Unlocking the potential of the Willamette River for residential drinking water carries a price
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, February 2, 2024
With a demand to develop a new water source pressing on Independence, this much is clear: at least some progress needs to be shown over the next two years on a new water treatment plant or the city risks losing important water rights on the Willamette River.
If that sounds like a warning, it is – in a statement that comes straight from the city’s master plan for water, which was adopted last spring by the Independence City Council.
“It is recommended that the City avoid further developing in the Willamette Wellfield and pursue the Willamette River for the new water source,” according to the plan. Now the city is moving to acquire nearly 10 acres south of town as a site for the water treatment facility.
The wellfields that have been such an important supplier of drinking water aren’t going to be able to do the job in the future, or as the city report describes it, not able to provide for “the long-term needs of the city” unless there is “a substantial investment.”
An analysis of the city’s pending water expenses includes a two-decade cost summary that’s expected to be nearly $106 million – the bulk of that expense is anticipated to occur over five years’ time, as the city tackles the big project of a water treatment plant. When this extensive list of water infrastructure needs was first reported, Independence Mayor John McArdle cautioned: “This is over a 20-year period.”
But it arrives amid city debt that was diagnosed as high by outside experts two year ago. In 2022, when the water treatment plant became a frequent topic of discussion by city officials, the city debt was $40 million, with an additional $5 million as a planned repayment by MINET, according to the city’s finance director at the time, Gloria Butsch.
Over the past two years, the debt has been whittled down but official findings on just how much – scheduled to be available on this year’s municipal audit report – aren’t available. The city’s audit still hasn’t been filed with the Oregon Secretary of State, and neither has a request for an extension. The audit, now more than a month past the December 2023 due date, is tentatively scheduled to be delivered in February. However, there has been no response to inquiries about the municipal audit or questions about the cost of the treatment plant by the city’s communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea.
City Manager Kenna West has mentioned partnerships as a possibility for helping to meet city water treatment needs. This past week, Polk County officials held a meeting on a regional water supply plan that appears to be unfolding between the county and Independence for possibly joint use of the facility.
It was referred to as a “big win” by Austin McGuigan, the county’s community development director – a view echoed by water experts outside the county, including one at the state level.
However, other attendees at the meeting – the city managers of Monmouth and Dallas – appeared supportive but tentative about the plan. Brian Latta, city manager of Dallas, noted that a current focus in his city is on the construction needs of Mercer Dam. As for the idea of tapping into Independence’s water treatment plant, “there may be benefits down the road,” he said.
Monmouth’s interim city manager, Christy Wurster, lauded the effort by Independence, but added: “I think we need to do due diligence about this, for the residents of Monmouth.”
Independence, the city known for having been founded twice in the 1800s – the second time after the Willamette River flooded the town’s original site – now seems poised to tie its future to the river in another way. The sometimes-overflowing river is likely to serve as the city’s new source of drinking water. ▪
Revisions in property tax rules for veterans is proving complex and confusing -- call for moratorium
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, February 2, 2024
Oregon needs to put the brakes on changing the way the state is now administering a property-tax benefit to veterans who seek the discount – it’s unclear, complex and cannot be carried out efficiently. That was the message delivered by the Polk County Board of Commissioners and Polk County Tax Assessor Valerie Patoine at last week’s meeting of the board.
“It’s rattled a hornet’s nest in my view,” said Board Chair Craig Pope during a presentation by representatives of the state’s department of revenue, who attended the meeting to explain the revision amid complaints about it. All three commissioners called for a legislative solution to fix the complications.
The new language on veteran tax exemptions, which took effect a month ago, needs a "stay" of at least a year before it goes into effect – the change significantly increases the workload and cost at the county, and it divides veteran applicants into “winners” or “losers” for the exemption, according to Patoine.
Two members of the Oregon Department of Revenue, Tax Administrator Bram Ekstrand, and Government Relations Manager Seiji Shiratori, explained that the way the veteran tax benefits were calculated is inconsistent with the state’s constitution, leading to the change that was instituted. It affects active-duty personnel returning to civilian life, but it’s not retroactive, they explained.
The program is proving confusing to veterans, affirmed Polk County’s Veteran Services Officer, Eric Enderle, who attended the meeting.
"I believe the process should be well understood, not complex and confusing, and that it should be done fairly – and that the fairness should be obvious," Enderle said. Like Patoine and Pope, he said the situation calls for legislative action.
Oregon Sen. Kim Thatcher, of Corvallis, plans to spearhead a bill in the 2024 Legislative Session that would allow veterans to keep more of their retirement pay through a state income tax exemption. She also is the senate sponsor of Senate Bill 884, which increases existing property tax exemption rates and creates a new exemption for veterans, a bill that lists Rep. Paul Evans as a co-sponsor.
