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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2022)
Census data shows Heppner population down, Boardman up 50¢ VOL. 141 NO. 14 8 Pages Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Ione moves closer to getting a sewer system upgrade Central system will pump up Johnson Grade to large drain field on the hill By David Sykes The city of Ione is mov- ing closer to an upgrade on its sewer system that will remove individual drain fields from homes and busi- nesses and be replaced with effluent collected and then pumped up the hill to a large drain field above town, volunteer project manager Jerry Rietmann told the county commissioners. Rietmann said recent good news from the De- partment of Environmental Quality (DEQ), giving the city a tentative go-ahead for planning on the new sys- tem, encouraged the council to hire engineers Anderson and Perry to start work on a design and permitting plan. Under the plan, homes and businesses would still have individual septic hold- ing tanks on their properties but would no longer require drain fields on each lot. Instead, the tanks would drain to a large tank at the end of town where effluent would then be pumped up Johnson Grade to one large drain field overlook- ing town. The entire system would be underground with no settling ponds or above ground treatment facilities, Rietmann explained in re- sponse to a question about smell. He emphasized there would be no smell. Ione community lead- ers have been working for some time on a way to re- Boardman Growth Rate: 17.25% 2010 Population: 2020 Population: 3,220 3,828 Median Household income: $ 60,039.00 Percent in Poverty: 16.20% Heppner Growth Rate: -8% 2010 Population: 2020 Population: 1,291 1,187 Median Household income: $48,571.00 Percent in Poverty: 8.20% Ione Growth Rate: Ione’s proposed new sewer system to pump effluent up Johnson Grade to large drain field place the individual septic systems now on each town lot, and Rietmann agreed to head up that effort. “We have homes in Ione where their only choice will be to put in a $40,000 sand filter system if their septic fails,” he said in explaining the need for the new method of waste disposal. The DEQ is trying to phase out septic drain fields on small city lots, and if the town is to grow or just maintain its existing housing base, the community knew it had to make a change. Rietmann said without a new central- ized system there would be homeowners with failed septic systems that could not afford the required ex- pensive sand replacement systems “and that means they will abandon their homes and the last thing we need is abandoned homes,” he told the county commis- sioners. Rietmann estimated the cost of the entire project would be around $5.2 mil- lion, and said the city still needs to find “from $1.5 to $2.5 million” to finish out the funding. He said so far ICABO (Ione Agri-Busi- ness Organization) has committed money to the project, as well as funding coming from the Columbia River Enterprise Zone and financial commitment from the local school district. Rietmann said the schools will soon be “in the middle of a $24 million building project,” and part of that construction will be sewer disposal. He said if the new system comes together the schools have agreed to tie in and partic- ipate with the city with a commitment of $1 million. He said the new system will need to be permitted by the end of this calendar year or early 2023 to coin- cide with the new school’s end-of-construction time- line of the summer of 2024. Irrigon to have own police department again Will end 18-year relationship with sheriff contract for police services. The city also purchases a car for the sheriff’s office every three years, which the sheriff returns to the city after three years. The contract, which is similar to the deal Heppner has with the sheriff, will expire on July 1 of 2022. The city will now purchase a new car and renovate an office in city hall for the new depart- ment. Under the plan there will not be round-the-clock seven-day coverage for the city of over 2,000, but the sheriff will still offer some services. In a statement released Monday, the sheriff’s office said “This means the sheriff and his deputies can enforce state laws in any city in the county. If a city has their own police, the sheriff and his deputies can assist the city police when needed, Ione fitness center to open soon The Ione School District is one step closer to opening its new fitness center. -Contributed photo. The Ione School Dis- trict is one step closer to opening the fitness center to the community. In March, Alpine Alarm was able to complete installation of the security system, includ- ing security cameras, fiber connection, control panel installation and the card reader system. The fitness center has received many donations and contributions for this entire project. Specifically for the security system, grants were received from T h e Wi l d h o r s e F o u n - dation, Morrow County Grain Growers, The Land O’Lakes Foundation and ICABO. The security sys- tem cost over $30,000 and could not have been ac- complished without support from the community and regional organizations that helped fund it. Eventually procedures and protocols for commu- nity use of this facility will be created, staff training on the card system will be completed and an official ribbon cutting will be held. but the city police are the primary in their city. If the city police are off duty and an emergency call is reported, they should be called out as the primary law enforcement in the city and may be assisted by county deputies. If a city doesn’t have a police force then the sheriff or depu- ties will respond to per- son crimes and in progress crimes as resources allow,” the statement, which was signed by Sheriff Kenneth Matlack and Undersheriff John Bowles, said. Other points made by Irrigon Mayor Anderson were the new department would bring “local own- ership and autonomy of an officer and improved follow through on calls and responses. This is not a fis- 0.97% 2010 Population: 2020 Population: 329 337 Median Household income: $53,846.00 Percent in Poverty: 20.70% Irrigon Growth Rate: 9.60% 2010 Population: 2020 Population: 1,826 2,011 Median Household income: $ 52,054.00 Percent in Poverty: 16.10% Lexington Growth Rate: N/A 2010 Population: 2020 Population: 238 238 Median Household income: $33,125.00 Percent in Poverty: 8.90% Source: 2020 US Census Census data total county Total Morrow County Total Population Growth Rate: 12,186 9% 2010 Population: 2020 Population: 11,173 12,186 Median Household income: $54,269 Percent in Poverty: 14.50% Unincorporated (outside cities) Growth Rate: 7.40% 2010 Population: 2020 Population: cal cut-back but improved ownership and oversight by the city council; no new building is being built or was built; MC will still have an officer at the Irrigon Schools. “The City of Irrigon continues to grow and ex- 4585 4,269 4,585 pand to ensure the majority of service needs are provid- ed to those within the city limits. We have not made this decision lightly or self- ishly but for the betterment and growth of Irrigon,” Anderson said. E L E VAT E YO U R A DV E N T U R E CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 NEW 2022 FOR After 18 years of con- tracting police services the city of Irrigon has decided to part ways with the county sheriff office and once again establish its own police de- partment, Mayor Margaret Anderson has announced. The city council vot- ed unanimously to make the break at its March 15 meeting, and in a news release put out last week they explained why it was making the move. “So why bring law enforcement back in-house? Basically, the dollars spent are equal to contracting but provides improved responsibility, response and authority,” Anderson said of forming the one-officer department. Earlier the city also made a break from the county run Justice of The Peace, establishing its own munic- ipal court. Currently Irrigon is paying the sheriff’s office around $95,000 a year to Data from the 2020 $33,125. Boardman also census shows Heppner lost held the top spot in total population over the past population with 3,828 res- ten years while Boardman, idents. For the county as a Irrigon and Ione all gained. Remarkably Lexington re- whole, the population over mained exactly the same the past 10 years showed a at 238 residents from 2010 nine percent increase with a jump of 1,1013 residents to 2020. Other facts from the to a total of 12,186. Unin- census shows Boardman corporated population, or w i t h t h e h i g h e s t m e - outside the cities, increase dian household income showed a 7.4 percent in- of $60,039 per year, and crease. Lexington the lowest with Census data by cities for more information CHECK OUT THE ALL-NEW 2 0 2 2 P O L A R I S L I N E U P. WE’LL HELP YOU LOCK I N W H AT Y O U W A N T. 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