MINUTES OF THE CITY OF HEPPNER CITY COUNCIL MEETING

HEPPNER CITY HALL, 111 N. MAIN STREET, HEPPNER, OREGON

7:00 PM, AUGUST 08, 2005,

ATTENDEES:

Mayor Tim Van Cleave

Interim City Manager, Larry Mills

Council Members:

Judy Buschke

Tom Wolff

Cindi Doherty

Kay Robinson

George Koffler

Glenn Baker

Bruce Nelson, Public Works Director

Bill Kuhn, City Attorney

Morrow County Sheriff’s Department, Sgt. Randy Rayburn

Morrow County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Justin Slinger

Heppner Gazette Times, David Sykes

Members of the Public:

Merry Brannon

Morrow County Judge, Terry Tallman

Bill Ferguson, Moore Excavation

Doug Dubuque

Dave Fowler, Planning Commission Representative

Keri Robie

C.J. Johnson

Jerry Healy

Nate Arbogast

1. GENERAL BUSINESS.

A) Call to Order. The August 8, 2005 meeting of the Heppner City Council was called to order at 7:00 PM by Mayor Tim Van Cleave.

B) Pledge of Allegiance: Mayor Van Cleave led the Council members and attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

C) Announcements:

1) Mr. Mills reported additions on the agenda as follows:

a) E-mail, Ken Condit, Ace Consultants, August 5, 2005, Subject: Water System Improvements – Summary of Construction Budget Status

b) Memorandum, Kuhn & Spicer, August 5, 2005, Subject: Breeding Property

c) July 2005 Monthly Financial Statement

d) Minutes of Heppner Housing Authority, July 21, 2005

e) Judge Tallman announced that the bill for the race track was passed 56-3 by the house and 29-0 by the senate which allowed Morrow County to reduce the restrictions on the original permit. The restrictions revolved around size of restaurants, anything that was built in the area had to be related to race day activity, no advertising or inviting the public to use the facility, no more than 250 hotel rooms. This was passed by the senate and the house and the ultimate final authority will be the County Court. Within the next 30-50 days, the developer should be here. These people have race car experience and have a multi-billion dollar company standing behind them. Judge Tallman thinks there is a fairly good potential for this in Morrow County. This has not been signed by the Governor, but it looks favorable that it will be signed. The bill was sponsored by Senator Nelson and Representative Greg Smith assisted.

D) Approval of the Minutes from the July 11, 2005 Council Meeting. Minutes of the July 11, 2005, Council Meeting were reviewed by members present. One typographical error was identified.

Motion by Mr. Wolff to approve the July 11, 2005 minutes as corrected. Seconded by Mrs. Robinson. Motion Carried.

E) Report from Planning Commission – August 1, 2005. Mr. Fowler reported that the Planning Commission approved a Conditional Use permit for a carport to house the CSEP trailer which will be located next to the hospital. He also announced that Mrs. Kendrick had submitted her resignation from the Planning Commission since she is leaving the area. Mayor Van Cleave stated that he is investigating replacements for Mr. Gentry and Mrs. Kendrick and will submit names at the next Council meeting. He stated that he will also accept nominations from the Council for consideration.

F) Correspondence: None.

2. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

A) Oral communications from the public not on the agenda. None.

B) Willow Creek Water Park (M. Brannon) – Permit for Loudspeaker use. Ms. Brannon has submitted a request for permission for loudspeaker use at the water park. Ms. Brannon stated that users of the pool have requested that music be played over the loudspeaker during pool hours. She stated that in the past there were issues on this from a resident in the area; however, this person is no longer living in the area. The music would only be played from 1:00 – 5:00 PM and possibly during private pool parties.

Motion by Mr. Wolff to allow use of the amplifying device for music subject to the City ordinance requirements and any complaints. Seconded by Mr. Koffler.

Discussion: According to Ms. Brannon, the music will not be used at night, and the choice of music and artists will be screened for profanity or vulgar music. Mr. Baker stated that he disagrees with having music at the pool and feels that there should be more discussion on this issue with the neighbors. Ms. Brannon stated that there are four speakers and an amplifier that they would use for playing CD’s. Mr. Koffler stated that some parents have asked if this could be a safety issue. According to Ms. Brannon they have found a volume setting that would be appropriate. Mr. Koffler agrees with Mr. Wolff that the permit should be issued, subject to registered complaints. Mr. Baker stated that he feels that the existing ordinance should be followed. He doesn’t see any need for a special action. According to Mr. Wolff, the ordinance calls for a special permit to operate a sound-amplifying device.

