City Council - Regular Meeting

Hey, call discuss library. Yes. All right. I think um we'll start with the with Steve Meyers representing the Hermiston Historical and Cultural Society and uh have him go first. How close do I get to this? Right on it. Okay. Thank you. My name is Steve Meyers. I live at 5 95 East McKenzie and I've been a Hermison residence for most of the time since the sixth grade. So, I've seen a lot and um really welcome being able to comment tonight. Also, the founding members of our little group, Dennis and Andhy, are in the audience tonight to listen in. So, I'm going to read most of my statement to rip through it faster. So, it'll take me a few minutes to get through it and then I'm sure you'll have some questions. So, we visited you, the council, about three years ago to encourage the city to convert the Carnegie building into a museum or interpretive center. In the months after that, the few months after

that, we received $10,000 each from the Wild Horse Foundation and from the from Amazon to create a Hermiston history website, which we've done, and to prepare a conceptual plan of the interior of the Carnegie building. So, they very graciously um gave us that money. So we hit pause after that. So the last um couple of years we've been inactive. But what's new today is, you know, we have a $1 million grant that the city has obtained. We have a community survey and we have the willing willingness of the council to look at the possible um community use of the Carnegie building. I did want to take a little of my time to talk about what's happening around us because we've had time, you know, to read websites about the surrounding communities and what they've done for them for their heritage sites. So, if you look up and down the I 84 corridor, um most of the towns around us were gateways to the wheat, wool, and cattle industry of the late 1800s and early 1900s before Hermiston existed. They built dozens of two and threestory brick buildings to last 150 years. So it's not surprising that they have well-developed systems to support history in the arts. And you'll see on the handout if you look up in the Oregon Cultural Trust, we have Hood River, the Dells, Hermiston, Pendleton, Lrand along the corridor. They have many established cultural trusts. Most of these are history and arts and we only have a couple. So, it's not surprising it's that way, but it does kind of um

pertain to what we might do with the Carnegie building. So, we're also surrounded by local museums in Hepner, Pendleton, Echo, Umatella. They were all decades in the making, traditional in scope and excellent for what they do. We also have the tribal museum at Mission, the Sage Center at Boardman, and the Hanford Reach at Richland, which cost $81 million and took 10 years to develop. So, they all have a they're all within 45 minutes. They all have a unique focus and structure. Some of these museums are 50 years old that are near us and some were created with tens of millions of dollars. So many of these museums and looking at their background, some of them are oversight by government agencies, some of them are private, nonprofit oversightes. It's kind of a mixed with volunteer citizens in funding and staffing. Larger cities like Portland have dedicated agencies and tax revenue. Smaller cities operate with volunteer commissions and moderates modest budgets. In one example, the town of the Dals, which is about half our size. They have several commissions that are citizen commissions appointed by government to look over say their historic museums, but they also have private nonprofits to look over. for instance, the Dallas Arts Center, which is a Carnegie building that they've had since 1967. So, um, if we go forward with the history and arts center at the Carnegie, we have lots to think about. What kind of city community partnership do we want? And do we want a museum to be like

a stepping stone to a way back machine, butter churns, or do we want to tell a story of Hermiston up until the present time? So many choices and so many paths you can go down. So the $1 million grant and community survey are a great start. So, we appreciate that you you're keeping priming the pump and our community will need you if we go forward with a history and arts center at the Carnegie building. So, I think what our group would like to recommend is a city community collaboration to combine history exhibits, which would be text, photos, and artifacts with an arts center. That was what our grant proposals to Amazon and Wild Horse really asked for a combination and we we would recommend a city committee or working group with both city and community representatives to advise the city on creation of a conceptual plan for the interior of the building. So we have remaining funds to use as a matching grant if the city chooses to go forward with the history center. It's not a lot of money. Total $20,000. I think we spent about six on the website and other things. So, we the rest of it um if you wish could go to a matching grant for a conceptual plan basically to see if the Carnegie building would fit history exhibits and art exhibits, traveling history, traveling art. There's all kinds of things you can do. the Dows, one city up the road from us. Their center has been going for more than 50 years. Their um Carnegie building community, the

Pendleton, as you know, is doing the same thing. And you could go on and on, you know, up and down the roads. They're all doing the same thing. So, how am I doing for time here? Okay. So, I wanted to talk a little bit about um why we would do this uh history center at the Carnegie building or anywhere really. Um if these all these museums are close to us, why do we want to do this? And I would say because no one none of these are telling our story. And the only one that's going to save our history or tell our story is is going to be us. So our story Hermiston is unique, compelling, and even inspiring. We grew from a tiny town of 800 people in 1940 to one of America's rural success stories. There's something like 1,500 cities in the United States between 10,000 population and 25,000 population. And I would be very surprised if anyone beat Hermiston for what it's done. um to become a premier community in Eastern Oregon. So, you know, we talk about stories, but what are these stories? Why would we even want to tell them? I want to just quickly tell five quick stories about five people in the community that we may want to save their story. So, we have EP Dodd. He was the town father for our first 50 years. He was a Tasmanian devil in getting uh his pie and everything Hermiston all over the country to Washington DC. He was one of the instrumental people who helped the building of McNary Dam. His story is remarkable and worth um saving. You know, it's it's hidden in newspaper articles, in books, on library shelves that never get

checked out. It really needs to be front and center. Number two, Joe Burns, a person you all know. He's a town father for our second 50 years. He was renowned well beyond our region for his drive and dedication to building Hermiston. It'd be sad to lose um his memory. There's someone who you very well know, Russ Doran. He grew up on a farm near Helix with no electricity during the depression. By the end of his life, he was driving around Hermiston in a practically futuristic Tesla electric car. In between for 40 years, not only did he be build and lead Umatel Electric, but in that time he also started from scratch what is now the biggest electricity buying cooperative in the Northwest. It's based in Portland. It rep represents 25 electric co-ops. It started in Russ Doran's desk drawer. Um, he also started the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative at Baker City, which is gobbling up territory, you know, to the east of us, including buying Idaho Powers. Russ Dorne is the father of that electric co-op. He also um finished off of course his 64 years in the electric in electric industry with being the manager of Hermes Energy. Another named Doris Bounds. She's one of the most important figures in Eastern Oregon history whose life touched banking, civic leadership, Native American cultural preservation, and national politics across nine decades. Bill Warner of New York. Have you ever heard of him? He's the brother of Pop Warner. And he Bill Warner was a

two-time all-American lineman at Cornell. He was a head coach coach at Cornell, North Carolina, Oregon. And he transitioned into a legal co career at tiny Hermiston, Oregon. and he spent his whole adult life being the town lawyer um in Hermiston in the early days of Hermiston. Um how did that happen? Hint, he married a girl from Pendleton, Oregon. So also Bill Warner, um he is, let me back up, the National College Football Hall of Fame. Um, there are approximately six million people who played college football and were eligible for the the National College Hall of Fame, but they only picked about 1,000. One of those 1,000 in the National College Football Hall of Fame is Bill Warner of Hermiston. So, this is another story that shouldn't be forgotten. There's many stories of companies. Lamb Weston, you know, it was founded in Umatella County. It's now, you know, one of the worldlightwide leaders of frozen potato products and it has a huge impact on Hermiston. So, those are just some of the reasons why we should savor history at the Carnegie building or somewhere else and why hopefully the city council and city will keep priming the pump to make this happen. So questions. Good.

Well, I among our very small group, you know, we would give you different answers, but I think the top floor and I think I walked it off that maybe 1,800 square f feet, which is about the size of a a singlestory house today. I do think it could fit history exhibits and art exhibits, traveling art exhibits, traveling history exhibits, if it was arranged in a way that everything can be moved. You know, there's ways that you can have portable walls, etc. And I wouldn't attach exhibits permanently to a wall. I I do it in a way that they could be moved around. But so the top floor um both history and art combining together and how that would happen, you know, our group doesn't claim, you know, to know the arts community of Hermiston and wouldn't presume to say, you know, how they should um design their portion of it, the interior of that the the ground floor, I don't have a good um answer for that. It's extra space. Um, I don't know if it can be remodeled into something um, more modern probably, but I don't have I'm just thinking about the top floor, the 18800 square ftish or what it is, whatever it is. That was a couple years ago when I tried to walk it off um, outside to try to figure out how big the ground floor was. Um, personally I would be amenable to it. I would be. Um, other people might give you different answers.

Yes. Yeah. Well, I'd say the exhibits would be permanent, but in a way that, you know, they could be moved around if you wanted to use the space. the space would be very tight. But for instance, instead of buying a giant table, you know, that would go all the way this way and that way. You buy eight of these this size and then you push them together if you want everybody to sit at a big table or you rearrange them as a classroom of, you know, a bunch of tables like a classroom. That's what I mean by flexible design. movable walls, movable um tables, not necessarily movable history history exhibits, but you know, I don't begin to know how an interior designer would fit things in there. So, you wouldn't block windows or, you know, block things, but to design it as flexible an interior as possible. would accommodate that at present

um would accommodate history and art.

Yeah. What what what you've got in mind or how you know you arrange it. I I think it would. Again, you know, professionals might say it wouldn't, but I think it would accommodate both. And let's say 10 years, 15 years down the road, somebody wants to build a big her museum in Hermiston. Um, then you move out the museum stuff. Or somebody wants to build an arts center, you move out the arts stuff. So that's again what I mean about flexible. I wouldn't attach history exhibits, you know, to the structure. I would make them, you know, permanent, but able to move if you had to move them.

Thank you. Thank you. All right. Now we'll invite uh Mr. Sam Vore from the Hermiston Amateur Radio Group Club. Can I stand? Yes.

There a button? No. Well, hello. Kind of feels like Shark Tank if you watch that show. I'm going to set a timer so you don't have to worry about me going overtime. Fantastic. Well, good evening. My name is Sam Vore. uh 620 Northeast 3rd Street, Hermiston, Oregon. I've been a Hermiston resident for 15 years and am the current president of the Hermiston Amateur Radio Club. This is my fourth year uh serving in that role. Fifth year being involved in amateur radio. Um I do want to thank you all. I don't believe anybody has thanked the entire room uh for your service to the community, especially in uh the city council. I noticed many of you ate dinner here and uh just want to acknowledge that and I'd probably imagine you don't get thanked enough, but uh I wanted to thank you. Uh and it's not to win any kind of favor for the Carnegie building. It's just because you serve. Um, and now I thank you for the time to hear our presentation for the Carnegie building and the proposal. So, the Hermiston Amateur Radio Club uh proposal for your consideration is to specifically dedicate the basement east room to the use of the Hermiston Amateur Radio Club and also propose uh maintaining a public meeting space on the main floor uh an agile space, a variable space for use by uh of course our group. um any other group and the community uh and public in general to have a space to meet or host an event. Um the Hermiston Amateur Radio Club uh I

did not hear about it at all until I started looking into what radio was in 2020. Uh but it's been around for a really long time. It is a 501c3 community service organization and it's been in existence since approximately 1978. It was officially incorporated in 1980. And in the interest letter I sent uh to the city, I highlighted that our club had 25 members, but as of today, we're actually at 32 members uh which is a 28% increase this year, which is kind of unheard of for amateur radio uh in general. We're gathering up folks uh to pursue our mission of communications. So, our members share a very wide variety of amateur radio related interests, many different skill sets, some taking interest in long-distance radio communications, and by that I mean around the world. I, for example, talked to somebody in Japan from my backyard. I felt like a million dollars. Very cool. uh local microwave mesh networks, packet networking, and electronics diagnosis and repair are just some of the interests that our members and those who orbit in our sphere are interested in. And many of our members serve as volunteers within emergency communications groups or they volunteer as instructors for youth or adults. So, the benefit to our community, we feel the greater Hermiston community would benefit uh from the Hermiston Amateur Radio Club, which I'll refer to as HARK uh from now on. Um residing in the Carnegie building by providing a fixed location where we can set up a station, conduct meetings, host

workshops, and there are two main points to share regarding our mission. The first part of the mission is to reach and teach and the second part of the mission is to be a communication asset to the city of Hermiston. So we envision a space in which our club provides hands-on STEM related educational opportunities to school groups or anybody else in the in the members of the general public who would be interested. and we feel it aligns with the city of Herston 2025 goal uh for community engagement uh which is quoted explore expansion of engagement with education partners to develop and implement a youth engagement plan. So in the United States there is no age restriction to those who can be licensed as amateur radio operators. You just need to pass the test. And there are children. I'm not going to embarrass anybody in our back row where the supporters are. We have a variety of ages back there all taking uh levels of interest in our organization. Um without the age restriction globally, amateur radio uh around the world in different countries. It does promote strong social connections, diversity, and it is an inclusive community. for all which is also tied to the 2025 goal number four and it's not a new goal for our club just for the purpose of discussing the Carnegie building. We regularly take interest uh in reaching and teaching. So our club is affiliated with the American Radio Relay League or ARRL. It's odd to say, so I'll just say American Radio Relay League. And we're part of what they call the Oregon

section of the Amateur Radio Relay. American Radio Relay League. Dang. Um, and our Oregon section established a youth engagement goal in 2024. And our club officers regularly attend meetings for how we can accomplish this. And it's not unlike uh the goal of of the city. And the stated tenants of our youth engagement program include one share applicability in many areas of STEM education and careers, two provide access to scholarships, and three generate opportunities for handson experiences. and four, create personal intergenerational relationships that can help in school and in careers. So, we've had the opportunity to provide I'm just going to keep dancing till sorry maybe I'll keep talking. All right. So, we have provided the opportunity uh for youth with hands-on radio operation. We host two annual events that are really national and global events. They're contests, but they're actually a test of uh radio operators ability to set up a station and communicate. We've opened these up um winter we host at EOTech. We've had uh kids come and enjoy, get to touch all of the dials, ask questions, see what the lights mean, uh and discuss uh what radio is all about. And then we've also this year, I will embarrass Todd. He's sitting in the back there. Um he went and taught a amateur radio

course in the Ion school district uh based on interest from them an interest to give children and youth the opportunity um to look into technology of of two-way communication and it is very applicable to us today. I believe all of us have a radio in our pockets but also does email and plays movies. Um, so that's the first part of our mission. The second part of our mission is is supplemental emergency communication. So the Carnegie building is in proximity to city hall where we are now and it lends itself very very well to its use as an emergency communications center. it could prove invaluable during a disaster, whether natural or man-made, that might prevent um in an event that the city's existing voice and data communications uh aren't available. So, the benefits of having a station in the Carnegie building are one, the city would gain means to communicate directly with a few uh emergency uh management centers. First, the FEMA region 10 headquarters in both Washington. The state of Oregon's EEOC or emergency operations center in Salem. The Umatillaa County EOC in Pendleton. the Mororrow County EOC in Heapner and also St. Anony's and good sheeperd hospitals. We have uh projects underway to bring in citizen amateur radio as a backup as part of emergency planning in the state of Oregon um and other government agencies that we could help shore up. So currently the EOC in Pendleton for a demonstration of of how we occupy that uh at that amateur

radio station. Uh we have a uh a group called the amateur radio emergency service or Aries. Um it activates we have somebody in there uh weekly for a meeting and a test. Um we also activate when there's severe weather. We gather up information uh through all of the radio operators uh available to give real uh real time data to the National Weather Service. So that's an example of how how we use an EOC locally in our area. uh amateur radios was used to assist people during the flooding. Uh the search for a missing woman and the skyworn is what we call those activations where we report severe weather events. So a notable national highlight of the value of having uh civilian communications as part of uh an emergency operations plan uh would be the result of hurricane Helen. Helen, I'm gonna call it Helen. In 2024, it became an actual critical piece of communications infrastructure in certain areas where there was no other way to reach people. So, we believe it would be a benefit. So as a service organization uh we raise our own funds uh we maintain insurance and therefore this proposal requires no anticipated uh expenditure by the city of Hermistston. All of our equipment antennas materials used for our education programs will be funded from within our organization or through grants.

