NEWS
A14 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Walmart
City Hall
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video presentations and dis-
cussion boards.
Palmer said her cohort
of online classmates were
from multiple states and
represented a diverse array
of Walmart positions, from
trucking to cashiers to
working at corporate head-
quarters. She said the net-
work she built has given her
access to different perspec-
tives, allowing her to bounce
ideas off of associates in
other locations and jobs.
“I now have friends from
all across the country that
I’ve worked on projects
with,” she said.
Charles Crowson, a
spokesman for Walmart,
said right now there are
more than 12,000 associates
taking advantage of Live
Better U. After associates
fi nish their degree or certi-
fi cation, there are no strings
attached — some are putting
their knowledge to use in
furthering their career with
the company, while oth-
ers are using it to get a job
elsewhere.
“If people pursue (some-
thing else), there is no ill
will,” Crowson said.
He said many of
Walmart’s future leaders
will likely come from Live
Better U.
“It’s a wonderful oppor-
tunity for our associates,”
he said. “It’s really encour-
aging for our company to
see so many people become
engaged in it.”
Palmer feels the same
way, and as a human
resources manager, she said
she is in a good position to
spread the word to other
employees about the benefi ts
of pursuing a degree while
they are in a position to do so
for only $1 per day. So far,
she said, there are a handful
of other people in Hermiston
who have signed on.
“Any time we invest in
ourselves and broaden our
thinking, it makes us better,”
she said.
into a “maker’s space.”
Smith emphasized Mon-
day evening that by rely-
ing on funding from enter-
prise zone agreements with
Lamb Weston, Amazon
and a new potential benefi -
ciary of the zone program,
the project would not cause
new or increased property
taxes for residents.
Hermiston shares enter-
prise zone funding with
the county, and Uma-
tilla County Commis-
sioner George Murdock
offered comment during the
meeting.
He said while he was
not advocating for or
against a new city hall, he
did believe zone funding
shouldn’t be used for oper-
ational expenses but rather
long-lasting projects.
“They should be used
for some kind of capital
improvement that could
be used for the well-being
of the area,” he said. “As
a partner, we have great
faith in the city of Herm-
iston. Those particular
funds we’ve pledged to the
future of Hermiston.”
Multiple people pro-
vided public comment at
the meeting. Some were
concerned that the new
building wasn’t in the
public’s best interest, or
expressed that the enter-
prise zone funds should be
put toward water and sewer
infrastructure.
Former Umatilla County
commissioner
Dennis
Doherty said that after liv-
ing 40 “good years” in
Hermiston, he was in favor
of a new structure.
“It doesn’t scare me
we’re stepping up to
fi nance something. This is
not unlike how the county
funded the Stafford Hansell
government building,” he
said. “It isn’t a bad thing to
have a nice facility.”
Smith said an unnamed
governmental agency inter-
ested in renting part of the
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Hermiston city manager Byron Smith talks to visitors during a tour of the fi re damaged Hermiston City Hall Monday night.
Smith used the opportunity to highlight accessibility concerns with the building as well as issues caused by the fi re.
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Members of the public and city offi cials tour the now empty Hermiston City Hall ahead of
Monday night’s City Council meeting to vote on the construction of a new City Hall.
new space would reduce the
amount of money the city
must pour into the library
remodel and the construc-
tion of the new city hall
building by renting some of
the space.
Six of the eight coun-
cilors were in attendance
Monday. Councilor John
Kirwan, who motioned to
approve building a new
city hall, stipulated that the
project should not exceed
$9 million dollars and that
the new enterprise zone
agreement and the possible
tenant be confi rmed before
moving forward.
Prior to the city coun-
cil
meeting
Monday,
Smith initiated a public
walk-through tour of the
smoke-damaged city hall
building.
Conversations
around accessibility within
and around the building
also sat center stage.
“I brought a wheelchair
if anyone wants to try mak-
ing those corners,” he said.
People were invited to
try the stair lift up the small
staircase to the city council
chambers. City councilor
Roy Barron commented he
could only make it halfway
up the short staircase to the
chambers.
The handful of Herm-
iston residents in atten-
dance were able to catch a
glimpse of the now charred
and twisted furnace system
that fatefully overheated in
December, causing smoke
damage in the main part of
the building.
Footprints were left in
the soot covered carpet and
ash lightly dusted some
abandoned desks. In the
council chambers, bits of
ceiling tile lay crumbled on
the fl oor.
Smith said that after
the fi re, asbestos was dis-
covered in that part of the
ceiling and it had to be
removed.
A portion of each sale in February will benefit
Altrusa ’ s KARE Project
which provides shelter, clothing, personal
hygiene, and other items to homeless
students in Pendleton.