Question Called for: In favor: Mrs. Buschke, Mr. Wolff, Mr. Van Cleave, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Doherty, Mr. Koffler. Opposed: Mr. Baker. Motion Carried.

Ms. Brannon stated that she also had a concern about the parking for the pool. The County has installed a “No Parking” sign in the area where people have been parking. According to Mr. Mills, an area has been paved that allows parallel parking. Mrs. Brannon stated that this does not allow enough parking. Mr. Mills stated that his understanding is that the County has given the pool some parking in the area, but that the park district has to arrange for parking permission. Mrs. Johnson stated that the current parking is not satisfactory for people with small children. The parking area behind Tim Hedman’s shop is not satisfactory because of the dust. Mr. Koffler stated that he feels that Ms. Brannon should go back to the park board and request a parking lot. Judge Tallman stated that the County Court has made an agreement so that the area would be paved. This was done 3-4 years ago. He suggested talking to Burke O’Brien. Judge Tallman would like an agreement that this would be done by a specific date. Mr. Van Cleave wondered if the City could grade the area for temporary parking. Mr. Mills stated that the reasoning for this is that the sidewalks will eventually be installed.

C) Judge Tallman – Baker Morrow Agreement. Judge Tallman spoke on the Memorandum of Understanding with Baker-Morrow. The board has determined that all of the cities involved should sign off on this when the counties are not contiguous. The agreement is expected to be signed by all Morrow County entities this week. This will allow Baker-Morrow to obtain funding for projects.

Motion by Mr. Wolff to approve the proposed MOU with Baker-Morrow Partnership. Seconded by Mrs. Doherty.

Discussion: Mr. Baker asked if the funds being discussed were State of Oregon funds or are the intermingled with other funds, and is it a grant program. Judge Tallman stated that this is a grant program for economic development staffed by GEODC and is strictly accounted for. According to Mr. Koffler, this program is roughly $5,000 per job created under a two year time frame.

Question: Motion Carried Unanimously.

Needs and Issues: Judge Tallman outlined the program which is the old CERT program. Some of the areas that have been funded are Heritage Plaza (Unocal Brownfield - $7,000), Riverside High School track ($16,000), Irrigon’s Park and Recreation Complex ($15,000), Lexington’s Flag Pole, Hardman Community Center siding project ($3,000), Ione City Park, lawnmower project ($12,000), Heppner Little League, Lexington Grange, Farm Foundation, Willow Creek Living Facility, the fair dormitory, and Hardman Community Center received another sum. These items are funded from tippage fees and are disbursed on a yearly basis by a County-wide Prioritization Committee. Applications can be made at any time during the year. Judge Tallman stated that his reason for bringing this issue up at this time is that in the past, the state used the money to also fund water projects, USDA money, etc. The state is doing away with its Needs and Issues program. GEODC has agreed to staff this and any applications made in the past are still in the database. A letter will be sent out announcing that applications are due in the latter part of August, with September 20 as the meeting date. The program is divided up into three categories: Community facilities, infrastructure, and community readiness. They normally like to fund somewhere in the area of $1,000-$30,000. Judge Tallman explained that this is not a savings account and is meant to be spent in the next year and they would like to see projects completed. He stated that any projects need to be submitted to the committee, and they will meet on September 20 to determine which projects will be funded. Mr. Mills volunteered to take action on this issue.

D) Water Project. Bill Ferguson, Moore Excavation. Mr. Ferguson reported that the project is still on schedule. The original project was to be completed by the first of September, but Mr. Ferguson feels it will be closer to the end of September. Complaints have slowed down. One crew has been moved out and there are 19 people still working on the project. Gilmore Street is the last area for installing the main line. Crews are trying to concentrate on getting all services connected and the bridges completed. There are problems on digging on the rock on Gilmore Street. In answer to Mr. Koffler’s question, Mr. Ferguson stated that there is approximately $80,000 in the contingency money. According to Mr. Mills, there is approximately $18,900 claimed by Moore for locating pipes on Riverside. Ace Consultant’s estimate for this claim is $11,000. Mr. Mills is awaiting an answer from Moore as to whether they will do Baltimore Street for the contract amount of $53,700. There is no reply to date. Mr. Mills stated that the consensus is to add Baltimore Street back in. He has raised the issue at this meeting since once Gilmore Street is completed, some of the equipment will be moved out of town. Mr. Ferguson stated that the cost may be higher due to increased costs for pipe. Mr. Mills stated that if we can lower the cost of Riverside below $18,000 we may be able to do Baltimore Street. Mr. Wolff asked about the Alfalfa Street Bridge. According to Mr. Ferguson, there is a problem with this due to the fact that the direction of the pipe needs to be changed to prevent the pipe hitting the guard rail; the cost should be around $5,000. Mr. Mills would like a motion from the Council to proceed with BaltimoreStreet, subject to availability of funds.

