Emergencies dominate council agenda
By Terry Murry on Monday, July 26th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HERMISTON – The Hermiston City Council meets today (Monday) at 7 p.m., and three items on the agenda deal with emergencies. The meeting is at the Hermiston Community Center.
The council will consider updates to the wording of its water shortage emergency section of the city code. Officials stress that the city is not experiencing a water shortage. It is felt that the language of the section needs to be updated for the Oregon Health Authority.
In researching emergencies, it was determined the city code does not establish who has the power to declare an emergency in Hermiston. The council is considering an ordinance that would give that power to the city manager with the approval of the city council.
The city’s proposed emergency plan is also on the agenda. It was first presented at the last regular council meeting and returns for discussion after some questions have been answered. The plan was drafted by Police Chief Jason Edmiston and Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 Chief Scott Stanton.
The council will also consider changes on East Diagonal Boulevard between East Ridgeway Avenue and Northeast 10th Street due to the development of housing in the area. There are two proposals being considered to make the area safer. One is to lower the speed limit from 35 to 25. The other is to install a four-way stop at the intersection of East Diagonal and Northeast 10th.
The meeting is streamed live on the Hermiston YouTube channel.
