PRESENT: Mayor Bob Jepsen; Council
Members Tom Wolff, Skip Matthews, Cindy Doherty, Kay Robinson,
Marian Murchison, Tim Van Cleave; City Manager Jerry
Breazeale; Public Works Director Craig Canham; City Attorney Bill
Kuhn; Fire Chief Rusty Estes; MCSO Sgt. Phil Morris; MCSO
Deputy Randy Rayburn, MCSO Deputy Justin Slinger.
VISITORS: Cara Osmin, Claudia Hughes,
Johanne Wood, Jesse Canham, John Gochnauer, Kyle Robinson, Bill
Green
1. GENERAL BUSINESS
A) Call
to Order. Mayor Jepsen called the meeting to
order at
B)
Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Jepsen led the
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
C) Announcements:
MCSO Sgt. Phil
Morris introduced Deputies Justin Slinger and Randy Rayburn who
will be providing police coverage for the City. The third
deputy will arrive next week.
City Manager
Breazeale added two documents to the Council packet: the Public
Works Report and a request for the use of
D) Appointment of City Council Members:
Mayor Jepsen
recommended approval of his appointment of two
Cindy Doherty
and Marian Murchison were sworn in by City Attorney Bill Kuhn.
E) Approval
of Minutes of
F) Report from the Planning Commission:
Bill Green reported that the Planning Commission voted to recommend not lowering requirements for subdivision development.
G)
Correspondence: City Manager Breazeale
presented the following correspondence:
Invitation
to the dedication of Casa de Esperanza, formerly the
Letter from the
League of Oregon Cities regarding Qwest’s appeal of the
recent franchise fee ruling and requesting financial assistance
from the City. Tom Wolff moved to contribute the requested
amount, Second by Kay Robinson. MOTION CARRIED.
2. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE
PUBLIC
A)
Oral communications from the public not on the agenda.
Claudia Hughes
and Cara Osmin, representing the St. Patrick’s Committee,
asked to be allowed to donate a drinking fountain in memory of
the Irish immigrants and suggested placing it in the City
property between the Post Office and the Shoe Box. A
discussion of the possibility of the sale of that property in the
future yielded the suggestion that the fountain be placed in the
bricked “parking strip” adjacent to the City’s
property. Tom Wolff moved to accept the St. Patrick’s
Committee’s donation of the drinking fountain, second by Kay
Robinson. MOTION CARRIED.
Deputy Rayburn
presented background on a dispute between John Gochnauer and Kyle
Robinson, centering on Mr. Robinson’s right to run his
cattle on property which may or may not be within the City limits
and damage to Mr. Gochenauer’s fence. Tom Wolff asked
why this matter has come before the City Council and Deputy
Rayburn stated that the parties need to have the City limits
clarified. Skip Matthews recommended that the matter be
referred to the Police Commission to address at its next meeting.
Additional discussion ensued during which the parties offered
clarification of their respective positions. The consensus
of the City Council was that the matter is referred to the Police
Commission.
Kyle Robinson
expressed his concern that the public traversing his property in
vehicles to get to the cross and the “H” on the hill
has damaged the grasses he has been establishing. He asked
for the courtesy of notification before off-road travel takes
place on his property. Public Works Director Canham, who
had been present at some of the occurrences, stated that he did
not believe any damage had been done to the property. Tom
Wolff, who had also been present, apologized to Mr. Robinson for
the lack of contact prior to entering the property, and assured
him that future excursions to the cross and “H” sites
would be cleared with him first.
Kyle Robinson
asked the Council for clarification of the dog control policy,
stating that he regularly incurs damage to his stock from being
run by dogs. Deputy Rayburn explained that he should try to
determine the ownership of any dogs bothering his cattle and
report the occurrence to the deputy. The deputy will follow
up with the owner of the dog(s) and appropriate steps under the
Ordinance will be taken. Mr. Robinson noted that this has
been a problem for the last twenty years and he hopes the City
will make a concerted effort to help control the dogs. He
also noted a recurring problem with garbage blowing up onto his
fields from the area of the apartments down the hill.
Johanne Wood
asked for an update on the allegedly obstructed line of site at
the
B) Requests for
animal permit renewal Ashley and Kelsey Wolff to keep 3 rabbits;
and request for one new animal permit Whitney Matthews to keep 2
sheep at
3. PUBLIC HEARINGS opened:
A)
Public Hearing Regarding An Ordinance Amending the
Cindy Doherty
asked what additional revenues would be generated by the
increase. Tom Wolff answered that approximately $27,000
additional would result.
