NEWS
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2019
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
As depot transfer looms, companies express interest
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
s local offi cials wait for the
former Umatilla Chemi-
cal Depot to return to local
control, they are fi elding inqui-
ries from companies interested in
developing the industrially zoned
portion of the property.
During a meeting of the Colum-
bia Development Authority board
on July 31, executive director Greg
Smith said one potential employer
would bring in 1,200 jobs at full
build-out. He said he asked what
kind of wage levels the company
would expect to pay and is waiting
for an answer.
“One thing I’m extremely sensi-
tive to is that I want to recruit com-
panies that would build our econ-
omy,” he said.
The CDA is a partnership
between Umatilla County, Mor-
row County, Port of Morrow, Port
of Umatilla and the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Res-
ervation. While part of the former
chemical depot has been turned
into an Oregon National Guard
training facility, the U.S. Army
plans to turn over part of the depot
for a wildlife refuge managed by
the tribes and nearly 4,000 acres
for the CDA to market as indus-
trial, commercial and agricultural
use.
As Smith pointed out with the
mystery employer that could bring
1,200 jobs to the community, not
all economic development is equal
when it comes to things like pay-
ing a family wage. He said it will
be up to the CDA to weigh all
offers, and to consider things like
the impact an employer will have
on schools, fi re districts and other
A
HH fi le photo
As local offi cials wait for the former Umatilla Chemical Depot to return to local control, they are fi elding inquiries
from companies interested in developing the industrially zoned portion of the property.
local services.
Board member Don Russell,
who represents Morrow County
on the CDA board, said his county
was “extremely proud” of how
their average wage compares to
other counties in Oregon. If a com-
pany wants to come in and pay
130% of the average wage, great,
he said.
“If they want to pay 65%, I’m
not interested,” he said.
Kim Puzey, who represents the
Port of Umatilla on the board, said
“just dropping” 1,200 jobs into the
Hermiston area in one go would
probably not work out well for an
employer, given the workforce and
housing currently available, but he
said companies will likely be able
to fi gure that out for themselves as
they do due diligence.
Smith said as he fi elds inter-
est from developers in various
industries, he has kept in mind
the board’s mandate that the depot
property should be an alternative
to other local industrial lands if
those lands don’t completely meet
a company’s needs, instead of try-
ing to beat them out for viable
projects.
“We’re here to collaborate and
partner, not compete,” he said.
After years of working through
agreements on everything from
water rights to asbestos abatement,
the CDA and CTUIR recently
signed a memorandum of agree-
ment over cultural and histori-
cal preservation — the last major
hoop to jump through. Now all
that is left is for the proper state
and federal agencies to sign off on
that agreement and for the trans-
fer deed to be written up and push
through the fi nal layers of federal
bureaucratic red tape for approval.
Last Wednesday, Smith pro-
posed forming subcommittees
that can prepare recommenda-
tions the CDA can act on as soon
as the transfer is complete. He said
one subcommittee should tackle
preservation of the depot’s Ore-
gon Trail ruts. For the ruts run-
ning through the industrial section,
he said they would likely pre-
serve about 200 yards, with a pub-
lic parking area, picnic tables and
kiosks.
A second subcommittee, Smith
said, should start working with the
Oregon Department of Transporta-
tion on planning for a new offramp
leading from Interstate 82 to the
industrial portion of the depot. A
third subcommittee could work
on water issues, including ways to
coordinate with the Oregon Mili-
tary Department on plans for fi re
suppression.
“I want to put together these
subcommittees now, so when the
depot does transfer we’re ready to
implement these things,” he said.
A fi nal suggestion Smith had for
the board was that near the begin-
ning of 2020 they should begin
discussing how they might use
roughly $1 million in “state of the
art” tools and equipment they are
inheriting. He suggested creation
of a regional STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineer and Math)
center might benefi t the region.
“We need to start thinking in
those terms, of how do we build
something that will benefi t every-
one,” he said.
