Hines Council to invite local motels into the discussion

By Samantha White
Burns Times-Herald

Due to the fact that the regularly scheduled meeting of the Hines Common Council fell on Christmas Day, the council held a special meeting the following day (Dec. 26). During the meeting, the council discussed whether it should change the percentage of its local transient room tax (TRT) and how revenue collected from the tax should be used to promote tourism in the city of Hines.

By definition of the Oregon Revised Statues, a “local transient lodging tax” is defined as “a tax imposed by a unit of local government on the sale, service or furnishing of transient lodging.” “Transient lodging” is defined by state statutes as:

• hotel, motel and inn dwelling units that are used for temporary overnight human occupancy;

• spaces used for parking recreational vehicles or erecting tents during periods of human occupancy; or

• houses, cabins, condominiums, apartment units or other dwelling units, or portions of any of these dwelling units, that are used for temporary human occupancy.

The state transient lodging tax imposes a 1 percent tax on “any consideration rendered for the sale, service or furnishing of transient lodging.” According to the law, this tax must be in addition to and not in lieu of any local transient lodging tax.

Taxes are collected by the transient lodging provider. Under Oregon law, the provider shall withhold 5 percent of the amount collected in order to receive reimbursement for the cost of collecting the tax, record keeping and reporting.

Effective July 1, 2006, Hines Ordinance 272 increased the city’s TRT percentage to 8 percent, and 25 percent of the annually budgeted revenue from the TRT is paid to the Harney County Chamber of Commerce general fund every year.

City Administrator Joan Davies explained that the motels get to keep 1 percent of the TRT, and they pay the rest of the tax to the city. Hines then pays 25 percent to the chamber to promote tourism, and any money that is left over is allocated to Hines’ city fund.

Davies said the council needs to invite the motels to discuss the city’s TRT before a decision is made regarding whether the percentage should be changed. She added that the TRT for the city of Burns is currently 9 percent.

Davies said she researched the percentages of TRT paid in Oregon cities that are similar in size to Hines and found that the percentages vary.

“There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason,” she said.

She said she also researched the percentage of TRT revenue that various cities pay to their chambers.
“Some pay 100 percent, and some don’t pay anything,” she said.

During the regular meeting of the Hines Common Council that was held Dec. 11, Mayor Nikki Morgan expressed concern about what the city of Hines was getting in return for the funds it pays to the chamber.

Two of the concerns she expressed were that banners advertising the John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival were hung in Burns, but not Hines, last year, and the Cannonball Run was advertised as taking place in Burns, when it actually took place behind the Apple Peddler restaurant in Hines. Morgan and Harney County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jen Hoke, along with members of the council, discussed how future events should be advertised, and Morgan asked what else Hines could get, considering the city’s contribution to the chamber’s budget. At one point during the conversation, Hoke said state law requires that a percentage of revenue collected from TRT is used to promote tourism. Morgan said money used to promote tourism does not have to be paid to the chamber.

During the meeting held on Dec. 26, Morgan said it had come out that she was considering taking away all of the money that is given to the chamber. “That is not true,” she said, and she encouraged anyone who had any questions to read the notes of the previous meeting.

Morgan added that a comment was made at the last meeting (Dec. 11) that a person would like to have the cities of Burns and Hines merged. Regarding the comment, Morgan said, “It offended me that someone would make such a callous statement. The two cities have their own distinct histories. If you merge the cities, you lose the history.”

“Last meeting I brought up the flags,” Morgan added, referring to the bird festival banners. “That’s just one blooming thing. We are part of the community. Our businesses are part of the community, clear out to the Truck Stop.”

Councilor Dick Baird said, in general, the council does a good job of promoting tourism. “In order to promote [tourism], you have to advertise. That’s what the chamber does,” he said.

Morgan said that promoting tourism goes beyond advertising.

“It could be a bathroom for the park. It could be a new slide. It isn’t all just advertisement. Before you think transient room tax, you have to think what to do with it,” she said. She added that the council had the same consideration last year.

Morgan then opened the discussion for public comment.

Randy Fulton commented that Davies is a member of the chamber’s board of directors, and he asked whether there was a lack of communication between the chamber and the city of Hines.

Davies responded that there was not a lack of communication.

