The La Grande City Council is scheduled Wednesday to appoint a city manager pro tem after the termination of City Manager John O'Brien, and to vote on a 3.7% garbage rate increase. Earlier Wednesday, the Union County Board of Commissioners holds a public hearing on a planning appeal in La Grande, and the Baker County Board of Commissioners takes up a Greater Idaho discussion in Baker City. On Tuesday, the Pendleton City Council holds a hearing on shifting about $127,000 a year in lodging tax revenue to its General Fund. The Malheur County Court does not meet this week.
Umatilla County
Umatilla County Board of Commissioners
The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners holds a work session Monday, Nov. 2, at 9 a.m. in Room 130 of the Umatilla County Courthouse, 216 SE Fourth St., Pendleton. The public can join by Google Meet or phone; the links are on the work session agenda. It is a work session, so no votes are scheduled.
Commissioners will discuss a Sheriff's Office vehicle order and review the agenda for their Monday, Nov. 9, board meeting. Questions and comments go to askyourcommissioners@umatillacounty.gov or 541-278-6204.
Pendleton Housing and Neighborhood Improvement Committee
The Pendleton Housing and Neighborhood Improvement Committee, an advisory group, meets Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 3 p.m. in the Community Development conference room at City Hall, 500 SW Dorion Ave., with a Microsoft Teams option listed on the agenda. It continues discussion of system development charges, fees on new construction, and takes up a reimbursement district as new business. At its Oct. 6 meeting, consultants put the maximum parks charge at $3,140 per resident, about $6,766 per home, and the parks commission recommended a fee of about $625 instead. Public comment opens the meeting.
Pendleton City Council
The Pendleton City Council meets Tuesday, Nov. 3, Election Day, at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 500 SW Dorion Ave. The agenda includes a link to join on Microsoft Teams. Community discussion, for comments on matters not on the agenda, opens the meeting.
The council holds a public hearing on Ordinance No. 4057, which amends the city's lodging room tax. The council heard its first reading Oct. 20, and staff recommends adoption. The 8% tax rate does not change. Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the ordinance would move 8 percentage points of lodging tax revenue to the General Fund: the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce share would drop from 14% to 8%, keeping its $72,000 annual minimum, and the Pendleton Convention Center share from 48.375% to 46.375%. Based on fiscal 2025 collections, the staff report estimates about $127,000 more a year for the General Fund, about $95,000 less for the chamber and about $31,700 less for the Convention Center Fund. The ordinance also requires online travel and short-term rental platforms that take payment to collect and remit the tax, and cuts the share operators keep for collecting it from 7% to 5%, which staff estimates adds about $47,000 a year.
The council is also scheduled to vote on Resolution 3002, adopting the city's 2026 Housing Production Strategy, prepared by Winterbrook Planning. The Pendleton Planning Commission voted unanimously Oct. 22 to recommend it, and the city's grant and state deadline to adopt is Dec. 31. The staff report lists 12 strategies, including allowing more density and middle housing, selling city-owned land for housing, continuing the upper-story housing program in the urban renewal district and working toward reopening a city building department.
The consent agenda includes four interfund loans at 0% interest: up to $200,000 for the Urban Forestry Fund, up to $1 million from the water and sewer capital reserve funds for the UAS airport improvement projects fund, up to $25,000 for the parks special projects fund and up to $75,000 for the Blue Mountain Equine Center Fund. It also includes an executive session on real property, litigation, exempt records and trade negotiations, and the appointment of Chris Zimmerman to the Pendleton Convention Center Commission. The council also hears the annual transit update. Questions go to City Hall administration at 541-966-0201.
Pendleton School District board
The Pendleton School District 16R board holds a work session Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 8 a.m. at the District Office, 107 NW 10th St. The agenda includes an update from the long-range facility planning committee, fall interim test results for kindergarten through eighth grade, and first readings of two policies, one on Native American impact aid funds and one on property inventories. The board is also scheduled to vote on approving out-of-state travel, listed under the superintendent.
Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
The Board of Trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation usually meets Mondays at 9 a.m. at the Nixyáawii Governance Center, 46411 Timíne Way, Pendleton. The board's weekly calendar for this week had not been posted by Saturday.
Union County
Union County Board of Commissioners
The Union County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 9 a.m. at the Joseph Annex Building, 1106 K Ave., La Grande. The public can also join by Zoom (meeting ID 814 2000 6863) or by calling 253-215-8782, as listed on the meeting agenda.