Motion by Mr. Koffler to ratify the Utility Commission’s recommendation to do Baltimore Street if funds are available. Seconded by Mrs. Doherty. Motion Carried.

E) WindWave Franchise Agreement (Moved from Agenda item 8.E.

Nate Arbogast. Mr. Arbogast announced that he is in attendance at tonight’s meeting to discuss WindWave’s Franchise Agreement. A portion of the agreement is included in the Council packet (Ordinance 551-05). According to Mr. Mills, there seems to be some confusion over what the franchise fee includes, what gross revenues means, etc.

Mr. Arbogast thanked the Council for allowing him to attend the meeting. When the agreement was signed, WindWave understood that it was for telecommunications revenue and gross revenue on telecommunications service as part of their telecommunications network. The first page of the franchise document includes specific definitions for each of these items, i.e., Gross Revenues, Telecommunications, and Telecommunications Network are all defined. The confusion stems from the letter received from Mr. Kuhn which indicated fees should be a percentage of everything that is received as gross revenues. WindWave’s concern is that the franchise agreement with the City of Heppner is identical to the franchise that they signed with the Cities of Boardman, Umatilla, Hermiston, Pendleton, La Grande, and Baker City. This is a consistent franchise across Eastern Oregon in terms of providing a source of revenue for their right to be in the city right-of-way. A franchise payment was not sent to the City of Heppner last month because they didn’t have any “telecommunications revenue.” He feels this is to be expected since WindWave is a small entity just getting started and they have not really started providing telecommunications services. Since July 1, they actually have started providing some telecommunications services to the school district, so with the next franchise payment, there would be revenues received to the City for telecommunications services which will be provided to the schools. The schools have already been billed to pay the applicable percentage to the city.

The major concern with the term Gross Revenues and Telecommunications is that they don’t want put themselves at a competitive disadvantage in doing business locally. The key thing to remember is that they are competing with CenturyTel who only has to provide revenue on their local exchange services, i.e., telephone service. They currently do not pay any gross revenues or percentage to the city on internet services. WindWave wants to clarify that they are being treated equally and will not have to pay any fee on services that their competitor does not pay for. If CenturyTel was required to pay a fee on internet access under a new agreement, WindWave would be agreeable to paying that same percentage. As a small company, they would have difficulty paying the fees without the same resources as CenturyTel. Initially, this may not help the City, but future revenues are expected to increase.

Mr. Kuhn stated that he agrees with Mr. Arbogast, but the issue is internet services and does WindWave have to pay franchise fees on internet services. Mr. Kuhn added that today, he received a draft agreement from CenturyTel. They only want to pay on local access charges. He should have a report on this by next Council meeting. Either everyone will pay on internet services, or neither CenturyTel nor WindWave will be required to pay.

Mr. Koffler had asked Mr. Mills to query the League of Oregon Cities as to how they looked at internet service, and according to Mr. Mills, he has talked to Dave Barenberg who is the expert in the League of Oregon Cities on franchises. Mr. Barenberg has informed him that there was one pass at it by the City of Springfield, which was voted down. He is not aware of anyone at this time that is charging a fee on internet. The League of Oregon Cities has had a lot of concerns about franchise fees because there are a number of telecommunications, to include cell phones. His suggestion is to convey to the council that they should wait until the issue has been resolved by larger cities. Mr. Kuhn stated that the down side of this is that franchise agreements are signed for decades. CenturyTel wants two decades of franchise ordinance which will negate any changes during that term. Mr. Arbogast stated that he is not sure, but that he thought WindWave’s agreement was for ten years. He stated that some of the cities have passed ordinances that any entity that wants to provide service using the local right-of-way, has a right to attach to the current ordinance. This way the city can unilaterally change the ordinance and then go after the provider as long as they are doing it on a competitively neutral basis in compliance with the ordinance.

Mr. Kuhn stated that he has also had several conversations with Mr. Barenberg. Mr. Barenberg stated that there is nothing wrong and he thinks that you can charge revenue services. Mr. Kuhn wants to consult with a specialist to see what can be done and how much trouble it is to do this. He will report at the next Council meeting. Mr. Koffler asked if CenturyTel’s franchise is up for renewal. According to Mr. Kuhn this agreement is up for renewal; six month’s notice was given in March 2005 that the ordinance is up for renewal in September. They want to pay fees on local access service, not internet.

