Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 11, 2021 -- SEVEN
Local couple still want dog park on South Main
By David Sykes
Ralph and Sally Walker
of Heppner say they still
want to establish a dog
park on city-owned prop-
erty near the old swimming
pool at South Main Street in
Heppner, even though local
woman Kim Cutsforth says
she wants to put a miniature
golf course on that same
property. To complicate the
matter the city council has
implied both parties might
get the property.
“We are still pursuing
the creation of an off-leash
dog park on the strip of land
that was offered to us by the
city council back in June
of 2020,” the Walkers said
in a letter received by the
council at its monthly meet-
ing Monday night. Only
problem is the council last
month gave Cutsforth tacit
go-ahead to do a feasibility
study locating a miniature
golf course on the same
land.
After talking to the
Walkers last spring, how-
ever, the council had not
heard any follow-up so
last month told Cutsforth
they liked her golf course
idea, and she should move
forward with plans. In their
letter Monday the Walk-
ers blamed the pandemic
and “several surgical pro-
cedures” that kept them
from doing much work on
the project. However, they
did say some progress had
been made. “In order to
apply and receive grants,”
they wrote, “We must get a
501(c)(3) or a commitment
of support from the city.
We have the information
on two, possibly three,
dog park grants that we
plan to apply for in the
spring of 2022,” they wrote.
They said Ralph Walker has
also been spending time
removing puncture vine
and spraying weeds on the
property to stop any fur-
ther infestation. They also
contacted City Manager
Kraig Cutsforth about the
city donating a fire hydrant
for the project. They say the
city promised them one of
the hydrants.
Knowing they had two
different people looking at
the property, the council
last month went so far as
to suggest another location
for the dog park on property
near Hager Park underneath
the Willow Creek Dam.
However, Monday this idea
seemed not to be feasible.
Monday the council took no
action on the two proposals
made on the same piece of
property.
In other business fol-
lowing Monday’s meet-
ing some councilmembers
went down and checked
out progress of the new
bathroom and information
booth facility at the Thomp-
son Food Court next to the
Post Office. In addition to
the new structure the city
plans on putting in cement
part way back into the lot
and then asphalt further
back. The food court has
become a popular place for
people to gather, eat and
visit with several covered
picnic tables already in-
stalled there. Concession
trailers are also parked at
the food court selling var-
ious types of food.
In other business at
Monday’s meeting the
council discussed what to
do about the large amount
of trash being left at the
free hunter dump trash
dumpsters on Main Street
in Heppner. The dumpsters
are there for use by hunters
leaving the area with trash
to dump. Hunting is a big
part of Heppner’s econo-
my, and the city offers the
dumpsters as a service to
the hunters.
However, the service
has become so popular
more and more dumpings
are required. Miller and
Sons Disposal came to the
council last month and said
more pickups would have
to be scheduled in order for
them to keep up with the
large amount of trash.
The city pays Millers
about $5,000 from August
through October to pick up
the trash, but Millers said
they need more pickups to
keep up. The council wants
to keep offering the service
but needs more money to
keep up with the expanded
use.
It has also come to
city officials’ attention that
some locals are dumping
their trash there for free.
The service is not intended
for local use. After discus-
sion the council decided to
try harder to keep locals
from dumping, put out a
donation box for money
from the hunters, and ask
the city manager to write a
letter to the Forest Service
seeking additional funding
of $2,000 to keep up with
garbage, since the Forest
Service also has a stake
in keeping the trash from
being dumped in the forest.
In other business the
council voted to raise base
water rates from the cur-
rent $24.53 per month to
$25.78 and sewer rates
from $34.84 to $39.84 for
a total of $6.25 per month.
Heppner City Council member Corey Sweeney inspects new
water fountain being installed at Thompson Square Food
Court. -Photo by David Sykes
Usage of water over 7,500
gallons is currently $1 per
1,000 gallons and both this
and the base rates will be
raised over the next five
years automatically based
on inflation.
The city’s accountants
have recommended the
increases so the city can
keep up with replacement
and repair costs to the water
and sewer system.
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