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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 2021)
First snow hits 50¢ VOL. 140 NO. 51 10 Pages Wednesday, December 22, 2021 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon CREZ ponders division of money Has $9 million to disburse By David Sykes The Columbia River Enterprise Zone II (CREZ II) met last week to begin discussing plans to divide up nearly $9 million in payments in lieu of taxes it received this year. But in the end the board decided to wait another month before making any decision. Before postponing their decision however, the nine-member board, made up of three represen- tatives each from the Port of Morrow, Morrow County and the City of Boardman, heard multiple requests from entities and groups across the county seeking a piece of the funds. The main decision fac- ing the board appears to be should it continue with its past strategy of disbursing much of the money through local economic develop- ment groups or begin tak- ing individual “asks” from groups and organizations around the county. And at last Friday’s meeting there was no shortage of those asks. For example the new broadband team asked the board for funds to match for state and federal grant mon- ey to build out broadband in the county; the Workforce Partnership wants money for worker relocation pro- gram; the Morrow County Health District is seeking money for an urgent care building in Boardman; Co- lumbia River Community policy continues the board will need to decide what Health asked for money population percentages to to expand its facility with use in this distribution for- more exam rooms; Board- mula. man police are seeking In a break from pre- funds to build a 10-lane 50- vious years, however, last yard indoor shooting range; year the board gave money the District Attorney asked directly to its three “spon- for money to hire a special soring” entities, the Port of investigator; Boardman Morrow, city of Boardman Fire and Rescue wants a and Morrow County. It also new training fa- gave $200,000 each to cility and the cities Ione, Lexington and of Ione and Hep- Heppner suggesting the pner are looking money be spent on in- for infrastructure frastructure. The CREZ funding. In all, has always sent funds CREZ chair Don directly to the county Russell said there education fund fulfill- was about $4.5 ing its pledge to support million in “asks” CREZ II education in the coun- from these groups. Chair Don ty. It also purchased a In the past the Russell large fire engine for the CREZ board has Boardman Fire District resisted accepting money in support of public safety. requests from individual The CREZ II has been groups and entities, not operating and disbursing wanting to be in the posi- funds for the past ten years tion of deciding what does and in the beginning de- and does not get funded. fined four categories for Instead, the board funneled how the money would be much of the money to eco- spent: Education, public nomic development groups safety, housing and com- in Boardman, Irrigon and munity enhancement. Last south county and let those year it added a fifth, infra- groups field requests and structure. disburse funds locally in CREZ receives these their respective communi- large amounts of money ties. CREZ chairman Don each year from businesses Russell indicated he likes who locate in the enter- this system and urged the prise zone located in north board to continue with this county at the Port of Mor- method of money disburse- row near Boardman. These ments. businesses receive gen- If it does continue fund- erous property tax breaks ing the economic develop- and instead of tax property ment groups in the past it taxes, pay money directly has used a formula based to the CREZ, which then partly on population. If this decides how the money will be spent. CREZ II last year came to an end and will no longer be accepting new businesses, however it will continue to receive and disburse large amounts of money for the next 15 years. A new CREZ III has been authorized by the state of Oregon and covering the same area, however it has so far not made any tax deals with new businesses. Amazon Web Services has built large server facilities in the area taking advantage of the tax breaks and is ex- pected to continue building there. Lamb Weston, Til- lamook Cheese and other companies also are located in the enterprise zone and take advantage of the tax Isla Trahan, 4, enjoyed the first snow to hit the area on Mon- day. -Contributed photo. breaks. At times there has been criticism of the generous tax breaks given the compa- nies, prompting Russell to remind people that some of those businesses most like- ly would not be in Morrow County at all without the enterprise zone. “The enti- ties (businesses) are making payment in lieu of taxes that is significantly less in some cases than the tax revenue they would pay if they were on the books at full book,” Russell said at last week’s meeting. “But would they be here if they were on for full book? Probably not because there are 70 enter- prise zones in the state of Oregon, and they would go somewhere else in the state of Oregon or Washington,” he pointed out. City dedicates Thomson Square Lexington starts planning for next year’s May Day celebration The dedication ceremony for Thomson Square in Heppner was held December 18 with members of the Thomson family attending -Photos by Kathleen Cutsforth. Participants in the first May Day celebration parade last May. -File photo. last week’s council meet- ing, Josie Miles gave a fire department report. Miles said the fire department has been doing joint first aid training with the Ione Fire Department. She also re- ported that the department received a new brush rig from the Oregon Depart- ment of Forestry (ODF) fire pool, a 2005 Ford F550 which will replace the 1979 Dodge. The Dodge has been in service in Lexington since 1990 and will be de- commissioned and returned to ODF. The council also heard a report from town mainte- nance man Curtis Thomp- son who said the new chlo- rine unit is working well. He also said he checked on the emergency generator at the well and it is function- ing properly as it should. Recorder Janette El- drige reported the town au- dit has been completed and she presented each coun- cilmember with a copy. She also said the town has received a contract from Anderson Perry Engineers for an agreement to do work for the town. They will be doing an assessment study of the town’s water and sewer systems. Eldrige said she had also turned in a request to Business Oregon for a $40,000 grant to pay for the two studies. Heppner held a dedi- cation and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Thomson Square on Saturday, De- cember 18. Members of the Thomson family, Bruce and Phyllis Thomson and their daughter, Stacey; and Mer- edith (Thomson) Walters and son Aaron attended the ceremony. “The Thomson family is grateful and honored that the city dedicated the area where the store stood for so many years,” Meredith Walters told the Gazette. According to family, James George Thomson Sr. arrived in Heppner in 1892 and shortly thereafter estab- lished the Thomson Bros. 27. David, April, Bobbi and Giselle, the staff at Heppner Gazette-Times, wishes everyone a very merry Christmas. grocery and department store. James G. Thomson, Jr. began working at the store in 1926, then in 1946 he and his wife, Madge, purchased the business and remodeled the building. They retired in 1979 and the business was sold. In May 1983, a fire engulfed and destroyed the building. CALL 541-989-8221 G-T closed Christmas Eve The Heppner Ga- zette-Times will be closed for the Christmas holiday on Friday, December 24. Normal business hours will resume Monday, December Thomson Square marker installed. E L E VAT E YO U R A DV E N T U R E ext 204 NEW 2022 FOR By David Sykes The town of Lexington held its first organizational meeting last week to plan for its second annual May Day celebration. Mayor Juli Kennedy told the town council at its December meeting last week that there was a “good turnout” at the meeting where nine people came to plan for next year’s event. Kennedy said there were a lot of good ideas discussed and she urged everyone who wants to help to attend the next meeting Monday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. at Lexington Town Hall. “If we are going to do all the things we decided to do last night we are going to need all hands on deck,” the mayor said. “Anybody that wants to get involved please come; that would be wonderful,” she said of the January meeting. The first May Day celebration last year featured a parade and various activities. 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