp
theme this year is “Disco
with It.”
Youth who attend will
spend three nights camping
in tents with their coun-
selors and peers and will
participate in educational
workshops, craft activities,
a hike and a dance. There
will also be a campfire each
night complete with skits
and songs. Counselors are
in the eighth through 12 th
grades and are from Gil-
liam, Wheeler and Morrow
counties.
For more information,
contact the Morrow County
4-H office at 541-676-9642
or visit http://oregon.4h.
oregonstate.edu/programs/
camps/other.
DA’s Report
BEO Mobile
for Apple & Android
Member FDIC
beobank.com
Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney Justin Nelson
has released the following
report:
-Marion Ivan Taylor,
57, was convicted of As-
sault IV, a Class A Misde-
meanor. Of the sentence
of 180 days’ jail time, 90
days were suspended and
the defendant sentenced to
36 months bench probation.
In addition to 90 days’ jail
time, probation conditions
included 60 hours of com-
munity service, no contact
with the victims, and anger
management evaluation
and treatment. Additional
counts of Harassment and
Theft II were dismissed.
Fines, fees and assessment
totaled $100.