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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 2020)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, February 5, 2020 -- THREE TREASURER -Continued from PAGE ONE how much resources the county wants to put toward a position to properly ana- lyze the salary. The budget commit- tee also discussed if the position is made part time would it be a good move for the county? “If it’s changed to part time will we get the quality of person to run for the office?” LaRue asked. She said now that Gutierrez has resigned, she was con- cerned with the quality of the person who runs. “It’s up to the voters now.” After listening to ar- guments from the commis- sioners that the job may be part time, LaRue also said as a budget committee member it was not her job to “oversee the treasurer’s position. Who is saying it is not full time?” she asked. LaRue also said this was the first time she had heard about the salary review and she felt blindsided by the special meeting and thought this was not a good way to go about it. Budget committee member Kim Cutsforth said the commissioners have a fiduciary duty to the county to look at salaries of elected officials and that includes making comparisons with other counties. “We have a high paid treasurer in Morrow County,” she said, adding that any action to adjust the salary should be done before an election so those running would know what the salary was going to be. The commissioners wanted the budget com- mittee to decide whether to leave the treasurer’s sal- ary the same for a current $127,152 per year salary and benefit package, do a 25 percent cut to $101,609, a 50 percent reduction to $76,066 or a 75 percent reduction to $50,524 yearly pay and benefit package. Questions also arose about who instigated the salary cut proposal. Mem- bers of the public at the meeting asked the com- missioners who started the process. Gutierrez’s broth- er-in-law Craig Gutierrez was in the audience and said it appeared the commission and budget committee were not disputing her job per- formance. “She does her job very well.” But he did want to know who started the review process. “How did this start? Someone had to sit around a table and say, ‘Let’s review the treasurer’.” “Why are we not reviewing everyone’s salary?” he asked. Com- missioner Doherty said he did not know who started it. “I’m not certain when the question was first asked.” It might have been a citizen, or it might have been an elected person,” he an- swered. LaRue also asked why the treasurer was sin- gled out. “We haven’t been given an answer to that question,” she said. Commissioner Lindsay said the treasurer’s salary was being reviewed be- cause even though she had filed for reelection, Lindsay had heard Gutierrez was re- tiring. “The knowledge was out that the current treasurer was retiring, and we were looking at the position not the person,” Lindsay said. Gutierrez told the Ga- zette-Times later that al- though she had asked for some retirement informa- tion as far back as 2018 no one had asked her “in an official manner” if she was going to retire. “If they thought I was going to re- tire, the Board of Commis- sioners had all of last year to take this subject to the compensation committee and the budget hearing. It was only after I decided to file that the hour/wage discussion started. It could have been over and done with before the filing season started in September.” County Clerk Bobbi Childers took the opportu- nity to discuss an elected person’s role in county gov- ernment. “We are elected. We are not employees. I am elected to represent the people in the county,” she told the commissioners. “You don’t take a hit when I do something wrong.” She asked the commissioners if they were policy makers or “Are you administrators?” Commissioner Russell said there was an “indi- cation” the treasurer was going to retire, and he too thought this was a good time to analyze the trea- surer position. He said the compensation committee was looking to us to deter- mine if it was a full time or a part time position and they searched other coun- ties to find comparable job positions and duties of treasurers. In the end, the budget committee voted three to two that there would be no action and the treasurer salary review would go through the normal process of first to the compensation committee, then to the bud- get committee as part of the entire budget and then on to the commissioners for final adoption. LaRue, Russell and Doherty voted in favor, and Lindsay and Cutsforth voted against. The third budget committee member Jeff Wenholtz was not in attendance. Legislative video David Warren Lacey conferences scheduled Obituaries Community lunch menu David Warren Lacey, daughters, November Slud- 64, passed away peacefully er (Demian) and Michelle in Bend, OR, on Tuesday, Weiker (Chad), grandson January 28 after a two-plus Jared Wallis-Weiker, sev- year fight against multi- eral loved nieces, nephews, ple myeloma. He was sur- cousins and great nieces, rounded by his wife, nephews and cous- two daughters and ins, and his extended grandson. His family family Doug John- stated David was an son and cousin Frank amazingly strong, Lamoreaux. ornery and beautiful He was preced- soul who was full David Warren ed in death by his of love. He was a Lacey parents. kind-hearted, caring, David was a giving, gentle, patient and very hard-working and honorable husband, father, dedicated employee. He grandfather, brother, uncle was a skilled mechanic for and friend. A true faithful any type of vehicle, farm fearless fighter. equipment, even go-carts David was born in Hep- and big rigs. He was an pner on July 30, 1955 to experienced semi truck and Walt and Billie Fay Lacey race car driver and knew (Keeney) of Condon. David his vehicles inside and out. graduated from Condon He was an expert rancher High School in 1973. He and equipment operator. moved to The Dalles, OR He also had a creative side in 1977 where he had two and loved to build, weld, daughters