By Kirby Neumann-Rea • Of the News-Register • 

McMinnville Council moves ahead with rental review pilot program

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Comments

David S. Wall

Good reporting Kirby Neumann-Rea!

McMinnvilleans...'Be-aware'...the City Council are going to burdened you with multiple 'fee increases' to fund maniacal government program expansions such as"..."proactive” pilot rental inspection program..." this program will require staff increases in the County's Assessor's Office and other County functions. I wonder how popular this program will be with Yamhill County taxpayers who do not benefit from such a grandiose allocation of their monies?

And, let us not forget the abject stupidity of allocating funds for "... a feasibility study for a multi-stakeholder project known as Innovations Center, located on private land near McMinnville Airport..."A 'Love-fest' for pernicious predatory and parasitical business entities using precious ARPA money...on private land? Why isn't the 'private land' use explained? Who pays for what?

Disaster looms if the legacy potable water infrastructure servicing McMinnville isn't replaced where needed.

*McMinnvilleans have a serious funding issue with the Fire Department and ambulance infrastructure and required service increases. Who wants to slowly burn to death? Will McMinnvilleans 'vote' for a 'tax increase'?

Go to Post #2
David S. Wall

David S. Wall

Post #2

As a result of either congenital and or institutional incompetence, McMinnville's administrators have created a "...2 Million dollar gap in the General Fund..." and ARPA funding will be used instead of reducing the size of McMinnville's bloated administration with program reductions and or consolidations? The Dumb just get dumber.

"Mayor Scott Hill spoke forcefully in favor of the opportunity via ARPA to create an emergency manager position..." How about eliminating the Planning Director's position. McMinnville cannot afford both positions. Planning functions can be contracted out.

Where is McMinnville's City Manager on fiscal issues? "... Towery responded that a “full review” of the fees is currently underway." Shouldn't he already have produced a menu of prudent fiscal options for Council's review but now...he is embracing urgency as a religious experience?

***McMinnvilleans, you are facing 'fee increases' and a potential 'tax increase'. Good luck. You're going to need it.

David S. Wall

Joel R

In case you didn't make it all the way to paragraph fifteen in this long article...that's where it was mentioned that instead of the City trimming it's spending to close it's 2 million dollar budget gap, they've decided to raise taxes on businesses and private citizens. Supported by all city councilors except Chris Chenoweth.
Shouldn't be a problem. Our city councilors are very wise. If you think about it, inflation is currently very low and nobody in McMinnville is experiencing any stress or struggling to make ends meet.

Lulu

If you could gouge people at the drop of a hat to fund preposterous programs, wouldn't you? It's like having an endless supply of checks backed up by a bank balance that's never depleted.

CubFan

When does the city become responsible for the $2 Million gap and cut expenses instead of adding fees? This is preposterous!

David S. Wall

A few more questions...

Several months ago McMinnville's deficit was $1.2 Million dollars...Now there is a $2Million dollar deficit.

Why was the deficit allowed to grow to $2 Million dollars and where was the money allocated and spent?

Were McMinnville's City Council appraised as to when the budget deficit first began and what was causing the hemorrhaging of taxpayer money?

Was the News Register aware as to the initiation of the deficit and where the money was being spent? Did the News Register 'keep pace' with the expansion of the budget deficit?

When did the McMinnville's City manager become aware of the deficit and what action(s) did he take? Were there 'Quarterly' updates to Council? Was Council apprised in 'real time' as the budget deficit continued to grow?

What action(s) did Council take to stop the 'Budget Deficit ' from growing larger?

Yamhill County Board of Commissioners (BOC) were awarded $21 Million dollars of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The BOC dispersed some of this money to Yamhill County businesses.

How many 'McMinnville Businesses' received funding? The County's website posted the dispersals but, the 'posting' has been removed.

McMinnville Businesses might face 'Business License Fee increases' as a 'stop gap measure' to plug the hole in the General Fund Deficit. So...the ARPA money received by McMinnville Businesses might end up as a means to cover part of the $2 Million dollar deficit but,...then there is the desire of Mayor Hill to use ARPA money to create an Emergency Manager position, normally a General Fund budget item. The Emergency Manager position will require budget allocations for corresponding staff and overheads...More ARPA moneys?

David S. Wall

David S. Wall

A few more questions...Concerning the "...“proactive” pilot rental inspection program."

Let's review the article,

"The city would charge no fees for the program, and operate it with existing staff, which means the pilot project would be limited to 50 to 100 units a year, with staff spending an expected 2-4 hours on each inspection process from notification and inspection through follow-up including enforcement...(**This illustrates the Planning Department is 'overstaffed' to the point of having the 'capacity' to carry out this program in conjunction with their other duties.)

What do you think? An admittedly 'overstaffed department' in the midst of a $2 Million dollar budget deficit' and city leaders want to attach a 'Fee" to your utility bills to 'plug the deficit hole' in their incompetent handling of McMinnville's financial affairs?

"Think of it as a pilot rather than a structural program to start immediately,” Richards said. "...there is no property registry planned at this time; initial data used will come from the County Assessor’s office."

A major goal of the program is enabling the city to begin collecting data on rentals and rental issues, data the city does not have. In McMinnville, about 40 percent of housing units — about 5,400 dwellings — are rentals, including single family dwellings, apartments and condos, and others..."

***Is the 'Pilot program' intended function to satisfy; [SB 8],
[HB 2001], [HB 2002], and especially [HB 2003] which are unfunded 'State mandated' property related 'dictates?'

***[HB 2003] is a 'Nazi-esque information gathering and management network', requires cities of a certain population to conduct and maintain a 'Housing Inventory' so the 'State' can keep track of housing unit availability and type.

David S. Wall

David S. Wall

Here are a few more items that may turn up as 'Fees" on Utility Bills...

The Yamhill County Parkway Committee is getting 'NO Love' from Washington D.C. with respect for funding for the next phase of the bypass.

Bonamici and both Oregon Senators-all Card Carrying Members of the Dufi were unable to attain $10 Million dollars to show the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) of a strong commitment for the By Pass Project to continue.

ODOT is seriously considering another project to fund.

Further, Summit Strategies-paid lobbyists in Washington D.C. just got their annual [$144,000.00] (non-competitive) exclusive contract has been authorized by the stooges on the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners.

In my opinion, Summit Strategies are ineffective and a horrendous waste of taxpayer monies over the many, many years their services have been exclusively retained. Last month's briefing from one of their principals reflected bungled regurgitated 'sound-bites' from an earlier FOX News Business broadcast.

Down $10 Million dollars where do you think this 'budget deficit' is going to be made whole?

Another 'Fee' on your 'Utility Bill'? Don't worry, the $10 Million will be (in theory) 'spread out' over Yamhill County but...What will be McMinnville's contribution to meet the 'Local Funding support' for the By Pass project?

Now, ODOT hasn't yet to consider the hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted on the Yamhelas Westsider Trail Project. Will ODOT hold the By Pass Project 'hostage' until Yamhill County pays them back all the money justly owed to them? Stay tuned in or better yet, attend the Zoom meeting tomorrow morning at 0730 hours.

Come on in and Zoom here:

https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fzoom.us%2Fj%2F97201431557%3Fpwd%3DOHdrczYxeWdzM0pYSkpvbEpRZEREUT09&sa=D&ust=1637462587300000&usg=AOvVaw3Q6TE-L_HziwMbhlRcxfxF

David S. Wall

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