TD Council to Chime in on Google $, Codes, tax abatements tonight, April 25
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles City Council will consider approving an Intergovernmental Agreement with 11 different taxing districts to share Google community service fee dollars which comes to 25% of Google’s property tax savings with a maximum payment of $2.5 million annually.
Council is set to meet in person tonight, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 313 Court St. The meeting can also be attended via ZOOM by clicking here.
From the proposed agreement, it appears Wasco County, The City of The Dalles and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue have come to an understanding on how to split future Google Community Service Fees when and if two new data centers are built near the Port of The Dalles.
The agreement essentially provides a road map on how up to $37.5 million would be spent locally over the 20-year deal with Google for tax abatements on the new data centers.
The money will be split straight down the percentages of 11 different tax districts.
In addition to City, County and Fire, North Wasco County Parks and Recreation, Port of The Dalles, Wasco County 4-H and Extension, Wasco County Library, Wasco County Soil and Water and Wasco County will receive portions of the money.
But here’s the kicker.
The above taxing districts have also agreed to cut a piece of the pie for North Wasco County School District 21, Columbia Gorge Community College and Columbia Gorge Education Service District., which typically receive funding through the State’s general fund.
This could be a real boon for D21 which is dealing with aged schools that, arguably, need to be replaced. D21 will receive the lion's share of the fee at 30.1%.
Powderpure Employment Adjustment
Council will be asked to approve a resolution that would adjust minimum employment levels set forth in an Enterprise Zone Agreement between The County, The City of The Dalles, and with PowderPure, also known as Columbia Phyto Technology. Powderpure is currently receiving tax abatements. In exchange for the abatements, the company agreed to maintain the employment of 86 employees. However, due to labor shortages related to the pandemic PowderPure has been operating with around 54 employees.
The company added 19,200 square feet of building to its footprint in the Port of The Dalles several years ago, and at that time was experiencing an uptick in employment.
PowderPure’s success is based on its proprietary infrared technology that converts fruits and vegetables into fine powders that retain the taste, nutrition and beautiful color of the product. It also significantly extends shelf life.
This ain’t no Presto food dehydrator. It’s the future of dehydration.
The powders are used by food manufacturers to flavor beverages, prepared foods, baked goods and snacks, fully retain their nutrition, flavor, aroma and color. They're certified as organic and Kosher.
And demand is on an uptick with increasing popularity of whole foods.
PowderPure is owned by New York-based International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., a New York Stock Exchange company with a $10.5 billion market capitalization. The company started in 1958, and it claims to operate the world's largest research and development effort devoted to fragrances and flavors, spending more than $100 million each year to create new flavors and fragrances.
Dog River Engineering Contract for $1.6 million
City Staff has worked with Jacobs Engineering Group to develop an amendment to the design contract for the provision of construction-related engineering services for the Dog River Pipeline replacement.
The pipeline project has been on the books for years as the century-old wooden line has been leaking like a sieve, up to a million gallons a day during peak surface water demand days.
The section of the pipeline is approximately 3.5 miles long and has a 20-inch diameter. Public Works Director David Anderson said the new line will allow for greater operational flexibility as the city utilizes both surface and well water in supplying the city and commercial industry.
The pipeline will also augment the city’s ability to supply millions of gallons of water daily to future Google data plants if built. Current plans call for storing surface water in The Dalles Groundwater Reservoir via wells on Google property in the Port of The Dalles.
Jacobs Engineering did the original design work for the Dog River replacement project.
In the ammended contract, services will include daily inspections of the construction work over two construction seasons as well as processing requests for information or RFIs from the contractor, reviewing submittals, providing daily reports, approving work schedules, tracking contract compliance, reviewing pay requests, conducting weekly progress meetings, and monitoring for cultural resources during excavation in designated higher-probability areas among other duties. The contract amendment also provides for the additional work needed to complete the design and permitting of the selected fish passage and screening systems, which was beyond the scope of work anticipated in the original design contract; this additional work is related to the unanticipated complexity of the systems needed for state approval.
Staff is asking Council to authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment with Jacobs Engineering Group in an amount not to exceed $1,599,552.
Code Enforcement
Council will decide whether to charge two property owners for the removal of tree debris at 415 W. 9th Street, owned by Joseph Isitt and “junk and garbage” at 605 W. 10th St. owned by Travis Gaston, according to the Council agenda.
Isitt’s property was abated twice (once on December 7, 2021, and again on Jan. 27, 2022) and the actual cost incurred by the City was $1,700, according to the Code Enforcement Officer.
Gaston’s property was abated on Feb. 24, 2022, and the actual cost incurred by the City was $1,475, according to the Code Enforcement Officer.
Both Isitt and Gaston are objecting to paying for the work, according to the staff report.
Street Crack Sealing Contract for Summer 2022
City staff is recommending Council to authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Pavement Protectors of Bend, for the 2022 Asphalt Crack Sealing Project, in an amount not to exceed $80,612.24.
Pavement Protectors would provide the general maintenance that extends the life of asphalt to 16 miles of city roadway this summer.
Other companies that bid on the contract were C.R. Contracting of Bend, $85,869; and BCV, Inc. of Wenatchee, $131,433.
Reject Roof Bids
Public Works Director Dave Anderson is requesting Council reject the single bid the City received for replacing the roof at the City’s potable water treatment facility also known as Wicks on Mill Creek road. Anderson is making the request after the bid from REV Construction of Hillsboro came in at $144,301 - almost twice the budgeted amount at $75,000.
Cost increases could be attributed to the dramatic and unanticipated increases in both metal and wood prices which have occurred recently, Anderson said in his report.
The City would increase its budget and re-bid the project with Council’s rejection.
Planning Commission
Councilors will be asked to reappoint Philip Mascher to The Dalles Planning Commission.
Executive Session
Council is also scheduled to hold an executive session to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection.
The general public is not allowed to attend executive sessions; Rather, the press such as CCCNews are allowed to attend. We can observe but not report. The press can, however, object if the rules of executive session are broken and reveal information in an executive session that is not protected by law. No executive session may be held for the purpose of taking any final action or making any final decision. Rather, Council must return to an open public session to make any decision.