youth education opportunities and communication services are free uh to the public and the city of Herston. We would seek partnership specifically uh for the basement east room uh for any upgrades that we might assist in providing and of course discussion about where we would stick an antenna. that would not interfere with any part of the historic Carnegie building. I would also include power HVAC access enhancements or similar. So we have been successful in crowdsourcing equipment as uh the other group shared. Uh AWS has been very generous when justification for community focused uh programs and projects uh come about. We maintain our own funds to pay for the work that we're doing. So our mission of of reach and educate and communicate uh is something we do as a service. All right. So to recap the room we specifically propose that HARK would reside in the basement east room. It is the larger of the rooms with a door that closes. uh but we would appreciate any opportunity for any room if it would be available if if that would be decided. So besides being larger uh the east room allows for installation of radio equipment, some storage and enough space

to have a lab for hands-on education. So, it's important for any radio equipment to always be secured when it's not being overseen uh by a licensed operator. And we again uh encourage the city of Hermiston, the city council to consider reserving space in the basement common area similar to the main floor as available for public meeting, public use uh of common spaces. So besides the use of that specific room, we do meet in person monthly and every month we offer testing to provide affordable uh amateur radio license testing to all people and training sessions uh throughout the year for up to 30 people. So the basement's uh common area might not fit 30 people, but we envision uh if the upstairs maintains a public meeting space that is agile to serve multiple needs that that we could be accommodated there. So many times when people think of ham radio, I was hoping somebody might ask me the origin of ham later. Uh, news flash, I don't really know and I don't think the world would agree how it came about. But when people think about ham radio, amateur radio, they think about old technology and sometimes older people. But it is very much part of our past, our present. And radio is not going to be absent from our future. We are just finding new more efficient ways to do

it. And we also need to encourage get enthusiasm of young people to pursue technology so we can upgrade uh our data networks. I challenge the idea that it's it's just old school. But one thing I find very fascinating is listening to walkietalkie frequencies. Um, if you do that, you can hear local businesses talk. You can find which local hotel needs new towels taken up to room two. How much money is on pump five being handed to the attendant if they still have attendance. Um, but the greatest thing is when kids are just playing with walkie-talkies. I don't know if you ever had walkie-talkies, but they can be very exciting. We're doing okay. Christmas morning, same thing. Somebody gets walkie-talkies for Christmas. They are out using imagination and they are exploring the use uh of technology. And when we look at uh how radio is used, it is not a a piece of the distant past because our police, our firefighters, pilots, astronauts, the railroad dispatchers, all big parts of our uh function of society that still use radios. So the the introduction and enthusiasm for that, we'd like to make that bigger um than just having a walkie-talkie. Make it legitimate. Provide them exposure to something that could develop

into a technology career. So final summary for y'all. Uh we're asking for the east basement room for consideration. Um, we have two points to our mission, education and communication. That means increasing opportunities for STEM activities and increase the city's emergency communications abilities. Uh, our service am uh serviceoriented group of amateur enthusiasts. We're we are excited just the possibility of having a place to uh call our home base after so many years of of not having a location. So with that, I would very much uh thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Mayor. I I appreciate the presentation. Um walkie-talkie was really big, too, when when text messaging was coming out uh in Mexico. One of the features that there would be the walkie-talkie feature on your cell phone. And so that was actually frequently used in like Latin American countries for people would opt to use walkie-talkie instead of just taxing for for a bit.

Um so I thought that was really cool. Um but my question uh to you today is um why the Carnegie building? Um, from what I understand, I sounds like you guys are looking for a home and I can see the historical society wanting for the Carnegie building for historical reasons. Is it just you're trying to find a home and this is one of the ones? This is a place that kind of seems to fit or what what makes this the best option for you guys?

Well, it it's available. Um but on behalf of the club when I was when the club decided to to task me with proposing the use um we really wanted to tie into the goals of the community. Um we encouraged everybody to participate in the survey because I I feel that the the more voices we have the better um to find out what we want to do and where we go. Um but when we discussed it as a group, yes, primarily it became uh a an opportunity for us to have a place. Uh we moved from meeting place to meeting place. We have gear set up in you know storage in various you know personal homes. Some of it you know the county may have some we might have some of the county's equipment uh things like that. um but also ex expanding what we are able to do. So right now the first step to performing any function is where do we do it instead of oh come we already have that come and come and see that. um if we are to offer communication services um we have to go find a place and set that up and and it has no shelter to do so. So, it very much is an open invitation from the city to take surveys, say, "How should we use this?" And the club said, "You know what? We we would really like to have a place to be." So, we would love to put our proposal into the ring for consideration. Thank you for your answer. Um I we certainly want to at least my my personal opinion want to help you guys find a home and whether it's the

Carnegie building or elsewhere. Um much like Heroes when they came to us wanting to look for a complex an area of land so that way they can build a complex and attract other people. They looked in various different places. Actually, was it Heroes? I should just back up and say that it wasn't Heroes. It was uh pickle ball. Pickle ball. Thank you. So, it was pick much like pickle ball. Um, and so, like I said, regardless if it's if it's here or elsewhere, we we definitely want to find help you guys find a place because I think it's very valuable what uh you provide and it's great that you guys are having even more and more uh people join your club. I think it's a uh a great uh cause and it sounds really cool, especially talking to Councilman Kelso about the things that you guys have done up at EOTech. uh because I think that's one of the places that you guys have have been at. So, I think it's really cool and valuable the work that you guys do.

Well, can I make one comment about um the the basement? Uh we deliberately did not propose anything upstairs uh because of the the glass, the windows, the natural light. Uh downstairs will be very difficult for broader access for folks. uh that's not a problem uh for our group um as far as our our purpose. But yeah, thank you for the opportunity to answer that question.

Uh does the building or the location within the city um over the Carnegie building uh signal-wise or equipment wise assist in your vision for where where you want the amateur radio club to go? No, we specifically feel like its proximity to the heart of of the city um would be a benefit. Uh but not specifically about antennas uh or equipment. Antennas you you do the best with where you are. The best place would be on top of the but that's not up for proposal. So, yeah, we we take a two-level apartment with an elevator and 100 foot antenna up there. But it it does kind of uh it it doesn't make a bearing on where to bloom, where you're planted um in in that regard. Did that Did I answer your question? Yeah. Okay. Thank you. I'm intrigued by the uh the emergency response aspect of that obviously and and I'm aware of you know what's going on with the sheriff's office and um I guess my biggest question to that is if that is one aspect of it what other infrastructure do you need? I think you mentioned power at one point would would you need a generator? would you need, you know, h how would we what kind of extra infrastructure would it need to make you successful? Uh, I guess in all of your your uh your vision and and and what you want to accomplish.

So, specifically building out a station, we we start from the bare minimum uh would be house power. So when I say power considerations uh for the basement room in the Carnegie building, I'm specifically talking about uh what how many circuits are there now? So if we go to an outlet and and we need to draw, you know, 20 amps from that outlet, is it competing with some other system or even lighting that's that's down there? Um backup power is always a really interesting consideration. Um the first step usually we're we're fairly agile and flexible as well. Um we can use uh batteries that are charged you know up to a certain point uh before relying on a generator or solar. So, backup power, if if we were in the Carnegie building, if the building needed uh a backup power system, uh or a UPS of some kind, uh which I can't imagine it would, uh it would certainly serve in that regard if we established um established a communication center and were able to go full forward with it. Appreciate it. Thank you. So now if the council has any initial thoughts, reactions, direction, uh otherwise we would I mean we're really looking for some input from you guys, but we can um

schedule some more time on a active council agenda to talk further about what what we might do and get some official direction. But if there's some initial comments or thoughts, open to hear that.

Thank you, Mr. Smith. Um, and I really appreciate all of the presenters. Um, I think you guys have brought some great ideas to the table. I am very excited about the possibility of having the the ham radio folks be part of it. Um, I do find it very important, very useful to have people with that special skill to be able to help the community um if there was ever an emergency. It's so crucial um that sometimes we take that for granted. My question to you uh Mr. Smith would be it sounds like some of these all four presenters um have great ideas. Is it possible for them to be able to meet like the members uh of the folks that presented to meet so that maybe they can come up with a cohesive plan where maybe each entity is represented to be able to I don't know come up with a holistic idea. Uh, I mean that's that's definitely something that could happen. I mean you could have you could ask them to do that on their own or you could ask us to facilitate that as staff or uh I mean any direction. I mean unfortunately I mean it is a limited amount of space. I mean uh Mr. Myers was real close. It's about 2200 square feet uh on the upper floor and about 800 on the on the lower floor. And so it's not a lot, but you know, there could be some collaboration until other space comes available for different groups. But I mean, however you if you if you'd like us to do that, we can definitely do that.

I think that that we need to facilitate that. Okay. And because there's been several of them that are have similarity and Maybe they could be doing if they would get together and pop it out. Okay.

Well, my thought about this is they we've had presenters come here, all of them representing their party, and I think it's up for the council to make that decision. And so, um, I would love to have everybody kind of have a hand in it, but I think that would just kind of take away from what the whole thing is supposed to be. I think if everyone got a slice, which would be great. I just there's it's a limited amount of space. So, I I just don't think it's doable. That's what I think. And so, my pitch, it's a historic building. I I think the museum would be perfect for this. And if there is room, I think the downstairs would be great for the radio uh to be there. And so obviously that means there's no two other people that are left out. And you know, as unfortunate as it is, I that's from hearing the presentations and having this discussion for a couple of years, that's kind of where I'm at. Um but if the council wants to come together and and have more discussion on that or at least have the city manager coordinate something, then then that's fine. But I think I think the parties knew that they were making a pitch to the council and the council was going to decide. And so one way or the other, there was going to be people that were going to maybe not be a part of this. And I think all the parties knew that going in. If we can pull something together, that'd be great. But I just uh it's it's just very limited. And so that that's my concern. It's it's limited. for everything everybody to have everything. It's just not it's going to be a hodgepodge instead of it having an identity. So that's where that's where I'm at.

Roberts, I think I'm on the same page with councelor Baron and that we need to preserve the historic nature of the building. Um I think that in my mind is is maybe the first priority um with any project that goes in there. And certainly the the uh museum idea, you know, is is right top center with that goal. Um I'm not opposed to the radio uh club sharing that space if there's enough room. My concern there would be something like power and and are we going to have competing interests when it comes to, you know, the usage and stuff. And so, um, to that front, I I almost would like to have some time to a chew on it myself to see if if any other thoughts come to mind rather than making a decision right here. Um, but if uh those clubs want to reach out to the the city staff and talk about some of those needs that they're going to have so that we can see if the building actually will facilitate what it is that they're trying to accomplish. um specifically in terms of of just the infrastructure it has. It's an aged building. It's old and so it's only capable of doing so much, not just in terms of space, but in terms of, you know, what it can provide in terms of power and utilities and all that kind of stuff. So that's kind of where my mind is at is is I want to preserve the historic nature, but if we can do other things with it, um city staff will need to know what those things are so that they can evaluate whether or not it's possible. I just want to thank everyone for coming in and doing their presentations. They were all very good, very professional and um I'm in agreement with uh Roy, councelor Roy and Councelor Roberts uh on what they had said and also that we need I feel we need more time to be able

to discuss it. maybe can be put on another agenda and we can have a chance to be able to discuss it a little bit more and also to give us a chance to go over our notes and think on it a little bit more and be able to come up with some uh direction at a later date. Thank you.

Yeah. Um I was going to say that I agree very largely with the way councelor Baron put the presentation. I think based on the input that we got that there probably could be an understanding between those two groups between the uh the museum and the amateur radio club. Um I also have concerns even on a sole use case for some of the for the other groups that were presented because I believe the opportunity for growth is larger than the carne Carnegie building could sustain. Um and so I would like to see those organizations continue to be supported. But I don't think the Carnegie building is the right location for them based on purely the volume of activity. Um uh I think also based on um how the museum organization decided that they could rotate things in or out that could adapt to the space as needed since they're still looking to come up with a part of their plan is to come up with a plan uh to best determine the space and uh didn't seem that there were very dedicated plans for use of the basement. I think the two could work together. I also think as organizations um as the amateur radio club put it together ham is part of preserving uh the history of the community and helping us to preserve our history as we move forward. So that's the direction I would like to lean into. Um I do think there's probably some work to see what could be done. So I think some level of additional city conversation or multi-organization conversation needs to take place to make that happen. I agree with what everybody has said so far, but I also I also see room for an arts center. Um, Mr. Meyers with the historical society himself said that that upstairs space may be flexible enough to allow for a small performing

area or a small crafts area or something like that. Um, and I think one of the things that this community needs is more opportunities to appreciate the arts. So, I would love to see a way we could combine at least the three groups, the amateur radio club, who wants the basement, and none no other groups seem interested in the basement. And I think if the historical society and an arts center could sort of share that top area, and we keep that top area flexible for public meetings, I don't see why all three groups couldn't coexist. about after hearing what what what what's been said that I do go ahead and get the groups together to see what kind of collaboration could could be created. Also, um recently um and I think Mr. Myers kind of mentioned it tonight, the a formation of some kind of a of public private group that would oversee kind of arts and culture type activities like this. See see what that looks like in other places. Um and then uh maybe in maybe after maybe the second meeting in June or something like that, we come back having had some conversations, some additional information. You guys have had a chance to think on your your ideas and then we have another conversation with hopefully kind of gaining some direction um at that point. Does that sound workable? All right. Thank you. That's it.

where that particular item is.

