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Comments
Jean
Rewarding a lumber company that wants to build a new mill that will hire LESS workers....not more. Wow. Just wow. I'm sure they will donate handsomely to certain campaigns.
Hibb
Seems the county is having a budget shortfall, but here they go giving away money?
BigfootLives
Hampton lumber has been in Willamina for about 60 years or more. My dad and brothers worked there for years, 20+. If they took the mill to Dallas, or even to Grand Ronde, it would kill Willamina, a town that barely survived the lies of the environmentalist lunatics' of the 80s. Tax breaks for industry are nothing new and this employer needs to stay in the county.
The fact that your hatred for the commissioners would drive you to rather see a mill not get tax breaks and a negotiated deal needed to remain in a town that has relied on it for two generations is degusting. For God sake get some help.
oldeee
With Hampton Lumber having some 8-10 other mills, thank you for investing in Willamina and Yamhill County.
Patrick97132
Bigfoot, I don't mind this investment. What frustrates me is that Newberg lost a mill with 200 jobs and are trying to redevelop the property and the commissioners continue to stand in the way of any attempts to redevelop. From throwing up issues with an urban renewal district to ending the relationship with the state's economic development team. I wish there was consistency is all.
tagup
Maybe if Newberg just joins Timber Unity…
Rds
tagup you got it right. Timber united paid to get Berschauer elected and starrett and johnson are just 2 more mouthpieces for timber united. I agree that Willamina can definitely use the mill but with the modern mill also comes automation and many jobs will be lost. So they discuss it in private and then have only 1 short hearing on it. When will we get a county commision that works for the citizens and not the timber giant corporations.
Megan
Hampton is already building the mill in Willamina. This funding did not appear in any way to be intended to convince Hampton to choose Willamina; the construction has already been in-progress for months. I don't mind tax breaks for development that benefits residents, but, this decision was made with way too little consideration or public input.
madmacs
The decision was most likely made behind closed doors. Whatever public discussion that transpired was likely window dressing....
Hibb
By the way, BigfootLives... Willamina has been dead for years. An investment of any amount is just a waste of money. Willamina is nothing more than a "bedroom community". Had Willamina been worthy of such a large tax break, they would of diversified itself decades ago and brought in appropriate, revenue generating enterprises, but no one (except Yamhill County Commissioners) saw it as a place with any business sense. Nostalgia is not a logical component of investing.
Megan
Madmacs -- the decision was made behind closed doors: during the "public hearing", Commisioners referenced an Executive Session where they had reviewed the contract, so, yes, the discussions were entirely done in private, away from the public.