According to Mr. Arbogast, the FCC has ruled that all DSL service is not a telecommunication service. Mr. Mills stated that according to Mr. Barenberg, state statute limits to 7% the amount that can be charged to the incumbent provider on local exchange fees. Mr. Kuhn will continue to research this and provide an opinion. Mr. Wolff asked what the expert’s opinion would cost and according to Mr. Kuhn it would be around $300-400.00.

Mr. Koffler stated that if it was up to him, he would like to instruct legal counsel to discontinue any effort to try to tax internet service. He feels too much time and effort have been expended already. He doesn’t think Heppner should be the one to start fighting this battle. Mr. Kuhn stated that he needs to investigate this further. Mr. Arbogast stated that he is in agreement with this.

Mr. Mills discussed the possible option of charging a per foot fee for right-of-way access.

Mr. Arbogast stated that he would be amenable to look at this option in the future.

Mr. Wolff asked what the option would be to shortening the CenturyTel franchise agreement to five years. Mr. Kuhn is not sure, but that WindWave is setting the precedent for this. Mr. Wolff stated that CBEC’s original agreement was to use the right-of-way and cover the cost of public lighting, not provide a revenue stream for the city. He wonder’s if WindWave’s agreement is to provide a revenue stream for the city. Mr. Mills stated that both he and Mr. Arbogast agree that they need some revenue for them to use the City’s right-of-way. He would like the Council to understand where Mr. Arbogast is coming from. Mr. Arbogast stated that WindWave ‘s goal is to provide telecommunications and provide a revenue stream to the city. This should be competitive , neutral, and non-discriminatory.

Mr. Van Cleave asked what the Council would like Mr. Kuhn to do on this issue. Mr. Koffler feels a final decision should be made next month. Council members were in agreement.

3. PUBLIC HEARINGS None Scheduled.

4. COUNCIL ACTION

A) OLCC, Liquor License renewals.

Discussion: Sgt Rayburn stated that there are no problems with any of the renewals. They are all existing licenses.

Motion by Mrs. Robinson to grant the renewals. Seconded by Mrs. Buschke. Motion Carried unanimously.

5. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COUNTY SHERIFF REPRESENTATIVE.

A. Activity Report. Sgt Rayburn reported that they are 69.4 hours over the amount they are supposed to have. The police report is also attached. Sgt Rayburn reported that Murray’s Drug was burglarized last month.

B) Police Commission. The cat problem in Heppner was discussed by the Commission and Irrigon’s ordinance was discussed by the membership. No action was taken since a quorum was not present. According to Mr. Mills, having an ordinance could cause other problems. Mr. Kuhn stated that cat owners could be fined. Mr. Van Cleave suggested that this be further discussed by the Police Commission for recommendation to the Council.

Sgt Rayburn stated that having another Council member on the Police Commission was discussed at the last meeting and Mrs. Robinson was suggested. Mr. Koffler felt having another private citizen as a member would be a better alternative. Mr. Wolff agrees with this. Mr. Van Cleave agreed to investigate this prior to the next Council meeting.

Mr. Mills discussed the issue of the overflow water from the pool which is seeping under Riverside Street. This is an issue with the County. According to Mr. Nelson, this water cannot go into the sewer lines. Storm drains and catch basins are not in at this time. According to Mr. Mills, this needs to be discussed by the Council. Mr. Mills stated that one of the possible options would be to put a drain field in the parking area to keep the water from going under the street. There is a problem with the chlorine in the water so it cannot be directly diverted to the creek. Mr. Mills’ opinion that this should be a decision for the Park District.

C) Code Enforcements. Sgt Rayburn reported one action: The vacant house at 535 S. Court Street. There is a lot of dry grass and shrubbery around the house which is becoming a fire hazard.

Motion by Mr. Wolff to start code enforcement actions on the property at 535 S. Court Street. Seconded by Mrs. Buschke. Motion Carried Unanimously.

D) Additional Discussion. None.

6. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

A) Activity Report. Mr. Nelson outlined the items included in his report. The water fountain on Main Street is being repaired. There was a water problem on Linden Way which has been fixed. Several asphalt patches have been done where needed throughout the city. With reference to the old pool site, the entire structure could not be removed, due to the construction which included a lot of rebar, so the decision was made to break up the decking and fill in the pool site. Tie-ins have been done on water lines throughout the city. There was a telemetry problem with the wells which caused draining. Mr. Nelson has discussed this with Dale Bates who would like to install low voltage to raise the voltage going to Well 1 because it is so far away. Well 1 is the only one they have trouble with. Also, the computer needed re-booted. According to Mr. Mills, the City has had good communications between Ace Consultants and Moore Excavation. Nothing new is reported on Hager Park. Mr. Van Cleave asked when the next meeting will be held among the city, Ace Consultants, and Moore Excavation. According to Mr. Mills, a monthly meeting will be held, plus he is in contact with them daily.

Mr. Mills stated that there some leaks which need to be cleaned up.

Nothing new on Hager Park was reported. Mr. Mills reported that it is all leveled off, and as soon as work for the water project is caught up, the Public Works crew will start working on Hager Park. He would like to get a work crew, or community service workers to clean up the rocks. The alkali soil has been removed.

Mr. Wolff stated that the Utility Commission made the decision to have Moore fill the old pool since time was of the essence. Mr. Mills stated that he had polled all the Council members for their opinion prior to approving the action.

B) Mr. Wolff asked about the North Main Street and Campbell Way paving which will be discussed under Communications from the City Manager.

7. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FIRE CHIEF. None.

8. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY MANAGER.

Comment: Mr. Koffler recommended that if there was anyone in the audience that had items for discussion that they be allowed to move their issues to the front of the agenda. Council agreed to this.

A) Flood Study. Mr. Mills stated that he has nothing new to report.

B) Paving of North Main and Campbell Way. Mr. Mills briefed that the bridge needs to be paved. In addition, there is approximately 290 feet of street on both sides of the bridge that also needs to be paved. The Utilities Commission discussed using the funds for the parking area at Heritage Plaza for this. Mr. Mills stated that he has managed to get the Heritage Plaza parking area paved at no cost to the city. The Utility Commission and Public Works director recommended paving Campbell Way/Main Street area. The cost for this would be approximately $6600. Mr. Koffler stated that he thought that at last month’s meeting it was agreed to have the homeowners pay for the paving, and that there are other areas in Heppner that the homeowners would also like paved. According to Mr. Mills, Campbell Way needs to be done and it is a City street. He feels that money was saved on Heritage Plaza and that the funds for this paving would come out of the streets and bridges fund. Mrs. Buschke asked if this would be setting a precedent for other streets in the City. According to Mr. Mills, this is a special case since the bridge is being paved, Since the paving contractor is here already, the street will be easier to do.

Mr. Baker had questions on whether this was a city street. According to Mr. Mills and Mr. Dubuque, this is a city street. Mr. Dubuque has verified this through historical records at the court house.

Motion by Mr. Koffler to follow the recommendation of Public Works and the City Manager and pave the Main Street/Campbell way area. Seconded by Mrs. Robinson.

Discussion: The bridge damage has been settled with Miller and Sons.

Motion Carried unanimously.

Mr. Dubuque complimented Interim City Manager Mills on his work for the City and congratulated the Council on their selection of Mr. Mills.

Riverside Avenue. Mr. Mills reported that the street is being done. They have been able to get the depth of the asphalt increased. The project manager agreed to increase the depth to three inches. However, more money had to be spent to raise the manhole covers. The city also had to hire Miller’s roller at a cost of approximately $700.00. Mr. Wolff wondered if there was a plan to stripe the street. Mr. Mills and Mr. Nelson are under the opinion not to stripe at this time and wait until next spring. Mr. Wolff stated that homeowners have problems on where the center line is going to be located. Mr. Mills stated that the right-of-way should have probably been moved, but the cost was too high. Mr. Koffler asked about the cost to stripe the road; Mr. Mills stated that he doesn’t feel that striping will make a bit of difference. People will still park in front of their homes. No estimate has been obtained on the cost of the striping.

Concerning the sidewalk issue, Mr. Mills is investigating this.