All right, I'm going to call the uh Monday, May 11th edition of the Hermiston City Council and Urban Renewal Agency to order with a declaration of a a quorum. All members present. Uh would you everybody please rise and join me in the flag salute. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. Hey, so as I was uh kind of reminded in the last session that we had with the uh with the work session, um if you have not done so already, please at this time place your phones on silent or vibrate or otherwise so I can't hear them. Otherwise, you will be called out of order and I will glarish you harshly among other things. Okay. Um, do we have any changes to the agenda, Mr. Smith? Okay. First, we're going to start off with a proclamation um of the for uh National Police Week. Um, most people know there something that's near and dear to my heart. I've I and Council Roberts have been in law enforcement and for for some time and in this area and so uh the recognition of the work that that those that are serving our are citizens of both the city and the in the region uh needs to be recognized and as such I'm going to read the proclamation out out and this is a proclamation for National Police Week May 11 through 17 2026 to recognize National Police Week 2026 and to honor those serve currently serving, those retired from service and the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty while protecting our community and safeguarding our democracy. Whereas, there are approximately 900,000 law enforcement officers serving in communities across the United States, including the 38 sworn and nine nonsworn members of the Hermiston Police Department. Whereas on average 55,000 assaults against law enforcement officers are reported each year, resulting in 15,000

injuries. Whereas since the first recorded death in 1786, just over 25,000 law enforcement officers in the United States have made the ultimate sacrifice and have been killed in the line of duty, including one member of the Hermiston Police Department, Ronald G. Kilby. End of watch, Thursday, October 8th, 1959. And whereas the names of these dedicated public servants are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC. And the new Ronald G. Kilby training room at the Hermes Police Department has been dedicated to memorialize the importance of quality training to keep up with societal changes. whereas 111 new names of fallen heroes from 2025 will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Now, therefore, be it resolved, the city of Hermiston formally dedicates May 11th through 17th, 2026 as National Police Week and publicly salutes the service of law enforcement officers in our community and all communities across the nation. signed this 11th day of May 2026. Doug Primmer mayor and please excuse me while I sign this right now. Chief Edmonson, obviously pass on our best wishes and and our uh true respect for your a your officers and personnel. Okay. Uh we are at that port the first portion of our uh agenda that allows for

citizen input and this is for citizen input on non-aggenda items. So, um, if any of you folks are here for the, uh, public hearing in regards to Airport Road, that comes later. So, um, anyone wishing to bring anything before the council that is not on the agenda is asked, please do the following. One, limit your comments not more than 5 minutes. Two, state your name and place of residence. And three, direct your comments to me. Anyone wishing to bring anything forward? Seeing none, moving right along. Consent agenda. Consent agenda items A, B, C, and D. Are there any council questions in regards to the consent agenda items? Seeing none, any public comment in regards to the consent agenda? Seeing none, council comments. Are there any items we need to remove? Seeing none, can I get a motion to approve consent agenda items A through D?

So moved. Second. Then moved by Council McCarthy, seconded by Councelor Hayward. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Motion passes unanimously. No items removed. Now we're at public hearings. Public hearing regarding the rename of possible renaming of East Airport Road to East Veterans Avenue. Are there any def declaration of conflict of interest or ex exparte contact from the city council? Seeing none, hearing guidelines will now be presented by city staff. Mr. Smith,

the city council is holding a public hearing to rename East Airport Road to East Veterans Avenue. The city council will take public testimony on this issue and make a decision at this meeting. The hearing process will begin with a staff report followed by public testimony. The council requests that all people wishing to testify give their name and place of residence before testifying. People wishing to testify should limit testimony to not more than 5 minutes unless a longer period is provided by the city council. Written testimony will also be accepted. After everyone wishing to testify has had an opportunity to speak, the city council will close the public hearing and enter deliberations. Once the public hearing is closed, no further testimony will be received. Mr. Mayor, this hearing is now open. City staff will present its report. Mr. Spencer.

Tonight we have a fairly brief staff report, but the council is holding a hearing on potentially renaming East Airport Road to East Veterans Avenue. This hearing is being held at the direction of the city council after receiving a recommendation from the airport advisory committee back in February that there was some confusion between the two names. In accordance with uh Oregon state law, the city engineer has studied the matter and determined that there is two streets within 2,000 feet of each other that contain similar names and is recommending that the the name be changed. Uh prior to tonight's hearing, you have also received quite a bit of testimony from the last council meeting in opposition and in support. Those are all included in your staff report. We have additional testimony that was received in writing today that has also been provided to the council. And subject to the deliberations of whether or not the council feels that moving forward is appropriate, you will need to direct staff to either prepare an ordinance that would be adopted at the next meeting changing the name officially or to prepare a resolution which would maintain the current name. Once the issue is brought up, the council has to do one of those two things. Okay. Um so public testimony, people wishing to speak are asked to state their name and mailing address and limit testimony to five minutes. Um generally we do this just gonna

this is not yeah since it's not a kind of a land use decision it's just all of the okay testimony. So anybody wishing to ring anything please step up to the microphone at this time.

Gary call 1200 East airport. I found this. It was a certificate to my dad called welding service, new business. June 5th, 1973. I f ran into it in a drawer. I thought it was cool. I had my wife laminated and I thought I would share that. Let's see. We were there in 72. So that's 54 years ago. And I've never worked anywhere else. Um I was apprenticed through my dad through the school. They had a vocational program and and I've worked there ever since. So, I gave you guys all a letter um the other day that I wrote kind of a more of a passionate letter. And I'm kind of hoping I don't know what happened with the Carnegie Library in an earlier meeting, but I hope it went to historic type of a deal. I I'd love to see that. So, okay. I come up with five things that I because I'm the one I've always been up on that road and I've come up with five things that I think I'm going to read them. You guys have all gotten them, but I'll read it for the record and maybe elaborate a little bit. Okay. Number one, promote or encourage all residents and businesses to make sure their addresses are marked clearly on their mailboxes, house, and business. I have recently updated my two mailboxes and numbered my building in house. This is inexpensive, common sense, and would definitely help. So, I go down the road. Mailboxes are pathetic everywhere in town. I feel sorry for the mail lady. And I'm sure all the residents would work on their mailboxes. And over on Airport Way, I counted nine buildings, three of them labeled, hardly any signage at all on them. So, they

could work on that, too, over there. Okay. Number two, on the package problem, talk to the managers of UPS, FedEx, Amazon, who they're the worst offenders, by the way, and make them do their job. I hardly ever have a problem. If I have something that I have ordered that is very very important to me or my business, I make sure that I check the signature required box with these delivery companies or have the company that I'm buying the product from have a signature required upon delivery. This would not cost a dime. Makes sense. Just check the box. They bring the package. You have to sign it. Nothing gets lost. Amazon, they throw a package on the steps, take a picture, they're gone. uh that they're the ones I've had the biggest problem with between our rental and my business, but and you can hardly get through those people. And they said that they're uh updated their Google maps and stuff, but it never seems to help. So, Amazon, they're the worst ones. Okay, this one, you'll have to bear with me and then I'll explain a little more. Improve and slightly alter the two road signs. The sign going to the airport is 50 ft from the road. That's Airport Way. It's way off the road. Move it closer to the highway. I think that the word municipal should be slightly spaced above airport way. So it says airport way. If they put municipal, that does not mean they're changing the name of that road. But then people could see that it's an airport. Okay. This would take away doubt on what is at the end of the road. The sign on Airport Road could be improved. Also, Airport Road is at a 60deree angle to the highway. As Airport Road approaches a highway, it makes a 60° turn to the

left and approaches a highway perpendicular or 90° to the highway. Unfortunately though, the sign is set at a 45 degree angle to the highway and not 90°. This makes a sign easy to read going north coming from Stanfield, but difficult to read going south. The sign needs to be rotated counterclockwise 45 degrees. And I read where Mayor Pimemer on one of the very first meetings said to have a not excess sign on that post. I would say in yellow just like other towns have it. No airport access. Nobody's going to go down there looking for the airport. Now, I agree with uh Jeff and he because I read some of the minutes too and he said it's false advertising. Well, the problem is it says airport and they have a little tiny E and a little tiny RD. It just says airport. That's all you can see. You're going by there 50 miles an hour and you can't see it. So on that sign, if they could, and I don't know what the laws are, but if they could put east airport, then airport isn't the first word and maybe road below it or maybe a little RD or something. But if they could change that a little bit, when you pull up there, it comes up and the road turns and it and it hits that highway at a 90° and the sign is still cocked. And I was out in the middle of the road with the protractor figuring out the angles. Okay,

Mr. Cop, Unfortunately, your five minutes has expired. Five minutes are up. Could I have We don't do that here, ma'am. No. How about my wife? She can come up and she can come up and speak. You come up and then I she could stand with me and I could finish five minutes and I got to Well, I I understand that, sir. But, you know, we have we we do have we do have a man a mandate or rules that we have to follow. Just finish up. So, could I read these two? He has two left, four and five.

Okay. Okay. Al at EOTech would like his own road. The city could name the road from Airport Road to the event center EOTech Street or Drive. The road would be incorporated into Google Maps and the folks that are new to the area would let their cars or phones taken right to the event center. The city then would of course would have to pay for the event event center's address change. Okay, the last one. The airport itself needs a large freestanding sign. The Hermiston airport sign is very hard to see right now. It is diffused into the welcome to Hermanson sign. It is low to the ground. It's 4 foot high. We need a large sign reading Hermison Municipal Airport. And this would cost the city some money, but it's a win for everybody, including all the traffic going by. And then when people would know where the airport is, it's like it's almost like we're ashamed of that airport. It needs a big sign to advertise it. So, thanks a lot. Thank you. Next. Good evening. My name is Cruz Korea, but my business is on 1350 East Airport Road. I appreciate the work, just as I mentioned before. I appreciate the work and the time that you guys put in. Uh I've lived in the Hermiston for 50 years and uh in those 50 years I moved once and that was from 11th Street over to Highland area and after I moved I'd come home tired from work and stuff and it took me about two months to quit showing up at somebody else's apartment.

I hate change. Okay. I I get accustomed to something and I don't like to see it changed. And I think this change is it doesn't feel good to me. You know, I think I kind of agree with with uh with Gary. Signage is a problem to this whole deal. Doesn't matter which direction you're coming from. Um, you really can't tell where Airport Way is. If you're heading out of town, you've got to climb, you've got to climb the hill and there you see a sign that has a picture of a airplane with the arrow pointing that way. If you're coming from Stanfield heading into town, you cannot even see the airport way sign because one, you're distracted by that beautiful welcome to Hermiston sign, which I I think is just the best thing that they've done, you know, but it blocks the you can't see it. You can't see airport way. And once you even get close to it, that big telephone pole, that big power pole blocks the vision to that sign until you're right on it. And I think that's an accident waiting to happen. And I don't know who'd be liable for something like that, but I think like Gary was saying, I think um I've got some points here. And u I think it it wouldn't cost very much money. Um, what I've got is um, like I say, we deliver package. I'm in the transportation business. Hermiston is little streets compared to downtown LA. We can't afford to deliver a package to the wrong area. A lot of the times when

we do, it's because somebody along the way decided to change a name of of a of a road. So, it hasn't made it to Google yet, but yet we're we're looking at GPS's and stuff like that. Still looking for the old address and there's been a name change. So, I think that's going to throw confusion into the deal. I don't think that's going to eliminate part of the problem that you're facing. Um, airport airport sign is posted, like Gary said, is posted too far in from the road. It needs to be further out towards the road. a little bit bigger sign. And um I I believe I believe that that adding signage would be a better solution than the name change and the cost to the city would be minimal. Okay, I know you guys are whoever is proposing this is not worried about cost because it's not going to personally hit their pocketbook. But let me tell you, if you had a business out there, if you had a transportation business like me, you know, I've got invoices, I got bank accounts, I got different things, checking account, all these things, statements, invoices, bills of lighting that I got to have by law with physical address. My insurance company requires me to state a physical address where where equipment is is uh gared. All that is required by law. That's going to be a cost to me. I can see it into the thousands. I've got in my I've been there since 1996. I've got thousands and thousands of business associates that I deal with

throughout the United States and I got to get a hold of all of them, you know, and there's not only just city, county, state, there's federal agencies, you know, that I have to uh let them know that there's been a change. Unfortunately, your five minutes is up. These agencies, your five minutes is expired.

Can I just Nope. We need to We need to move. There's other people behind you. I'm sorry to say. I had some good points. I don't doubt it. Thank you. Craig Hansen, 255 airport. Uh, I kind of have a unique different a lot of different things going on. I have a lot of real estate contracts that uh I have an escrow company set up. They take late fees, all that stuff. That comes back to the address every month, how much they paid, when they paid. I have several of those. All those will individually have to be redone. All my deeds will have to be re-recorded. All my estate planning that I've done for everybody will have to be redone. I have no idea exactly how much all that will cost. um it affects me in a different way other than the basic way everyone's obviously it but uh if it does go through I need a certified letter of some kind because I just can't go down to the county recorder says hey I want to change the address I have to have a letter from you folks saying we've changed it this is what it is so I can take it and get all that uh re-recorded and my estate planning done and everything that I've worked on for about the last 10 years being a landlord and selling everything and carrying the contract. So, it affected me in a different way than probably a lot of other people. So, if it does go through, I need your backup with a letter as soon as you can get it to me. Thank you. Thanks, sir.

Hello, I'm Susan Jones. I live on John's Avenue in Herston, Oregon. And I'm going to finish reading that gentleman's statement for him and use my 5 minutes for that. I think the right thing to do is very simple. Move the current sign for airport way closer to the west from where it now stands on Highway 395. The move will allow people to see it from a distance. Two, add to the signs that have the airport and the arrow both the southbound and northbound signs. add Airport Way under the arrow. Three, once on Airport Way, there should be a sign informing the public on what businesses are on Airport Way. Four, businesses should all have addresses on buildings or mailboxes to eliminate further confusion. Once again, thank you for your time and your service.

