EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 3, 2020
COMMISSIONER WARNING
-Continued from PAGE ONE pointed out. He asked com- new recently completed
May 20 meeting, Boardman
City Manager Karen Petti-
grew came to the commis-
sion asking for permission
to extend out its zone into
the city’s urban growth
boundary (UGB). Under
Oregon law if Boardman’s
new zone is located only
within its city limits, it can
apply for and create its own
zone with just the sponsor-
ship of the Port of Mor-
row. It would not need the
county’s blessing. But since
prime industrial land is lo-
cated in the UGB the city
wants that land included for
future industrial develop-
ment and income, therefore,
it came for county approval.
Lindsay refused to call for
a vote on Boardman’s re-
quest, saying she thought
there was still room for
negotiating with the port.
Instead a motion was held
to table Boardman’s request
until last week’s meeting,
however the commission
still did not discuss or vote
on Boardman’s request.
In making his case for
the county to come to agree-
ment with the port, Russell
spent some time laying
out the benefits the current
expiring enterprise zone
has brought to the county.
“What has the enterprise
zone done for Morrow
County?” he asked. “We
are fourth in the state in
average per capita income
with $53,078, just behind
Clackamas County,” he
missioners to compare that
to neighboring Umatilla
County which has average
yearly income of its citizens
of only $40,238. Russell
said the positive difference
between the two counties
is because of the wage re-
quirements included in all
enterprise zone business
agreements.
Russell went on to give
an example of the large
increases in tax income
realized by the county since
the year 2005, which he at-
tributes to the zone. Russell
also said there’s been a huge
increase in the amount of
appraised valuation within
the county, also because of
the zone. “When this first
started the enterprise zone
members said this was a
time to think outside the
box and really benefit more
of the county,” Russell
recalls. He went on to say
that the money has been
distributed in four catego-
ries: housing, education,
community enhancement
and emergency services.
He said the money has
gone to such groups as
Willow Creek Valley Eco-
nomic Development Group
(WCVEDG), the Board-
man Community Devel-
opment Group and the city
of Irrigon. As an example,
WCVEDG has used the
money not only as grants
for housing purchases but
also to rehabilitate existing
housing and build four
duplexes in Heppner. With
money from the Columbia
River enterprise zone both
Boardman and Irrigon still
have incentive programs in
place to stimulate housing.
Russell said there have
also been many grants giv-
en to expand and improve
new and existing businesses
in the county. On money
given to education, he says
every year high school stu-
dents in Morrow County
can take college courses
through Blue Mountain
Community College or
Eastern Oregon University
at no cost to the student,
“paid for by the enterprise
zone.” In another program,
the enterprise zone has paid
for 60 students to partici-
pate in a program matching
students with employers,
giving them an opportunity
for students to work and
have exposure to different
career paths.
“This is all going to
go away because we, as a
county commission, want
to control the enterprise
zone,” he told the other
commissioners. “We don’t
want to be partners; we
want to control it. Our part-
ners have bent over back-
wards to compromise their
original position,” Russell
says. He pointed out that in
the current enterprise zone
Boardman is a permanent
partner, a position the Port
of Morrow has been willing
to give up.
“This program has
worked exceptionally well
over 10 years,” Russell said,
“And we, as the county, are
going to blow this program
up. We, as a county, know
full well the port won’t
sign off on this resolution.
It’s like asking someone
to buy a house without in-
spection. The details aren’t
there. I wouldn’t sign that,
the Port of Morrow isn’t
going to sign that, nobody
would sign that in their
right mind,” Russell said.
Lindsay said she has had
“numerous” conversations
with both the Port Manager
Ryan Neal and Port Chair-
man Rick Stokoe and thinks
there is room to negotiate.
Lindsay wanted to know
how Russell knew the port
would not sign. Russell
said he had polled most
of the port commissioners
individually and was told
they would not sign the
resolution.
Commissioner Jim
Doherty has not changed
his position during negoti-
ations, saying consistently
there is nothing stopping
the port from moving for-
ward at any time with an en-
terprise zone, even without
the county. “I would sug-
gest that your impassioned
pleas are going to move
the enterprise zone forward
because there is nothing in
this resolution that stops the
enterprise zone. I think they
are going to agree with you
and I think they are going
to move forward with an
enterprise zone,” Doherty
said of the port.
If the port and Board-
man exclude the county and
move forward on their own,
it will leave out some of
the port’s most productive
future industrial develop-
ment ground. Some of this
land is located within the
Boardman city limits and
would be available for new
industry and tax abatement
programs, but much more
of the undeveloped indus-
trial property is located in
what is called the Port’s
East Beach area, which
is outside the city limits.
Without a partnership with
the county for an enterprise
zone, this property would
not be available for tax
abatement and incentives
for new businesses. “With-
out the enterprise zone it
puts the Port of Morrow,
the most successful port in
the state of Oregon, not able
to compete,” Russell said.
“Because they can’t offer
the same tax abatement
that is offered at 73 other
locations (enterprise zones)
in the state of Oregon,” he
said.
After much discussion
the commissioners voted
to approve Lindsay’s latest
proposal to the port. Un-
der the proposal the new
enterprise zone will be a
partnership between the
county and port. Boardman
would not be a permanent
member, and no zones of
influence maps will be in-
cluded. That motion passed
2-1 with Russell voting no.
Lindsay said the county
was prepared to use com-
missioner discretionary
funds to hire current zone
administrator Greg Sweek
to begin drafting the new
zone application to the State
of Oregon. Former county
appraiser Sweek is an ex-
pert in enterprise zones and
has been involved with their
applications and adminis-
tration for many years. He
is the administrator of the
current zone, CREZII.
Following passage of
the county resolution Rus-
sell pointed out that the
county had yet to discuss
or vote on the most recent
port proposal for a zone
partnership. The resolution
was approved and signed
by the Port Commissioners
and delivered to the county,
however commissioners
had never discussed or act-
ed on the proposal. As with
the county, the port propos-
al called for a partnership
between just the county and
port, excluding the city of
Boardman. The port’s pro-
posal, however, included
maps of zones of influence
as part of the agreement.
Russell voted yes on the
port resolution, Lindsay
voted no and Doherty ab-
stained, so the resolution
failed.
Willow Creek Water Park
At this time we are planning to open the Willow Creek Water Park on
Monday, June 8th! Our hours are Monday-Saturday 1-7 pm. This opening
is contingent upon us entering into phase II of COVID-19 re-opening.
If we enter into phase II and open on June 8th please abide by social
distancing and cleanliness guidelines:
-stay six feet apart in lobby and on pool deck.
-do not come to the pool if you are sick.
-wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer.
We will be doing our best to keep the pool facility clean and safe by:
-cleaning the bathrooms often throughout the day.
-using gloves and masks in our concessions stand.
-sanitizing all surfaces (pool ladders, chairs, tables and restrooms)
at the end of each day.
-encouraging our employees to stay home if they are sick.
We will have more information about swim lessons later.
This year we are offering half-season passes in case we get shut down in
the middle of the season due to COVID-19. All passes are only available to
residents in and around Ione, Lexington and Heppner.
First pass good from June 8-July 18, 2020
Second pass good from July 19-August 28, 2020
Family-$70.00
Individual-$37.50
Babysitter-$20.00
Life vests, goggles, pool noodles, water shoes and floatation devices will not be
offered for rent or use this year due to COVID-19.
Pool parties will not be offered this year. If you plan to bring a large group to the
pool, please notify us ahead of time.
Thank you for your support and we hope to have a safe and fun summer with you!
For questions, call: 541-676-5752
Willow Creek Water Park Staff
OR UNTIL FULL!