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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2018)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2018 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 LOCAL Street project near Newport could lead to sidewalk program By JADE MCDOWELL STAFF WRITER Streets around New- port Park will be under con- struction this spring after the Hermiston City Council awarded Sinco Construction of Hermiston a bid for the project Monday. The company will repave and rebuild full-width streets, complete with curbs and gutters, along portions of Southeast Fifth Street, Southeast Sixth Street and Newport Avenue. Neigh- boring property owners will also be given a chance to access grants for adding sidewalks in front of their homes, which assistant city manager Mark Morgan said will be used as a pilot to start a city-wide sidewalk incen- tive program. Sinco Construction was the low bidder out of seven bids at $283,885. Morgan told the council there should be access to the park via Hurlburt Avenue through the duration of the project, which is expected to start soon and wrap up mid-summer. The result will be wider, better-quality pav- ing on the streets plus curbs and gutters to help direct water during rainstorms. The project was reviewed in depth by the city’s pub- lic infrastructure committee, which discussed whether the city should pay for side- walks to be added at the same time. Sidewalks around New- port Park would be in the public interest, considering the number of children who walk on the side of the road to access the park. However, the committee felt it would set a bad precedent for the city to cover the whole Westland Road gets a temporary speed reduction The traffic study esti- mated 520 vehicles on Cottonwood Bend at peak times during construction and 940 vehicles per hour. Those numbers meet the criteria for a traffic light according to “The Manual on Uniform Traffic Con- trol Devices,” the Fed- eral Highway Administra- tion’s publication that sets standards for traffic lights and more. The county uses the manual in mak- ing road safety decisions. Fellows said the con- tractors would like the light in place as soon as possible, and the tempo- rary reduction in speed requires board approval. The board approved the slower speed. Commis- sioner Larry Givens said he has been on Westland and had drivers “blow by me.” Commissioner Larry Elfering said a number of constituents would like to see Westland Road per- manently cut back to 45 mph. Fellows said the county can ask the Oregon Department of Transpor- tation to study the matter. He said the county board may have the authority to make a permanent speed zone, but that could open the county to certain lia- bilities. County counsel Doug Olsen told commis- sioners that going through the state removes that liability. By PHIL WRIGHT STAFF WRITER Lamb Weston’s $250 million expansion along Westland Road, Hermis- ton, is bringing temporary speed reductions through the construction zone. The project will take more than a year to com- plete and employ as many as 500 construction work- ers. Tom Fellows, director of Umatilla County Public Works Department, told the county board of com- missioners last Wednes- day that Lamb Weston is seeking temporary speed reductions for the safety of workers and the driving public. PBS Engineering and Environmental of Van- couver, Washington, con- ducted a traffic study on the area and came up with three safety suggestions, which Fellows presented to the county board: •a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of Westland and Cotton- wood Bend roads for the duration of the construc- tion project, which ends no later than March 31, 2019; •reducing the speed in the construction zone from 55 mph to 45 mph until April 1, 2019; •widening to add a sec- ond turn lane on Cotton- wood Bend Road at West- wood Road. STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS A car turns at the intersection of Southeast Sixth Street and East Newport Avenue on Tuesday in Hermiston. $60,000 cost when devel- opers building new projects are now required to pay the full cost for putting in side- walks. The compromise was that Sinco will do prep work such as moving water meter boxes, but if property own- ers want sidewalks they will still be responsible for mate- rials and labor for the side- walks themselves. Stanfield taking applications for council vacancy the elementary schools, and a need for additional sup- port. She said elementary school principals were cur- rently working through the selection process. Mooney said duties for the new hires would vary slightly through- out the schools, but would include overseeing student attendance, the talented and gifted program, and aca- demic support processes. Mooney said the posi- tion is not the same as a vice principal. “These are not admin- istrative positions, rather they are TOSAs (Teachers on Special Assignment),” Mooney said in an email. She said the positions are part of the Hermiston Asso- ciation of Teachers work group. Some of the properties will be able to