with his first construct and was always wife, Tamara Harrison, in making gifts for his family 1977 and 1980. and friends with this talent. David had an adventur- This man could fix or build ous life and lived in many anything. places. He resided in Ma- He worked at various dras and Gresham, OR, then jobs in his lifetime. David he moved to Copeland, KS, worked for his dad, Walt where he was able to travel as a young man and at all over the central Midwest a gas station in Condon. while working. He moved He was a manager at Nel- to Conrad, MT, where he son/M & M Tire Shop and met Merilyn Hughes in the Muffler Factory in The 2004, and they married Dalles. He also worked for in 2009. They moved to Tyler Trucking/Wheaties, Antelope, OR, lived there Zomers and Wells Ranch, for eight years. When he re- doing many other interest- tired, they moved to their fi- ing projects along the way. nal residence in Fossil, OR. A celebration of life He loved baseball, bas- will be at the Man Cave ketball, football, coaching, February 29, at 1 p.m., fishing, hunting, camping, 48643 Old Hwy Road in cars, dogs, working with Fossil. This will be a pot- cattle, writing and draw- luck and ice cream social. ing. Spending time with The date and time are still his family was his absolute pending for the memori- favorite. His family said al (in Fossil) and grave- David was a sweetheart side service (in Condon). and gentle soul. He loved Please contact Michelle without limits, had a con- Weiker for updates on both. tagious laugh and adored 360-521-9686 or michelle- his family. David enjoyed weiker98@gmail.com or on being a jokester and was Facebook. always focused on making In lieu of flowers, con- those around him laugh and tributions to the family are feel loved. He had a strong greatly appreciated. faith in the Lord and found “I am leaving you with deep spiritual connection a gift—peace of mind and when out in nature. He and heart. And the peace I give his wife Merilyn have felt is a gift the world cannot beyond blessed to have give. So don’t be troubled found the love, support and or afraid.” John 14:27. fellowship of their church in Fossil. Survivors include his five sisters and one brother: Marthela Hawkins (Phil- lip), April Wilson (Don- ny), Dorothy Frost (Art), Kathy Cutsforth (Curtis), Loa Lacey (Mark), Scott Lacey (Terra); his wife, Merilyn Lacey and son, First Friday Mass at St. Matthew Cigarroa; two Patrick’s Catholic Church will be held Friday, Feb- ruary 7 at 12:05 p.m. The men’s First Friday meeting has been cancelled for this month. United Methodist vol- unteers will serve lunch on Wednesday, February 12 at St. Patrick’s Senior Center. Lunch will be beef and cheese enchiladas, corn, tossed salad, pineapple and The Morrow County Clerk’s office has released the following report of marriage licenses: January 28, 2020: - Lauro Ybarra, 55, Irrigon, and Blanca Ortiz Martinez, 51, Irrigon.. Jell-O. Milk, coffee and tea is served at each meal. Sug- gested donation is $3.50 per meal. Menu is subject to change. First Friday Mass changed Marriage Licenses RATE INCREASE Due to the rising costs of operation, the following proposed rates will be effective February 1, 2020 Local (in city limits) Rural (outside city limits) Local Business Dumpsters Rural Dumpsters $22.50 $25.00 $80.00 $80.00 We thank you for your understanding and continued support Miller & Sons Disposal Services, LLC (541) 676-9613 Area Chambers of Commerce are working together during the 2020 Legislative session to keep businesses informed on the issues being discussed. The weekly video conference sessions will include Rep. Greg Barreto, Rep. Greg Smith and Senator Bill Hansell. The video conferences will be held each Tuesday at 7 a.m. beginning February 4 and will continue through- out the short session. Locations for these video conference meet- ings will be: Boardman, BMCC Workforce Train- ing Center; Heppner, Mor- row County Bartholomew Building upper conference room; Hermiston, Blue Mtn. Comm. College - Kim Puzey room (Rm. 134-135) and Pendleton, Blue Mtn. Community College - Pio- neer Hall board room. Contact your local chamber office for addi- tional information. MC Chronicles available online The latest update to the Morrow County Chronicles index is available online with a link at the Morrow County Museum web site. An alphabetized list of names, historical events and area sites are mentioned in the Chronicles and are available by a web search. This yearly collection of articles about historical people, events and places totals thirty-six issues as of 2019. After finding a name of interest in the index, the researcher can then go to the pertinent issue(s) and to the page(s) that the index lists for that name. Back issues of the Chronicles are for sale at the museum in Heppner. Although the museum is presently closed for the winter, a phone call to a 541-676-9216 or 541-676- 5546 will get someone to access those issues. The libraries have issues that can be used for research. Lexington to begin water chlorination The town of Lexington has completed the installa- tion of the new chlorination system for the town’s water system. The system will be charged with chlorine be- ginning Monday, February 10. This will be an ongoing treatment to input chlorine into the water at all times. For additional infor- mation or questions about the chlorine in the water system, contact staff at the town hall by stopping by 425 F Street or calling 541- 989-8515. New Baby in Your Family? Engagement? Wedding? We want to share your life events! Stop in the Heppner Gazette office or email us with details and photos. All birth, engagement and wedding announcements are always free! 188 W Willow Street, Heppner, OR editor@rapidserve.net Valentine's Day Dinner Friday, , February 14th Dinner 6:30pm Prepared by Tanner & Wacy Steak - Potatoes Vegetable - Salad Dessert Music by Frank Carlson (weather permitting) 7-11pm Elks Members & Guests DEADLINE: MONDAYS AT 5PM G illiam and B isBee O pen H Ouse F eBruary 7 5:00 - 7:30 s pecial presentatiOn at 6:00