Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, November 20, 2024 -- SEVEN
New FEMA requirement creates even more hassles for floodplain development
-Continued from PAGE ONE plicated calculations in- being delayed over next common offenders are.
Creek is not a habitat for
salmon or steelhead.
“As far as I can see,
Heppner, Lexington and
Ione, the cities on Willow
Creek, are the only cities
in that entire map area that
are supposed to go along
with this FEMA/NFIP/
PICM plan that aren’t on
a stream that’s affected by
salmon/steelhead habitat,”
said Doherty.
“How can we per-
form a habitat assessment
when there are no species
listed?” he asked. “How
do we show ESA (Endan-
gered Species Act) compli-
ance without endangered
species present?”
He also said he ques-
tioned how FEMA calcu-
lated space usage.
“They couldn’t ex-
plain it,” he said. “We’re
basically getting a lot of
stuff from FEMA where,
‘You guys have to do this,’
but we’re not getting a lot
of guidance.”
Doherty
said
he
recommended the per-
mit-by-permit option, but
that would mean a lot of
work in habitat assessment
for each permit.
“I think we’d have
to take a hard look at fee
structure,” he said. “It in-
volves looking at perme-
able services, total cubic
feet of surfaces developed,
anything removed, all of
the vegetation.
“If you cut down a 15-
inch tree, you’ve got to
plant three saplings, and
they’ve got to be native to
the watershed,” he added.
“It’s going to cause a lot of
headaches.”
Heppner council mem-
ber Adam Doherty said
he had experience with
FEMA requirements for
archaeological surveys. He
said the wait time for an
archaeologist to come and
do a site survey could be as
much as two years.
“My only concern is,
they slap something like
that on you and say you
have to hire a third par-
ty, and then your permit
to build something is de-
layed by 12-18 months,
and we’re deterring a lot
of potential improvements
or construction,” Adam
Doherty said.
John Doherty said
FEMA had not mentioned
an archaeologist but that
there were numerous com-
volved in the process.
Heppner City Attorney
Bill Kuhn suggested con-
tacting county’s congress-
men and asking them to
look into it.
“This is a lot of work
for us to protect…noth-
ing,” Kuhn said.
Doherty said the hab-
itat assessment would be
difficult but that the other
requirements would still be
a “nightmare.”
“It’s a nightmare
for cities that have plan-
ning departments,” John
Doherty said. “It’s been a
nightmare for me.”
Heppner Mayor Co-
rey Sweeney suggested the
city move forward with the
permit-by-permit option.
“As we get more infor-
mation, we’ll address these
issues,” said Sweeney.
John Doherty said the
best-case scenario was that
FEMA would remove the
Willow Creek communi-
ties from the requirement.
“But I wouldn’t expect
it,” he said.
Also at the Nov. 12
meeting, the city council
approved a contract with
engineering firm Anderson
Perry as the engineer of
record for the City of Hep-
pner.
Doherty said the con-
tract was pretty “boiler
plate” and comparable to
Anderson Perry’s contracts
with other cities where
they are the engineer of
record. However, the Hep-
pner contract is more spe-
cific about responsibilities
and provisions.
Doherty said he also
contacted other municipal-
ities about the fee sched-
ule, and it is the same
across the board.
The city council will
hold a work session with
engineering firm Anderson
Perry regarding the wa-
ter system master plan on
Nov. 26 at 6 p.m.
In other engineering
news, Doherty said he had
hoped to begin work on
the Gilmore Street project
in spring of next year. An-
derson Perry had advised
against it, though, saying
it is too late in the year
to create a design for the
Gilmore Street project and
get it out to bid in time to
begin work in the spring of
2025.
If work begins later in
the year, it might end up
winter. The city now hopes
to have the engineering
firm begin the design and
plans to begin work in
2026.
Regarding the recent
election, Doherty reported
that there were 80 write-in
votes for the empty coun-
cilor position, Position
#3. Morrow County Clerk
Bobbi Childers told him
that Nov. 26 would be the
earliest she could provide a
final count.
At the same time, if
a qualified individual re-
ceived a majority of votes
and was interested, that
person would have to be
appointed to the council as
duly elected.
The council also re-
viewed the minutes from
the Oct. 23 Economic
Development Committee
meeting. The notes showed
good news regarding fund-
ing for a new childcare fa-
cility in Heppner.
However,
Heppner
council member Ian Mur-
ray gave a less optimis-
tic update about finding a
suitable site for the facility,
saying the previously se-
lected site wasn’t turning
out as well as expected.
“I’m worried that
there’s going to be a mo-
mentum issue with this, if
there’s just denials every-
where,” Murray said. “I’m
not as hopeful as I was
before, and I would hate
to see these opportunities
missed.”
The childcare facility
would need about half an
acre of ground. Murray
said the group might be
coming to the city coun-
cil for options. They have
about $2 million in grants
lined up if they can find the
property.
As part of his report,
John Doherty told the
council that the recycling
station on Riverside is an
ongoing issue, with people
leaving recyclables like
cardboard outside the bins
when they’re full. Leaving
items outside the bins is a
littering offense.
The station is on city
property but is a county
service and is maintained
by Miller & Sons.