access match- ing funds, however, as the city tests out a pilot program for sidewalk infill that will lead to a city-wide program. Morgan said the final details of the incentive pro- gram were still being worked out, but it would be applica- ble only to existing develop- ments that had been grand- fathered in. The program would provide a checklist — Is the property on a school route? Does it connect to an existing sidewalk? — and the more items an applicant can check off the higher per- centage of matching funds the city would provide. He said the rough draft of crite- ria would provide one New- port Park neighbor with a 75 percent match, several with 30 to 60 percent matches and two undeveloped lots with no matching funds. BRIEFS Candidate forum slated for April 11 Hermiston voters inter- ested in meeting city and county candidates in per- son will get the chance at a candidate forum hosted by the Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Commerce and KOHU. The forum is April 11 at Armand Larive Middle School, 1497 S.W. Ninth St., in Hermiston. The eve- ning will start with refresh- ments and a chance to min- gle with candidates at 5:30 p.m. followed by a forum with county commissioner candidates at 6 p.m. After a short break the audience will then be able to hear from city council candidates. Running for Hermis- ton City Council are Mark Gomolski, Jackie Linton and incumbent Lori Davis for Ward 1, Shean Fitz- gerald and Roy Barron for Ward 2, Kyran Miller and incumbent Jackie Myers for Ward 3 and Michael Engel- brecht and incumbent Doug Smith for Ward 4. Running for the board of county commissioners are Tom Bailor, Rick Pullen and incumbent George Murdock for Position 1, and John Shafer and incumbent Larry Givens for Position 2. For more informa- tion call the chamber at 541-567-6151. The Stanfield City Coun- cil has a vacancy. The city will take appli- cations until April 13 for appointment to the city council seat formerly held by Pam McSpadden, who died Feb. 28. To apply, send a letter of interest to Stanfield City Hall by April 13. Candidates are also asked to attend the April 17 city council meet- ing, where the council plans to appoint someone to fill the remainder of McSpad- den’s term. Applicants must have resided in Stanfield for at least two years and be a registered voter. McSpadden was a city councilor for over a decade and volunteered at the Stan- field Senior Center and the Food Basket, Stanfield’s food bank for those in need. Hermiston to hire elementary deans of students Hermiston School Dis- trict will hire deans of stu- dents for all five of its ele- mentary schools for the 2018-2019 school year. Interim superintendent Tricia Mooney said the posi- tions were created as a result of increasing enrollment at Murdock and Larry Giv- ens said they visited the 2,000-acre site for the dis- trict north of Hermiston on the Columbia River, which also includes portions of Hat Rock State Park. Commissioner Bill Elf- ering said he was famil- iar with the area, and he was inclined to let the peo- ple decide the matter. He moved to put it on a ballot, and Givens gave the second. All three voted in favor. County counsel Doug Olsen said the elections division reported any Tues- day in April is available for the special election, with April 17 offering probably adequate time. He also said the elections department will mail ballots to the 166 active voters in the district. Livestock district goes to vote More than 160 residents near Hermiston will get to vote on forming a new live- stock district. The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners last Wednesday approved putting the matter to a vote of the public, according to county records. Several residents in the area petitioned the county to create the district to keep open range cattle from com- ing onto their property. Commissioners George 5 Theater Cineplex Check wildhorseresort.com for showtimes $5 Matinee Classics Every Wednesday Credit & Debit Cards accepted Cineplex gift cards available 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Easter Celebration Services Easter Sunrise Service Come worship with us in the Blue Mountains on Easter Morning! Enjoy a wonderful complimentary breakfast buff et aft er the service. Sunday April 1, 2018 • 7 AM At the Historic Meacham Hotel in Meacham, Oregon Music will be provided by Marty Campbell Speaker will be Paster Jason Estle of Desert Rose Ministries Service organized by Blue Mountain Christian Cowboys For questions please call 541.377.5003 or 541.969.2677 Please join us as we esurrection R Jesus Christ Celebrate the of Resurrection Service Sunday ~ April 1st 10:00 AM Living Word Christian Center 401 Northgate • Pendleton 541-278-8082 • www.livingwordcc.com DRAWINGS FOR PRIZES FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Online registration & race information at WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM REGISTER ONLINE BY APRIL 28TH TO ORDER A CUSTOM TECHNICAL RACE T-SHIRT All proceeds benefit THE HERMISTON CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM Thank you for your support!