Regarding the bird festival banners, Jan Oswald said both the banners and the posts that they hang on were purchased by the Harney County Merchants group and local businesses.

“When we purchased [the banners], no one in Hines purchased posts. We had to raise money for the banners ourselves,” she said, explaining that the chamber did not purchase the banners or the posts.
Hoke said she found an email that she wrote to Davies in March regarding the banners. “I was trying to consider you,” she said.

Davies replied, “I asked for [the banners]. That’s why we were talking about it.”

“When we get new banners, we’ll approach you,” Oswald said. “We would love to get them up on every pole.” She added that the banners are worn-out, and new ones are needed.

Regarding the TRT percentage, Tod Gahley, who identified himself as a member of the chamber’s board of directors, said, “It makes sense to me that both communities [Burns and Hines] be the same. Travelers don’t understand why there is a 1 percent difference a quarter of a mile away.” He added that Hines is able to contribute more to the chamber because its hotels are full. He added that full hotels are a sign that the chamber does a good job of promoting tourism in Hines.

Morgan replied that it was not about getting recognition for Hines, but about Hines’ businesses. “We have a responsibility to the businesses,” she said.

Oswald said, “Every single business is invited to the merchant’s group. We encourage all to come in the entire Harney County community.” She added that Hoke attends every meeting and that business is always encouraged in Hines.

Don Munkers asked how the businesses of Hines felt about the chamber and the job being done on their behalf.

“I don’t think there has ever been an attempt to slight, overlook or ignore businesses of Hines. I speak as a representative of the government of the city of Burns and a resident of Hines,” Munkers, who is the Burns city manager, said.

Returning to the topic of the city’s TRT percentage, Baird said he would like to work it out so that the cities of Burns and Hines are the same.

However, Morgan said that it was critical to get input from the hotels before a decision was made.

Councilor Dick Anderson said, “We need to find out from Burns if they intend to go to 10 percent.”

“We need to be extremely careful how this is discussed,” Munkers said.

Morgan agreed, stating, “We need to meet with the hotels before we do anything.”

“I am warning you. This is very thin ice. You are bordering on collusion here,” Munkers said.

“OK, so we need to have a little more information then,” Morgan said, concluding the discussion.

•••
Morgan presented Councilor Brent Drury with a certificate in recognition of his service to the city of Hines and invited him to continue to attend council meetings.
“You are a check and balance,” she said.

In other business:

• Resolution 2158 for the transfer of funds for safety equipment purchases was read into the record by Davies. The resolution was approved as read;

•Resolution 2159 for the transfer of funds from Water and Sewer Contingency to Water and Sewer Materials and Supplies to allow for unanticipated expenses was also read into the record by Davies. This resolution was also approved as read.

The next common council meeting will be held Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at city hall.

By Samantha White
Burns Times-Herald

In a meeting of the Harney County Court held Wednesday, Dec. 5, the court reviewed an application by Bill Burstow to purchase county-owned land.

Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said that the one-acre parcel, which was acquired by the county in 2006 due to tax foreclosure, is completely surrounded by privately owned land.

“Every time these come up, I get nervous because of the issues it can create with surrounding landowners,” Grasty said.

County Planning Director Brandon McMullen said records describing the parcel reference structures that no longer exist. He said he believes that the land may have been part of the city of Denio at one time, as Denio used to be a larger city.

McMullen said, if purchased by a private landowner, “The land’s only use, aside from agriculture, would be potentially a dwelling.”

If used for agriculture, McMullen said the parcel’s soil would rank between a 1 and a 3 if the land is irrigated, and a 6 if it is not. He explained that farmable land is ranked on a numeric scale, and land with soil ranked between 1 and 3 is considered high-value farm land.

Noting the parcel’s proximity to Denio Creek, Grasty said the land may be advantageous as a water source.
“It may have some water rights,” he said.

The parcel is also immediately adjacent to County Road 201 (the Fields Denio Road). Road Supervisor Eric Drushella said that the parcel’s proximity to a paved road may make it a good location for public use as an aggregate or stockpile site. “It is a nice location,” he said. “It’s right off the road. I need to take a look at it.”

Grasty said he believes that, a few years ago, the county made a list of the land that it owns and is probably not going to sell. He asked McMullen to locate the list and review all of the parcels that are on it.

