Lisa Moody, program manager of the Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) outreach center in Burns, attended the Harney County Court meeting on April 23 to discuss a reduction of services.

Moody provided a copy of a letter that she received from Kaitlin Brookshire, director of the TVCC center in Caldwell, Idaho, stating, “Your contract will not be renewed for the 2019-2020 year. In addition, due to the current budget issues facing TVCC and the Burns center, your position, program manager, will be reduced to 19 hours a week starting April 15, 2019.”

Moody said, “A couple weeks ago, the director came, fired my GED person, and cut me back to halftime. We’d talked about being cut back to halftime, so that’s not a big deal. But I don’t feel like Treasure Valley is serving Harney County by letting the GED person go.”

“We sign a contract each year with Treasure Valley, and it’s based on [a] headcount of Harney County citizens who use the outreach center here,” Harney County Judge Pete Runnels said, adding that it costs the county about $13,000-$14,000 annually.

The county links with TVCC for the outreach center, small-business administration, and GED testing.

Runnels explained that the GED testing has to be “certified through the proper channels,” which is why the county contracts with TVCC for the proctor.

“They’re not serving us real well,” Runnels said regarding TVCC.

“If you don’t feel like you’re being served by them, which I don’t feel like [you] are, you need to let them know,” Moody replied, noting that she asked Brookshire to meet with the court to present a budget and answer questions.

Harney County Commissioner Patty Dorroh stated that the court can contract with any community college, and Runnels said, “We need to start looking for options.”

Moody noted that the county owns the building that houses the outreach center.

She said, “The county gave that building to Treasure Valley as an in-kind in lieu of the 20 percent that you’re paying, but then the state said, ‘No, there won’t be anymore in-kind.’ So you guys own the building, and you pay 20 percent, and they fired your GED person.”

Moody added that Eastern Oregon University uses the building, but doesn’t pay utilities.

If TVCC stops providing services to Harney County, Moody recommends that the court contract with Central Oregon Community College. She also recommended bringing in Oregon State University.

Dorroh asked, “What do you think are the most important, key services that should be provided?”

Moody replied that GED testing is definitely a key service, and she’d like to get more college classes into the local high schools.

Runnels thanked Moody for the information and said the court will research the matter further.

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The court discussed imposing a transient room tax for Harney County. The amount of the tax has yet to be decided, but the court is considering between 5 and 8 percent.

“Anytime you go rent a motel room, you get this fee on top of your room rate,” Runnels explained, adding that the tax applies to any form of transient lodging, including motels, hotels, Airbnb rentals, etc.

The cities of Burns and Hines already have these taxes in place. Burns charges an 8 percent tax, and Hines charges 9 percent. However, customers aren’t currently taxed when they stay in the county’s more remote areas.

In addition to capturing revenue in the outlying areas, the county could charge a tax on top of the city rates. However, Harney County Commissioner Mark Owens said he thinks the court has to receive permission from the cities’ elected officials before imposing a tax in the cities.

“I believe it can bring in revenue of $350,000,” Owens said regarding the transient room tax.

He noted that conversation concerning the tax began two years ago, but the discussion resurfaced in light of the county’s current budget shortfall. Thirty percent of the tax revenue can go to the county’s general fund.

By law, 70 percent of the tax must be allocated to tourist-related activities. The Harney County Fairgrounds, Claire McGill Luce Western History Room, and Harney County Chamber of Commerce  were listed as possible recipients, but the court will need to research which entities qualify for the funds and determine how the money would be distributed.

Runnels said the county was contributing $16,000 to the chamber annually, but, with the budget shortfall, those funds are no longer available.

An audience member spoke in favor of allocating funds to the fairgrounds.

“The fairgrounds is in serious need of a revenue stream,” he said. “I think that would be very advantageous.”

Runnels noted that the court is unsure whether it can impose the tax via ordinance, explaining that a vote of the people might be required.

“If by ordinance, you can deal with it in two readings, and you can impose it in 90 days. It’d be nice if we could do it by ordinance. That way, [we can] move forward,” Owens said.

The court will seek legal advice regarding how to proceed.

Dorroh noted that local hotel owners might want to provide input as well.

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Runnels reported that the court is using a two-part process to address the Harney County budget.

Part one is projecting out the rest of this fiscal year (July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019). Runnels said the court hopes to use money that was put in reserves to get through this year without a loan.