Thank you. Hi, my name is Jody Oswald. I live at 1600 East Airport Road. For the last 28 years, the Oswald family have owned this home for 60 plus years. I've come to the council meeting to express my no vote for changing the name of Airport Road. I'd like to start by sharing some modern technology we all have used. Um, GPS, Map Quest. I have went to 22 different places and used Map Quest, Google Maps in Hermiston, Good Shepard, Dr. Larson, Dr. West, Walmart, Space Age, Pilot, um, two places in Stanfield, Hermiston High School, the Dallas, Portland, Tri Cities, Walaw Wala, Tollgate, Echo, Umatella, Lexington, Lrand, Pendleton Hospice, St. Anony's Wild Horse Walmart and um Boisee Idaho. Um I've done this twice for Airport Way, total of 44. Twice for EOTech, 22, total of 44. And I have always arrived at my destination without a problem. No wrong directions. And not once in the 28 years that I've been living at East Airport Road have I had anybody show up at my doorstep with luggage to catch their flight or um look for their gate numbers. I've heard it say about the Amazon deliveries. It has been an issue. I've always just taken them over and dropped them off on my way to work. No problems. But I had started um paying attention and when UPS or Amazon would come, I will go out and eat them. I would tell them it wasn't my address. They would

always say, "Well, this is where the PIN sent me." And I'm like, "This is not where it's supposed to go." And they said, "Oh, we'll move the PIN." I have not received any packages for the airport in the last three to four months. I did receive one through UPS through my mailbox from the post office which I just ran over. But I also want to point out that packages being at different places just isn't in our neighborhood. You can go on Facebook daily and see where people are looking for their packages. So I don't see where changing the name is really going to help anything. And then another issue was um stated last time that horse trailers were going into the airport. Once again, GPS will take you. I'm interested to see when the last time that happened because if you guys are judging on when the first fair first moved out there, it was it was a mess. And I think you guys can all agree, the traffic was a mess. And they finally kind of got it straightened out. Um, I'm still right in the middle of it because I can't leave my house due to the fair traffic going this way and of course the exit keeps me from going that way. So, I have to leave my house before 5 to go to work and um not plan on making it home very easily. Um, if the name does change, I would suggest that maybe the city will pay for the businesses that have to go through and change all their invoices and all their billings and everything that they have to do for their business that the city should pay for that because it's not our fault that you guys are choosing to do this. Um, and I can't even I've I've sat and tried to write out anything and everything that needed to be changed.

And it's just a the list is just growing to growing. It's not just my stuff. My name is on my mom's stuff. And I just there's no end to it. It just every time you think of one thing, you think of another and it's like, oh, then then I'll have to do this and I'll have to let them know and I'll have to change that and my mortgage. And my name is on my mom's stuff. So, not only would I have to change what's coming into my house, but I would have to go through what my name is on her stuff to get it changed also. And it's just going to be a headache. So, because of all this, I'm asking that um you vote to leave airport road named Airport Road. Thank you.

Thank you, Jody. Next. Welcome.

My name is Ralph Larvik. I'm the airport manager, 1600 airport way. I've been asked to come talk about some of the concerns and considerations that the airport advisory board had in terms of bringing this up. I have to start with um several years ago, we didn't have a lot of issues of packages coming to the wrong place or people coming to the wrong place. as the the city has expanded so much, we're getting people that aren't from here. Um, somebody earlier talked about Amazon. Those deliveries that are usually wrong are from people delivering from the Tri Cities. They don't know the area. They come, they deliver to the wrong place. Uh, I have to say that the people on Airport Road and the people at the airport have done, I think, a great job of just trying to get packages back and forth. That's not the big issue. trying to do that. But it's a sign that people get confused and I think it's a sign that as this community grows, we get more and more people coming from out of the area into the area. The two roads, if you're on the 395, I think it's 55 miles an hour out there. Most people don't see little signs. They're looking for something that gets them to an unfamiliar place. To give you an example, we had six planes come in today that brought people from out of the area to do business here or construction here. Half of them were met by people who came here. So we we see more and more people using the airport because it's becoming a regional airport. Um so as more people come, then there can be more confusion. And when we just have airport road versus airport way, um, think about what times you might go to a unfamiliar place. I just happened to look quickly. Um, if you go to Portland airport, it's on airport way, Boeing

Field Airport Way, SeaTac, Airport Expressway, Spokane Airport Drive, Moses Lake Airport Road. people are driving. If this is the first time they've been there, whether they're coming to the airport or maybe as the event center grows, we have sporting events, we have conventions, we have the rodeo coming, we have people come in. We've had each year there's been any sizable event, we'll have people drive into airport way, come to the end of the road where the terminal is, look around trying to figure out where the facility is, end up turning around and going back. So the point is that people are becoming confused and we're getting more people coming into the community for the first time or as visitors. They're coming in because of business opportunities. They're coming in for to meet people or to travel. And then we just don't want there to potentially be problems if there's a if there's some unfortunate event at one place or the other. We want to make sure that the emergency vehicles go to the right place quickly without any hesitation. And so I we agree in terms of what much has been said this morning. It's confusing. And I whether science could fix it. We would be concerned that if somebody's going 50 55 miles an hour in a strange place coming in and they see airport whether it's road or way, it's airport and they're going to turn that way and go into there which is just going to lead to more confusion.

Thanks. Thank you. Any other public comment?

Okay.

Hi, my name is Sheri Britt and I live at 1850 East Airport Road. Um, I understand the city's concerns regarding public safety and the potential confusion between Airport Road and Airport Way. Public safety is important to all of us and I appreciate the work our emergency responders do for this community. However, my family has lived on Airport Road for nearly 20 years and during this time we have experienced um a real emergency. We did have a fire at our home and the emergency responders arrived very quickly with no confusion. Um, I know several of our neighbors have had ambulances there and we've never had any problem with responders, first responders making their way to our properties. Um, because of that, I believe it's important to ask whether there's documentation and evidence showing repeated emergency response issues significant enough to justify changing a long established road. A road name change may sound simple, but for the residents and business owners affected, it creates a major financial and administrative burden. Residents would be required to update driver's license, vehicle registrations, insurance policy, bank statements, checkbooks, utility accounts, billing information, and countless personal records. For those of us who own businesses, the impact is even greater. business licenses, tax records, insurance invoices, payroll information, advertising, websites, customer records, contractor registrations, and shipping information would all need to be updated at our own expense. Many of us have built our homes and businesses and lives around this address for decades with without significant issue. I respectfully ask the council to

carefully consider whether the benefits of this change truly outweighs the cost, disruption, and burden it would place on the residents and businesses directly affected. Several of us, you know, we've had to go through a lot of changes with EOTech coming over there. Now, the 180 RV space is coming in, a lot more traffic, and you know, this road has had to tolerate a lot happening. And I do I do believe over off of East Highland there's Ninth Place, there's Ninth Street, Ninth I think it's Ninth Place and Ninth Street. They're right together. They're closer than what Airport Way and Airport Road are. But I just ask that you guys consider the expense that that will be on all the residents on that road. Thank you.

Thanks, Shar. Order. Order, please. Next, Bryce Woody, 1580 East Airport Road. I agree with all of my neighbors. Uh, it would definitely be an expense to us all. Um, I get packages all the time. They are on my doorstep. They're addressed to me. I've only once ever gotten somebody else's package, and that's because it was 1850 and I'm 1580, and the guy must have been dyslexic or something. Um, but the expense to have to change everything is just outrageous. I want to keep it at Airport Road. I've lived there for 24 years, same place on 140 yards off the road and nobody's ever had a problem finding me. So, let's keep Airport Road Airport Road. Thank you. Thank you. Others My name is Robin Lamaro. I live at 1890 East Airport Road, Hermiston. I agree with all my neighbors and the only suggestion I have is uh maybe making the airport sign bigger, brighter, maybe with lights uh to let people know coming from direction that the area is an airport that direction. had no uh packages other than my neighbors, the Brits, but we get the same kind of stuff. So, I've been tempted to keep it, but I usually run it over back over to them. Uh, and that's the only uh address mixup. I've been there for uh almost 50 years. Um, and I agree with everybody. So to make it simpler and less

expensive, I think that putting a sign by the airport would be better for everyone. Thank you. Thank you. Any others? Um this will just take a few seconds. I wanted to apologize for any any uh sudden outbursts. I've developed health problems including Tourette's. I would like to come to these meetings. If uh any of you have trouble with this, uh please approach me. I've voted for each one of you in one election or another. So, um yeah, like I said, if I'm a disruption, please let me know. Thank you.

Others, my name is Karen Jones. I live on West Highland Avenue in Hermiston. Um I'm here to support the residents and business owners on Airport Road. I think that it's going to place an unfair and unreasonable financial burden on those individuals. And if you do move forward with the name change, then I think the city needs to assume all financial costs that will be incurred for all of those residences and businesses, which individually could easily be in several thousand per person. These are expenses that they would not that they would not have if there wasn't a name change. And another thing that I noticed in the in the um reports that I also believe if you move forward then the city needs to assume the responsibility for notifying all the GPS all of mapqu quest Google maps there's a process that communities can follow to do this and I know it's very time consuming and it can be very involved because it's going to be very difficult for people to locate using outd updated Google and Map Quest and all of that. So the city also needs to assume responsibility for that once agree I do once again I do want to say that I agree with the concerns that they have raised. Also I've driven back and forth looking at the signs multiple times in the last few days. Um, I went out again today and looked at it and I agree that the welcome to Hermiston sign is really lovely, but I do believe the airport needs to have their own sign that is very clear with bigger letters

so that there's no confusion. I also think the Eotech sign needs to be bigger and better also um because it's only going to get worse for the people on that road as the um development goes in. And so I just think it would be an easier solution to change the signs. So anyway, wanted to thank you for that and to encourage you all to vote no on the name change. Thank you. others.

Kylen and I live at 1070 in Herston. Um I'm actually a parent for the Head Start that's you up there and I drove by there just trying to go pick up my child. Um I do agree with the residents that live there. Uh, the sign should be moved to the front closer to the road because my 70 yearear-old stepfather also goes and picks up my child and he has a very hard time finding it because we have to drive and then again that 90 degree turn. Um, we actually drove by it several times before we found it. Thank you. My name is Mark Wei. I live on 1890 Airport Road. And seeing that I don't know any of you guys living on Airport Road, it wouldn't cost you a thing to change that road. Since this meeting is about you guys changing the name of our road, I have a resolution. Why don't you change the name of the Hermiston Airport Road and make it Hermiston Airport? That'd be easier. Thank you sir. Others I'm Dan Coffee, 1810 East Airport Road. I've been there 22 years. My wife has been there 50 years. So she doesn't want to move. Uh, I know that they sold the place across the street and that and so I live right across from the fairgrounds. So, we do get a lot of traffic and that I'm retired. But the thing about it is I finally got the ambulance trained to come to my house. I've had four heart

attacks. Next one's supposed to kill me. So, I want to keep it airport road and that it's just a safety thing. Two, it's going to cost me a lot to go through the VA, get everything changed. I get my medicine from uh Colorado and I can't see putting it in somebody else's mailbox. I've had that happen several times. I get sometimes I get the neighbor's mail, but I just go and put it or knock on their door and give it to them. It's no big thing. But the safety of it and the cost is going to cost me quite a bit to do it. I I put a brand new mailbox up and everything else and it's got big numbers on it. So, I I can get my mail and I wish it would keep it what it is. I I I I'm not great for changes and probably you guys are the same. You know, you don't want to be changed and that. Thank you for your time and I hope you keep airport one. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Others? Nobody else?

Okay. Uh at this time, the hearing is closed. Council discussion. Council Hayward. I by listening to the citizens, I think we should keep the road the same way and say no, but that's where my opinion is. Okay, Council Brown.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you for everyone that testified today and a couple weeks ago, actually. uh we have a full room and that means everybody really cares about this issue which I think is a great thing. I did have a chance to actually read uh Mr. Culp's letter. So Mr. Culp, thank you very much. Um there was actually a couple of paragraphs that I really aligned with very dearly. Um in the letter Mr. Culp talks about at sunset when they finally tore it down there's a couple of trees that were there and uh those trees had been there for years and unfortunately they did get have to get cut down and so things like that kind of changed the character of a neighborhood of a community and I feel that because I I grew up in Weezer Idaho and so it's a small town about 5,000 5,000 people um and lately there's been some changes there too. They've had some of the growth because of the Treasure Valley, the Boyisey area. There's a lot of people moving in there from and so a lot of that growth naturally went over there to ID or to Weezer. And a couple of the things that they've been doing is in in their memorial park, we they knocked down a tree that I mean I played there ever since I was a kid. And so I I completely get when when things like this happen, it's it's not just the tree. It's it's the memories that kind of come with it. And it's it's not just the sign, it's it's the memories that come with the road being named with what it was. And so I I I completely get that. And and seeing things change, uh it's it's not easy. Um even uh when you write about Arman Larve, I mean, that's a school I currently work at right now. And I've always had questions on who Arman Larve is, and I didn't even know how to say the the name when I moved into town. But the more I got to to know the history, the more I I began to appreciate it a little bit more. Um,

you know, I I think this is a really hard decision. And this conversation came to us because uh we had a committee on the airport committee that made the recommendation to come to the council and uh they've been discussing it for a while and um we this discussion also happened on the county level and so you can see from both the county agency and the city uh administration there there there are concerns and I think everybody kind of acknowledges the concerns and I I appreciate that a lot of the people that came here and spoke didn't just come to just to say no. They they came with some solutions and I think that's that's fantastic and I think that says a lot about the people that have contributed. Um honestly I I would like there to be a really common common ground resolution. I I think Veterans Avenue sound is great and I think that there is a lot of change that's happening and change takes some time to be able to to take in and so honestly I would be more in favor if the community you the community came up with the name that was suitable or that you thought really reflected the character of the neighborhood. I'm sure people are going to say airport road or airport which is which is fine. That's what it's been. Um but if if if you the community have a name that you guys can come together with and propose, I I think that would be even better because then you would have personal buyin in the road that's yours. Um, but that being said, I do think it is important for there to be a distinction. And when you're driving 55 miles an hour, even if it's the roads are they're a couple hundred thousand feet apart,

but when you're going that fast, it's really hard. When I moved to Hermison, I drove back and forth past the fair a couple of times because I always would miss the road. I still miss the road to this day. Um, but I think um it's important for there to be a distinction and much like the trees of sunset or the trees over there in Weezer Memorial Park, it was there was a huge community discussion. Everybody piled in the city council meeting uh and for people to say it was just a tree, but it's not just a tree. It it meant a lot. And I think the city, the city of Weezer to their to their credit did a lot to try to talk to the community uh to try to get a good outcome. And I do lament the fact that I, you know, I've had a lot of correspondence from many of you and I haven't had that personal conversation with some of you uh about this uh issue. And so I think there does need to be connection not just you guys talk to us here on the dis and you know I we don't know each other as well. I I I don't know very many of you and I'm sure a lot of you can say the same thing about me. Um but uh I guess my thoughts with this is I I think it is necessary and I think we should come to a common understanding whatever that might be. Um so that that's where I'm at right now. um I know might not be the answer that everybody wants to hear. Um I think change is necessary whether that happens in tonight's council meeting or at another time. Uh that that that might be up for the whole council and for us to decide. But I I do think hearing the concerns of where it came from our committee and from the county and knowing that there are,

you know, issues, I I think we we should resolve them and I am grateful that you guys sent us a lot of these suggestions and uh forwarded them to the city manager as well and seeing if there's anything that maybe there is some feasibility to this, but and maybe there's not either. And so, um, that being said, I I really appreciate everyone's testimony. Um, I really appreciate the history that's said in this letter. Um, we did have a a conversation earlier in our work session and the council seemed to uh want to gravitate a little bit more to preserving history along with including other other parties for the Carnegie building. But I think history is absolutely important. We don't have a a museum and we need to be able to tell our history because the more and more people move here, uh, the more that I think we need to cement an identity of who we are. And we do that by telling our history. And so that's that's what I have to say, council. And that's those are my thoughts about the matter. Uh, I would welcome if we continue this um or if not, but I'd still welcome a conversation with anybody that's willing to have a conversation with me about this matter. Thank you.

