Goal 1

Desired Outcome: To sustain, grow, and enhance the City’s Livability and Quality of Life by supporting and increasing public safety; encouraging increases in public health initiatives like community and private investments in medical facilities, wellness programs, and recreational activities; and emboldening a local culture that supports, encourages, promotes, and solicits events, festivals, and public gathering opportunities.

Objective 1.1:  Support proactive and alternative community policing efforts that promote prevention, rehabilitation, and substance abuse circumvention.  When possible, invest in early prevention services and programs.

Objective 1.2:  At a minimum, maintain the FY20/21 Police Department staffing levels and funding and support a department with a high emphasis on officer training and purchasing of state-of-the-art police technologies and equipment.

Objective 1.3:  Coordinate all major community events with the Police Department to help ensure public safety.  Whenever possible, encourage officer presence at all major events as appropriate and as resources allow.

Objective 1.4:  Financially and otherwise support the creation of new city-sponsored recreation programs for people of all ages.  Increase and expand partnerships with other public facilities, like the Umatilla School District and others, for public use to support such programs.

Objective 1.5:  Partner with other jurisdictional public health programs and private health providers in efforts to reduce tobacco use, marijuana use, substance abuse, reduce alcoholism, and reduce obesity.  Seek grant opportunities to do so and give priority use of city-owned facilities to organizations that support these efforts.

Objective 1.6:  Recognize the high benefit and resolve that one of the highest priorities to our community is to provide a city-wide trail and pathway system that encourages walking, jogging, biking, and mobile leisure as well as enhances public safety by reducing the risk of pedestrian/vehicle accidents. 

Objective 1.6.1:  While ensuring to be good stewards of the public’s lands, every effort should be made to maximize riverfront trails and public access to our rivers and beautiful natural landscapes and views that includes our rivers, mountains, hills, wetlands, and desert features.

Objective 1.7:  Research and determine the viability of the acquisition and eventual development of an all-new outdoor community festival and events facility with the capacity to host large events of at least 7,500 people.  If possible, attempt to procure property with riverfront features. 

Objective 1.7.1: Use of Big River Golf course to host large events should occur during shoulder seasons (March/April or October/November), whenever possible.

Objective 1.7.2: Develop a concept plan for Big River Golf Course that includes: a new pro shop and clubhouse, possible restaurant, new on-course restroom facilities, new putting greens, updated paved pathways, and other improvements recommended by the Parks & Recreation Committee. 

Objective 1.8:  Continue to cultivate professional relationships and partner with the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce.  Work collaboratively to make mutually beneficial updates to the 2020 contract that promotes events, works to increase businesses, and encourages community memberships and participation.  Determine the best use of city facilities that both supports the partnership and supports the community overall.

Objective 1.9:  Invest in, support, and encourage downtown revitalization. 

Objective 1.9.1:  At a minimum, maintain the FY 23/24 grant program funding of the Downtown Facade Grant and the Local Business Grant to financially support and encourage facade improvements.  If possible, work to increase the total amount available and the amount available for each applicant project. 

Objective 1.9.2:  If resources allow, increase funding to the Local Business Grant program to help potential businesses to locate their business into Umatilla commercial buildings throughout the City (does not include home-based businesses).  Additional incentives should be made available to those businesses looking to locate in any downtown building that has been vacant for at least two years or any other commercial buildings that have been vacant for at least three years.

Objective 1.9.3:  Procure, through purchase and/or condemnation, unsafe, chronically vacant, or run-down buildings. Rehabilitate and/or refurbish such newly acquired buildings or work closely with developers and investors to do so. When appropriate, keep as publicly owned buildings; otherwise, make every effort to get the newly refurbished buildings back into private ownership to encourage business and economic growth.  

Objective 1.9.4: Follow best practices and principles for downtown urban beautification; at a minimum, encourage tree plantings, flowers, ornamental lighting and fixtures, natural and manicured landscapes, and the like. If necessary, do so through code revisions.

Objective 1.10:  Continue to invest in and support Rock the Locks Music Festival and an additional all-new large (more than 3,000 people per day) multi-day city-sponsored event/festival that will occur annually during spring beginning in 2025.

Objective 1.11:  Construct the Umatilla Business Center: rehabilitation of the old post office and all-new construction, Village Square Park improvements, alley improvements, parking lot, I Street improvements, and 7th St. improvements. Make every effort to achieve a “Festival Street” concept. Continue to explore the possible procurement of the Umatilla School District’s maintenance building to eventually be converted into a Community Recreation Center or other City facility.

Objective 1.12: Make efforts to establish workplace safety. Work to establish Umatilla as a community that emphasizes emergency preparedness. Make any effort possible to ensure that all City functions can operate during times of crisis or if power or other core utilities were to temporarily be unavailable. At least once during 2021-2023, coordinate and carryout a “table-top” exercise with all other emergency service organizations in the area and work to remedy any gaps that may have been identified from this exercise.

Objective 1.13: Work to create housing at every economic level and provide investment and/or incentives to those levels of housing that are not being developed by the private sector. 

Objective 1.13.1: Earnestly pursue housing development partnerships with private developers and nonprofits that provide low-income housing.  Negotiate incentives with such developers that will entice them to construct their product in Umatilla.  Consider constructing infrastructure, reducing fees, providing grants, density bonuses, etc. as possible means to produce such housing.

Objective 1.13.2: Continue to partner with neighboring communities on Project PATH.  Earnestly pursue grant and private funding to help ensure the program continues past the funding provided by HB4123 (June 2024). 

Objective 1.13.3: Work to construct/develop housing on city-owned residential property located along Big River Golf Course that is inline with housing traditionally located along golf courses (single family, condos, multi-family, etc.). 

Objective 1.13.4: City-owned property near the downtown should be developed to into multi-use housing that matches the traditionally and historical character of the downtown; with commercial buildings on the ground floor and apartments/condos on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors.  Whenever possible, encourage as much density as reasonable as part of the City’s downtown revitalization strategies. 

Objective 1.14: Work to expand high-speed internet and broadband services throughout the city.  Whenever possible, pursue federal and state funding opportunities toward this effort.  Solicit additional communication franchises to expand their services to Umatilla.