The Observer paper 01-16-15

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OREGON LA GRANDE CITY COUNCIL

• Early budget outline gives more money for K-12, community colleges,unLversities More info

By Taylor W. Anderson VVesCom News Service

Mike Boquist photo

City CouncilorsWayne Brown, left, Gary Lillard,Troy Pointerand Justin Rockwere sworn in atWednesday night's meeting. Brown and Rock are first-time councilors, while Lillard and Pointer were voted in for another term. New Mayor Steve Clements was also sworn in during Wednesday's meeting.

• New La Grande City Council approves second dispensary with unique condition By Cherise Kaechele The Observer

The newly sworn-in La Grande city councilors were thrown into the deep end of the pool Wednesday at their first meeting with a public hearing on a conditional use permit for La Grande's second medical marijuana facility. The meeting included the swearing in of new Mayor Steve Clements and new city council members Wayne Brown and Justin Rock. Troy Pointer and Gary Lillard were re-elected in November and

recently passed marijuana regulations — such as the 1,000-foot bufferareasaway f'rom public and private schools, libraries, public parks and licensed day care centers. uiThis areal is fair game for a imarijuana facility) application," he said. The CUP has three conditions that must be met for it to beapproved, Boquistsaid. The first two are fairly easy — whether the business is actually allowed use in the zone, which it is, Boquist added. The second criteria is whether

retainedtheir seatsand were also sworn in.

The proposed Eagle Cap Dispensary LLC, owned by Jeff Durning and Wilma Reynolds, submitted a conditional use permit to begin operating a medical marijuana facility in the Albany Associates Building in La Grande last fall. City Planner Mike Boquist presented the information, starting with the fact that the proposeddispensary meets all legal requirements set forth by the state and La Grande's

there are public utilities set up at the location. "Per my review, it meets all the requirements city code has. The only subjective one that will influence your decision is the compatibility," Boquist said. The third, and the condition Boquist stressed the council focus on if they take issue with the permit, is whether the business will have a compatibility issue, which is more of an open-ended condition. Afterboth Durning and SeeApproval / Page 5A

CounciltalIlesaNealofclinicsitenlan • Several neighbors unhappy with Regional Medical Clinic construction

permit. Manwell, who lives directly across from the clinic and the parking lot site, lists eight issues in her appeal that had to do with the site plan, as well as the

By Cherise Kaechele

CUP.

The Observer

The La Grande City Council heard more than two hours of testimony on an appealfor a site plan projectatthe Regional Medical Clinic that several neighbors feel was not handled properly. The new city council's first agenda item was to hold a public hearing on an appealofa siteplan submitted by the clinic for a parking lot. However, the appellant, Jann Manwell, is also taking issue with items from a previouslyapproved conditionaluse

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Among the issues is the size of the parking lot and the consistency of a residential professional zone. City Planner Mike Boquist said after the meeting Manwell is trying to appeal "more than is legally being appealed," citing the CUP had a 12-day appeal time that was issued in August. Attorney Wes Williams, who is representing Manwell in the issue, argued the hospital "m isrepresented theirneed fora parking lot." Steve Able, an attorney representing Grande Ronde Hospital, said the CUP

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W hat do you think? We want to hear your thoughts. Email letters to the editor to news@ lagrandeobserver. com and join the conversation on The Observer Opinion page.

has beenapproved and itisirrelevant whether there's a need for the lot and the amount of parking spaces it will have. Boquist said everything to do with the clinic and the CUP that was approved has been by the book. 'The CUP is over. This appeal is limited SeeAppeal / Page 5A

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The outline proposes putting about $159 million into the state's Rainy Day Fund, which would create the largest reserve in Oregon history.

LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tim Mustoe/The Observer

Doors will be added to classrooms at La Grande High School this summer with money from the $31.85 million bond voters approved.

District moves closer to starting bond work Down the

By Dick Mason The Observer

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The stage isbeing setfor a whirlwind summer of construction, maintenance and security work in the La Grande School District. The La Grande School Boarddirectedthe district's administration to move forward in negotiating a contract with a Portland firm, Design Engineers & Consulting Associates, on Wednesday. SeeDistrict / Page 5A

The school district will later hire a firm for all of the bond project architectural work scheduled to be completed after this summer.

CONTACT US

Fu l l forecast on the back of B section

Friday

SALEM — Oregon has more money to spend after years ofbelt-tightening, so two lawmakers in charge of writing the state's budget releasedan outline oftheir vision for $18.5 billion in spending earlier than ever to give lawmakers time to work before agenciesclaw for piecesofthepie. Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, and Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, on Wednesday released what they called a budget framework that shows the state is committed to its ambitious education goals and continues building reserves ahead SeeBudget / Page 5A

541-963-3161 Issue 7 3 sections, 24 pages La Grande, Oregon

Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.

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