Port district failure fallout could linger

ADVERTISEMENT

Malheur County Judge Russ Hursh - who was defeated in the primary election and will leave public office in November - said the county's economic future revolves around the proposed bio-refinery.

"We need to work on getting the ethanol plant open. It definitely could be a benefit to the ag industry," he said.

Apart from promoting the bio-refinery, he said there needs to be a discussion of where the county goes now. In short, he said, the question boils down to does the county have some development or does it continue exactly as it has?

"Where do we go from here?" he said. "We need to get some type of growth."

"I know we'll find a way," Linda Simmons - a port district supporter - said about economic development. "I don't know what it will be."

Simmons said Malheur County should keep a close eye on neighboring counties, to determine what they are doing to spark economic development.

"We have to be on the same page as our competitors," she said, putting two other Eastern Oregon counties, Baker and Umatilla, on that list.

One of her concerns, Simmons said, is Malheur County will continue to have the lowest economic rate in the state.

"We have no economic development," she said.

According to one vocal, local opponent of the port district, its failure was an almost forgone conclusion.

"It was predictable," Ontario resident Ray Dickerson said.

Dickerson said he supported economic development but a climate of distrust exists throughout the county.

When government officials request money without saying exactly what they are going to do, people believe they are going to get fooled, Dickerson said.

He said port district proponents should have more definite plans, such as having a definite piece of property they planned to buy and develop and how they planned to develop it.

"There is no concrete plan," he said. "They only spoke in possibility terms."

Meanwhile, state officials are working with local elected leaders to create some kind of economic development blueprint.

For example, economic developers - one from the state and one under contract with the county - plus the new regional representative of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development are pushing ahead with projects to help the city and county identify land for development.

Some of the land identified could be used for industrial purposes and help cities get industrial sites into their urban growth boundaries.

Meeting with the Malheur County Court Wednesday, Rick Minister, business developer for Malheur, Harney and Grant counties and Martin Davis, who is doing economic development work under contract with the county, requested that the court allow them to apply for a $12,000 community assistance grant from the Malheur National Forest for Nyssa and Vale.

The funds would be used to identify possible industrial lands around those communities with the goal of finding a variety of sites in a variety of sizes.

Ontario is over the population requirement, but is getting involved in its periodic review process so it will have other resources available, they said.

The purpose is to get these industrial sites inside urban growth boundaries so they will be able to receive city services.

A seminar on the process of expanding the urban growth boundaries will be conducted by DLCD staff in June for city and county representatives.

Minster and Davis said the shovel ready industrial sites are still needed.

In addition to having the zoning and infrastructure in place, Minster said, certified sites must include a contract which stipulates the owner will not raise the prices for at least two years.