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East Oregonian
Grants:
Continued from Page A1
The morning of June 2,,
however, the Measure 110
Oversight and Accountabil-
ity Council voted on the last
of 236 applications represent-
ing 326 entities across the
state during a subcommittee
meeting. Now, Oregon Health
Authority is negotiating
contracts with grant winners,
a process the state estimates
will take until late July or early
August to complete. After the
agency writes up the contracts,
the council votes on whether
or not to approve them.
“We feel tremendous,”
Council Tri-Chair Ron
Williams told The Lund
Report. “We’re hopeful and
optimistic that the county
review process will continue
on schedule. We plan to have
half the counties done within
the next couple weeks.”
As of this writing, two
contracts totaling about
$2.8 million, for Harney
and Jefferson counties, were
completed and funded. Those
contracts, obtained by The
Lund Report, offer few details
about what the money will be
spent on and how. Report-
ing requirements included in
the contracts require track-
ing of whether people strug-
gling with substance use
disorder are able to access
services more quickly after
the networks receive fund-
ing. But it’s unclear how the
efficacy of specific programs
that receive funding, such as
rewards-based programs, will
be tracked.
Providers must form
networks to apply
for funds
Under the measure, provid-
Kristyna Wentz-Graff/Oregon Public Broadcasting
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office is conducting an audit of Measure 110 implementation
and on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, sent a letter to the Oregon Health Authority calling out
“areas of risk” in the way the program has been administered so far.
ers applying for funds in
different regions of the state,
in many cases by county,
must jointly form “Behavioral
Health Resource Networks.”
Each network must provide a
range of services that includes
needs screening, interven-
tion planning, low-barrier
substance use treatment, peer
support, housing services,
harm reduction and supported
employment.
And, providers must
provide services in a way
that aligns with the spirit
of Measure 110. For exam-
ple, services must be cultur-
ally competent, inclusive
and low barrier. This means
programs can’t eject a patient
for a single relapse, and that
harm reduction services
— such as overdose revers-
ing drugs, fentanyl testing
strips and clean syringes —
should be available for people
who are not ready to abstain
from substance use. In some
regions, a single provider
serves as the entire network.
Grant applicants sought
more than $400 million,
which is at least $65 million
more than is available for
distribution. So not all were
fully funded, or were not
funded at all. Providers work-
ing together in Harney County
requested $4.6 million, but
were only allocated $857,711.
Each county’s allocation is
based on factors such as the
number of people on Medic-
aid, number of people experi-
encing homelessness, number
of drug overdose deaths and
the number of arrests.
Oregon Health Authority
was not able to say by press
time when tribes will get their
set-aside of the funding, which
amounts to $11.2 million.
While providers, poli-
ticians and observers have
balked at the length of time it’s
taken to get funds out the door,
state officials and the over-
sight council have contended
the task at hand has been an
arduous one. The number of
applications was “unprece-
dented,” according to Oregon
Health Authority, and never
before has a community coun-
cil made up of those harmed
most by the war on drugs —
including people who’ve been
incarcerated and who are in
recovery — been tasked with
designing and implementing
a grant program that doles
out hundreds of millions of
dollars.
State sends its
recommendations
In a letter sent to Allen on
June 1, state auditors issued a
list of recommendations for
the program.
Issues pinpointed by audi-
tors through conversations
with the council mirrored
problems The Lund Report
identified in its coverage of
Measure 110 starting in Febru-
ary. Their findings and recom-
mendations include:
T he Oversight and
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Accountability Council did
not receive information about
individual grantee perfor-
mance and did not receive
public comments from meet-
ings, despite asking the health
authority for these items.
Measure 110 does not
provide clarity around the
roles and of the health author-
ity and the council, therefore
the Legislature should provide
that clarity.
The Oregon Health
Authority “has not always
provided adequate support”
to the council and has experi-
enced staffing issues. That has
contributed to delays in fund-
ing. Therefore auditors recom-
mend sufficient and dedicated
staff support the council and
the authority provide timely
and clear responses to the
council’s questions.
The council “developed
an inefficient grant evaluation
process, due in part to a lack of
support and guidance.” Again,
more support from the health
authority is recommended.
“ I n s u f f icie nt g r a nt
management and monitoring
pose a risk that providers will
not use funding in alignment
with the equity and treatment
support goals” of Measure
110. Auditors recommend
the health authority “develop
robust grant management and
monitoring processes, includ-
ing ensuring sufficient data
is collected to enable those
processes,” and that it give the
oversight council sufficient
support “while developing and
voting on rules for data collec-
tion and reporting.”
