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Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, February 28, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
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Industry options developing in St. Helens WILL LOHRE
Country Media, Inc.
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he City of St. Helens is working to reignite industry in the properties vacated when Cascades Tissue Group ceased operations earlier this year. At a recent St. Helens City Council meeting on Feb. 21, Ron Houghtelling and Craig Allen discussed the possibility of “restarting” and “restructuring” the paper mill. Former employees of the Cascades mill attended the meeting. Houghtelling said he aims to get industry jobs for workers affected by Cascades leaving. “We wanted to show you guys that the community supports bringing that mill back online, and being able to bring these guys their jobs back,” Houghtelling told the council. “A lot of these guys are multigenerational on that site like I am, so we would like you to help us to push this project forward and bring these jobs back to this town. We’re ready to go to work.” Allen addressed the council following Houghtelling’s statements and said one of the biggest barriers to the project is ensuring there is adequate power to get the mill back online. However, Allen echoed Houghtelling’s statements regarding the viability of the mill site to provide industry and jobs in St. Helens. “It is a viable mill. It’s a shame that it’s in the condition that it is today, it’s a shame that it shut down. Ron wasn’t wrong when he said the mill has 100 years of life left in it,” Allen said. “It’s nice to see everybody come out and support the community like this, and support the
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Cascades Tissue announced the full closure of its St. Helens plant on Aug. 10, 2023.
types of jobs they want to see in the community.” In an interview with the Chronicle & Chief, City Administrator John Walsh said the city has received multiple inquiries from companies interested in restarting the paper mill, as well as other uses “such as purchasing spare parts and equipment, demolition, warehouse space, etc.” In the separation agreement between Cascades Tissue Group and the city, Cascades agreed to leave the paper machines and most of the related parts and equipment on-site and intact. “The city has been maintaining the machines to keep them in
serviceable condition should there be a company interested in either acquiring the machines or restarting the machines in place at the mill,” Walsh said. “Houghtelling and Allen have brought a company with interest in acquiring the paper machines and operating them at the mill on a much smaller footprint.” Houghtelling and Allen’s proposal is being called Project Arcadia, and Walsh said their proposed use of the paper machines at the mill site would not interfere with “Project Sprint,” which is the city’s exploration of bringing a large-scale solar manufacturing company to the business park. Walsh could not
offer details on the scope of Project Arcadia at this time. “We have no reason to believe, other than regional electrical capacity, that both restarting the paper machines and Project Sprint would not be possible at the Business Park,” Walsh said. “The two projects are not mutually exclusive.” The city signed a letter of interest on Oct. 20 from American Hyperion Solar, LLC. The signed letter of interest gave the company 90 days to conduct due diligence on the property at 1300 Kaster Road, St. Helens. Walsh said the city has been “working diligently” to provide Hy-
fire district that serves the needs of the community first, according to King. “We have a long way to go to rebuild CRFR to what it once was, but the foundation of collaboration and goodwill has the potential to serve this agency and our community well,” King said.
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Jenny Dimsho recognized as Employee of the Year STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.
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he City of St. Helens named St. Helens Associate Planner and Community Development Project Manager Jenny Dimsho employee of the year. “I’m incredibly honored to have been selected,” Dimsho said. “To the management staff who nominated me and to the reviewers who selected me, it is incredibly rewarding to be appreciated for the work I do to make the city a better place.” The award recognizes an employee who “consistently goes above and beyond for the public and fellow co-workers,” according to a city news release. Nominations are submitted by city employees and then reviewed by a panel of community members to make a final selection. For the 2023 Employee of the Year selection process, the city assembled a panel of seven community members who are not related to the City of See JENNY, Page A5
Follow this developing story at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Columbia County Chronicle & Chief.
Improvement at Columbia River Fire & Rescue Country Media, Inc.
Jenny Dimsho was awarded the 2023 City of St. Helens Employee of the Year.
perion Solar with all the necessary business planning information. The city hopes that a definitive decision will be reached by Mar. 31. Regarding the issue of power needed to support the industry projects, Walsh said it is not unique to St. Helens and that there is a regional and statewide need for more power to support industry and development. “City of St. Helens staff have been working diligently with PGE, Columbia River PUD, the State of Oregon, Business Oregon, Columbia County, and other organizations to tackle this opportunity as soon as possible,” Walsh said. “Bringing substantial upgrades to the power grid in our area will benefit everyone in our region for decades to come. It will support the growth of large and small industry and commercial projects in our area.” The prospect of Hyperion Solar and Project Arcadia operating at the business park would have “numerous benefits,” according to Walsh. One of the largest benefits is that it would “return and grow living wage jobs” for the community. “It will also increase the tax base, benefitting numerous agencies, including the School District, Columbia River Fire & Rescue, the City of St. Helens, and Columbia County,” Walsh said. “It would create anchor industries that help attract other smaller industry and commercial businesses to our area. It would redefine the future of St. Helens.”