At 9:30 a.m., commissioners hold a public hearing on the Russell/Reddington/Henes appeal, which the county's hearing notice describes as an appeal through the Planning Department. The agenda lists a staff report, public comment and then discussion and possible action. The notice does not describe the property or the decision being appealed.
Also on the agenda: a report from the county's victim assistance program director on a Victims of Crime Act grant award; a letter of support for Rainmaker, listed under administrative matters without further description; and an executive session on real property transactions, which is closed to the public. The agenda lists the next meeting as Wednesday, Dec. 2. Written comments are due by 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, to amoore@union-county.org; the office number is 541-963-1001.
La Grande City Council
The La Grande City Council meets in regular session Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1000 Adams Ave. The meeting streams on the city's YouTube channel.
The first two items of new business follow from a vacancy at the top of city staff. The council's agenda packet says the office of city manager is vacant "following the termination of City Manager O'Brien." The council met in a special session Thursday, Oct. 29, with an executive session on the city manager's employment. On Wednesday the council is scheduled to appoint a city manager pro tem, whose name is left blank in the packet, and to vote on a resolution declaring its intent to appoint a new city manager. The city charter requires that resolution at the first meeting after a vacancy and requires the council to fill the job within six months.
The council will also vote on a resolution that would raise Waste-Pro refuse collection rates 3.7%, effective Jan. 1, 2027. Weekly garbage service with curbside recycling would go from $33.30 to $34.55 a month. Separately, the council takes public comment on proposed system development charges, fees on new development, for the water, wastewater, storm water, transportation and parks systems, and is asked to direct staff to write an ordinance for a first reading in December.
Other votes: authorizing a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant application for a restroom and pavilion at Candy Cane Park; annexing 204 S. 12th St. so the owner can receive city water; accepting the final plat of the La Grande School District's eight-lot Tiger Homes Subdivision; and authorizing a groundwater permit application to the Oregon Water Resources Department for a new municipal well. The council will also decide whether to uphold or reverse a staff decision, upheld by the city manager, not to install a stop sign at Benton Avenue and Depot Street. Residents asked for the sign, and the city's traffic safety advisory commission recommended it.
Speakers get three minutes unless the mayor sets another limit. To comment remotely, contact the city recorder at sstockhoff@cityoflagrande.org or 541-962-1309 by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Wallowa County
Wallowa County Board of Commissioners
The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Thornton Conference Room of the Wallowa County Courthouse, 101 S. River St., Enterprise. The agenda and Zoom information had not been posted by Saturday; the county's meeting page lists them as to be announced. The county's meetings list shows the Wednesday, Nov. 18, meeting as cancelled. Public comment is three minutes in person; the commissioners' office is at 541-426-4543, ext. 1130.
Joseph City Council
The Joseph City Council meets Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Joseph Community Events Center, 102 E. First St., with Zoom available. The agenda lists discussion of a potential sale of the Blackburn Building and of a potential water rate for nonprofits, both with legal counsel's responses attached. Also under unfinished business is a public contracting ordinance, Ordinance No. 2026-04, for which the agenda gives no reading stage. New business includes appointing a planning commissioner. The meeting ends with an executive session to consider records exempt from public inspection. Public comment is limited to three minutes; City Hall is at 541-432-3832.
Baker County
Baker County Board of Commissioners
The Baker County Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 9 a.m. at the Baker County Courthouse, 1995 Third St., Baker City. The agenda says the public can join by Zoom through the county's online meetings page.
The agenda sets a Greater Idaho discussion for 9:20 a.m. and an "NRAC Discussion/Possible Decision" for 9:25 a.m. Later items include a social media policy, a lease renewal at Bishop Springs, a raven subsidy contract extension, and the reclassification of a facilities maintenance position; the agenda does not say which of these will be voted on. Commissioners will also sign two orders, each appointing a member, to the Transient Lodging Tax Committee and the Wolf Depredation and Compensation Advisory Committee. Citizen participation comes early in the meeting; the agenda advises anyone interested in an item without a set time to arrive at 9 a.m. The office number is 541-523-8200.
Malheur County
Malheur County Court
The Malheur County Court will not hold its weekly meeting Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to the county's agendas page. Its next meeting is a special meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Further out
The Malheur County Court holds a special meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m. Mountain time in Room 106 of the Malheur County Courthouse, 251 B St. W., Vale, to deliberate and select a proposer for ambulance service in the Ontario and Nyssa/Adrian ambulance service areas.
Who sits on each board, when it meets and how to comment: Eastern Oregon local government.