Ongoing ethics and conflict
of interest training also was
recommended for the council.
In its coverage of Measure
110, The Lund Report has
often not received clear, timely
answers from Oregon Health
Authority to questions about
Profits:
Continued from Page A1
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
About 100 Blue Mountain Community College faculty, students and community members gather Wednesday, June 1, 2022,
on the Pendleton campus to protest the college administration’s budget proposal that would cut several teaching positions.
BMCC:
Continued from Page A1
The first speakers were
Roy Barron, Hermiston
city councilor and educa-
tor, and Enrique Farrera of
Clackamas, vice president
of the Oregon Education
Association, the union that
represents the faculty asso-
ciation. Paul Keefer, Board-
man mayor, 1987 BMCC
grad and sixth grade teacher,
next addressed attendees,
followed by Hermiston
educator Tammy Fisher.
Umatilla teacher Chris
Early, president of Colum-
bia River UniServ, which
supports OEA locals in the
region, rounded out the list.
S p e a ke r s s o u n d e d
themes of unity and soli-
darity, and emphasized the
value of full time teachers
to students and the commu-
nity. Two urged administra-
tors to “figure it out.”
“Something is hinky
here,” Early wrapped up.
He urged an outside audit of
at least the past five years,
and to “send the architects of
this outrage packing.”
McKeon thanked all who
spoke and attended the rally.
“A budget says a lot,”
she added. “Students don’t
come for a snazzy website or
pretty campus. They come
for good faculty. Diversity
of courses and quality of
instruction will get them
where they want to go in
life.”
Facu lt y suppor ter s
formed up outside the doors
of Pioneer Hall, but found
them locked. McKeon
produced a key, and the
crowd marched into the hall-
way outside the conference
room. Part-time philosophy
teacher Nicholas Nash led
the way.
The crowd waited in the
hall until invited into the
conference room.
“We want to save BMCC
from BMCC,” McKeon
commented.
Chair Don Rice of Board-
man, Vice Chair Jane Hill
of Pendleton, Kim Puzey
of Hermiston and Chris
Brown of Heppner attended
in person. Bill Markgraf
of Baker, Kent Madison of
Echo and Abe Currin of
Milton-Freewater attended
remotely.
Sign-carrying faculty
supporters opposed to
layoffs marched into
the room. Rice allowed
30 minutes for public
comments of a maximum
three minutes each. About
15 community members,
present and past BMCC
faculty and students spoke.
Alan Feves of Pendleton
said he supported the faculty
because the community
needs arts and music. Dale
spring rains. And there was
a jump in wheat price as
India banned export of the
staple cereal, due to its heat
wave.
Leber noted that major
wheat exporter Ukraine is
managing to plant, despite the
war.
“Even with the ports closed,
they’ll find a way to get it out,”
he said.
Still, looking ahead to his
likely fertilizer bill in the fall
is worrisome.
“We’re paying 50 cents
per pound more than last fall,
but that’s as of now,” he said
during a recent interview in
May. “Fertilizer could keep
going up.”
The supply of fertilizer
diesel dried up on the East
Coast, he added, and that short-
age can mean higher prices on
the West Coast.
U.S. natural gas prices are
at a 14-year high, according to
recent reporting in The Finan-
cial Times. Keeping orchard
and fruit crops from freezing
requires propane and diesel,
as well.
“Orchardists and fruit
growers power their wind
machines with propane,”
said Roger Lemstrom of
Los Rocosos Vineyards in
Milton-Freewater’s Rocks
District. Besides using these
giant fans for warming, they
still use old-fashioned smudge
pots fueled by diesel, he noted.
High petroleum prices
slam local fruit growers
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
Liam Pennington, son of English instructor Shaindel Beers,
joins about 100 Blue Mountain Community College faculty,
students and community members on the Pendleton cam-
pus Wednesday, June 1, 2022, to protest proposed budget
cuts and listen to speakers.
Baker said he graduated 45
years ago but his automotive
and auto body degrees are
no longer available.
Then the board turned to
its agenda.
“We recognize that
the board has a fiduciary
responsibility to pass a
balanced budget,” McKeon
said as faculty association
president, “but propose
you have an equally great
responsibility to advocate
for the community’s needs.
Well, they are (here), speak-
ing loud and clear--discre-
tionary cuts to faculty and
student scholarships should
come from other line items.”
Two agenda items took
up most of the meeting’s
time. Dean Tammy Kraw-
czyk reported on early
college credit classes for
high school students. Exec-
utive Vice President John
Fields reported on accredi-
tation and enrollment.