Trammart News reached out to Rep. Evans, who represents House District 20 in the county; however, Evans failed to respond to repeated attempts for a reply to the situation. Evans has made veteran issues a priority of his elected office.
Following the Board of Commissioners meeting, Patoine added that, in the past week, “my office had two qualifying veterans that chose to not enroll in the program once the new rule was explained to them.”
Prior to the new rule, the amount of the exemption was subtracted from the assessed value of the property, and taxes were calculated off that reduced amount, Patoine explained. When the exemption no longer qualified, the exemption was removed, and taxes were calculated on the existing assessed value. The new method is not only “mind-boggling,” Patoine observed but, as an example, it means there currently are two veterans in Polk County that are paying more in taxes as a result of the change, with another veteran paying less.
Other states have streamlined and simplified the process for veterans, according to attendees at the meeting. Enderle cited South Carolina, which he noted has “a very straightforward property tax exemption program for veterans.” ▪
Local couple is leaving their roadside Christmas tree decorated until Valentine’s Day
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, February 2, 2024
A majority of people who celebrate Christmas across the globe believe holiday decorations shouldn’t be put away till sometime in February. Two of them are Hilda and J.R. Salinas, who have been lighting up the tall evergreen on the west side of Highway 51 every December for the past 20 years.
They do it because those who drive by like it – and so do they. This year, their visits to town recently have shown them that some residents are reluctant to take down their holiday lights. “We see them all over,” the couple commented to a recent visitor.
In fact, the trend is becoming a worldwide phenomenon, with the USA joining in. “Strip your tree of the Christmas ornaments and replace them with red, pink, and white bulbs, as well as whatever heart-shaped decorations you can find,” advised columnist Caitlyn Fitzpatrick in an online article that appeared four years ago in Product News. “Your star or angel can be swapped with a bow, heart, or any piece that screams love.”
In the United Kingdom, for example, the Christmas season actually continues right through to early February, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. Part of the reason may be that, before she died, Queen Elizabeth unfailingly kept her Christmas tree intact until Feb. 6.
In fact, polls show nearly half of Americans lag weeks before taking down their Christmas trees, even though a majority believe they should be packed away before the end of January, Why? More than half don’t want to be the first ones on their block to take down decorations, according to OnePoll, which often conducts surveys for news outlets.
The Salinas family is having it both ways this year. An inflatable bear with a big heart sits by the tree still festooned with ornaments. Once February 14 rolls around, “we’ll just move the bear and those kind of decorations over to the tree,” explained Hilda Salinas. ▪
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, February 2, 2024
With a demand to develop a new water source pressing on Independence, this much is clear: at least some progress needs to be shown over the next two years on a new water treatment plant or the city risks losing important water rights on the Willamette River.
If that sounds like a warning, it is – in a statement that comes straight from the city’s master plan for water, which was adopted last spring by the Independence City Council.
“It is recommended that the City avoid further developing in the Willamette Wellfield and pursue the Willamette River for the new water source,” according to the plan. Now the city is moving to acquire nearly 10 acres south of town as a site for the water treatment facility.
The wellfields that have been such an important supplier of drinking water aren’t going to be able to do the job in the future, or as the city report describes it, not able to provide for “the long-term needs of the city” unless there is “a substantial investment.”
An analysis of the city’s pending water expenses includes a two-decade cost summary that’s expected to be nearly $106 million – the bulk of that expense is anticipated to occur over five years’ time, as the city tackles the big project of a water treatment plant. When this extensive list of water infrastructure needs was first reported, Independence Mayor John McArdle cautioned: “This is over a 20-year period.”
But it arrives amid city debt that was diagnosed as high by outside experts two year ago. In 2022, when the water treatment plant became a frequent topic of discussion by city officials, the city debt was $40 million, with an additional $5 million as a planned repayment by MINET, according to the city’s finance director at the time, Gloria Butsch.
Over the past two years, the debt has been whittled down but official findings on just how much – scheduled to be available on this year’s municipal audit report – aren’t available. The city’s audit still hasn’t been filed with the Oregon Secretary of State, and neither has a request for an extension. The audit, now more than a month past the December 2023 due date, is tentatively scheduled to be delivered in February. However, there has been no response to inquiries about the municipal audit or questions about the cost of the treatment plant by the city’s communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea.
City Manager Kenna West has mentioned partnerships as a possibility for helping to meet city water treatment needs. This past week, Polk County officials held a meeting on a regional water supply plan that appears to be unfolding between the county and Independence for possibly joint use of the facility.
It was referred to as a “big win” by Austin McGuigan, the county’s community development director – a view echoed by water experts outside the county, including one at the state level.
However, other attendees at the meeting – the city managers of Monmouth and Dallas – appeared supportive but tentative about the plan. Brian Latta, city manager of Dallas, noted that a current focus in his city is on the construction needs of Mercer Dam. As for the idea of tapping into Independence’s water treatment plant, “there may be benefits down the road,” he said.