“I think it would be helpful for people to know right up front if there is a potential for public use,” Grasty said, explaining that it is unlikely that the county will sell land that can be used for public purposes.

Grasty said that Burstow had to pay a fee when he applied to purchase the parcel.

“My take is that we say no and refund the application fee,” Grasty said.

“If [the parcel] appears to be for sale to the buyer, I don’t think that it’s right to pull it out from under [him],” County Commissioner Pete Runnels said.

“This is part of the reason why I think we should refund the application fee,” Grasty said.

Grasty, Runnels, Drushella and County Commissioner Dan Nichols decided that they will take a trip to view the parcel before making any decisions about selling it. Grasty said he would also like the court to seek more information about the parcel by checking its records.

Grasty said the court will decide on the matter during its next meeting, and suggested that Burstow be invited to attend the meeting.

•••
Grasty said the county has been working with the Sage Grouse Conservation Partnership (SageCon) to develop an approach to sage grouse protection.

SageCon is an Oregon Solutions Project. According to its website, Oregon Solutions’ mission is to “develop sustainable solutions to community-based problems that support economic, environmental and community objectives and are built through the collaborative efforts of businesses, government and non-profit organizations.” Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber is the chair of the Oregon Solutions Steering Committee.

Oregon Solutions’ website states that SageCon “will work to pull together an all-lands, all-threats approach to sage grouse conservation to both address USFWS’s [United States Fish and Wildlife Service] sage grouse listing decision in 2015 and support community sustainability in Central and Eastern Oregon into the future.” These efforts are in anticipation of the USFWS’s review of the sage grouse’s status under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The court and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Tom Sharp had a lengthy discussion regarding the efforts by Harney County and the state to prevent the listing of the sage grouse in Oregon.

Grasty said Harney County is being viewed as the model for how counties with sage grouse populations are approaching the issue.

“I keep sending the message: Don’t be talking about environmental stuff without talking about community stuff,” Grasty said. “It’s a great effort, and I will tell you that the state is behind it,” he added, “but we need to make it more palatable by addressing local issues.”

•••
The court also discussed some newly proposed legislative language regarding transmission lines.

Grasty explained that the proposed language is still in the conceptual phase and that a bill has not been created.
“I don’t think we have enough information to support it,” Grasty said, regarding the proposed language. “Until we have a lot more information, we are not in support of it,” he elaborated.

Nichols noted that he does not have a conflict of interest regarding this issue.

•••
Upon recommendation from Sharp, the court decided to establish a partnership with Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (OPDR) at the University of Oregon to update the county’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan (NHMP).

The plan forms the foundation for a long-term strategy for reducing disaster losses and creates a framework for decision making to reduce damages to lives, property and the economy from future disasters.

The county’s NHMP must be maintained and updated every five years, or the county could lose federal funding for pre-disaster mitigation projects.

The OPDR will facilitate meetings, which will be held with the NHMP steering committee. The steering committee is expected to include representatives from multiple agencies and local utility services. A project kick-off meeting is scheduled for January, and steering committee work sessions will be held in February and March. The public will be given an opportunity to submit comments and provide input regarding the updates.

The updated plan must be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and approval by April 1, 2013. If approved by FEMA, local jurisdictions, including Harney County and the cities of Burns and Hines, will adopt the plan by May 31, 2013.

Grasty said that two big issues facing the steering committee are Harney Electric’s ongoing efforts to put in power lines and maintenance of the Silvies River Channel.

Sharp said, “This is our opportunity to get funding.”

Sharp explained in the county court meeting held Nov. 7 that any ongoing projects need to be written into the updated plan in order to ensure that their funding is safe and secure.

•••
Sharp also informed the court that collaboration among Eastern Oregon fire chiefs, fire defense boards and county emergency management continues to encourage the streamlined conflagration order process with the State Fire Marshal Office for wildland fire assistance.

“This is a big deal,” Sharp said. “There needs to be a faster, quicker process for obtaining assistance for wildfires.”

Sharp explained that, last summer, a wildfire in Harney County burned 100,000 acres in one day.
“Time is critical,” Sharp said, regarding response to wildfires.

Nichols asked, “What is the likelihood of making progress?”