“If we can end this [fiscal] year with a $0 ending-fund balance, we can proceed as we have with our budget,” Owens said.

He added that, with a few exceptions, the county cannot take on debt without a vote of the people, and there isn’t enough time for the people to vote.

“In my mind, we have to figure out how to balance this without going to a vote of the people anyhow. We can’t ask for money,” Owens said.

In part two of the process, the court will meet with the various departments to determine where cuts can be made.

“We’ll sit down and start discussing where we believe we need to cut,” Owens said.

The court held a public forum Tuesday, May 7, in the Memorial Building at the Harney County Fairgrounds to hear from interested citizens regarding the 2019-2020 Harney County budget. No decisions were made.

Additional budget meetings will be held May 9 at 10 a.m., May 10 at 9 a.m., and May 15 at 8 a.m. If needed, there will also be a meeting on May 21. These meetings, which will be located in Runnels’ office at the courthouse, are open to the public.

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On March 21, Suzanne Settle hosted a community round table to discuss inclusive emergency planning for people with disabilities in Oregon.

“When emergency managers are planning for events, they make an effort to include everyone in their communities, but people with disabilities are often disproportionately affected. With so many versions of disabilities, it’s hard for an emergency manager to cover every single disability in a plan,” Settle said. “So this was a round table for people with disabilities to come forward and say, ‘This is what we’re concerned about.’”

Information gathered at round tables throughout the state will be taken back to emergency managers so they can address concerns and include people with disabilities in their planning.

Dorroh asked, “Do you have any take away to share with us?”

Settle said a participant expressed concern that he’ll run out of oxygen if he loses power. She’s working with Norco Medical to inform customers about planned power outages so they can stock supplies.

The needs of service animals will also be included in emergency preparedness plans.

“We do a really good job because we take care of our community, and our emergency manager is including every aspect of the community,” Settle said.

The Oregon Department of Human Services, State Independent Living Council, Oregon Emergency Management, and Oregon Health Authority will hold an inclusive emergency planning workshop at the Salem Convention Center on June 18. The workshop is free and open to the public.

Settle and Hipolito Medrano will attend to teach a seminar encouraging emergency managers to get people with disabilities involved in their own emergency planning.

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During the public comment period, Herb Vloedman said he and his wife, Ann, own about 3.5 acres of land adjacent to the former King’s store that they’d like to donate to the county and cities of Burns and Hines for a law-enforcement, fire, and dispatch facility that would serve all three entities. He said the Oregon State Police could also rent space in the facility.

The donation would come with two conditions. The first is that, within one year, the county and cities must develop a written agreement to proceed with the project. The second condition is that the three entities must develop a plan to fund construction of the facility within the following year.

Runnels thanked the Vloedmans for their offer.

•••

In other business, the court:

• received a request from Mitzi Defenbaugh.

She asked for a breakdown showing the highest-grossing industry in Harney County. Owens will provide a copy of the most recent agricultural census;

• learned from Dorroh that there’s an opening on the Eastern Oregon Workforce Board. The court will advertise the position;

• discussed a property on South Court.

Runnels asked Harney County Counsel Tim Colahan when the county can begin cleanup. Colahan replied that it can begin after the 30-day period of redemption closes;

• needs to identify a liaison to ensure that Harney County gets an accurate census count. Anyone who is interested in the position can contact the court;

• approved Resolution 2019-14 in the matter of intrafund transfer of appropriations within categories;

• approved the Policy of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicapped Status.

Runnels said the policy is needed for the Oregon Community Development Block Grant. Administered by Community in Action, the grant will make $300,000 available to rehabilitate homes.

“Actually it’s a policy the county will have on file anyway,” Runnels added;

• discussed Public Notices of Water Use Requests;

• received correspondence from the Malheur National Forest regarding timber sales that will be offered between April 1 and Sept. 30;

• held an executive session to consult with legal counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed. No decisions were made;

• will visit constituents in the Fields area May 8 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Fields Elementary School gymnasium. The court will visit Riley and Drewsey in the fall;

• rescheduled its May meetings. They will be held May 8 and May 22. The regular meeting schedule will resume in June.

The next meeting of the Harney County Court will be held Wednesday, May 8, at 10 a.m. in Runnels’ office at the courthouse.