A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
EOTEC approves leases
and operations plan
Contractors have
made up for lost
time on construction
of EOTEC, which they
report is on schedule
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
The Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center
board approved an oper-
ations plan and leases for
the Umatilla County Fair
and Farm-City Pro Rodeo
at its Friday meeting.
The operations plan,
which will be vetted by
the Hermiston City Coun-
cil and Umatilla County
Board of Commissioners
during a joint meeting
March 20, calls for the hir-
ing of a general manager
for EOTEC who would
hire and supervise staff,
oversee day-to-day oper-
ations, market the center
and perform other mana-
gerial duties.
The manager would
oversee an administrative
assistant and custodial staff,
and would report to the EO-
TEC board, which would in
turn report to the Hermiston
City Council and Umatilla
County Board of Commis-
sioners.
Larry Givens, who rep-
resents the county com-
mission on the board,
acknowledged questions
that had been brought up
recently by city councilor
John Kirwan and commis-
sioner George Murdock
about whether the city of
Hermiston should manage
EOTEC more directly and
whether the county should
continue to be a partner.
He said people “jumped
the gun” on that conver-
sation, but said sometime
down the road there could
end up being changes.
“This is a good start,”
he said.
The project’s two an-
chor tenants will be the
Umatilla County Fair and
Farm-City Pro Rodeo,
and on Friday the board
approved leases for both.
The fair will pay $10,000
a year to lease the fair-
grounds for six weeks
each summer, including
the three weeks before the
fair and two weeks after.
The lease agreement also
includes storage space, an
office in the event center
and access to the board
room for fair board meet-
ings.
The rodeo’s lease of the
arena also runs at $10,000
per year, which covers a
90-day period. Included
in that lease is naming the
arena the Farm-City Pro
Rodeo Arena, leaving open
the possibility that with the
rodeo board’s consent EO-
TEC could add a corporate
sponsor’s name.
The fair and rodeo will
pay for their own utilities
GOVERNMENT MEETINGS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15
MORROW COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS, 9 a.m.
SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road,
Boardman (541-676-9061).
UMATILLA COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS, 9 a.m. Umatilla
County Courthouse room 130,
216 S.E. Fourth St., Pendleton
(Doug Olsen 541-278-6208).
AG PAD/UAS SAFETY MEETING
FOR STAKEHOLDERS, 10 a.m.
Eastern Oregon Regional Airport
terminal/old TSA room, 2016
Airport Road, Pendleton (Erica
Stewart 541-276-7754).
INTERMOUNTAIN EDUCATION
SERVICE DISTRICT, 5 p.m. IMESD
office, 2001 S.W. Nye Ave.,
Pendleton (888-437-6892).
BOARDMAN PLANNING
COMMISSION, 7 p.m. Boardman
City Hall, 200 City Center Circle,
Boardman (541-481-9252).
PILOT ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT,
7 p.m. Pilot Rock High School
library, 101 N.E. Cherry St., Pilot
Rock (541-443-8291).
UMATILLA HOSPITAL DISTRICT, 7:30
p.m. Umatilla Medical Clinic,
1890 Seventh St., Umatilla (541-
922-3104).
THURSDAY, MARCH 16
ECHO CITY COUNCIL, 4 p.m. Echo
City Hall, 20 S. Bonanza St., Echo
(541-376-8411).
HERMISTON IRRIGATION DISTRICT,
4 p.m. Hermiston Irrigation
District office conference room,
366 E. Hurlburt Ave., Hermiston
(541-567-3024).
UMATILLA COUNTY SPECIAL
LIBRARY DISTRICT, 5:15 p.m.
Budget committee meeting
will be followed by the regular
meeting. Pendleton City Hall
second floor jury room, 501 S.W.
Emigrant Ave., Pendleton (Dan
Feil 541-276-6449).
PENDLETON PLANNING
COMMISSION, 7 p.m. Pendleton
City Hall council chambers, 501
S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton
(541-966-0201).
MONDAY, MARCH 20
UMATILLA-MORROW COUNTY
HEAD START, 11:30 a.m. Head
Start office, 110 N.E. Fourth St.,
Hermiston (Kerry Tassie 541-
564-6878).