Smart. For my part, I don't see a lot of merit to doing this. I don't see a lot of benefit to doing this. I see a lot of upheaval to doing this. I think that very possibly this could be remedied with adjusting the signs so that you know and I don't believe it's 55 miles an hour out there anyway isn't it 45 or something like that whatever happens what well not you

care okay let's keep on track guys let's keep contract.

But I see a lot of expense involved in this and a lot of upheaval for a lot of people who have expressed their desires not to have this changed. And if I could see a lot of benefit to it, then possibly. But I just don't. I'm sorry. So my vote would be no. Council Linton. Thank you to everyone. Mike on uh for coming out and voicing your opinion. Um I did hear you. I heard what you said. I heard about the hardships that it could bring about the um that the impact would not be good um and about the signage. And there were 35 people that signed a petition saying no that live on their on that road. and have homes there, businesses there. And I agree with the with what you're saying, not to change the name, that we should probably look at bringing the signs closer. And I drove out there today. I've been up and down that road many, many a times. And uh a lot of times you don't see it. And the welcome sign is beautiful. I would like to see the part where the airport is on the very it's on the very bottom and it's small. All the other writing is really big and I would like to see a sign on both sides of the street just with the airport on there saying uh like one suggestion was Hermiston Municipal Airport and an arrow going that direction. I think it would solve the problem of uh where people would be able to easily see it and and uh thank and I also want to just thank you for your your testimony and my vote would also be no.

Um just um just to be clear um I don't the the full agenda packet is available to the public and um and then we always of course get it and there are a number of options in front of the council and I just want to make it clear in case anybody has not had a chance to read the packet that the city staff doesn't actually have a recommendation on this particular matter. they're just presenting the option um at from the discussions that we've had in the past. So, I just want to make sure that that's out there. Um so, that'll be up to the council to direct staff in whichever direction we decide to go in. Um that being said, I do have some questions for city staff if it's appropriate to ask them at this time. Um some suggestions from uh the public were made in terms of visibility uh and moving things closer or farther away from the road or bigger or smaller. Uh, do we know offhand whether any of those um ODOT would give a flat no to? Um, because I know there are some rules based on signage for what's in city control. We would have to ask them what they would allow or not allow. It's all their road. They govern the signs along it.

Okay. Thank you, Dr. I just want to say that um I appreciate all of the folks that come to the meeting. I think a lot of the times it takes a lot of courage to come. It takes your time away from what you normally would be doing at this time. Not to mention that public speaking is not an easy task for many of us. So, I applaud you for coming and voicing your concerns and um transmitting your passion about this particular topic. I know that for many of you, it has taken you out of your comfort zone to be able to speak in front of us. So, I just want to acknowledge that. I also want to thank um those that wrote u a testimony. We read them. We got your email, Mr. Culp, and we have your letter on hand. also the folks that signed the petition and looking at the information that we were given, we know that the county also rejected the idea some years back. Um, and I also appreciate the airport committee bringing the suggestion to the city council, but since since this was not a task that we asked them to look into and just hearing uh the time the cost, I don't think I would be in favor of the name change. Um, some of you mentioned specifically the gentleman that talked about his four four heart attacks. Um, and the change to the VA benefits that really struck a chord to me. Uh, I certainly don't want, you know, essential services not coming to you,

especially when um the first responders have been trained to make make it to your uh to your home. And there could be others as well that probably didn't come tonight, but I just want to say that um we hear you. We appreciate the time that you took to come here. And so for me right now, my vote would be to not change the name. Uh what I would like to maybe take for the city to take into consideration is um visiting with ODOT to see about possible um enlargement of signs so that people are able to see it clearly, have it more visible so that people can make it to the right location whether it's a delivery or someone getting a service. Thank you, Council Roberts. I have a couple questions if I may. Please.

Um, are we are we able as a city to pay the expenses? I mean, is that doable if we decide to to do that? I mean, I know it's hard because you don't have a hard amount, but it just as a as a concept, is that something we could explore? It's definitely possible. I think you would want to put some kind of parameters or something around it, but it's not impossible. Okay.

I have to say this is probably one of the the hardest decisions that I think I've faced up here on the council. You wouldn't think that a road name change would be a big deal, but it it has and and it's turned out to be very uh difficult. Uh, for me personally, I have sat up here and railed against unfunded mandates and I don't like them and yet I'm considering passing a change that would pass cost along to the constituents. And so that weighs on me quite heavily. Um, and so if there's a way that we could help with that, I think I would be in favor of that. That being said, um, one of the suggestions was to change airport way and that also has its own implications for the airport uh, in particular because all of their FAA documents specific to that address and that's probably as difficult, if not maybe more difficult for them to change than it is for for you guys. And so, um, you know, is it an option? Yes. But it also, like I said, has some challenges. So, as I'm weighing the pros and cons, I have to look at the other side as well. Um, to me, this is more than just about packages. it is about um the public safety concept is there as well because I was talking to one of our dispatchers who said that when they take a call and it's airport road they have to basically confirm through landmarks because people just see airport and they go it's at the airport road and they have to really confirm which one it is so they can get people to the right spot. So it's not even always just about uh a wrong response after they're dispatched. it's having to to take take care of that on the front end. And so removing that confusion I think is is a benefit. Um I guess where where my mind is at right now is that this was um this started really back in 1992 I think when they

did away with the rural route system and the county adopted that road officially is airport road. It could have been changed back then and it would have been no impact other than just well that's always been airport road and I don't want to change it. I don't like change, but but the costs were already going to be incurred. Um that didn't happen. Then it it came up here again uh several years ago and the problems have increased since then. And now we're looking at it now and the problems have increased again. I guess I'm looking to the future um 10 years from now, 15 years from now when Airport Way is going to have more businesses on it and Airport Road is going to have more houses and potentially hotels or whatever else wants to crop up there, we're going to be looking at a at a potentially a change again and it's going to be more constituents that are impacted and it's going to be more expensive. And so I guess my thought is for for planning for the future. Um I I I think I'm leaning in favor of the change. Uh not because I didn't hear the residents. I respect that. But uh but I think it's just going to compound over time and if we can mitigate it now, it's it's going to be easier in the long run to make the adjustment. Um, but I would like to explore whether or not we can help with some costs if that is something that we can do.

Also, yeah, thank you very much. I um have a question, one of Mr. Culp's suggestions was that perhaps we could rename the driveway at Eotech to EOTech Drive. Is that feasible? Well, it's not currently a public road. It doesn't have a name. We can call it whatever we would like as a city. Keelso way perhaps. If you can get some more votes up there for that, I think we can do that.

Just thought I'd put that out there just in case. Um, all right. Well, I I personally hate the fact that that road is called Airport Road. I wish I could get in my Delorean and go back in time and talk to whoever named that road and say, "Look, if you're going to make a lie of the road name, why don't you call it Disneyland Road?" So, at least we could put lawn chairs out and watch the faces of crest fallen children as they sped past it. Um, I Wow, that's dark.

Well, some of us get entertained in other ways, Mr. Mayor. Um, having said that, uh, in my brief time in the C on the council, I've not seen such a public passionate turnout as the one here tonight. And if I put myself in your position, I think to myself as a resident, could I cope with a change of my address? Yes. In fact, I think I've done that in the past. It is a pain. It does take time. I don't recall it costing a ton of money, but I'm sure there would be some cash involved. Um, but when I think of the businessmen, I think they have a higher a bit more of a lift. And one of my principles of life is that when I am minding my own business, living in my home, I just kind of don't want to be messed with by government, right? Yeah. Me too. And so, um, I think if there was a huge and and immediate and obvious benefit to changing the name, other than a marketing disa disaster, which I think it still is a marketing disaster, I would be all in favor of changing the name. But having seen the public outcry here and uh seen the support for keeping the name Airport Road, I think I'm a no vote on this. Thank you.

Order, please. Any others? You can ask a question.

Um would by maybe with with the question that you asked Mr. Roberts about the possibility of perhaps the city absorbing the cost. I think that would be a tough thing setting like a precedence for future changes. Um, not to mention that knowing where budgets might be. I think that's a a tricky thing that I that just kind of crossed my mind. Um but like you said um I think it's tough when possible changes that we or decisions that we make can be passed on the cost can be passed on to the to the members. So I just wanted to say that that we have to be mindful of that in the future too. Any others? My turn. I know in the Portland area sometimes they put I think like an honorary name on a street. So the street has a legal name has like a veterans memorial highway on top of it. Is that something that could be done in this case?

Sure. Yes. I wouldn't highly recommend it. Just causes more confusion. Wouldn't Wouldn't that have to go through the state? No. No. Okay. It's ours. All right. My turn. Your turn.

Cool. All right. So, you know, I understand that uh airport way and airport road can cause some inconvenience. But when it comes to, you know, when you when you stop and you think about it, you know, the city, you know, they we talk about how you have airport road and airport way are within a short distance of one another. I live on 10th place, which is just down the street from 10th Street. I don't need any help from the audience, folks. Okay. We also have northwest, southwest, northeast, southeast versions of all the numbered streets which also can cause problems. We aren't going to I don't see us rushing out to name those rename those either under under those circumstances. Um but the big thing for me is is that you know and and councelor Roberts touched on it was is that you know this is basically for all intents and purposes an unfunded band-aid. This is us telling the citizens, oh, we don't we think what we what we think is better than than what you know what you want. And I don't I don't like that personally. Um but the thing to remember is that this is not that that the it's not about the name change per se that you know is as as part of their this discussion was it's not about you know what problems the name or you know the the actual name itself what the name itself is. It's about the problem caused by the change by by making a change, how it affects the residents that live on Airport Road. And we don't have a whole lot of people that live on Airport Way, but we do have a bunch of people and a bunch of businesses on Airport Road. And every single one of those folks, for all

intents and purposes, on paper, would be required to move. And that's what we're that's essentially what we're doing is we're making everybody that lives on Airport Road move. And all you know and me personally, I hate moving. And it's not about putting stuff in boxes. It's all the stuff that goes along with moving. And so, you know, I I don't I don't like I don't like this. I don't like us doing this. I mean, I understand that there's, you know, there's a there's a there's a there's an inconvenience for some folks on Airport Way, but there's a it's more it's more it's not an inconvenience really for the folks on on Airport Road. It's a life change. And I and I don't I don't feel like I really don't feel like we should do that to those folks. So, so with that, okay, so we have one of two motions to enter. We can either prepare an or uh an have the staff prepare an ordinance for adoption on May 26, changing the name to East Airport Road to East Veterans Avenue, or B, prepare a resolution for adoption on May 26, retaining East Airport Road name. I'll take a motion for either one.

I would make a motion resolution. Motion for the resolution to to remain the same. Yes. To retain the You're making that motion? I am. Okay. Second. Okay. Okay. Uh motion to prepare a resolution for adoption retaining East Airport Road name. Roll call. Yes. Keeping it the same. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. There you go, folks.

Thank you, Mr. City Manager. You have your uh doesn't have to do anything. You have your your your deal for we need a resolution for adoption. All right. Moving forward. Ordinances and resolutions. Ordinance number 2382 amending chapter 51 for sewer. Mr. Tvy will now read the ordinance by title only attorney.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Ordinance number 2382, an ordinance amending chapter 51 of the Hermiston Municipal Code entitled sewers establishing an industrial pre-treatment program. Mr. Mayor. All right. Do we have any council questions on uh ordinance number 2382? Um seeing do you um I gave I gave the questions to um Mr. Smith and he said that he was going to address the question. Okay. Uh questions on on this, right? Uh yeah. Are you ready for the staff report? Uh well, it wasn't in my script. So, yes, I'm ready for the staff report.

That That's where you're supposed to ask me uh on your script. I'm sorry. I I I I neglected to put that in my in my deal to to remember to ask that. So, Mr. Morgan's going to walk us through this ordinance and then if your questions aren't addressed, we'll address them specifically after Mr. Morgan's report. We have them here. Well, I have to admit I'm disappointed. I thought everyone was here to hear about the sewer ordinance, but anyway, they are still out in the lobby, so maybe they're listening.

Okay, that's true. Yeah, they're going to come back. Um, okay. So, uh, we actually spoke about this, uh, ordinance, uh, at one of our previous meetings. Um, so I won't bore you with too much of the the rest of the background. Uh, but just, uh, for the general, uh, public, you know, the city has a strong public interest in protecting our sewer system from discharges, which can harm the system, infrastructure, treatment works, or staff, as well as those which place an overly large cost on the system uh, to clean to a point where the city's ultimate discharge remains within its own permit limits uh, with state and federal regulators. Uh so the city has uh long had an extensive code which regulates a lot of the different types of uses uh that can discharge to the sewer system. That's typically just simply been by simply not allowing those discharges. Uh however, due to the increasingly diverse and complex local economy, Hermiston's reached a point where it's actually beneficial to add an industrial pre-treatment program or an IP. An IP still protects the city's sewer systems uh as well as a ban on certain discharges. Uh but it does so in a way that still allows for local economic growth uh by regulating rather than just simply banning some of these discharges. Specifically, an IP program requires certain discharges to get permitted uh with the city through the IP process uh which will require those types of discharges to implement various pre-treatment processes. A pre-treatment process is exactly what it sounds like. It's a requirement that in order for industrial sewer users to discharge to our system, they have to engage in some type of treatment on their own property prior to that discharge coming to the city sewer collection system. Uh that pre-treatment would be intended to mitigate whatever the specific contaminant of concern is prior to entering the city's system to the point that the discharge is within an acceptable range uh when it enters the the public system. So uh that is an IP program uh in a nutshell. Uh

additionally uh since we were making some changes to the uh uh sewer section of the code uh what appears to be quite a a lot of changes but a lot of those are just simply restating and and moving things around. Uh while we were doing that we took the opportunity to address our fats, oils, and greases section of the code. Uh you'll remember last spring uh we implemented a fats, oils, and greases program uh in order to regulate uh those discharges to the sewer system. Uh and you'll remember at the time uh council uh requested that we uh take give folks a grace period essentially. So we've had upwards of a year now for a lot of folks to come into compliance uh with that fats, oils, and greases program. And we're now getting to the the point where, you know, there needs to be some uh level of enforcement uh to encourage folks to come into compliance. And so, uh, the changes in the fog section are really mostly just to clarify, uh, how any fines or or fees, uh, would take place in the fog program. So, uh, that is the entirety of the proposal and I'd now stand for any questions.