After an executive session, the
board wrapped up the meeting by
approving a fi ve-year renewal of
an $8,000 annual lease of 40 acres
of farmland to Columbia Basin
Farming.
One teen in jail, two injured in Hermiston shootings
it was unfortunate problems
from outside Hermiston end
up in the town. Umatilla
County Fire District 1, Ore-
gon State Police, Stanfi eld
Police Department, and the
HERMISTON HERALD
H
ermiston police late
Monday arrested a
Umatilla teen in con-
nection with two shootings
hours earlier.
Carsen D. Rawe, 19,
faces two counts of sec-
ond-degree assault and one
of unlawful use of a weapon.
Second-degree assault falls
under Oregon’s mandatory
minimum sentencing law
and carries a prison sen-
tence of at least fi ve years,
10 months.
The case began with gun-
fi re at about 6:38 p.m. at the
intersection of West Cherry
Avenue and Northwest Sec-
ond Street. Police Chief
Jason Edmiston reported
offi cers arrived and found
several spent .45 caliber
casings in the road.
Police soon after found a
17-year-old male from Ken-
newick at a residence. He
had gun shots to both legs,
according to police. The
injuries were not life-threat-
ening, and an ambulance
took him to Good Shepherd
Medical Center, Hermiston.
Approximately 20 min-
utes later, a second Ken-
newick teen male emerged
`
Families and businesses
whose names were featured
on the fence around Fun-
land playground in Herm-
iston will be able to col-
lect those fence pickets in
September.
The
approximately
900 engraved slats were
taken down and stacked
onto pallets by volunteers
before demolition of the
burned playground began
last week. They will be
available for pick-up at
Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini
Law enforcement from area agencies investigate reports of shots fi red Monday evening in the
vicinity of West Cherry Avenue and Northwest Second Street, Hermiston.
from a different
teen for rape. Police
residence, Edmis-
contacted
Uma-
ton reported, with
tilla County Juve-
a non-life-threaten-
nile Services, which
ing gunshot wound
authorized police to
in the shoulder
book him into jail in
area. He, too, took
Walla Walla.
Rawe
an ambulance to
Edmiston stated
the hospital, where
while many of the
medical staff treated and people offi cers talked to
released him.
about the shootings “were
Police, however, imme- less than cooperative,” the
diately arrested him. Edmis- investigation pointed to
ton reported Washington Rawe as the suspect. Police
state had a warrant for the caught him at about 11 p.m.
the Hermiston Commu-
nity Center, 415 S. High-
way 395, on Sept. 20-22
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
If anyone is not able to
come in during those dates,
they can contact Larry
Fetter at lfetter@hermis-
ton.or.us or 541-667-5009
after Sept. 22 to make an
appointment.
The city plans to rebuild
Funland in early 2020, but
the parks and recreation
department determined that
the wooden pickets from
the playground that burned
down earlier this year were
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and booked him into the
Umatilla
County
Jail,
Pendleton.
“We are certain these
individuals know each
other as we have informa-
tion about an unreported
and undisclosed crime hap-
pening in Washington, in
the recent past, involving
this trio,” Edmiston said.
“We also know of an earlier
encounter with this group in
Hermiston at a car wash.”
The police chief lamented
/mo.
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ground at Butte Park. The
Funland Rebuild Commit-
tee will select a design fi rm
on Thursday after inter-
viewing each of the teams.
“I am impressed with
the quality of the propos-
als and the local support to
rebuild, so it is encouraging
to get moving on this proj-
ect,” he said.
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too deteriorated to reuse.
New opportunities for
sponsorship of fence pick-
ets, plaques and other items
will be announced in the
coming months.
Fetter said the city has
received seven proposals
from playground design
teams from across the coun-
try to rebuild Funland play-
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By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Umatilla County Sheriff’s
Offi ce assisted in the case.
Edmiston also said offi -
cers are continuing the
investigation using search
warrants.
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