C) Old pool destruction. According to Mr. Mills, tippage fees might be available to pay for the finishing of the site and whether the council would be agreeable to applying for funds for this. The old pool cannot be covered with a concrete slab. According to Mr. Van Cleave, Council needs to decide on what to do with the site. Mr. Koffler feels that there should possibly be another public meeting to discuss the disposition. He asked what else we could apply for with the tippage fees. Sidewalks to the new pool was suggested. Mr. Baker stated that he feels that Heppner has enough parks. Mr. Koffler feels we should have several alternatives for using tippage fees. Mrs. Doherty asked what the cost for sidewalks would be and no one was sure. Mr. Koffler volunteered to write the Needs and Issues request for the sidewalk. Funds for finishing the old pool area could also be requested. Mr. Wolff added that he would like to see sidewalks on Quaid Street. Mr. Koffler stated that the in-kind work has already been done on the old pool site. Mr. Mills agreed to write the tippage fee request for the old pool. He feels that something needs to be done that does not increase maintenance costs. A public meeting concerning the site was discussed. Mr. Mills will investigate this further. Mr. Van Cleave discussed a public meeting further, and the Council decided that a public meeting is not necessary at this time due to time constraints for submitting requests for tippage fees. Mr. Fowler suggested creating a proposal for the tippage fee request since demolishing the pool itself was not feasible. Once a grant is approved, a public meeting could be held. Council agreed to this.

D) Disposal of Surplus Equipment. Mr. Mills stated that descriptions of the surplus property are needed. Mr. Nelson stated that he is working on this. Mr. Mills stated that new filing cabinets have been purchased for City Hall since more space is needed for files.

E) WindWave Franchise Agreement. Discussed earlier in the meeting.

F) Resolution No. _______, A Resolution Approving Accounts Payable for Payment. Motion by Mrs. Robinson to adopt Resolution No. 615-05 approving Accounts Payable for payment. Seconded by Mr. Koffler. Motion Carried unanimously.

Mr. Mills stated that regarding the bills for the water project funds, there is a delay on payments because once the payment request has been sent in, there are steps that need to be followed since the final issuing authority is the federal government. This month’s payment request has been sent in early to avoid delays.

G) June Financial Statement. According to Mr. Mills, the end of the year cash balance is pretty close to budget. The auditors will be her on September 14-15. Mr. Wolff has concerns on the water revenue and whether there will be enough new funds to pay the bonds. According to Mr. Mills there are not enough funds to make the payment this year. They are making efforts to ensure the project does not close until December so that the first payment will not be due until December 2006. In that period of time, with the money that is set aside, we should be all right. In answer to Mr. Wolff’s question, over the long term, adjustments may need to be made. Water usage is up in July and water loss is being cut down due to the new system. Mrs. Doherty added that the usage at the Forest Service building needs to be checked.

9. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITY ATTORNEY. City Attorney Kuhn stated that there are problems dealing with the Breeding property due to the reassignment of one of the mortgages. Several of the mortgage companies have not recorded assignments. Mr. Kuhn hopes that within 30 days these issues will be resolved.

According to Mr. Koffler, progress has been made on Dr. Wenberg’s property. The wrecked car is gone; however, the two inoperable vehicles are still there, and a couch has been added.

10. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR/CITY COUNCILORS

A) Revised time line for City Manager Recruitment and profile. According to Mr. Van Cleave, the City Council will probably have to meet the week after Fair and Rodeo (August 22-26). Mr. Van Cleave stated that the candidate’s packets will be sorted and ranked before they are forwarded to the City for review. Mrs. Doherty asked whether the resumes should be sent to the City via UPS. Mr. Koffler stated that he is concerned about the process for reviewing resumes in a timely manner. Mr. Wolff would like to have the meeting to discuss the candidates on August 24 or 25. Mr. Koffler recommended having the resumes sent via Federal Express and have copies ready to distribute to Councilors to review on Monday afternoon, August 22. Then the Council could have time to review them before holding a meeting on August 25. Mr. Van Cleave will discuss this further with Mr. Townsend.

B) Heppner Housing Authority.

According to Mrs. Buschke, the July 21 meeting went well. The cooks for the Wednesday meal site have resigned. There are problems with CAPECO that precipitated this. Apparently there are problems with Eva Mabbot, the CAPECO administrator of the program. At this point, it is unknown whether there will be a meal on August 10. At the last meal site, two people from Milton Freewater were in attendance at the meal; however, they are not familiar with Heppner or the process. Mr. Koffler volunteered to investigate this further with the CAPECO board members.

Mrs. Buschke and Mrs. Dubuque have agreed to show the apartments and will hold an open house and tours during rodeo weekend. There are currently five vacancies.

Mrs. Schonbachler has volunteered to contact Merlin Robinson to see if she will be willing to write an article for the Ruralite magazine.

Mr. Mills recommended that in the future, the Housing Authority and City Council should consider smaller rent increases yearly, rather than having a large increase all at once.

Meeting adjourned at 10:00 PM.