You may also call City Hall at (541) 432-3832 to request a copy be mailed to you.

2025 Annual Drinking Water Report

2024 Annual Drinking Water Report

2024 Lead Line Inventory Survey

Please click on link below to view the Budget Message and the Draft Budget for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year.

Click Here for Budget Message & Draft Budget

Zoom Meeting Information

• Click here for agendas

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

• Zoom Meeting

Or Telephone:

• Dial US: +1 253 215 8782
• Webinar ID: 852 9022 9923
• Passcode: 57ZD2W

International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kOkBjemOP

If you have never used Zoom before, you may choose to download the app before joining the meeting. It is not necessary, as you can open it through your browser, but not all of the features will be available. 

You may also choose to create a free account: https://zoom.us/

When you join the meeting, your name may be displayed as your email. You may change this to your name. Attendees will also be muted when they enter, but they will have the opportunity to speak during Public Comment. Attendees will also be able to use the Q&A feature to type questions if they prefer not to speak or if their device does not have a microphone.

In the top right corner of most desktop and laptop screens (possibly the side or bottom of phones and iPads), all participants can change their layout view from Gallery (all participants are visible) to Active Speaker (only the person speaking is displayed) or Thumbnail (speaker and a smaller gallery view on the side).

Thank you!

\ The Rural Planning Program aims to ensure easier access to regional professional planning services for the areas in need. Eastern Oregon faces a significant shortage of dedicated planners. Out of 59 cities spanning 10 counties in eastern Oregon, only seven have access to professional planning staff. This shortage has placed rural communities in a challenging position, hampering their ability to capitalize on funding and grant opportunities, particularly when it comes to addressing the pressing need for workforce housing. 

Inspired by the University of Oregon’s Institute for Policy Research and Engagement (IPRE) Community Planning Workshop, the Rural Planning Program aspires to support small cities in eastern Oregon in capturing state planning funds. It also seeks to leverage the expertise of EOU faculty and students while simultaneously creating meaningful career pathways for college graduates interested in public service. The REV Center and its Rural Planning Program represent a crucial step towards building a stronger and more sustainable future for eastern Oregon’s rural communities. 

\ The REV Center reached an agreement with the City of Joseph to participate in this inaugural program and will be supported by consulting firms ECO Northwest, Kearns and West, and EOU faculty to involve students in research, land use policy assessment, and public engagement. In Joseph, planning efforts are primarily carried out by City Administrator Dan Larman, with the invaluable support of a dedicated volunteer Planning Commission, Mayor Lisa Collier and a dedicated, progressive city council. The city frequently receives inquiries from prospective residents looking to relocate to Joseph, highlighting the demand for workforce housing and the need to analyze how planning documents can support housing production and choice.\ \ The City of Joseph has 45 acres of land within its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), six available lots for development, and stakeholders prepared to invest in workforce housing projects. To facilitate the city’s comprehensive planning efforts, Joseph is seeking support from the REV Center to conduct a Buildable Lands Inventory (BLI), policy analysis, and code review. These assessments will serve as the foundation for updating the city’s comprehensive plan.

This project has been funded with a grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation 

June 19, 2026

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Megan Freeman (541) 786-8860

Fire Danger Level Increases to High on ODF Protected Lands in Northeast Oregon District

La Grande, OR - The risk of wildfires is increasing rapidly due to warmer and drier weather. In response, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) for the Northeast Oregon District is implementing High Fire Restrictions on land they protect, effective at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026. The primary goal of these additional fire prevention measures is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires. “Forecasts indicate that we will experience typical summer weather in the coming weeks, accompanied by elevated temperatures. Given these conditions and the escalating fire danger, we are enforcing stricter fire restrictions,” stated Justin Lauer, District Forester.

These restrictions affect private, state, county, municipal, and tribal lands in Union, Baker, Wallowa, and Umatilla counties along with small portions of Malheur, Morrow, and Grant counties within the Northeast Oregon Forest Protection District. This area encompasses approximately 2 million acres of protected lands. ODF encourages landowners and the public to help prevent accidental ignitions by taking extra precautions while recreating or working, it can make a difference.

The Public Use Restrictions (High Fire Danger) include the following fire prevention measures:

• Open fires are prohibited, including campfires, charcoal fires, cooking fires, and warming fires, except at designated locations.
  • Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed.
  • Propane fire pits are allowed if they are self-contained and 3 feet away from any flammable fuels with a maximum flame height of 2 feet.
  