LOWER UMATILLA BASIN GROUND
WATER MANAGEMENT AREA
COMMITTEE, 1-3 p.m. Stafford
Hansell Government Center, 915
S.E. Columbia Drive, Hermiston
SAFETY:
continued from Page A5
$900 for a dog over the Iinternet, but
the people have not given him the
dog and are asking for more money.
9:38 p.m. — Caller at Northwest
12th Street, Hermiston, reported shots
fired, possibly a rifle, east of their
residence.
10:00 p.m. — Possible robbery
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017
LOCAL NEWS
reported at Circle K on North First
Street, Hermiston.
THURSDAY, MARCH 9
11:05 a.m. — A customer was out
of control at Club 24, South Highway
395, Hermiston.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8
11:49 a.m. — A case worker at
Southwest Joshua Court, Hermiston,
Commissioner says Hermiston
should own, control EOTEC
By PHIL WRIGHT
EO Media Group
and will be responsible for
Umatilla County Com-
custodial work and repairs
missioner George Murdock
caused by their events.
said March 8 that the county
During Friday’s meet-
should consider handing full
ing the board got good
ownership of the Eastern
news on the construction
Oregon Trade and Event
side as John Eckhardt of
Center to the city of Herm-
Knerr Construction report-
iston.
ed that the company had
“I believe that in the long
found some “value engi-
run we need to be a tenant
neering” opportunities to
of EOTEC and neither an
save money on construc-
owner or a manager,” he
tion, and with that in mind
said during the board of
had made the call to use
commissioners meeting in
overtime work to make up
Pendleton.
for the lost time caused by
The county and city of
snow storms in December
Hermiston currently share
and January.
ownership of the event cen-
“We have done that,
ter. Murdock said the two
and we are on schedule,”
local governments are al-
he said.
ready working on an operat-
Carl Hendon of Hendon
ing agreement dealing with
Construction also reported
the future of EOTEC and his
that the rodeo arena was
ownership proposal should
still on track to be com-
be part of the discussion.
pleted by mid-June.
The city and county next
The project’s overall
meet March 20 to discuss
manager is Frew Con-
EOTEC management.
struction Group, which
The county’s primary
has been subcontracting
interest in the event center
with Knerr Construction
to be as the new
125 E. Beech Ave. continues
• 567-3232
in recent months as its on-
home for the annual fair,
site partner. In an effort to
Murdock said, while Herm-
continue momentum on
iston has broader interests
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
construction, the board
of tourism and benefit to the
approved Sun.
new Worship
agreements
business community. Under
Service..............11:00am
on Friday transferring the
his proposition, the coun-
Sun. Evening
Worship..............6:00pm
Knerr subcontract
directly
ty would use the facility
to EOTEC
and Prayer
reducing
for the fair and pay a lease
Wed.
& Bible Study......6:00pm
payments to Frew Devel-
of $25,000 a year for five
opment Group by $6,000
years, then renegotiate the
per month.
deal. He also suggested the
———
county could have a perma-
Contact Jade McDow-
nent storage area at the site
ell at jmcdowell@eastore-
and office space.
gonian.com or 541-564-
He said the county was at
4536.
a crossroads with EOTEC,
which “stands to be a won-
derful addition to Umatilla
County,” while also being a
potential liability. The coun-
(Janet Greenup 541-676-5452
ty and Hermiston are each
ext. 109).
MORROW COUNTY PARKS
COMMITTEE, 1 p.m. Columbia
Basin Electric Co-Op conference
room, 171 W. Linden Way,
Heppner (Kirsti Cason 541-989-
9500).
NIXYAAWII COMMUNITY SCHOOL
BOARD, 4:30 p.m. Nixyaawii
Community School, 73300 July
Grounds Lane, Mission (541-966-
2680).
ECHO SCHOOL DISTRICT, 6 p.m.
Echo Community School, 600
Gerone St., Echo (541-376-8436).
HERMISTON CITY COUNCIL/
UMATILLA COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS JOINT MEETING,
6 p.m. Joint work session
begins at 6 p.m. regarding
EOTEC, followed by the regular
council meeting at 7 p.m. EOTEC
main building, 1705 E. Airport
Road, Hermiston (541-567-
5521).
HELIX CITY COUNCIL, 7 p.m. Helix
City Hall, 119 Columbia St., Helix
(541-457-2521).
PENDLETON YOUTH COMMISSION,
7 p.m. Intermountain ESD office,
2001 S.W. Nye Ave., Pendleton
(541-276-6711).
reported allegations of physical abuse
on a child. The child was across from
the high school at Head Start.