ollowing months of turmoil at Columbia River Fire & Rescue (CRFR), members of the administration and members of the union are feeling optimistic about the developing state of the district. There have been a variety of issues facing the district, including a budgetary crisis, a lawsuit resulting from the termination of former fire chief Joel Medina, and arbitration between command and line staff regarding a contract. Interim Fire Chief Eric Smythe said the current state of CRFR is “delicate, but improving.” “The relationships between our union staff and administration has continued to make favorable strives daily during the last few months,” Smythe said. “This is not an easy task, but a structured plan of building mutual trust, respect, and developing a partnership that ensures our citizens receive the stellar emergency service they have come to expect.” St. Helens Professional Firefighters Association President Dustin King said it is an understatement “to say that the past few years have been extremely challenging for our membership, neighboring fire districts in general, and to our professional partnerships across our county and state.” However, he noted that there has been improvement over the course of the past few months. “Working conditions at Columbia River Fire & Rescue deteriorated to such poor levels that several of our members felt they had no other option than to seek employment elsewhere to preserve their mental health and physical well-being,” King said. “Recently, we have been encouraged to see signs of an improving, cooperative relationship with current CRFR administration and Interim Fire Chief Eric Smythe.” Labor Negotiations One of the significant develop-
IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Obituaries ...................... A5 Market ............................ A6 Public Notices ............ A6-7 Games & Puzzles .......... A8 Crossword .................... A9 Sports .......................... A10
Other issues and a message to the community
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The St. Helens CRFR Station.
ments for the district was an agreement between the district and IAFF Local 3215 St. Helens Professional Firefighters Association on the contested contract. The district reached a signed memorandum of agreement (MOA) with IAFF Local 3215 St. Helens Professional Firefighters Association on the issue, which was initially contested in arbitration. The arbitrator compelled the administration and the union back to the bargaining table. Smythe said that district staff met with the union from early December through January 2024 to negotiate and “find a path forward.” The work in the district has been a result of work from “all members of CRFR, from the Board of Directors to volunteer members,” according to Smythe. An agreed-upon MOA was signed between the CRFR Board of Directors and the Firefighters Association in late January. “This process brought the district and Union to the table to seek a meaningful resolution for the district that met the needs of our citizens while maintaining fiscal responsibility and solvency,” Smythe said. “As
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one of the members of the negotiating team, I appreciate the efforts of the district staff and Union Executive Board in working closely together for the betterment of the fire district.” King echoed Smythe’s sentiments, saying that the union and Smythe have “opened a healthy line of communication.” District and union representatives meet on a weekly and sometimes daily basis to discuss issues surrounding the district. “We have established direct means of communication between labor and management in a more efficient manner, allowing resolution quickly to avoid it becoming a contentious issue,” Smythe said. “These meetings allow both groups to work to find common ground, speak openly, and get to the root of the matter. It is imperative that for a fire district to operate, open communication and problem-solving be at the forefront of any project, discussion, or disagreement.” King said that the new administration has sought the union’s input on operational matters, budget, and policy. This approach allows the firefighters to have a hand in making a
On Aug. 17, Medina, who was terminated by the board at a meeting on Aug. 8, filed a whistleblower suit for almost $20 million against the fire district, St. Helens Professional Fire Fighters Association IAFF Local 3215, board members, and union leaders, among others. The suit alleges that Medina was the subject of defamation, wrongful termination, retaliation, violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and discrimination. Smythe said that the litigation is ongoing, and he can’t comment on the issue at this time. To assess the depths of the financial state of CRFR, the district has engaged an audit firm to complete the audits for the fiscal years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. “The firm is working with the district staff to identify strengths and areas requiring improvement in the financial components of the fire district,” Smythe said. “This process will take several months to complete.” Regarding the improving state of the district, Smythe said the district is reinstating committees, like Training and EMS, to reestablish dialogue and cooperation “where everyone has a voice that spurs improvement, tackles challenges, and maximizes opportunities for the fire district.” “The relationships between our union staff and administration has continued to make favorable strives daily during the last few months. This is not an easy task, but a structured plan of building mutual trust, respect, and developing a partnership that See CRFR, Page A10
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