HERMISTON, Ore.- Hermiston’s third City Chat of 2026 was May 20 at Kopacz Nursery and Florist at 465 W. Theater Lane.
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.
Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith, Mayor Doug Primmer, and City Council member Jeff Kelso attended the chat.
Topics discussed at the City Chat included the City budget, potential updates to the City Charter, and the Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Project, as well as the Geer and Harper Road improvement project.
City Budget
According to Smith, the City has proposed a $123 million budget, down about 4 percent from last year.
“This time of year is budget season,” said Smith. “One of our big drivers is people, and our budget includes a 27 percent increase in health insurance.”
The budget also includes a proposed $23 million for the general fund, which funds services such as police and parks and recreation.
The proposed $23 million for the general fund is about the same as last year’s budget, according to Smith, and will allow the City to add some staff back at the parks and library.
Hermiston City Council will review the proposed budget and potentially adopt it at its July meeting, ahead of the new fiscal year starting in July.
Hermiston City Charter
“A City Charter is like a mini constitution that governs the city,” said Smith.
A City Charter can only be changed by the voters, and a Charter Review Committee recently looked at Hermiston’s Charter and recommended potential actions for the council to consider putting on a future ballot.
Hermiston is comprised of four wards, however, the growth in each ward is not even, meaning the population in each ward may not be a fair representation.
According to Smith, the review committee recommends pulling ward boundaries out of the charter, so that they can be updated more easily.
Currently councilors must live within the ward they are running for election in, but are voted on city-wide, and the review committee has proposed that each ward elect its own councilor.
Municipal Court judges are currently elected in Hermiston, however, the Charter Review Committee has proposed having City Council appoint Municipal Court Judges.
Under Hermiston’s current charter, the City Manager must live within the city limits. The review committee has proposed a 12-month timeframe for any new City Manager to establish residence in the city.
The Charter Review Committee also proposed having the City Manager oversee the day-to-day operations of the City Attorney, while having City Council retain the ability to hire or fire.
Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project
Smith provided an overview of the ASR Project at 9th and Feedville Road in the South Hermiston Industrial Park.
The ASR project, funded by Amazon, involves pumping water from the Columbia River, treating it to drinking water standards, and storing it underground for use by Hermiston residents during peak water demand months, while allowing AWS access to some of the stored water to cool its data centers.
“We’re getting the water, the infrastructure, and all the benefits of this project, but we don’t have to pay for it,” said Hermiston Mayor Doug Primmer.
Geer and Harper Road Intersection Project
According to Smith, 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, is expected to start in about four to six weeks, and could last up to a year.
Other topics discussed at the City Chat included water rates, water quality in Hermiston and Umatilla County, and the curbside recycling program set to start in July.
The time and location of Hermiston’s City Chats change each quarter to ensure that as many people as possible have a chance to attend.
“City Council meetings are a more structured environment with an agenda and deadline,” said Mayor Primmer, of the value of City Chats. “Here, it’s more informal, you can ask questions and we can take the time to answer.”
The next Hermiston City Chat is scheduled for September 4, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Hermiston Food Pod.