4:03 p.m. — A caller at East Main
Street, Hermiston, said one of her
young dancers saw someone with a
gun in their hand.
5:23 p.m. — There was a report
of a suicidal subject at North McNary
Street and East Cherry Avenue,
Hermiston.
6:54 p.m. — A man at Club 24 on
Hermiston
City council
rescheduled
to March 20
at EOTEC
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston City Council
meeting and work session
scheduled for March 13
has been moved to March
20.
The meeting will take
place at the Eastern Oregon
Trade and Event Center,
1705 E. Airport Road
outside Hermiston, starting
with a joint work session at
6 p.m. between the council
and the Umatilla County
Commission regarding
EOTEC.
The council’s regular
session will begin at 7 p.m.
South Highway 395 keeps looking into
cars and begging people for money as
they walk out the door.
TUESDAY, MARCH 7
3:20 a.m. — A 19 year-old male on
West Hartley Avenue, Hermiston, was
destroying things.
8:05 a.m. — There was a report of
a suicidal subject on South Highway
395, Hermiston.
on the hook for three years
to cover shortfalls in EO-
TEC’s operational expenses.
He emphasized the break
from EOTEC is a long-term
goal and a notion he con-
sidered long before Herm-
iston city councilor John
Kirwan suggested earlier
this month that the coun-
cil take over as EOTEC’s
acting board until after the
end of construction and the
2017 fair and rodeo.
“This is a position I’ve
held for some time relative
to the ultimate future of EO-
TEC,” Murdock told fellow
commissioners Larry Giv-
ens and Bill Elfering. “It’s a
position I have shared open-
ly ... it’s a matter of record...
it’s simply making clear
that’s ultimately where we
need to move.”
Givens and Elfering re-
sponded with caution.
“Turbulence comes up
in a marriage from time to
time,” Elfering said. “And
I’m not ready to divorce yet
from the proposal we’ve
had.”
Elfering said Hermiston
taking over the event center
makes about as much sense
as the county taking it over
and that the parties need to
hold more discussions.
Givens said EOTEC is
about to move from a con-
struction phase into opera-
tions. Finding the best man-
agement style is the crux of
the issue, according to Giv-
ens.
“I agree,” Murdock said.
“But I don’t know of any
successful business that
would give their checkbook
to someone else.”
Don Miller serves on the
EOTEC and the fair boards
and urged the county to stay
on as a co-owner. Pulling
out at this juncture is prema-
ture, he said, and could harm
economic opportunities.
Murdock said his propos-
al was just a matter of dis-
cussion and not for action.
He also said he support-
ed the EOTEC board and
would not agree with Herm-
iston City Council taking
over the project.
Worship
Community
NEW BEGINNINGS
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children’s Church & Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-567-8441
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
First Christian
Church
“Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love”
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
Fr. Dan Lediard, Priest. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
Bible School: 9:15am
Worship Gathering: 10:30am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
Echo
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
21 N. Bonanza Street, Echo OR
Phone: (541) 376-8108
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
Community Church
Sunday School • 9:30am
Worship • 10:45am
Children’s Church • 11:15am
Potluck & Communion ~
First Sunday of the Month
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
...............................English 7:00 am
Thursday...............Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY:.........English 5:00 pm
...............................Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY:..............English 9:00 am
..........................Bilingual 11:00 am
..............................Spanish 1:00 pm
Offi ce..............................567-5812
The Full Gospel
Home Church
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday:
Sunday School........10:00 am
Worship...................11:00 am
Evening Service........7:00 pm
Wednesday Service..7:00 pm
“Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you.”
1 Pet. 5:7
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
1255 Hwy. 395 S. • 567-5834
oasisvineyard.us
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
www.hermistonlmbc.com
Worship 10:00 AM
“come as you are”
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Seventh-day
Adventist Church
Grace Baptist Church
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Saturdays
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship - 10:45 AM
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
PM
English & Spanish Services Wed Prayer & 6:00
Worship - 7:00 PM
567-8241
855 W. Highland • Hermiston
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
Base wage plus commissions,
benefits and mileage
reimbursement. Benefits
include Paid Time Off (PTO),
insurances and a 401(k)/Roth
401(k) retirement plan.
To share your worship times call
2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR • 541-276-5121
Terri Briggs
541-278-2678
