NEWS
A12 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Center:
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for weekend events at EOTEC,
which range from fundraisers to
quinceañeras, is about 500. He
said organizers of smaller events in
the 200-300 range didn’t like using
EOTEC as much because the size
of the great hall made the event
look empty, but private options
such as the Maxwell Event Cen-
ter couldn’t hold crowds that large.
He also noted both EOTEC and
the community center often hosted
events on the same night.
He said his phone started “ring-
ing off the hook” when the Herm-
iston Herald published an article
announcing the possibility of a sale
of the community center.
“So it’s your expert opinion not
to get rid of this valuable build-
ing?” commission member Ben
Sargent asked Davis.
“It’s my expert opinion to stay
out of it,” Davis responded, draw-
ing chuckles.
In response to a question from
the commission, city planner Clint
Spencer confirmed that the city
would not be able to sell the com-
munity center in secret, but would
be required by law to hold a vote
of the city council in a public
meeting, advertised ahead of time,
where public testimony would be
taken.
The topic came up as the plan-
ning commission discussed park-
ing at EOTEC. It was conducting
its annual review of the variance
that the city obtained from the com-
mission in 2016, promising to meet
certain conditions in exchange for
not providing as many paved park-
ing spaces as would normally
be required by city ordinance
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020
for events with more than 2,000
attendees.
In January 2018, the commis-
sion chastised EOTEC — then
jointly owned by the city of Herm-
iston and Umatilla County — for
flouting several of the variance’s
conditions in 2017, including the
requirement to only use the Ott
Road entrance in case of emer-
gency and to submit various plans
and permits before the fair.
In January 2019, the planning
commission put a moratorium
on new construction at EOTEC
because the city had not yet sub-
mitted a written parking plan as
required by the variance. The deci-
sion was a contributing factor to
the decision to not build an RV
park at EOTEC that had originally
been planned for construction in
2019.
On Wednesday, Spencer sug-
gested to the commission that they
extend the deadline for the park-
ing plan out another year, to 2021,
because the city had still not sub-
mitted one.
Davis said that the city’s EOTEC
advisory board was still working
on an overall strategic plan for the
site, and based on the slow prog-
ress he thought it could be as long
five years before anything else —
such as RV park intended to raise
revenue for EOTEC or the office
and storage space that had been
promised to the Umatilla County
Fair — was built on the site.
The potential sale of the com-
munity center complicated things
as well, he said. It had always
been a longterm goal of EOTEC
to expand the event center eventu-
ally, but that expansion might look
different depending on whether the
city still had a community center.
If it did not, he said, the advi-
sory board might write the plan to
include a separate community cen-
ter facility on site rather than just
adding more rooms onto the end of
the event center building.
“It’s part of the conversation the
advisory board’s having, but how
do you strategically plan for some-
thing that you don’t know is going
to happen?” he said.
In light of the unfinished strate-
gic and parking plans for EOTEC,
the planning commission voted
to amend two conditions of the
variance.
They added a requirement that
shuttles be used for the fair and
rodeo week and that event organiz-
ers and the city work to determine
whether any other events with
more than 2,000 attendees needed
a shuttle to keep up with parking
demand.
They also extended the deadline
for the parking plan from 2020 to
2021.
BTW:
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of the Oregon Water Coalition and Northeast Oregon
Water Association is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 21 begin-
ning at 8:15 a.m. at the Hermiston Agricultural Research
and Extension Center, 2121 S. First St., Hermiston.
NOWA director JR Cook will present a slideshow on
water projects that are in the works. Other speakers include
Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, who will talk about what is
coming for the legislative short session; Tom Byler, direc-
tor of Oregon Water Resources Department, discussing
Oregon’s 100-year water vision; Chris Kowitz on rules of
groundwater wells reporting; and attorney Steve Shrop-
shire, who will present on water and legislation.
There is no charge to attend the meeting, which includes
breakfast. For more information, contact Ray Kopacz
or Tiffany Harrell at stanfieldid@stanid.com, or call
541-449-3272.
• • •
City Councilor Lori Davis will represent Hermiston at
a national level after being selected to serve on the National
League of Cities Small Cities Council.
The council represents the interests of cities with fewer
than 50,000 residents, and connects leaders of those cities
so that they can discuss solutions to common problems they
face.
Davis, who has been a city councilor since 2009, grew
up in Hermiston and works for Two Rivers Correctional
Institution.
“I look forward to strengthening Hermiston’s ties to
America’s small cities,” she said in a news release. “We are
able to share ideas and gain resources to better the lives of
Hermiston residents.”
• • •
The Hermiston Elks Lodge is hosting a membership
open house. People interested in the organization are encour-
aged to attend and learn how a commitment of time and
skills can make a difference in the community. The event
is Saturday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The lodge is
located at 480 E. Main St. Appetizers and beverages will
be available. For more information, call David Downing at
541-571-1089.
• • •
The menu for Thursday at the Harkenrider Senior
Activity Center is potato soup, crackers, salad and dessert.
Friday is chili, cornbread, fruit and dessert. Monday is broc-
coli soup, sandwich, fruit and dessert. Tuesday is hamburger
soup, cornbread, salad and dessert. Next Wednesday is fish
sandwich, pea salad, pudding and cookies.
— You can submit items for our weekly By The Way col-
umn by emailing your tips to editor@hermistonherald.com.
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
The former Carnegie Library and the Hermiston Public Library across from city hall could house city staff for the next two
years if the city decides to rebuild city hall rather than repair it.
City Hall: Council weighs repair vs. replace
Continued from Page A1
Library for the building and plan-
ning departments until a new build-
ing is built at the location of the cur-
rent city hall.
He said architects had told him
they could likely have plans for a new
city hall ready this summer if they
started soon, and then construction
would take an additional 18 months
after that.
Councilors said they were not com-
fortable making a decision on Mon-
day night, without more information
and public input, but directed Smith
to return in the next month or so with
concrete details about costs, financ-
ing, etc.
“This could present an opportu-
nity,” councilor Roy Barron said.
Garbage rates
Councilors approved an increase in
garbage rates on Monday night. The
rate for a 90-gallon container, which
most customers use, will go up $1.55
to $18.80 a month starting in February.
Sanitary Disposal Inc., which han-
dles the city’s garbage and recycling,
requested permission for the rate
increase to help cover increases in the
cost of doing business, such as fuel
and insurance, and the decreases in
revenue from problems with the recy-
cling market. Assistant city manager
Mark Morgan said minimum wage
in Umatilla County has gone up by
20% since the last rate increase in July
2016.
Residents will also see another
increase on their water and sewer bills
in March. When the council approved
a rate restructure last year, they added
a much smaller annual adjustment
based on inflation to keep up with ris-
ing costs of labor and materials. This
year’s increase will be 1.8%.