Questions here, we'll we'll go through, uh, councelor Lyn, I appreciate her, um, sending those ahead of time and we can, uh, address those. So, first on section 51.061, 061. Her question, can you give me an example of the size of the company that can be charged these fees? And so actually uh 51.061 just establishes that the city may adopt fees. Right now uh we don't have that proposal before you. That will we anticipate coming with a fee schedule um change that would that would apply. Um, but right now there are no fees in the ordinance. Then 51.185 and 138, they look like they're the same. Well, they are. They uh set up fines for the two separate programs that Mark mentioned, uh, both the industrial pre-treatment program and the fats, oils, and greases program. So it basically just establishes that we can have fines for both of those if they if people or companies violate them. Then uh 51.185, what type of business would violate this section? And these sections and would it apply to individuals? These fines only apply to businesses that are included in either of the two programs, the industrial pre-treatment or the fats, oils, and greases. So any any business that um comes under those the next uh $10,000 is uh is this going to be assessed to large companies? Would it be more fair to do a flat interest rate or something like this? Um, basically these all are applied only uh on a case-byase basis and uh that that

$10,000 sets a ceiling and not a floor. So that would allow our people to work with companies and and uh and then charge a fine as is necessary. And who is the control authority? The control authority is the city. And then uh 51.131 paragraph E. What amount of time is considered unreasonable delay? Again, that would be uh case by case basis depending on the violation and what what the circumstances are. And then uh related to criminal prosecution, why not a felony? I think we're allowed to Well,

you want to go ahead and give them the legal ease? Well, perhaps not legal ease, but as we this was prepared, uh, and as just went through the process, uh, I think we just came to the to the point of keeping it as an a misdemeanor, which is the the highest misdemeanor, uh, which has the fine that's $6,250 or up to a year in jail. And along with that then in that section how it describes it um I think in putting it together um the it kind of modeled over other codes. Uh some other codes actually have lesser fines there. And so that's where we see where it where we got uh we actually just went to a misdemeanor across the board where others had a lesser uh down around a B misdemeanor. And then uh councelor Linton pointed out that C and D are similar. So if you you get a violation, the second violation, it it says goes on to say that it would still be an A misdemeanor. And we've stayed with that and would follow along with any council guidance.

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah. I wanted to say my thought process on that of of a felony. it was um say for instance a company did it four times, five times up to 10 times and it's still a misdemeanor. Uh I was looking at a felony so that would uh give them more of a thought of well maybe we shouldn't do this because now it goes from a misdemeanor to a felony. So that was my thought process of if they just kept doing it over and over and over. Thank you. Okay. other council questions. Okay, seeing none public comment. Any public comment on this?

Amen. Ela 1070 Southwest 10th Street. I just have a question. Um did was this um since the IPS do go with environmental health as well since you're talking about sewers, was the environmental health director um talked to or and um asked about what the environmental health environment would be with the piece. Yeah, feel comfortable on that one.

So, the the vast majority of this code section uh was actually uh developed uh by our engineering firm with Anderson Perry and they do a lot of this work with all of the other um communities in the region uh and the bulk of this work uh or the most of the length of time is that it was submitted up through the uh Oregon DEEQ and so they've spent the past seven or eight months reviewing it. So, um, so DEEQ, uh, really is involved with reviewing this. So, we didn't coordinate directly with the county environmental health, but we coordinated with state DEQ. Thank you.

Any other public comment? Seeing none, council comments? Seeing none. Okay. All right. So we have once again or we have one choice at this moment in time. Can we get a motion to adopt uh ordinance number 2382 and become effective 30 days after adoption by city council? Motion to adopt. Second. Then moved by councelor Hayward is seconded by councelor McCarthy. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Motion passes unanimously. Okay, no need for a second. All right. Uh, resolution 2422, Northwest Second and Dogwood Construction Award. Mr. Smith and Mr. Morgan.

Yes, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Uh, you all sat through uh many hours of meetings last year on uh this project. Uh for the members of the public, we're talking about uh paving um the currently gravel portions of Northwest Second Street and uh West Dogwood Avenue, generally behind Pizza Hut, Starbucks area. Uh this is all being driven by the fact that ODOT's making some uh uh barriers for left turning traffic coming off of Elm Street in that vicinity. So, uh we're moving forward with that project. Uh and we've opened bids a couple weeks ago. We received uh really strong bids. We're seeing really good bids coming in uh lately. So, uh we received I believe six or seven bids. Uh low bid was Bolan Construction that came in about a third below the engineers's estimate for a total of $441,000 and we would recommend approval.

All right. Council questions. Council Linton. Um I have a question. And my question is um the Dogwood Street is that the entire street or is that just go um all the way down to the um business the uh can't think of the name of that that storage business? Is that full street that uh we would be paying for? It's Yeah, it's the uh all of the gravel portion of Dogwood. So currently Dogwood is paved up to I think is it spruce? Um, and so it would be picking up the paving from that point all the way to where it terminates into that business on Second Street. So, we'd be paying for the Dogwood portion.

Okay. So, the city will be paying for all of that. Yes. All right. Thank you, Roberts. Just want to clarify. Um, the title of this says resolution 2422 on the staff report, but then down at the bottom it says to approve 2420. We are doing 2422. Is that correct? Okay, thank you. We'll check the resolution here.

The document itself. The document itself says 2422. Yeah, we're good. Okay. Uh, any other council questions? Seeing none, public comment. Seeing none, council comments. Councelor McCarthy. I just think it's awesome that our uh estimates frequently are very uh high and we uh keep keep beating them. Let's keep up the trend. Okay. Excellent. Council Kelzo,

I just wanted to say I'm excited to see that Dogwood is moving closer to being paved and I want to thank the city staff for all the hard work they put in on this project. Agreed. Others all right. Uh, can I get a motion to adopt resolution 2422 and lay upon the record? So moved. Second. Been moved by councelor drone. Second by councelor Hayward. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion passes unanimously. motion. Uh resolution 2423 or Orchard Avenue waterline construction award. Mr. Smith, Mr. Morgan. Mr. Morgan.

Yes, Mr. Mayor. The council. Uh this project's been on the city's capital improvement plan since 2017. Uh this project will replace about 3/4 of a mile of water man along Orchard Avenue between 7th and 11th. Also a little section along Southwest 9th between Orchard and Juniper. uh ultimately replacing uh quite a bit of pipe that's nearing 100 years old. Additionally, while we're doing this work, we're going to take the opportunity to u resurface the entire roadway width as we're doing the project. Again, as I mentioned, uh when we open bids on this one, uh we received uh more than our typical number of bids uh and they all came in well below the engineers estimate. So, we're recommending award of this project to CE Construction for $1,332,000.

Questions? Public comment. Mr. Brown, look like you had Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead, sir. Thank you, Mayor. just a little bit late on the question just because I had a question on if we were going to do any other improvements other than since we're tearing up the street. Is there any other improvements that are going to be done?

Yeah, sorry I forgot to mention uh this project also um we're taking the opportunity to uh do some work on our sidewalk infill project. So our sidewalk infill program and identified sections of Orchard Avenue as one of our you know it's not just a local street. So that's a challenging section of sidewalk to put in. If you were to look at it on a per linear foot basis, it'll be pretty expensive sidewalk uh just because of the utility relocations and things and retaining barriers that are involved. So uh this was the opportunity that we could do it. So we're going to be going and uh filling in the missing sidewalk sections particularly there between 7th and 9th. So Okay. And now where Chelly's is at, right? Kind of that that'll be one of them. Yeah. Okay.

That'll be the easiest one. It's mostly the other side of the street. That's the diff difficult.

Oh, okay. Well, thank you. And that two birds with one stone. That's awesome. I love I love when I mean, if we're going to tear things up and I turned off my mic midway. If we're going to be tearing things up and moving things around, I might as well get to the other projects. I remember us doing that on Hermiston Avenue. We did water, sewer, even the the whole asphalt. So, I thought that was that was brilliant. That way we don't have to go back in there and do it all over again. Any other council questions or I go back to public comment? Okay, public comment. Council comments. Council McCarthy.

Again, the trend continues. Noted. All right. Uh, can I get a motion to adopt resolution 2423 and lay upon the record? Motion. Second. Been moved by councelor McCarthy, second by councelor Hayward. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion passes unanimously. Moving right along here. Motion 2424, agreement for IT services with Stepping Stones Alliance. Mr. Smith. Yes. No. No. This one's you. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Great.

Mayor, members of the council. So, this is another relatively small, uh, IT agreement, but, uh, we work closely with Stepping Stones Alliance and providing our our homeless programs. And so uh they actually they recently had a cyber security breach that um caused some other agencies who work with them including here in the city to uh to get com nothing bad happened but there was the potential for that a lot of it. So uh they are interested in incorporating this into their budget. So uh what they're looking for would be uh four hours a month. So that's $6,240 a year and it includes a inflation annual inflationary increase and also a prrated billing for the first year uh for this last quarter of our fiscal year. So with that I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Council questions. Council McCarthy, seems like we have a number of very low hour requests recently and I'm curious what are the needs that we're providing for four hours a month. Well, it's just the fact that they have limited numbers of devices and so they don't have a lot of need for us to be there a lot. So, it just takes this is what they need to give them adequate service.

Do we know what work they're requesting being done? uh they they're they're wanting the full service. Um so um we'll be working with their network, we're working uh with their uh uh cyber security, all of the all the pieces that we offer everybody else, but it's because of the limited devices that it doesn't take very much time. Thank you, Councel. Yeah, I have a question. Um if in one month they don't use their four hours, is that cumulative over the year? So if they do have a larger incident perhaps.

Yeah. I mean we don't hold them. I mean we don't put a any kind of a stop on services. We we do track it over a year and we'll look at it and if you know one of the customers is over quite a bit. We'll look hey maybe we need to add some hours or would you like to change your service level or something? So we do track it but we don't if if they need us we're there. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Council Roberts,

these contracts I'm I'm very careful on in my mind because in my job we also have contracts and that takes away from other services and core services for you know if if we're going out to other entities then the city's not getting that service. And so um what is our our leeway there? How at what point because we're adding you know a lot of new contract. It feels like anyway, I'd have to go back and look, but it feels like we're adding a contract here and a contract here and a contract here. Um, at what point are we going to be at capacity or having to look to expand it?

Well, we, you know, Jordan Stanley, our IT director, does a great job of tracking the hours and making sure that all the customers are getting their allocated hours. And so, um, we actually we have a a unfilled position in it that when we get to that point, we will pull the trigger and fill it. But right now, we're still comfortable that we can cover everybody's hours at their contracted amounts and and still get the city's Well, we we factor what we're contracted as well. We want to pay our fair share and so we know uh what our share is and so we track that as well.

Yeah. I just want to make sure that the the city of Hermiston divisions departments are not we're we're we're not getting to a point where we're servicing the customers so much that that we're having trouble taking care of our own. No, I mean I'm what I'm trying to explain I guess not real well that we we account for the hours that we want to give here. Oh, gotcha. Okay. In our formulas and so uh we have adequate hours to provide service here as well as to all the contracted.

Perfect. All right. Thank you. Others public comment. Nope. Council comments. Councor Broom.

I just found it crazy that we have cyber security people threatening homeless shelter. But I guess you just never know. And so I think it's it's great that we can offer those things. But man, everybody is just any entity whether it's government, whether it's business or even a nonprofit is is vulnerable and absolutely sad, but it's great that we can do a service others. Seeing none, can I get a motion to adopt resolution 2424 and lay upon the record? Motion. Second.

Uh, councelor Don on motion and councelor McCarthy on the second. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion passes unanimously. All right. Uh let's see. Second quarter 2026 quarterly investment report. Mr. Smith. be Mr. Palasios.

Good evening, mayor and counselors. For you tonight, I have the March 31st, 2026 quarterly report for investments. Um, I have one exciting slide. So, excite us.

Investment summary for the quarter end March 31st, 2026. We ended the quarter with approximately 36.4 4 million in combined investments in the Lone Pine investments which are primarily corporate government and municipal government um bonds and then the Treasury pool which held about 26.4 million for a total of $36.4 million of that um is was about 5.2 2 million that was deposited into the LG and then continuation of draw down for various construction projects that we're paying for primarily the the uh police operations construction and the end of the library project uh for 3.2 million. The the um those draw downs go into the general checking account where we pay for various projects and other cash flow things that we throughout the city. Interest earnings for the quarter ended up at $374,000 with approximately 101,000 which are held in Fidelity through that loan paling investment advisory group and then 273,000 of that was earned in the treasury pool the LGIP accounts. Uh that average for the quarter on the whole investment portfolio of 1.2% 2% or for the last 12 months an actual interest earnings of 4 a.5% and for the last 3 years at 5.3%. Um so um with the combined portfolio that we have outside the LGIP and the LGIP are our interest rates are our interest earnings pardon me are actually beating um the the Treasury poll by about 3/4 of a percentage. So overall good news doing well.

More money is better. More money is better. Yes. So um for that with that I would take any questions. Council questions. Councelor Linton. I just have one um have one question on page uh three. Um I would like to know why are the the money being put into corporate bonds? you kept the Eminem corporate, municipal bonds and government bonds, but you went down, you lowered it. So why is so much being put in corporate? Is that safer or?

It's really it's it's a combination of just the timing. Um we move dollars around as as the federal mostly that's a movement from the government bonds, the federal securities into corporate bonds. And so that's for both rate of return and then the their shorter bonds also as well. So they're maturing quickly. And the other piece of that is that we they have a lot of those corporate bonds get called. So before they mature, they get so if the maturity is like 2029, they they typically end up getting called in 2027 earlier by the corporations to refund those and put them out back in the market. And so for us it's a it is a safer investment because it's a shorter but a much higher return as well. So it's an investment strategy.

Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Councelor Drum or Broom. Now the the interest made from our savings. It's not like my high yield savings account where I get interest off of my savings. But at does I guess my question is at the end of the year does the city have to pay any taxes on any of the interest that they've made? I like that question. No,

I like that answer. The other questions that's a good one was a good was better. Okay. Uh public comment. Seeing none. Council comments. Love to see us making money off of uh money. Free money is good. That was an exciting slide. And the wind is dumb. Okay. Uh yeah.

Can I get a motion to accept the second quarter 2026 quarterly investment report? So moved. Second. Second. Motion by council McCarthy. Second by councelor Hayward. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Motion passes unanimously. Heriston Aquatic Wellness Center Task Force Report.

