Renting space at Hermiston Municipal Airport’s open hangar is getting more expensive.

The Hermiston City Council during its meeting Monday, Dec. 13, voted 8-0 to raise the rental rate for “open T-hangars” from $65 per month to $100 per month.

The move came after the city’s Airport Advisory Committee on Dec. 1 asked the council to increase the rents. Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan in a memo to council noted, “It is unknown when the last time was that this rate was adjusted, but it is assumed to be at least 20 years.”

The open hangar has space for 10 planes and has seven paying tenants, according to the memo, and has had seven to 10 tenants for the past several years. The city estimated the higher rent will increase annual hangar revenue at the airport by an additional $2,900 to $4,200 per year.

The city will place the additional revenue into the Airport’s Hangar Construction Reserve Fund, although the city is uncertain about building new hangars at the airport.

“It may make sense to simply demolish the existing open hangar Building No. 1 and replace it with an enclosed facility,” the memo stated.

The council also gave unanimous approval for the city to accept a grant of $266,498 from Oregon Department of Transportation’s Oregon Community Paths program to build the Belt Park Greenway Trail from Southwest Seventh Street to the Buttercreek Apartments at the end of West Juniper Avenue. The project also will improve the trail, making it accessible to wheelchairs and scooters.

The trail — 2,822 feet long — will meander along Belt Creek, according to a memo from Parks and Recreation Director Brandon Artz, with shade, rest areas, doggy waste bags and garbage cans, which the city will maintain.

The total cost of the project is approximately $297,000. The city will be responsible for the remainder minus the grant amount.

In other business, the council voted 8-0 to approve joining two class action lawsuit settlements resolving opioid litigation. Under the terms of the deals, McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen will pay a maximum of $21 billion over 18 years, and Johnson & Johnson will pay up to $5 billion over no more than nine years. Approximately $22.8 billion in the proceeds go to state and local subdivisions.

That ekes out to about $250,000 for Hermiston during the span, Mayor Dave Drotzmann said. City Manager Byron Smith agreed that was not much money to start an opioid treatment program, but the city can look to partner with other local governments also getting a share and pool resources.

And the council approved updating city code to make unlawfully applying graffiti a violation with a penalty of up to 100 hours of community service. The new language goes into effect 30 days after passage.

At the top of the meeting, the city took a moment to present a certificate of recognition to John Perkins, who for 18 years has portrayed Santa Claus at local events. Perkins, who suffers from late-stage pancreas cancer, was on hand to accept the recognition, including a plaque from Artz.

Perkins, a Hermiston native, thanked the city and donated the green chair he has used as Santa to the city.