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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 2024)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 24, 2024 -- THREE Heppner City Council discusses water treatment and IT service agreement By Annalynn Black In the Heppner city council meeting on July 8 th City Manager John Doherty reports that Anderson Perry and himself recently had a phone meeting with Dane Maben, as presumed con- sultant, to discuss sched- ules for WSMP and waste- water plans. One of the main topics discussed was the trickling filter, specifi- cally the removal of media and sludge and the potential replacement of small equip- ment. According to Dane Maben, replacing the filter could effectively decrease the amount of pneumonia present in the water that flows into willow creek. Additionally, there have been discussions about the implementation of a bio reactor, a chemical process that can remove pneumonia from the water completely. A three-year agreement has been discussed between the city of Hermiston and Heppner for the provision of IT services. During a discussion, Council mem- ber Adam Doherty raised a concern about whether overtime charges would apply for work exceeding the contracted 8 hours. John Doherty suggested that if the actual hours worked exceeded the agreed limit, they could revisit and rene- gotiate the hourly terms at the end of the year. Adam noted the absence of any specific language or policy regarding the charges in the intergovernmental agree- ment. Adam expressed ap- prehension about potential delays in service. In re- sponse, John assured Adam that most issues could be resolved remotely, saying ““ Unless there is some- thing physical with the server going down it can be done logging in {remotely from a computer” Adam interrupted saying, “I would argue that that’s not the case, just because there are things that they need to ger their hands on, if we cannot report what’s going on then they cannot properly assess the situation, not saying you cant report it- my concern is that’s 8 hours, that sit.” John replied that the cur- rent payment arrangement was within the ballpark of their expectations, Adam then cuts off John again saying, “I don’t really com- pare those apples to apples cause’ you just got done saying they are not worth a darn-” John emphasized the positive feedback re- ceived from others who have interacted with the IT service provider. Council member Cody High then inquired about the cost of the contract, to which John stated it would be $960 per month assuming the full utilization of the allotted 8 hours. Adam expressed his desire to avoid any un- expected additional costs if they exceed the agreed 8-hour limit. John says that the rea- son why this company’s prices are lower than the competition is because they are not a private company. He states, “they’re not out there to make a profit off it-” However, Adam inter- rupts and adds, “they’re not out to lose business-” Adam then expresses his uncertainty about the wait times for services, saying, “all of a sudden they’re saying, you know we’ve been there 25 hours this month, well get there when we get there-” Another council member chimes in, suggesting that the office staff doesn’t really need that much help with IT. John shares that despite reaching out, he has never met the current IT work- ers in the past 10 months. Council member Cody asks if there will be a monthly report breaking down the services provided, to which Adam responds, “it’s all in the invoice Cody.” He further adds, “if we have a poor performer right now and we have the chance to switch to someone we have heard good things about, and the cost to switch over is the same as it would be to go to a private person, we don’t really lose out by giving another chance.” Adam clarifies, “I don’t re- call saying anything about the city of Hermiston’s ability to do their job. I strictly asked about 8 hours, which is hardly any hours in a working month of the IT world. I just asked if there was an additional cost on top of that. I didn’t talk about how good or bad they are; it’s a moot point.” John confirms that they typically use less than 8 hours per month. Another council member seeks clari- fication, asking, “if we only use 4 hours a month, do we still get billed for the full 8 hours?” John affirms this. Adam expresses his belief that 8 hours is not a significant amount of time, particularly if there is a problem that takes days or weeks to resolve. Another council member disagrees, stating that it is a consid- erable amount considering the current level of service they are paying for. Ultimately, the motion to enter into an agreement with the city of Hermiston to provide IT services was passed. John provided an up- date on the chip sealing project. He mentioned that he, Chad Doherty, and Cory Sweeny collectively decid- ed to postpone the project. Instead, they plan to begin soliciting bids in January or February. In regards to Gale street alley, John addressed an issue regarding emergency services accessing the area. As a solution, the commit- tee motioned to authorize John to accept bids under $25,000 for resolving this problem. Moving on, Council member Ian Murray shared an update on the Heppner Daycare. He announced that they successfully se- cured a substantial grant. The only remaining re- quirement is acquiring a new building/property. To conclude the meet- ing, the council expressed congratulations to Chad Doherty for his recent grad- uation from BMCC. Local businesses urged to decorate for fair The Heppner Chamber of Commerce invites local businesses to show their “Admiration for Genera- tions” by decorating their storefronts for this year’s Morrow County Fair and Oregon Trail Pro Rodeo, August 14 th -18 th . Window paint, western decor, and the like are all welcomed and encouraged! Let’s help welcome out-of-town guests to our wonderful town! ~ Letters to the Editor ~ The Heppner Gazette Times will print all letters to the Editor with the following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $15 Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net. Bye bye Biden Just got the news to- day. Biden is dropping out of the race. Hmmmm….I heard tell there were only three things that would cause him to change his mind about staying the course. One: If someone convinced him that he had zero chance of beat- ing Trump. Two: If he ac- quired a medical