All right. We'll invite uh Cassie Hibbert here who's from the Wahha group. And um Cassie, here's the the remote for us. Um just to give a a quick refresher uh 18 months or so ago uh formed a task force of regional uh both uh municipal county business interests that might be interested in uh an indoor aquatic center, a wellness center of some sort and worked with this group. uh Waha was our facilitator and and uh so she's gonna Cassie is going to give us a report on kind of what we did, how we got there and then some recommendations for the next few months and then as we talked about in the goal setting coming to the point of are we going to are we going to do this project or are we going to not. So Cassie

testing. Okay. Good evening everyone. Cassie Hibbert, senior project manager with Winnahoga Group. It's very nice to be with you tonight. Uh well, we'll get right after this. Um okay, so as uh Mr. Smith described um we have been working for uh the past several months with a uh group of stakeholders to explore the region or the uh health aquatic and wellness center which I'm going to refer to throughout this presentation as the hawk. I know that that name is in progress and that's not finalized but that's just uh what we've called it in the slides. So I'll continue with that naming. Um, so for the stakeholders, uh, this was always intended to be a very regionally based group. Um, and I also want to be appreciative to the city of Hermiston counselors that joined us for part or all of that journey. So it was uh, city of Hermiston uh, both counselor support and staff support. uh Umatillaa County, City of Umatillaa, City of Stanfield, uh City of Echo, Port of Umatillaa, Hermison School District, BMCC, Good Shepard, and the Umatillaa Electric Co-op. Um the support team um helping keep the task force moving was Winnah Group as mentioned and then a number of other players. Uh, Boutton Construction supported with cost estimating efforts. Ballard King supported with operational study. Uh, WTI is a specialty uh, aquatics consultant and they helped uh, with uh, confirming estimates and condition of your existing facility uh, which we'll touch on later on. And then on the design side, uh we were supported by ALSC architects as well as Anderson Perry in a limited role um when we were doing some site selection and evaluation. Okay. So um this is the official charge

for the task force. Um so the task force met five times between September 24 and April of 25. And the task force's charge um which I won't read out all the detail on here was really to take a look at options for an aquatic center and to bring back some options to the city council. Um one thing from the beginning was that the hawk was about a regional focus for the center. Um so here you can see in green would be what we were considering the primary service area for the center uh which would be inclusive of Hermiston, Stanfield and Umatillaa. And then the red boundary would be the secondary service area um going uh mainly to the west and to the east along the 84 corridor um and just a little bit to the south. Uh so one of the first um exercises that we did with the task force was really to confirm what were our priority regarding program elements for an aquatic center. Uh so we led the task force in a discussion and you can see here that the number of votes for each item is just reflective of the number of task force members in the room. Um but the items that uh really shook out at the top were uh 50 meter pool, competitive pool, uh having a leisure pool and a gymnasium. Then I would say second tier were program of drop-in child care, indoor track, uh weight room, cardio space, and some sort of tie-in with community health programs. And then still getting some votes but a little bit less priority were a 25 yard pool, indoor playground, aerobics and dance rooms, and a senior activity space. Um, one thing I will point out is that 50 meter pools and 25 yard pools are used for slightly different uses. Um, from a competitive standpoint, 50 meter pools

tend to be used more for the club summer swimming circuit and the 25 yard pool is more typically used for high school competitions. So that's where those differ. and then items over on the right side here didn't get any votes from the committee but were still out there on the on the table for consideration. So after we had done this discussion of program elements um one key takeaway here which is in the light bulb on the lower corner is that really the priorities hadn't changed a ton since the uh study that the city of Hermiston had done back in 2018 for that center. So recognizing that um we um continued to use some of that work that had been done in 2018 since it still seemed to be valid in alignment with program priorities, but we also um explored some refinements to those options which you'll see next. Oops, skipped one. I skipped more than one. Okay. Um so first let's talk a little bit about site. Um so the slide up here in front of you is the short list and uh we actually started with a long list of sites that was I think around 25 options and those were uh just like anybody that wants to throw a site into the hat, throw it in there and we'll put it on the long list. And then we had a select committee go through and take that long list um and evaluate it based on some criteria and narrow it down to this site short list of five items. So just to run through the short list um so um you'll notice these kind of have some funny numbering to them starting with site three. That's because just to have consistency we kept the same numbering that we did from the long list. So site three is a site that is uh south of your water treatment plant along the river.

Um it scored um you can see the um the legends below each site. So it scored medium for site access um really uh strongly for utility access um medium for future growth and not not as good for walkability or visibility. Uh site six is the disc golf site. Uh so this is where your current disc golf course is. So it scored highly on all five criteria. Uh the next site was uh near your existing outdoor pool. Um so this was site seven. This scored well for site uh medium for utility. Uh well for future growth and walkability and medium for visibility. Then site eight is your actual existing site for your Hermiston family aquatic center but with an expansion onto your existing facility. And this scored well for site utilities, walkability, visibility, but uh it scored about medium for future growth. We thought there was enough to add on to that facility, but then after that you would be a little bit limited. And then the final site in here was um out on 395 across from ranch and home. Um it scored medium for site, low for utility access, uh medium for future growth, uh low for walkability, um but very high for visibility and maybe it would need a very large sign. Um so uh next to all of these you can see um kind of where we took the short list of five items. Uh then it narrowed it down to three items. So those are the uh thumbs up, thumbs down. So we took these to the task force and the ranch and home site dropped off uh the list and then the near the existing outdoor pool that also dropped off the list um with some similarities to the existing

site. So from there uh we took it to um from there we started putting numbers to some of these options. Um so you can see up here on this slide this is a comparison not only of costs uh between those uh three options but also programming comparison. Um so site three and site six are very similar from a programming standpoint. They have the same amount of building square footage of uh 66,798. Um and both of them are an indoor facility only. So, they would have an indoor 25-yard pool, indoor wreck pool, indoor therapy pool, and then um as part of the fitness component, two gym courts, fitness area, indoor track, and then a whole slate of support spaces that go along with running a facility such as locker rooms, offices, child care, party and meeting rooms, etc. Uh you can see that there's a little bit of delta in cost between site three and site six. Um, and those are mainly due to uh site work and utility costs. And those are numbers that also were helped informed by Anderson Perry's uh history um with working in the city and utility availability for those sites. Uh then over on the right side here, site 8 or the existing site with expansion. This one's a little different. So this is kind of the orange to the other two that are apples. Uh, so this one's a little bit smaller in square footage, but it also has a lot more program elements to it. So it's 62,000 square feet. Um, it retains your existing outdoor 50meter pool and your existing outdoor wreck pool and then it has a new indoor 25 yard pool. It does

not have an indoor wreck pool. Uh, so that's that gray bar. Um but it does have an indoor therapy pool, the two gym courts, fitness, the indoor track and the support sta spaces. Uh so here on this cost you can see that this has a range on it of 59 million to 63 million. And the what's causing that range in cost is the approach to renovating your existing pool. Um so a lower cost option with your existing pool um which is 20 plus years old at this point. and it needs a little love. Um, the lower cost option would be to refinish that pool with plaster and tile and grout. And a higher cost would be to do some sort of pre-fabricated liner system within there. Um, one other thing I I do want to point out on this option is it also retains your existing bathous. Uh, those are uh uh summer season bathous only. In fact, they have um uh screens in them to allow for air flow. So they would need to have a renovation to them that would allow for them to be operated all year round. Okay. So the site that has kind of emerged as the informal favorite um is the existing site with the expansion. And here is a little bit more detailed look at that from a site plan view. So just to orient on this. So, uh, north north is up and west elm is toward the top of the frame and then good sheepard is over on the left or the west side of this image um with the but to the south. So, um this would retain your existing 50 meter pool and retain your existing existing activity pool um with renovations of those pools so that they would continue to last you um along with your new facility. Um, it would also

retain your existing bathous with a remodel. And then you can see over on kind of the to the left of that, um, there would be, uh, an expansion with a indoor 25 yard competition pool, lockers, support spaces, and then kind of moving uh, south or down in this diagram, uh, fitness area, gym, and mechanical space. Uh this would also necessitate a parking expansion. Um that is a little bit beyond the uh existing property line. Uh but Good Shepard has signaled um as a potential partner on this project that they would be amendable uh to those parking discussions. Okay. So changing gears here just a little bit from the options that emerged from the task force. Um the question also emerged um you know could we just put a a bubble over our existing pool and if you have one takeaway regarding um costs for a bubble it's that it's not just the bubble it's all the other stuff that has to go along with the bubble. So um with uh the work we've done on this we're estimating that a cost range for a bubble dome over your existing pool would be in the 11 to$15 million range. And what that would include is the bubble itself. It would also include a refurbishment of your existing outdoor pool. So the vessels, the finishes, the mechanical system so that your facility could continue to operate um uh for years to come. Um when you put in a bubble, you also have to do some refurbishment of your pool deck um and the sloping of where the water sheds so that you can put the bubble on there. And then um just like our other options, your bathous would need to be um renovated so that they would be appropriate for all

seasons and not just for the one season. Um some of the numbers on this option uh were informed by some of Winnah's work with the city of Pasco um which is currently pursuing a new aquatic center project as well as putting a bubble over one of their pools. So, um, those are, uh, good, uh, regionally appropriate recent comparisons for a lot of our cost estimating. Um, a couple other considerations with the bubble, um, is that, um, that, uh, the bubble does come down. It's not up, uh, 365 days a year. You take it down, so you have an outdoor summer experience. And that has an operational cost to take it down and put it up. And it also uh takes a couple of weeks of closure of the facility to accomplish that switch over. Uh the other consideration too is um uh heating bills. And so again, reaching out to Pasco um they're estimating about 17 to $20,000 a month in just the heating bill for their facility with the bubble on it. Um yes, I can pause for questions. Yes. Okay, thank you. I just Yeah, honestly I my first take was it it doesn't look really pretty, but I did Google the Pasco Memorial Pool just to kind of look a little bit details and I saw and obviously there's there's differences, but I saw that their project was $2 million. How is there such a big discrepancy?

Oh, sure. Um, so one of the things that this is including in it is the complete refurbishment of your outdoor pool. So, your outdoor pool right now has cracking. It's got um approaching end of life mechanical systems in it. And if you're going to make an investment in your pool, you might as well kind of get those things tuned up. Okay. So, this this is the complete option of refurbishing everything with the bubble, correct? Yes. Thank you. Yep. And that photo up there actually is Pasco

Yes. Um, how would the dome part of that be taken down? Can that be done inhouse or do we have to hire somebody every time that needs to go up and down?

Well, I'll jump in and I mean, we went and toured this, Brandon and I did, and the city of Pasco does it is planning to do it with their own staff. Once the first time they were kind of trained by the company that installs them and then they're planning to do it with their own staff. I would imagine it would probably take some temp staff or something maybe a more of a citywide effort because of the number of people that they were talking about. Thank you.

Okay. Um so there's just a few more slides in here to kind of finish this out and then I'll open it back up for questions. Um, so one of the questions is, you know, what would a timeline on a potential project look like? And so this is a preliminary schedule that we've mapped out for that existing site with expansion, which is the informally preferred option. Um so um if the city wanted to move forward with this project in fall of 26, uh there would be uh just a couple of kickoff items um approving construction delivery method and procurement of your design and contracting team. Um and then uh with the assumption that you approved a contract in early 2027, then that would kick off the design and construction off effort. Um so what we've modeled here right now is uh roughly a year in design and roughly 18 months in construction. Um this does uh assume taking advantage of a design build delivery method which is a delivery method that is fairly common for aquatic centers and allows you some efficiencies particularly the schedule overlap that we are showing here. Um, one of the things that we're trying to be very mindful of is that if you are choosing a site with a um, a remodel of your existing pool, how do we accomplish that in a way that minimizes summer impact to that facility? So, in this example schedule, um your uh outdoor pool would close after that 2027 summer season, and then it would be closed during the summer of 2028 and reopen in 2029 as a new and renovated facility. Um, let's see. Oh, one one other thing I

want to touch on with this slide is the cost estimates that you saw before a couple of slides ago. um those all have planned uh uh escalation which is the fancy construction word for inflation. Those all have escalation built into those cost estimates assuming this preliminary project schedule. So we want to make sure that we're not forgetting that in there. Okay. Um a couple other things to highlight here. So as part of this I mentioned we were working with a firm named Ballard King to do an operational study. Um, it's really important with aquatics facilities that you're not just studying the capital construction costs, but that you're also studying the operational costs. So, the next two slides are going to focus on that. Um, this first slide is the um preliminary membership costs uh for this facility that were included as the baseline for that operational study. So, these are not, you know, permanent or set or anything like that. It's just the assumption that was feeding into that operational study. Um and the next slide here is um probably one of the more important slides in this presentation. So this is the um uh summary of expenses and revenue for the average of year three to year five for a new facility. So it's not year one right out of the gate. It's a couple years down the road after you've kind of settled into your operational routine. Um, so I kind of want to walk through uh what's going on in both the columns and the rows on this chart. So let's let's take a look at the columns first. Um, so there are three different ideas modeled here. And these are um grouped a little bit differently than our site options. So the first column on the left is what if we just

kept or sorry what if we just had one new facility and we got rid of the old facility right one new indoor facility and that could be either the site three or the site six option. Uh the second column here is what if we built a new facility but we also kept the existing facility. So that's two facilities. And then the third column over on the right is again that existing facility uh existing site with expansion since that's the orange to our new facility apples. Um so those are the three columns and then kind of walking through the rows here. Um so these are the modeled expenses for the facility and then the modeled revenue for the facility and then the red numbers are the delta on that. Um so one of the things about aquatic centers is that they rarely pay for themselves. So this is not an unusual situation here. Um what they call it is cost recovery. So you can see the percentage cost recovery rates there which is the comparison of your uh expenses and revenues. So those range from the operating two facilities is your lowest cost recovery um with the uh existing site with expansion being kind of the middle zone at the 85% and then the single indoor facility would have the highest cost recovery. Um and then finally um one of the things that's recommended as part of this is uh having a capital replacement reserve fund for this facility. So uh things as they age um have a capital fund where uh they're able to get maintained and taken care of. Okay, I have this is my last slide here.

Do you mind if I take this and then kick it back for questions? Okay. So, um, tonight is really intended to be a progress report for council and an opportunity for you to ask questions. Um, but the next step on this is that the city really wants to take this out to the community and see what the community thinks about these proposals. So, what we are currently planning is uh what I'll call a summer road show is taking the information that you've seen tonight and really putting it out there and saying here's what the process was to date. Here's what the task force worked on. Uh talking through that existing site with expansion, which is kind of floating to the top, seeing what people think about it. and then also putting out there the financing ideas for the project as well as the preliminary membership cost. Uh getting community feedback and then bringing that back to you during your September council meeting and uh seeing what has emerged as part of that community engagement period. Okay, with that I will uh happily open it up for questions. Yes.

Yes. That is what the city will have to come up with to pay. That is the Yep. That's the yearly um uh yearly amount that would be need to made up uh to run the facility. figures about the u salaries and the maintenance of how much will cost a year to take care of that. Um so all of the salaries to run the pool are all embedded in that operational model. But the um expense line,

yes, in the expense line, including maintenance costs as well. But then there's also a separate capital replacement fund which is basically that savings account for larger expenditures down the road. Thank you. Yes.