Chair Rice and Presi-
dent Browning concluded
the meeting by explain-
ing the postponement of
a budget approval vote.
Board member Brown
shook hands with and
thanked the remaining
faculty supporting guests.
It’s not just pain at the pump
for local farmers and orchard-
ists. High prices for other
petroleum products, such as
agricultural chemicals squeeze
growers’ profits.
“(Inflation) differs by
region,” said Corey Coad, pres-
ident of agricultural supplies at
Orchard & Vineyard Supply,
with locations in four states.
He’s based in McMinnville,
but is familiar with OVS’ busi-
ness in Milton-Freewater.
“In some areas, fertilizer
prices have shot up by 500%,”
he said. “In the Pacific North-
west, it’s 50% to 150%. For
pesticides, it’s 175% since
January of 2021.”
Coad explained the prob-
lem isn’t just with supply and
demand for hydrocarbons.
Shipping containers are in
short supply as a result of
pandemic-induced interrup-
tions to international trade.
Many active ingredients in
numbers, staffing and other
aspects of Measure 110 imple-
mentation.
Williams, who serves
as council tri-chair and is a
prominent community orga-
nizer in Portland, said the
council has learned valuable
lessons, such as to ask for
expert advice early on in the
process and the health author-
ity needs to play a more stra-
tegic role. He expects the next
round of Measure 110 grant
funding to go more smoothly,
he said.
To what extent access
to treatment and recovery
services will expand due to
the funding will become more
clear as contracts are negoti-
ated and money is spent. In
the meantime, Williams said
he is especially excited to see
the investments being made in
housing because finding safe
and affordable places to live
for people who are recovering
from addiction is “a tremen-
dous need.”
“I’m also excited about —
there are some proposals that
we’ve approved to increase
detox and sobering, and there
are some proposals that actu-
ally make it possible for folks
who are categorically ineligi-
ble for Medicaid or uninsured
to be to get inpatient treat-
ment.” Williams said. “So just
the whole array of services I’m
excited about.”
The council will begin to
accept applications for the
next round in the fall of 2023.
You can read the state audi-
tor’s letter at bit.ly/3NITsSK.
— The Lund Report is
tracking the implementation
of Measure 110 as part of a
reporting fellowship spon-
sored by the Association of
Health Care Journalists and
The Commonwealth Fund.
Emily Green can be reached
at emily@thelundreport.org.
agricultural chemicals come
from overseas.
“Then there’s the cost of
fuel, especially diesel, which
impacts everything farmers
do,” Coad noted. “Spraying,
cultivation, you name it. Diesel
is up 39% from January of this
year.”
Crop nutrient prices also
rose as a result of sanctions
on supplier Belarus, curbs
on Chinese fertilizer exports
and sanctions on Russia, a big
provider to Brazil, according to
Reuters in May.
The cost increases,
combined with fuel, lubricant
and other agricultural chem-
ical cost hikes, mean farm-
ers may have trouble turning
a profit even with higher crop
prices. Ukraine is a major
wheat exporter, so war on
the Black Sea has naturally
boosted grain prices.
Midwest farmers have
adapted by planting more
nitrogen-fixing soybeans and
less corn, but enduring drought
reduces yields for all crops.
Northeast Oregon farmers and
ranchers have fewer options,
with the market for peas so
much lower than in previ-
ous decades. Canola is not a
legume.
Don Wysocki, local Oregon
State University Extension soil
scientist, said one option is to
grow a nitrogen-fixing cover
crop, such as peas. The crop is
terminated before its water use
threatens grain yield, but still
adds some nitrogen to the soil.
Cover crops can be planted
in the fall or spring, but it’s
always a risk in the fall, since
producers can’t know how wet
the winter will be.
Management practices
also can make less fertilizer
go farther, such as split appli-
cations. Again, growers don’t
know how much moisture to
expect, so Wysocki recom-
mended applying an average
amount in the fall, then top
dressing in the spring. With a
wet winter and spring, such as
this year, farmers can get more
crop growth per fertilizer buck
by applying when it’s most
needed.
Costlier application meth-
ods can save on fertilizer.
Liquid solutions applied with
pesticides in the spring make
both agricultural chemicals
more efficacious.
“Producers might want
to consider whether to bale
their straw or not, now that the
value of nitrogen has gone up,”
Wysocki said.
Wysocki also said the war
affected both supply and Black
Sea shipping and he didn’t see
change coming abruptly.