condition. Three: If he heard from The Almighty. Well, when you bring millions of new “voters” across the border, “zero chance” is a pretty hard sell, especially when the last rigged election was such a success. And since he’s had his 14 th COVID vax, I’m pretty sure he just had a cold. And finally, I’m willing to bet that The Al- mighty has been knocking on that door a long time…. nobody home. Answer the door, Joe. So, I wonder what re- ally convinced him. Maybe the FBI threatened to give him the same DEI Secret Service protection they gave Trump. Who knows. But since actually handing over the keys to the White House won’t happen for a while, all he has to do until then is convince the world he is still able to run the country “as well as ever“ for the next few months, which should be fairly easy from his basement. I heard someone in the news media mention how great Kama- la would be as President. “She’s learned from the best”, he said. Next thing I know, I’m shouting at my car radio “The BEST at WHAT?!” Flushing our tax dollars down the toilet? Opening the Welcome Wag- on to our enemies? Wreak- ing havoc on our economy? Making us a laughingstock to the rest of the world? Oh wait….I got it. That’s it! Who would be a better choice than Kamala to re- ceive the Laughingstock Baton? Makes sense…. Kackler in Chief. Maybe I sound a lit- tle bitter. I guess it’s my mood after witnessing a preventable assassination attempt and the sad loss of a patriot, father, and hero. Am I surprised by the at- tempt on Trump’s life? No. I unfortunately figured it was coming. And the more I learn of the events that led up to it, the more I’m convinced it was a planned “incident” by the corrupt powermongers. Also, not a surprise. If this were any- one but Trump, it would have been a different scene altogether. But expecting anyone to believe this was just a series of unfortunate events aka ineptness, is an insult. The big question is why? Are they really that scared? Do they actually believe the “Nazi, Democ- racy-destroyer” rhetoric they’ve been spewing? Not a bit. They just know a Trump presidency would make it impossible for them to continue their control and carry out their Anti-Ameri- can agenda. They liked their puppet. But here’s the good part. Just when they thought they had him, God stepped in. A bullet meant for his brain simply pierces his ear because he “happened” to move his head a tad? Well, if you can’t see a miracle in this, you’re not looking. As they say….God had other plans. I’ve heard many say that Donald Trump is differ- ent now. It seems that we’re seeing a more subdued, more humbled man. I hope the change in him involves a heart that’s turned to Je- sus for forgiveness, mercy, wisdom, and is ready to submit to God’s plan for his life, and for the country he loves. I pray for that. “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 B y S u s i e C r o s b y, Prineville, OR. Morrow County Commissioners retain seats 177 N. Main P.O. Box 337 Heppner, OR 97836 Chris@sykesrealestate.net Broker Chris Sykes 541-215-2274 Pending $350,000 9.09 ACRES Secluded mountain property! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to own your own mountain property. Whether you’re looking for a hunting retreat or a permanent residence, this property has it all. With approximately 9.09 acres of land and a private pond you can embrace the beauty of nature and create a life of serenity in the mountains you’ve always desired. 80844 Black Mountain Ln Heppner MLS#:23510132 Lunch & Dinner Menu Specials 7-25 7/ 31 Thursday - Popcorn chicken mashed potato bowl Friday -2 Sausage egg cheese English muffin with 2 hashbrown patties Saturday - Finger steaks and jojos Monday - BBQ pulled pork sandwich and potato salad Tuesday - Cucumber tuna wrap with fruit Tuesday Night 6-9pm- $2 hard shell tacos Wednesday - Spaghetti and meatballs "EARS"OF EXPERIENCE Ready to help with your hearing healthcare needs 600 NW 11th Street Suite E-21 Hermiston, OR 97838 P.S. Ask us about our financing options! (541) 371-1900 Call Verna 541-371-1900 Offering complimentary hearing evaluation and/or to have your current hearing aids cleaned & checked, schedule today! -Continued from PAGE ONE “I am very pleased with For Jeff Wenholz: Yes: 737 No: 1465* Over Votes: 1 Under Votes: 9 Total: 2212 For David Sykes: Yes: 697 No: 1504* Over Votes: 1 Under Votes: 10 Total: 2212 Statements from the Commissioners: Roy Drago Jr., Morrow County Commissioner: “I would like to thank the people of Morrow County. It gave me hope and trust in the process. I am glad it is over. When asked how he handled the recall, Roy said that he tried to focus on the work of the county.” Jeff Wenholz, Morrow County Commissioner: “I am glad it is over. We can get back to focusing on the business of the county.” David Sykes, Morrow County Commissioner: the outcome of this elec- tion. The people have spo- ken. Morrow County has a bright future, and I hope now we all come together to build a great place for ourselves and our children.” Roy Drago Jr. is up for re-election in Novem- ber. He was appointed to serve the remainder of Jim Doherty’s term following Doherty’s recall. Taken from the Mor- row County Citizens for Liberty and Justice, Stuart Dick wrote this, “Here are the results of the recall. I want to thank all who toiled to give the citizens a vote. The voters have spoken, and we will accept this deci- sive decision for the current BOC. I will close down the Morrow County Citizens for liberty and Justice web page. This is not the result we hoped for, but we will abide with the decision and support the vote of the people.” Print & Mailing Services *Design *Print Sykes Publishing *Mail 541-676-9228 177 N Main St. Heppner, Or 97836 O: 541-676-9228 E:sykeschris@hotmail.com Broker Chris Sykes 541-215-2274 $470,000 New Listing Discover this stunning 1,700 sq. ft. ranch-style home with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, perfect for families. Recently updated (2019-2024), it features a bright, open floor plan, paint, water heater, kitchen flooring, countertops, and appliances. Energy- efficient with a new heat pump, AC, insulation, and wood stove. Enjoy refinished wood floors, updated electrical system, Trex deck, and repaved driveway, newer roof. The private lot offers beautiful views and is close to the hospital and elementary school. Contact us for more details! MLS#: 24589246 605 Pioneer Dr Heppner
