The League of Oregon Cities (LOC) has recognized the city of Hermiston for its Regional IT Department Integration program.
During its 99th annual conference, the LOC presented its 2024 Award for Excellence to the city of Hermiston. The award recognizes progressive and innovative city operations and services.
This year, the LOC’s Excellence Award was presented to co- recipients, with the cities of Turner and Gresham also winning.
About the Regional IT Department Integration Program
Facing a substantial cost increase by a local service provider, the city of Hermiston created its own Information Technology department in 2022 — with capacity to provide services to other local governments and nonprofits. This cost-effective solution allowed the city to maintain high security levels against malicious threats, conduct important maintenance and training for staff, and provide reliable IT service to partner organizations.
Hermiston’s new department started with four full-time employees to meet the needs of the city, then scaled up as additional cities, special districts, and others sought services. Individual contracts meet the specific needs of each partner, and range from a few hours a month, to 40 hours a week.
In rural Oregon, a city creating an IT department offering contracted services isn’t a common practice. To date, Hermiston has service agreements in place with eight cities, three special districts, one county, and one non-profit.