Doherty
said
he
thought it was partly a
scheduling issue with pick-
ing up the bins but that the
county is also looking into
finding out who the most
Sweeney said the recy-
cling center might be more
of a hassle than it was
worth.
“And everybody’s al-
ways littering all the time
because there’s always
trash there,” said Sweeney.
Doherty said that he
hoped finding the offend-
ers and putting a stop to
it would fix the problem.
Sweeney responded that
he thought either the ser-
vice should be discontin-
ued or emptied more often,
since having people throw
away recyclables defeated
the point of the recycling
station.
In other business, the
Heppner City Council:
-Learned from Hep-
pner Fire Chief Steve Rhea
that in October the fire de-
partment had conducted 12
EMS lift assists, secured
the landing one four times,
responded to one motor ve-
hicle accident with injuries
and two without injuries,
Heppner Rural Fire Protec-
tion District responded to
an out-of-control burn near
Lexington and a controlled
burn not called in, for a to-
tal of 44 chief calls for the
month and 178 call to date.
-Received a report
from Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office of 22 traf-
fic stops, two with citations
and 20 with warnings, one
theft, one trespass, five
suspicious activity, five
juvenile complaints, two
driving complaints, three
domestic
disturbances,
three dog complaints, six
other animal complaints,
one assault and 15 citi-
zen assists. Of the 410.75
hours logged in Heppner,
MCSO deputies spent 291
hours on patrol, 45.5 hours
on traffic, and 35.25 hours
on investigations and fol-
low-up. The city contracts
for 320 hours per month.
-Heard from Heppner
Public Works Director
Chad Doherty that his de-
partment replaced three
water meters, finished the
lead and copper inven-
tory with no lead lines
found, investigated a wa-
ter leak, tested hydrants
around town, did nine
septic dumps and 20 bio-
solids loads, fixed a stop
sign, painted over graffiti
and helped winterize the
Heppner pool among other
responsibilities and meet-
Heppner band prepares to boost Mustangs
in semifinal clash
ings.
-Learned from Barb
Orwick of the Neigh-
borhood Center that the
Neighborhood
Center’s
annual food drive was a
success. The Giving Tree
will be available at Hep-
pner Market Fresh starting
Dec. 2. Eligible families
can also be “adopted” for
Christmas. Gifts are due
Dec. 18. Kid shopping day
will be Sunday, Dec. 15.
Lots of volunteer oppor-
tunities are also available
during the holidays.
The next Heppner City
Council meeting will be
Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Heppner
City Hall.
177 N Main St.
Heppner, Or 97836
O: 541-676-9228
E:sykeschris@hotmail.com
Broker
Chris Sykes
541-215-2274
Price Reduced
$170,000
Charming 1900 Victorian Home in Heppner, Oregon
– A Unique Opportunity! Step into history with this
1900 Victorian gem, located in the picturesque town
of Heppner, Oregon. This two-story home offers
4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Classic Victorian
Style: From its timeless architecture to intricate
woodwork and high ceilings, this home exudes
vintage appeal. 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms: Plenty
of space for a growing family. Detached Garage &
Basement: A versatile space for storage, a workshop,
or future renovations. Ideal for those with a vision,
this property offers the opportunity to restore and
personalize to your taste. With a little love and care,
this house could become a stunning blend of classic
and modern. Enjoy the charm of small-town life in
Heppner while crafting the home of your dreams.
Don’t miss out on this rare chance. Selling as-is. 195
N COURT ST Heppner MLS#:24426505
-Continued from PAGE ONE for the Mustangs.” As the even higher. The band’s The Mustangs will take on
in all the songs they’ve
played and the new music
that seems to come every
week. “The band’s energy
is contagious,” said Mus-
tang Principal, Ryan Gerry.
They’re an essential part of
this team’s success.” “We
are so proud of how the
band has come together this
season,” said Brooke Baker,
who has been leading the
band with enthusiasm and
precision. “Their energy
and dedication to the team
and the school are truly in-
spiring. It’s been an honor
to watch them play a role
in this exciting journey
Mustangs look to advance
further into the playoffs,
the Heppner High School
Band continues to stand
by them, ready to keep the
energy high and the spirits
commitment to excellence
and school spirit remains
unwavering as they play a
vital role in creating an un-
forgettable atmosphere for
the Heppner community.
St. Paul at the semi-final
football game on Saturday,
November 23rd at Caldera
High School in Bend at
2pm.
177 N. Main
P.O. Box 337
Heppner, OR 97836
Chris@sykesrealestate.net
Broker
Chris Sykes
541-215-2274
For Sale
$220,000
Print
&
Mailing
Services
*Design
*Print
*Mail
Sykes Publishing
541-676-9228
This cozy 1950s home, located in a peaceful
community, offers a blend of classic charm
and modern comforts. The 3-bed, 2-bath
property features a finished basement with two
bedrooms and a bonus room, perfect for extra
space or an office. The well-maintained yard,
complete with mature fruit trees, provides a
relaxing outdoor space. Essential appliances,
including a fridge, range, washer, and dryer,
are included, making it move-in ready. Sold
as-is or with conventional financing, this
charming home is ready for you to make it
your own! 285 W ARCADE ST
Lexington MLS# 24676541