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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2019)
NEWS Wednesday, February 13, 2019 HerMIsTOnHeraLd.COM • A7 Growth in Umatilla prompts city hall remodel, Sixth Street overhaul By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Downtown Umatilla is getting a new look. The city’s growth is prompting several new proj- ects this year, including a city hall remodel and a $6.1 million overhaul of Sixth Street, the main road through Umatilla’s downtown. City Manager David Stockdale said the city has added several new positions in a little over a year, includ- ing the four-person commu- nity development depart- ment. They are looking to add more, but have already converted a conference room into an office after run- ning out of offices. “We don’t have room for everyone,” he said. The council approved $100,000 for a remodel of city hall, built in 2003, during the current fiscal year. Stockdale said the final design will make more effi- cient use of the staff area by adding extra offices and a wheelchair-accessible front desk area. The city hopes by mid-2021 to create a second phase that would expand city hall’s footprint on the south side to add six addi- tional offices and a break room. The city also recently purchased the former post office on the other side of the park next to city hall. Stockdale said after either Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the staff photo by Jade Mcdowell The city of Umatilla purchased the former post office, left, as part of a “campus” envisioned to include city hall and the park between the two buildings. city hall remodel they plan to remodel the post office building into offices for the community develop- ment department, which will likely include parks and rec- reation staff and a building inspector by that point. Stockdale said the city would also like to use part of the large building as a “busi- ness incubator.” They would offer limited-time leases at below-market rates for people starting a new busi- ness. The idea would be to help new businesses get on their feet with lower over- head costs for the first year before moving to a vacant space elsewhere in town. The city is also reaching out to Blue Mountain Com- munity College and Eastern Oregon University to dis- cuss partnerships that could be housed in that building. The park and the street in between could also become a sort of “festival street” area for community events, Stockdale said. “It would kind of create a civic center, a central cam- Weather-related property damage can be prevented The snow won’t let up for a few more days at least, but property damage from the inclement weather may not show up until a while later. Cold-weather prob- lems, such as pipes burst- ing, are something home- owners need to watch out for, but the problems may not show up until the snow disappears. Dave Smith, owner of Hermiston cleaning and res- toration company O-So- Kleen, said they often won’t get calls about burst pipes until the ice and snow start to thaw. Smith said there are a few common mistakes that people make in cold weather. In the spring, peo- ple will begin washing their cars, and while the water may be turned off, the hose will still be connected, and water may be backed up in the hose. “People won’t notice until they start watering,” he said. Smith said if people leave for the evening or week- end, they may want to turn their thermostats low to save energy. But Smith said it’s not a good idea to let the temperatures get below 55 or 60, because some corners of the home may get close to freezing. “It sounds like saving energy, but you have to think about above the house, the attic,” he said. The “smart” water meters installed by the city of Hermiston last year can monitor water usage in real time and flag large spikes in usage and other indica- tors of a leak. Water cus- tomers can also log in to their account and check for themselves. Broken pipes aren’t the only weather-related damage that can happen to homes. Keeping trees trimmed and removing unhealthy trees can also help prevent a tree branch from crashing through a window or roof. And keep- ing gutters clear of debris can help keep water from backing up when the snow starts to melt. pus,” he said. As the city looks at building projects, it is also working with the Oregon Department of Transporta- tion on a project to recon- struct 14 blocks of Sixth Street through downtown. The project has been talked about for years, Stockdale said, but it will go out to bid late March or early April with the goal of starting con- struction during the summer and wrapping up by the end of 2019. The city is paying for about $1 million of the $6.1 million project, with the rest coming from state and fed- eral grants. “We really owe a lot of things to ODOT,” Stockdale said. “They’re picking up the lion’s share of the cost.” The project will include a complete reconstruction of street, curbs and gutters. One goal beyond beautifi- cation is for the bulb-outs, colorful stamped concrete, decorative lighting, an illu- minated pedestrian cross- ing and other elements to help travelers on Highway 730 recognize they are pass- ing through a downtown and slow down and be more alert for pedestrians. “We expect it to really look quite beautiful,” Stock- dale said. The city has been install- ing new water and sewer infrastructure under Sixth Street in the hopes of not having to tear up any of the new street for years to come. To complete downtown’s new look, Stockdale said the city will continue work- ing with property owners on cleanup, and will look at making more money avail- able for façade grants and lowering the required match. All the projects reflect the city’s efforts to accom- modate new growth in Umatilla. According to the city, in 2010 Umatilla saw new construction valued at $307,076. In 2013, that number rose to almost $11.8 million. In 2017 the city saw $27.5 million in new con- struction, and in 2018 that rose to $48.2 million. While some of the con- struction has been industrial and commercial, Stockdale said housing construction is booming and in the past week he spoke with mul- tiple housing developers interested in new projects in Umatilla. “We’re going to see resi- dential growth this year that I don’t believe the city has ever seen before,” he said. Good Shepherd gets new Emergency Services director By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN STAFF WRITER Dr. Robert McCauley is Good Shepherd Medical Center’s new emergency services medical director. Good Shepherd Medical Cen- ter has a new Emergency Medi- cal Services director, Dr. Robert McCauley. Previously, McCauley was the regional medical director for Team Health, a national medical group. In that role, he worked with med- ical centers all over the Pacific Northwest, including Good Shepherd. “My role with Team Health was to make sure that our physi- cians were committed to meet- ing and exceeding federal and state quality and safety measures,” said McCauley in a press release. “Though the work I was doing is very necessary in today’s health- care environment, I missed the direct impact that I personally had on patient care.” McCauley said his goal was to continue reducing patients’ wait times, improve customer experi- ences, and care for the community in emergency situations. “As one of the first points of contact with any health care sys- tem, the ER needs to be a place where people feel they are receiv- ing competent, compassionate and prompt care,” McCauley said. Good Shepherd’s Emergency Services department provides Level III trauma services, and a fast track option for walk-in care. CONGRATULATIONS JEANNE JEWETT FOR 30 YEARS (SO FAR) OF AMAZING SERVICE AT THE
