Hermiston, Oregon

6 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 city hall in October 2022 which can help his team more efficiently support the needs of its residents. “We have seen an increase in the number of housing units we offer,” Smith says. He also adds that new investments made in the school district have helped to attract new residents. The South Hermiston Industrial Park broke ground in March 2022 to address the need for new industrial opportunities for employers. Many of the current sites have been secured with build-outs starting as of late 2022. The city was able to pay for roughly half of the development’s $2 million expansion and infrastructure costs through a grant and with the help of the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce Smith says. The creation of the South Hermiston Industrial Park was important because no other sites provided road access along with full water, sewer, and electric hookups, the city manager added. The land is available for interested employers in 5 to 10-acre lots. Smith says, “It’s exciting because we are already seeing new businesses move in. That area provides plenty of opportunities for future growth that is attractive to new businesses.” Hermiston recently completed the creation of its 2040 vision plan which includes actively seeking community input. One of the common examples of resident feedback received was a desire for more retail. Smith says the city is on the cusp of having a population and employment base that is more attractive for large regional and national retail brands. The city created an urban renewal district, which in Oregon allows for a tax increment financing discount. Hermiston can freeze the value of its urban properties and use property tax revenue to reinvest in the city’s downtown development. In addition to attracting and working with local and larger retailers, Hermiston has revamped multiple downtown parking lots and created HERMI STON, OR Byron Smith, City Manager PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Umatilla Electric Cooperative www.umatillaelectric.com façade grant opportunities for business owners up to 50 percent of their costs with a cap of $10,000. That city hall was relocated downtown, making it a staple of that community, and providing business owners in the district with direct access to city contacts. “We want our downtown to be an epicenter of this region,” Smith says. “It is becoming a destination community with new business activities as well.” As part of the creation of the Hermiston 2040 visioning plan the city is hoping to find the right balance between steady growth and residential comfort. Adding sustainable infrastructure is important given the relatively remote location compared to large cities in Oregon like Portland, Eugene, and Salem. The new city hall for example includes a solar array on its roof that can power that building for the majority of the year, save for some unseasonable hot days. New EV charging stations were added to some of the redone parking lots downtown that is being used daily, Smith says. Future plans include the construction of an indoor aquatic facility, likely in conjunction with the nearby city of Umatilla. Other investments to preserve yet provide reasonable access to outdoor attractions will also continue. “We have the perfect mix (of outdoor beauty and convenient amenities) for our residents and employers but we have to continue to maintain that balance,” Smith says.