• Non-industrial Chainsaw use is prohibited from noon to 8 p.m.
  • Non-industrial chainsaw use is allowed at all other hours if the following firefighting equipment is present with each operating saw: one shovel or other firefighting tool and one 8-ounce or larger fire extinguisher or 1-gallon of water. In addition, a fire watch is required at least one hour following the end of chainsaw use.
  • Electric Chainsaws are allowed all day.
  
• Cutting, grinding, and welding of metal is prohibited from Noon-8 p.m. Cutting, grinding, and welding of metal is permitted at all other hours, if conducted in a 10-foot area cleared of flammable vegetation, shovel or other firefighting tool, a minimum of 1-gallon of water, or 2 ½ pound or larger fire extinguisher.
• Mowing dried and cured grass with power-driven equipment is prohibited from noon to 8 p.m., except for the commercial culture and harvest of agricultural crops.
  • Electric string trimmers are allowed all day.
• Any electric fence controller in use shall be: 1) Listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory or certified by the Department of Consumer and Business Services; and 2) Operated in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Possession of the following firefighting equipment is required for any vehicle/UTV/ATV traveling on unimproved roadways where flammable vegetation exists on roadway: shovel or other firefighting tool, minimum of 1-gallon of water, or 2 ½ pound or larger fire extinguisher.
  

PROHIBITED:

• All open debris burning, and the use of burn barrels.
• Use of fireworks.
• Use of exploding targets.
• Use of tracer ammunition or any bullet with a pyrotechnic charge in its base.
• Smoking while traveling, except in vehicles on improved roads, in boats on the water, or in a cleared area free of flammable vegetation.
• Use of sky lanterns throughout the year in Oregon.

For further information, contact the Oregon Department of Forestry at these local offices:

La Grande Unit     (541) 963-3168
Baker City Sub-Unit (541) 523-5831
Wallowa Unit     (541) 886-2881
Pendleton Unit    (541) 276-3491

Current fire restrictions for forestlands in Northeast Oregon can be found at www.bmidc.org or by calling the Northeast Oregon Fire Prevention line: (541) 975-3027.

http://bluemountainfireinfo.blogspot.com/is your spot for current fire information in the Blue Mountains. Find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/oregondeptofforestryNEO/

Call Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch at (541) 963-7171 or dial 9-1-1 to report a fire.

New Public Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday: Closed

Land Use Applications: While applications may still be submitted during our new business hours, please be advised that they will only be reviewed and processed on Thursdays each week.

We appreciate your cooperation and patience during this time.

the new “City Council Work In Progress” folder

The “Documents” tab –> scroll to “Recordings & Minutes” and hit the “download button” for the “Recordings & Minutes” folder.

(Please note the folder doesn’t actually download the entire folder it just opens it but the button says download because of the way the website processes).

You can also access the folder through the following link:

Recordings & Minutes

Water $73/month (includes 7,500 gallons) Additional $2 per 1,000 gallons

Sewer $53.24

Street Fee $5
Street Reserve Fee $5
Water Project Fee $5
Sewer Project Fee $5

Commercial Rates (Inside City):

Water for motels/hotels/B&B’s/RV Parks $126 (includes 7,500 gallons) Additional $2 per 1,000 gallons

Water for all others $73 (includes 7,500 gallons) Additional $2 per 1,000 gallons

Sewer for motels/hotels/B&B/RV Parks $106.48 + $20 per each rentable unit

Sewer for multi-commercial $106.48 per rentable unit with bathroom

Sewer for laundromat $133.10

Sewer for other commercial (schools, restaurants, service stations, stores, etc) $106.48

Street Fee $5
Street Reserve Fee $5
Water Project Fee $5
Sewer Project Fee $5

Residential Rates (Outside City):

Water $110/month (includes 7,500 gallons) Additional $4 per 1,000 gallons

Sewer $106.48

Water Project Fee $5
Sewer Project Fee $5

Commercial Rates (Outside City):

Water for motels/hotels/B&B’s/RV Parks $210 (includes 7,500 gallons) Additional $2 per 1,000 gallons

Water for all others $110 (includes 7,500 gallons) Additional $4 per 1,000 gallons

Water Project Fee $5
Sewer Project Fee $5

Joseph Code of Ordinances

Planning Applications

Zoning Map

Land Use Plan

and the new “Recent Zone Permit Applications and Permits” spreadsheet