B)
Public Hearing Regarding abatement of nuisance for
accumulation of solid waste and fire hazards, 560 N. Gale Street,
Map 2S 26 26CC, Tax Lot #8100
C) Public
Hearing Regarding applying for $5,400,000 in grant and loan funds
from the
There was no public testimony.
Public Hearings Closed.
A) City
Manager Breazeale read the title of Ordinance No. 536-2002, An
Ordinance Amending the Columbia Basin Franchise Ordinance No. 405
by Amending the Franchise Compensation. Cindy
Doherty moved adoption of Ordinance No. 536-2002, second by Skip
Matthews. Tom Wolff, as a Columbia Basin employee, stated that
Columbia Basin is neutral on this question since the default
rate, if Columbia Basin were to dispute the increase, is 5%, the
same rate as that being voted upon. Manager Breazeale noted
that the Budget Committee had approved the budget including the
revenues that would be generated by the increase. MOTION
CARRIED.
B) Deputy
Rayburn reported that the property at 560 N. Gale Street, Map 2S
26 26CC, Tax
C)Resolution
No. 500-2002, A Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Apply
for $5,400,000 in Grant and Loan Funds from the Oregon Economic
and Community Development Department.
Tom Wolff moved
the adoption of Resolution No. 500-2002, second by Cindy Doherty.
MOTION CARRIED
4. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE
MORROW
A)
Activity Report: Deputy Rayburn noted that the County had
just begun providing police services to the City and that this
month’s activities would be covered in next month’s
report. Sgt. Morris clarified the amount of detail that the
Council expected in the monthly report.
B)
The next meeting of the Police Commission will be
C)
Liquor License Renewals: Deputy Rayburn recommended that
the City Council approve the annual liquor license renewals as
presented.
Cindy Doherty
moved that the City Council indicate their approval of the
license renewals, second by Skip Matthews. MOTION CARRIED.
D)
Code Enforcement.
Deputy
Rayburn showed video of properties at 565 Hager and 585 Hager,
which he noted have already been taken care of, a vacant house at
275 Church, the yard of which has become overgrown, an empty lot
on Elder Street which has become overgrown, a property on Cannon
and Gilmore which has since been cleaned up, and a sidewalk on
Baltimore which has been damaged by tree roots.
Bill Kuhn
noted that the
Skip Matthews
moved that the owners of the Church Street and Elder Street
properties be sent the initial letter of notification, second by
Tom Wolff. MOTION CARRIED.
5.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR:
A) Public Works Director Craig Canham presented his activity report. He notified the Council that he plans to replace the water line where Elder meets Baltimore while the street is torn up for the school construction so it will conform to the Water System Master Plan and will not need to be done in the future. Director Canham estimated a cost of $25,000 and noted that the money is available in the current Public Works budget.
B) Director Canham reported that he has a potential buyer for some of the traffic cones for which he no longer has a use and asked the City Council to declare them surplus. Skip Matthews moved to declare fifty traffic cones surplus and to authorize their sale, second by Kay Robinson. MOTION CARRIED.
Skip Matthews thanked Director Canham, on behalf of the Willow Creek Water Park, for his help and advice.
C) The next Utilities Commission meeting will be July 18.
D)
The next Parks and Lands Commission Meeting will be July 29.
Director Canham
reported that the contractor on the school project has offered
dirt for the BMX track. Additionally, Director Canham
reported that basketball hoops will be salvaged from the school
site for use in another location, possibly the old pool site.
Tom Wolff
presented a flyer put out by the City of
6.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FIRE CHIEF:
Fire Chief Rusty
Estes reported that the Fire Department has been notified of
receipt of an $18,340 grant for equipment from Rural Fire
Assistance, and is waiting to hear on other grants.
7.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY MANAGER:
City Manager
Breazeale condensed his report to the City Council in an effort
to reduce the meeting length.
A) Motion to approve Resolution No. 501-2002; A Resolution Approving Accounts Payable for Payment by Skip Matthews, second by Tom Wolff. After a brief discussion for clarification of some of the bills, the question was called. MOTION CARRIED
B) Baker/Morrow
Partnership; Manager Breazeale reported that the
Manager
Breazeale reported that the Chamber of Commerce event
“Celebrate Heppner” on July 26th
will be the biggest such occasion ever held.
COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY:
No Report.
9. COMMUNICATIONS FROM
THE MAYOR/CITY COUNCILORS
A)
The Beautification Commission meeting will be July 11.
B)
The Heppner Housing Authority will next meet July 29.
C)
Additional Discussion:
Mayor Jepsen
noted that the Neighborhood Enhancement Team is still waiting to
hear from the
Jesse Canham
suggested that the City consider adding a skatepark to the
community. He feels that it would attract young people from
all around the area.
Meeting
adjourned at
Meeting
adjourned