Sharp replied, “The state fire marshal recognizes that Eastern Oregon has the greatest potential for wildfires but says value loss is minimal.”

Sharp said that he disagrees with the marshal’s assessment of the region’s potential for value loss, stating that a loss of natural resources translates into a major economic loss for the region. He added that it may take generations to restore these resources. He also said that restoration efforts, including seeding and fencing, are very costly.  “There is a true value loss in addition to the ongoing economic loss,” he said.

Sharp added that the Miller Homestead and Long Draw wildfires resulted in the loss of 100,000-250,000 acres of core sage grouse habitat.

Grasty expressed concern that the fire marshal will only consider structure damage when determining value loss.

•••
The court recognized the work of County Clerk Maria Iturriaga who will be retiring at the end of her term.
“Your commitment is amazing to the people of the community and to us,” Grasty said.

“It has been quite a ride,” Iturriaga said regarding her work experience. “It is amazing for a little girl to come from the ‘Old Country’ and be county clerk. It has been an enjoyable time.”

“People don’t know what it takes to be a county official in this or any county,” Nichols added, thanking Iturriaga for her work in record-keeping and promoting voting in Harney County.

Runnels also thanked Iturriaga for all of her help.

In other business, the court:

• decided to submit a request to the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) for Harney County representation on the AOC Legislative Committee. The court decided to request that Grasty be that representative;

• heard a report from Dana Ketcher, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, regarding an arsenic in drinking water project that she is currently working on with the Harney County Health Department;

• was addressed by Barbara Cannady during the public comment period regarding the outcome of a meeting held Nov. 14 to discuss Eastern Oregon Academy (EOA). Grasty informed Cannady that the meeting was called by the Oregon Youth Authority and Oregon’s Department of Human Services, and he was invited to attend it. Runnels also commented that he attended the meeting as an invited participant. Grasty said that any recording requirements would have been the responsibility of the agencies that called the meeting, and he suggested that Cannady contact those agencies for more information regarding the meeting;

• learned that the Harney County Health Department has flu shots available every Tuesday, and walk-ins are welcome;

• reviewed Notices of Water Use Requests from Oregon Water Resources Department and did not express objections to any of the requests.

The next county court meeting will be held Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. in Judge Grasty’s office at the courthouse.

Ken Couture, 2011-12 NAAE president, presented a Teachers Turn the Key Award to Crane Union High School agricultural educator Bibiana Gifft (right) at the National Association of Agricultural Educators annual convention in Atlanta Dec. 1. (Submitted photo)

Gifft receives NAAE Teachers Turn the Key award

Bibiana Gifft, agricultural educator at Crane Union High School (CUHS) in Crane, is one of 39 individuals nationwide who received the Teachers Turn the Key Award, given Dec. 1 at the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) annual convention in Atlanta.

The Teachers Turn the Key (TTTK) Award program is a scholarship to allow early career agricultural educators to attend the annual NAAE convention, giving them an opportunity to become involved with their professional association on a national level. TTTK participants take part in programming geared toward agricultural educators in the early stages of their careers.

Gifft has been the agriculture teacher at CUHS since 2010. Since she came to CUHS, enrollment has grown to nearly 58 percent of the student population. Gifft’s program has a strong animal science focus. Recently, Gifft’s students were given the opportunity to dissect the internal organs of three beef cattle from a local rancher in order to gain a better understanding of each organ’s function within the body. Students have also worked with the same rancher to assist with pregnancy checks, ultrasounds and recording data through EID tags.

“The reason that Bibiana is such an influential teacher is because she has the personal ambition to make the educational programs better,” said Angie Ketscher, CUHS FFA Alumni president. “This quality is the reason I believe that she will remain a great teacher and advisor for any student that is lucky enough to have her as an instructor.”

Each of the TTTK winners received a plaque and a scholarship to cover convention registration, travel expenses and housing during the NAAE convention. RAM Trucks sponsors the TTTK program as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

NAAE is the professional organization in the United States for agricultural educators. It provides its nearly 8,000 members with professional networking and development opportunities, professional liability coverage and extensive awards and recognition programs. The mission of NAAE is “professionals providing agricultural education for the global community through visionary leadership, advocacy and service.” The NAAE headquarters are in Lexington, Ky.