HERMISTON, Ore.-Hermiston’s second City Chat of 2026 was March 17 at the Hacienda West Apartments.
Hermiston City Councilors Maria Duron, Jeff Kelso and Jackie Linton, along with Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan attended the chat.
“These chats are a good opportunity to meet the community where they are,” said Morgan. “A lot of time, we say we’re always available, but people might find that intimidating. Here they can talk directly to real humans. We’re coming to their turf, so to speak.”
Held quarterly, Hermiston City Chats are an opportunity for residents and community members to ask questions and share their ideas, thoughts and concerns with City leaders.
Krista Van Veen, owner of The Good Ledger bookkeeping in Hermiston and founder of the Women Business Owners of Umatilla County peer group, was one of the community members who attended the most recent City Chat.
“It’s exciting to come out and talk to people and go places I haven’t been before,” said Van Veen, who is currently running for Hermiston City Council. “As a candidate, I’m just learning to get out there in the community, and it’s exciting to meet and talk to folks.”
Topics discussed at the March 17 City Chat included traffic, the future of the Hermiston Airport, and construction projects.
Traffic
- Geer and Harper intersection realignment: According to Morgan, the bidding process for the project to reduce confusion and increase safety by adding a stop sign on Harper Rd where it forms a T onto Geer Rd, and another stop sign on River Rd, will open this spring, with work possibly starting in late spring.
- Punkin Center Road Umatilla River Bridge: Hermiston City Council recently approved an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Hermiston, the City of Umatilla and Umatilla County to plan and pursue federal funding for a Umatilla River bridge crossing. Morgan shared that the next step for the project is to pursue grant funding for 30 percent design of the project, that will include cost estimates and highlight any possible engineering or environmental issues with the bridge crossing.
Travel
- Future of the Hermiston Airport: One of the questions asked at the City Chat was whether it would ever be possible to fly commercially out of the Hermiston Airport, with Morgan explaining that the runways in Hermiston are not long enough for commercial airliners and there isn’t enough room to extend them. The Hermiston Airport’s proximity to both Pendleton, OR, and Tri-Cities, WA, also makes it unlikely that the airport would support commercial flight.
Construction
- The HUB Hermiston: Construction on a new 276-unit market rate apartment complex off of Diagonal Rd started March 9. The large-scale market rate complex is the missing housing piece in Hermiston, according to Morgan, and should provide an on ramp to keep people in Hermiston.
Other topics addressed at the City Chat included when park bathrooms would be unlocked for the season now that the weather is getting warmer, the future of the Carnegie library building, and updates to the Hermiston Taxi contract to keep the service viable now that rideshare services are legal in the City.
The time and location of Hermiston’s City Chats change each quarter to ensure that the most people have a chance to attend.
The next Hermiston City Chat is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 at Kopacz Nursery located at 465 W. Theater Ln in Hermiston.