Uh I need a refresh for which locations were site three and site six. And mainly um I asked this to determine what kind of the um if people want to go back and forth between the existing site on option number two and the other site, is there a um does that change the potential ranking if that was the decision the council and or community decided to go in for for where they would be in proximity to the existing site? Um, could you help me out and kind of rephrase that a little bit? So, if I understand option two correctly, we keep the existing site basically as is and we build a new indoor facility. Mhm. Yes.

So, under that model, does that change any sort of feasibility scores in terms of things like walkability? Like, hey, I I was using the outside one, but the indoor one could be open year round, so I'm going back and forth. And does that change? Um, I understand now. Um, no, it was just each site was uh uh evaluated just kind of in isolation, not as if uh it were a situation where it was one of two facilities in town.

And can I jump in? Probably. I mean, most likely if we were to build an all-new indoor facility, I would recommend that we not operate the outdoor facility. just because of the additional costs. That's why as we've discussed this, this combined model helps us get some efficiencies from having all of that water together. And so then maybe we could do the because we we have it's in close proximity. We're not duplicating facilities. Hopefully we're we're sharing some staff that we might not have done in the in other ways. So that's we looked at it because we wanted to see what the operational costs would look like, but in reality that's probably not an option I would at least recommend. Not that if you guys said go do it, we would try to figure out how to do it, but that is a better answer than what I was looking for. Thank you.

Get everybody else first. Any others? Just on the first option, I I know that mentions closing the existing outdoor pool. Would there be any, I guess, businesses interested in wanting to take that on? Like, I guess if we close it, would there be any other entities that would be willing to want to run it? I mean, I guess we could be open to that discussion. Um, you don't see that very often around the around the country. Yeah. No, that makes sense. Companies operating an outdoor pool.

Yeah. I mean, that makes sense. you you look at most of this like we said it's it's a lot of uh cost revenue recovery and so they would have to completely change their business model for it to kind of make sense for them but okay uh that's one that's yes thank you the the numbers to build this facility are are large and rather daunting I wonder if we have any indication from our potential partners as to what they might be willing to contribute toward the effort

that's also of the the work that I would continue doing over the summer as we kind of talk to the public is to um solidify because really the devil's in the details about in this and so trying to formalize some kind of a partnership with a number of these different u both public and potentially private agencies that would want to partner. And so at that time in September, we would bring not only the feedback from the public but our plan for paying for it. So my question right? Okay. Um your turn.

Yeah, my turn. Come back around. Um, in all the in all the uh the presentation part of it, you included the different the like the uh construction and the amount of time pool will be closed and all that, but I didn't see a a breakdown of were we to also look at the bubble option, you know, how long how long would it take to refurbish the pool, how long would it take to install the infrastructure and and you know they make the necessary changes for the bubble option as well. Yeah, we we certainly take a look at that.

We we can look at it, but frankly that's uh a a least preferred option u from a from a staff standpoint. Okay. All right. Coming back around. Uh councelor Linton, you were first.

I would like to definitely see how much each city going to contribute and other partners are going to contribute. Oh, sorry. Thank you. I would definitely like to see how much each group is willing to contribute to this before I would give a go-ahad because that's a lot of money. um they have to pay to build it, have to and then it's going to be in the red all the time. So, we're going to be paying out money every year and there's also going to always be an increase in increase in salaries, increase in number of people that you need to run a facility and and so forth and so on. And also the cost for people to have membership. Um that was a little on high side as well because you have a lot of people right now can't afford to go to the pool that we already have. So I would definitely like to see some numbers first. Thank you Dr. or Brun.

Uh question on the existing out or the existing site with the expansion. I noticed when we went through the line items of the things that will be there and the things that won't be there. Um, there didn't seem to be an indoor pool. I mean, there's an indoor 25 yard pool. So, I guess is there going to be anything available for people during the winter? I mean, I think that's also the point of having it indoor,

right? So, that indoor 25 yard would be available and and we would look for design elements that would allow for recreational use and not just lap swimming. Uh there's lots of great ideas that we've seen other facilities have.

Okay. And I guess followup would be I I know we've had this discussion about the school district not having a swim team. I know they're one of the partners. They mentioned before, at least people in the community have mentioned before in the past about having uh a pool that's adequate size for them to be able to compete. Is that something that's going to be here? Yeah, I mean we would I I think we the school district has done a great job and set a great model for us as far as you know the way they've designed the schools to allow for the the re being a regional hub for the sports activities and we would want to design this to be a pool that could be used for competitions. The the 25 is really the high school competition length. the 25 yard. Like Cassie said earlier, the 50 meter is more of a kind of the outdoor season type pool and we'd have that available as well if we were to do that option.

I'm going to put my big plug in for raetball. It is fantastic, fun to play. I didn't play until I got to college, but it is really, really fun to play. And I we we don't have facilities for it's like you need the unique facility to be able to do something like that. So, I think it's cool. There's my plug. I I think you can play a hack, right? I think. Okay. Any other questions? Council,

um I would want to know if either Brandon or if I don't you you Byron would be able to answer the question of what the current um contribution is from the city. Like we have the spreadsheet to show what our contribution would have to be where were we to move forward. I'm just curious what the standard cost would be if we were to take no action and what the city's contribution is. I don't I don't have it in dollars off the top of my head, but we are in the seven low 70% um recovery rate cost recovery rate. So potentially we could be in an increase in recovery rate

potential. I mean that's what our it's a model. It's an estimate. I can't we couldn't guarantee it but that's what this uh and they do they do this a lot. So you can I mean they have the best numbers you can get but thank you. I think it's just important to keep in mind that another option we're considering is do we not do anything correct what the what the outcome is of that as well. Thank you. Any questions? Public comment. Come up to the microphone. Right here. Right to the center. Center of the room. Right here. Center of the room. Right here. Right here.

You were saying that you there was someone else in the center of the room that was going to speak. It's Susan Jones again. And I'm on Jones Avenue. I have a couple questions. So, one of my questions is about what is the percentage of the population of an area that will actually use the facility. I do not know that off the top of my head, but we can research that and get back to you. Ma'am, because ma'am, this is not a question and answer session. This is this is public comment only. Excuse me. I'm sorry. Then I'm out of order. I have some questions for you later. Okay. Thanks. Okay.

Thank you. Any other public comment? Okay, council. Nope.

Yeah, we can. I mean, she can get them to me and Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Get if you have questions with uh with uh Mr. Smith afterwards, he'll He'll take care of those for you. Okay. Um, council comments.

Comment. Go ahead, ma'am. Um, date myself, but I went to high school here at Hermanston High School where we had a swimming pool and it was too expensive to maintain and that's why the pool was closed down. And looking at this, it looked like it's going to be very expensive to maintain. And that's my comment. Thank you. Okay. Council Drum,

Mr. Kelso, and I have sat in on the conversations uh with the Wana group. So I want to thank you for the presentation and for also leading the conversation helping lead the conversations with all the stakeholders and uh for Mr. Smith and uh Mr. Arts for also uh looking at other possibilities to bring it to our attention so that we can consider it. One of the things that I admire the most about this community is that it has a can do attitude. We can do just about everything. Um you know EOTech seemed like a just a dream. People came together and they made it happen. Um Kenison Field is another example where people came together saw the need for um something to be worthy of our area. Um something that would bring economic development, something that would help our our student athletes stay in the area. Um this is probably another way that Hermiston can demonstrate what it can do. I think um having conversations with the stakeholders to know you know what their contribution will be will be so important to our decision-m process. But um if I remember correctly when we went to survey folks for our vision 20 240 this was something that came up. This is not something that the city just came out and said this is something that we want for the city of Hermiston. The idea of having an indoor pool came from the community members. this was something that they wanted and have been wanting, but it's a matter of getting people, the right people at the table,

people that are willing to commit some money to it. So, I believe that um this can be a reality in our area. And right now we have folks, some of our students from Hermiston High School that were traveling to Pendleton High School or to the um their pool um in Pendleton to be able to do their practices. Since that closed down, they are now going to boardman to do their practices early in the morning. So it has been quite an inconvenience for them when if we have this you know possibility and it's not just for our youth. We are also thinking of um the seniors that want to stay active that are not able to do a lot of heavy duty cardio but are wanting to do some laps. We're thinking about those folks that need to do some physical therapy and could benefit from having an indoor pool. we are thinking of other parents that would like to stay fit but can't do it because they don't have child care. So, you know, these are all of the different conversations that are happening, but as always, money is an issue. But like I said, this is an opportunity for Hermiston to come together and uh make it a reality. Now, it may have to be sized down. And I if I remember correctly with EOTech um you know we were shooting for the stars and the moon and then it quickly had to be brought down to the reality and it came to be in phases as well. this could be that I don't know but I think uh hearing um our community the community feedback will also be so key

and for those um students I would encourage our students um to also be very vocal about this and how this may impact them and how this will benefit them as well. um a lot of the parents too that are having to carpool and have to take their children to different locations just because we don't have a facility here. I would encourage those parents to also participate in those conversations and you know um maybe it will be another meeting where we have a lot of audience members that are very passionate about this. I welcome that opportunity to hear um our community. So I look forward to more information coming our way. Thank you so much for the work that has been done so far and I appreciate all the meetings and the stakeholders that um have come to the meetings um thus far.

Any others? Yeah,

having big dreams is awesome. I want to thank you all for your work and everything like that. cuz if I could, I would uh do a private jet, fly them wherever they needed to go to do their uh swim or whatever. But when you're dealing with reality, you're you're dealing with are we're going to have to do a bonds, which would mean property taxes for property owners going up. EOTech is still in the red. I don't know how many years the city has had EOTech, but it's not even it's still in the red. Still losing money on that. I like EOTech. I think it's a very nice facility. Uh, a lot of things are happening there, but we haven't gotten to the point to where it can make its own money and survive on its own. when we had surveys, we had about 300 people, I believe 300 to 600 out of uh let's just say 10,000 people are adults that are 18 and over that can can vote on it. So, it's been that's not a really good number. 300 for yes on it. Indoor pool. I used I drove up to Borman. That's only that's not much of a long drive to do aerobics. I went up there with my granddaughter and two granddaughters and we did uh the aerobics in their indoor pool. It's a nice facility. Would it be nice to have an indoor pool here? Sure. Uh you know, be nice for me to live in a mansion, too, but I can't afford it. And the way the money is right now, uh, we wouldn't have to have certain fees on different things to in order to make money to pay for different departments, but we have it. It'll be one thing if we had the money, then it wouldn't be a

problem, but money is definitely, in my opinion, the issue with this. Thank you. Any other comments? Okay. And I want to remind everybody that at 9:30 we hit a a mile mark or so.

Nothing really more to offer in terms of moving one way or the other. I just in firm support of the project that we have going. We've had it on the 2040 vision. Uh, I think it's great that we've gotten to this point where we have so many stakeholders that are involved because for the city to shoulder that load by its own, it would be a tough challenge. But we're in community, we're in partnership and I think we do have resources available that once we be once we get into more community conversations and talk about uh the feasibility, it is certainly possible. One thing for sure that I would like this to be is to for it to be a crown jewel just like we have the police department just like we have the public library. Something that gives people pride when they come into this town and they look at the facilities that we have. They're like, "Man, I'm really proud that I live here in Hermison or even make the decision instead of moving elsewhere, let's come to Hermison because it's got all the amenities that we need." And so over the course of the next few months, we'll talk about feasibility, fiscal responsibility. I think everybody here on the council knows and understands being fiscally responsible with with the budget, with the money. And so as conversations continue to evolve, I look forward to having more community conversation uh because that is where we will detail more of how this will actually be feasible uh in this meeting. It is a checkpoint. I understand that. But I like where we're going. So I appreciate your guys' report. Okay, that's it. All right. Uh, no, uh, other action is being recommended. So, this wasformational only. Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate your time and and your hard work in the efforts.

Thank you. All right. City committee leazison, anybody got the ones they need in? Uh we had a meeting of our sanitary disposal recycling committee. Mayor, excuse me. Uh it did just turn to 9:30. So according to the rules, you need to decide. As a council, we have to decide whether we want to continue. Want to go an extra hour to finish everything. Probably won't be that long, I would say. Um can I get what? I need a motion to need a motion to continue on for one more hour. One more up to one more hour. Ask a quick question.

You may ask a quick question. Is the executive session something that we can push to a different agenda, a different night or is it timely that we have to discuss it tonight? It's kind of timely. We'd like to have it in front of you tonight if possible. All right. Can Can we do 30 minutes? Uh the rules just say an hour. Yeah. Just it's it's even if we finish ahead of that it's fine. All right. So moved. Well, I haven't had a motion yet. Oh, I have can I ask a question? One more question. Can we forgo all the reporting so that we can go to the executive session now? That would be up to you guys. I would motion that. Okay. Um so I think that would be

okay though. Just time out. Time out. Time out. Let's let's let's first get let's first get because we have to we have to make a decision as to whether we can go past 9:30. If we're going to go past 9:30, then then we have to then then we can forego the rest of moved. I haven't asked for that yet. Hold on. No, you didn't ask. I made a motion earlier. All right. So, I want to make sure we got to cover our bases here. Okay. So, are we going I need a motion to go beyond the one hour beyond the 9:30 time limit. Can I get a second? Second. Okay. Yes. And yes. All right. Now, can I get a motion to uh

All those in favor? What's that? All those in favor? I'm sorry. Yes. Well, they all said we're all in. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Can I get a motion to forego committee reports? Motion. Motion. Second. Okay. Motion by councelor Hayward. Second by councelor Don. Roll call. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. No. Yes. Yes. Motion passes. 71 with councelor Linton in absention. Opposition.

Opposition. Thank you. All right. Um so at this point in time, we're going to recess for executive session. Uh the city council of her city of Hermiston will now meet in executive session in the executive session room for the purpose of discussing matters pertaining to litigation with legal counsel. Executive session is held pursuant to OS 192.660 660 parenthesis 2 parenthesis H, which allows the council to meet in executive session to conduct deliberations with persons designated by the council to consult regarding the legal rights and duties of the public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed. Representatives of the news media and designated staff will be allowed to attend the executive session. All other members of the audience are excluded. Representatives of the news media are specifically directed not to report any of the deliberations during the executive session except to state the general subject of the session as previously announced. No final decision may be made in executive session at the end of executive session. Council will return to open session which the audience may attend. The executive session will last approximately 15 minutes. With that we are in recess.

do that when I said it. Is it time? Okay. Sorry, we said 15 minutes, so we had to use 15 minutes. Uh, okay. um reconvene the uh Hermanson City Council session. Does anybody have anything else to add? Nope. We're adjourned.