SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Heppner City Council Jan. 13 Port cleared to start flood
mitigation at mill site
-Continued from PAGE ONE
New Heppner City Council
member Joe Armato.
- Contributed Photo
Dane Maben from Anderson
Perry engineering firm.
- Contributed Photo
“I would suggest we
just put that in their hopper
so we don’t miss that dead-
line,” he said.
Maben said a draft mas-
ter plan would take about a
month after the council’s
selection of projects, so the
final master plan should be
ready for presentation in
February.
Meanwhile, the council
decided to move forward
with an application to Safe
Drinking Water.
In other business, Hep-
pner resident Janet Greenup
asked the council to enforce
city code regarding garbage
and obstruction on side-
walks. The maintenance
and upkeep of sidewalks
are the responsibility of the
adjacent property owner,
but there are city codes
addressing the condition of
the sidewalks.
“I think it’s very im-
portant because, growing
up here, it didn’t used to be
that way,” said Greenup.
“Everybody cared what the
property looked like. Any-
more, not that many do.”
Sweeney told her the
city intends to be more
involved in code enforce-
ment and she “should see
a change.”
In his report, Heppner
City Manager John Doherty
said deputies have been
working on various code
enforcements and that he
had handled several com-
plaints. He also viewed
properties with code com-
plaints and viewed progress
on previous violations.
Heppner Fire Chief
Steve Rhea reported that
Heppner Fire Department
sent its new tactical tender
with HFD lieutenants Sta-
cy Lauritsen and Katilyn
Zinter to help with the fires
in California. As of Jan. 13,
they arrived in Beaumont,
CA and were waiting for
assignment.
December activity for
the fire department included
three lift assists, one con-
trolled burn, two non-injury
motor vehicle accidents, a
mountain rescue with EMS
and the sheriff’s office, a
split propane tank at the
museum and a garbage
truck fire, for a total of 14
calls for December and 210
calls for the year. The fire
department had 205 calls
last year.
Rhea also said they
received reimbursement for
the Pilot Rock and Battle
Mountain fires, which was
split between the city and
an auxiliary account to pay
for training.
Heppner Public Works
Director Chad Doherty
reported a busy month that
included installing water
meters, filling potholes and
putting down gravel during
a minor snow event.
John Doherty report-
ed that the city received
payment for the Chase St.
properties.
He also told the council
that the city has been locked
out of the SAM.gov website
since before former city
manager Kraig Cutsforth’s
departure. Doherty said he
has been working hard to
regain access, since the city
cannot receive payments
from federal agencies while
it is locked out.
“It is the biggest pain
in the behind,” he said.
“They’re not accepting the
documentation that the City
of Heppner is the City of
Heppner.”
Doherty also said he
met with Morrow County
Planning Director Tamra
Mabbott, property owner
Kyle Robinson and Dawan
Hert of the Department of
Land Conservation and
Development (DLCD) re-
garding annexation and
Rural Growth Boundary
revisions. More meetings
are needed before further
developments can be made.
Doherty also had a call
with Eva Henes regarding
Oregon iSector, to discuss
Heppner’s opportunities
for developable properties
and infrastructure improve-
ments for housing devel-
opment and access to state
funds.
In other business, the
Heppner City Council:
-received a written re-
port from Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office detailing
239.5 deputy patrol hours,
70 traffic hours and 72.5
investigation and follow-up
hours in the city, one death
investigation and one felo-
ny arrest;
-ratified appointments
to city committees, boards,
commissions and positions;
-adopted the revised
2024 Morrow County
Multi-Jurisdictional Nat-
ural Hazards Mitigation
Plan;
-adopted the City of
Heppner’s goals for 2025;
-renewed a lease with
Dickenson Chiropractic;
-granted an animal per-
mit for four hens.
Heppner mill site. - Contributed image
The Port of Morrow has in that area. However, that’s
taken a tiny step forward in only the flood area along the
getting the old Kinzua mill creek. The rest of the Hep-
site in Heppner ready for pner mill site is also still not
cleared for building.
development.
That had been a major
At the Port’s last com-
mission meeting Jan. 13, stumbling block to siting
POM Chief Operating Of- the Morrow County Cir-
ficer Mark Patton reported cuit Court building on that
that the Dept. of Envi- property.
The flood plain mit-
ronmental Quality (DEQ)
approved the Port to move igation, however, will be
forward with flood mitiga- the first step toward future
tion along Willow Creek. development at the site.
The mill site, officially
The DEQ required the
Port to conduct soil sam- known as the South Morrow
ples to ensure there were Industrial Park, is approxi-
no harmful chemicals or mately 130 acres about a
other problems with the mile north of Heppner. The
Heppner property. Those property is zoned General
reports came back good, Industrial.
The site is already
Patton said.
POM is now cleared to home to Blue Mountain
do all flood mitigation work Manufacturing, the Oregon
State University extension
office for Morrow County
and the Oregon Department
of Motor Vehicles.
Also at the meeting,
Port staff asked commis-
sioners to consider a 15
percent increase on water
rates.
The increase was re-
quested because water in-
come to date is lower than
last year, but expenditures
are slightly higher.
POM Chief Financial
Officer Eileen Hendricks
proposed an immediate
increase with the under-
standing that it would be
increased again for the next
fiscal year. The Port is also
anticipating the need for
additional staff.
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