Monmouth’s interim city manager, Christy Wurster, lauded the effort by Independence, but added: “I think we need to do due diligence about this, for the residents of Monmouth.”
Independence, the city known for having been founded twice in the 1800s – the second time after the Willamette River flooded the town’s original site – now seems poised to tie its future to the river in another way. The sometimes-overflowing river is likely to serve as the city’s new source of drinking water. ▪
Revisions in property tax rules for veterans is proving complex and confusing -- call for moratorium
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, February 2, 2024
Oregon needs to put the brakes on changing the way the state is now administering a property-tax benefit to veterans who seek the discount – it’s unclear, complex and cannot be carried out efficiently. That was the message delivered by the Polk County Board of Commissioners and Polk County Tax Assessor Valerie Patoine at last week’s meeting of the board.
“It’s rattled a hornet’s nest in my view,” said Board Chair Craig Pope during a presentation by representatives of the state’s department of revenue, who attended the meeting to explain the revision amid complaints about it. All three commissioners called for a legislative solution to fix the complications.
The new language on veteran tax exemptions, which took effect a month ago, needs a "stay" of at least a year before it goes into effect – the change significantly increases the workload and cost at the county, and it divides veteran applicants into “winners” or “losers” for the exemption, according to Patoine.
Two members of the Oregon Department of Revenue, Tax Administrator Bram Ekstrand, and Government Relations Manager Seiji Shiratori, explained that the way the veteran tax benefits were calculated is inconsistent with the state’s constitution, leading to the change that was instituted. It affects active-duty personnel returning to civilian life, but it’s not retroactive, they explained.
The program is proving confusing to veterans, affirmed Polk County’s Veteran Services Officer, Eric Enderle, who attended the meeting.
"I believe the process should be well understood, not complex and confusing, and that it should be done fairly – and that the fairness should be obvious," Enderle said. Like Patoine and Pope, he said the situation calls for legislative action.
Oregon Sen. Kim Thatcher, of Corvallis, plans to spearhead a bill in the 2024 Legislative Session that would allow veterans to keep more of their retirement pay through a state income tax exemption. She also is the senate sponsor of Senate Bill 884, which increases existing property tax exemption rates and creates a new exemption for veterans, a bill that lists Rep. Paul Evans as a co-sponsor.
Trammart News reached out to Rep. Evans, who represents House District 20 in the county; however, Evans failed to respond to repeated attempts for a reply to the situation. Evans has made veteran issues a priority of his elected office.
Following the Board of Commissioners meeting, Patoine added that, in the past week, “my office had two qualifying veterans that chose to not enroll in the program once the new rule was explained to them.”
Prior to the new rule, the amount of the exemption was subtracted from the assessed value of the property, and taxes were calculated off that reduced amount, Patoine explained. When the exemption no longer qualified, the exemption was removed, and taxes were calculated on the existing assessed value. The new method is not only “mind-boggling,” Patoine observed but, as an example, it means there currently are two veterans in Polk County that are paying more in taxes as a result of the change, with another veteran paying less.
Other states have streamlined and simplified the process for veterans, according to attendees at the meeting. Enderle cited South Carolina, which he noted has “a very straightforward property tax exemption program for veterans.” ▪
Local couple is leaving their roadside Christmas tree decorated until Valentine’s Day
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, February 2, 2024
A majority of people who celebrate Christmas across the globe believe holiday decorations shouldn’t be put away till sometime in February. Two of them are Hilda and J.R. Salinas, who have been lighting up the tall evergreen on the west side of Highway 51 every December for the past 20 years.
They do it because those who drive by like it – and so do they. This year, their visits to town recently have shown them that some residents are reluctant to take down their holiday lights. “We see them all over,” the couple commented to a recent visitor.
In fact, the trend is becoming a worldwide phenomenon, with the USA joining in. “Strip your tree of the Christmas ornaments and replace them with red, pink, and white bulbs, as well as whatever heart-shaped decorations you can find,” advised columnist Caitlyn Fitzpatrick in an online article that appeared four years ago in Product News. “Your star or angel can be swapped with a bow, heart, or any piece that screams love.”
In the United Kingdom, for example, the Christmas season actually continues right through to early February, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. Part of the reason may be that, before she died, Queen Elizabeth unfailingly kept her Christmas tree intact until Feb. 6.
In fact, polls show nearly half of Americans lag weeks before taking down their Christmas trees, even though a majority believe they should be packed away before the end of January, Why? More than half don’t want to be the first ones on their block to take down decorations, according to OnePoll, which often conducts surveys for news outlets.
The Salinas family is having it both ways this year. An inflatable bear with a big heart sits by the tree still festooned with ornaments. Once February 14 rolls around, “we’ll just move the bear and those kind of decorations over to the tree,” explained Hilda Salinas. ▪
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