Neighborhood Concerned Over ISBA Proposal

    The City of Umatilla is looking to expand its Interlocal Service Boundary Agreement with Lake County. In place since 2011, the agreement allows the city to annex certain, non-contiguous property along the SR 19 corridor north and south of town. On Tuesday night, the Umatilla City Council moved to send a request to Lake County to expand the ISBA to include property within the Silver Beach Heights neighborhood and the immediate surrounding area, a move that has drawn concerns from some residents of the neighborhood.
   The city is seeking to annex roughly three acres recently purchased by council member Chris Creech through a trust. Creech has an interest in remaining on the council, so the property must be brought into the city. Previously, the city had sought to annex the home site by reaching across North Twin Lake from the Twin Lakes housing development, which is already in the city, however, concerns raised by some surrounding property owners led the city to abandon that process and instead seek an amendment to the ISBA.
   The issue came before the city council on Tuesday night, February 6, with a large contingent of neighborhood residents turning out to show concern that the move could open the door to future forced annexations into the City of Umatilla, even though there was general agreement voiced by the group that the city has no such plans at this time.
   “Down the road, this establishes a precedent,” said Tom Rose, who lives near Creech’s home.
   “This is a foot in the door,” said Geoffrey Presson, another property owner who also questioned the city’s true ability to simply annex the property into the city rather than expand the ISBA. “The spirit and intent is being violated.”
   City manager Scott Blankenship said conversations before the property was purchased focused on simply annexing it into the city. However, Blankenship said the pursuit of the ISBA has come about to codify additional protections against any future efforts to force annexation.
   “This really protects Silver Beach Heights from annexation,” Blankenship said, with city attorney Kevin Stone speaking to the legal protections the ISBA provides, including requiring over 50% of the impacted residents to vote for annexation should such a sweeping attempt ever be made.
   In the end, the council unanimously approved a resolution and ordinance on the matter, with Creech recusing himself.
   “I want nothing but the best for Umatilla,” Creech said later in the meeting regarding the situation. “I’ve lived my whole life in this town.”
   The amended ISBA agreement will now be forwarded to Lake County for consideration and if approved there, will return to Umatilla for a final vote.