Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, June 17, 2020 -- SEVEN
Morrow County census response rate low
State response 63.6 percent,
county 38.6
By Bobbi Gordon
According to email
from County Commissioner
Melissa Lindsay, the 2020
Census response rate for
Morrow County is below
the state average in every
community. Lindsay told
the Gazette, “It is important
to note that not only fed-
eral dollars, but also state,
county and enterprise zone
contributions are based on
population numbers.”
Lindsay continued to
say, “Most city leaders offer
that PSU population is in-
accurate but it has been the
go-to for population driven
decisions. An accurate cen-
sus can help to support this
common thought process
and could possibly more
accurately drive the con-
versations.”
The Heppner Cham-
ber, Boardman Chamber
and Morrow County held
a Facebook Live event
last week to educate the
public on the importance
of completing their census
form. It was noted that
since the census does not
deliver to PO boxes that
might contribute to the low
response rate for some Mor-
row County communities.
It is possible the residents
never received the form.
Why is the census im-
portant?
“The census is required
by the Constitution, which
calls for an “actual enumer-
ation” once a decade since
1790. The 2020 population
numbers will shape how
political power and federal
tax dollars are shared in the
U.S over the next 10 years.
The number of congres-
sional seats and Electoral
College votes each state
gets are determined by
census numbers. They also
guide how an estimated
$1.5 trillion a year in feder-
al funding is distributed for
healthcare, schools, roads
and other public services
in local communities. The
demographic data are used
by businesses to determine,
for example, where to build
new supermarkets and by
emergency responders to
locate injured people after
natural disasters.”
‘Couple of things have to fall into
place’ to accept Riverside lot
By David Sykes
Morrow County last
week acknowledged an
offer of free land from the
city of Heppner to build its
new emergency services
building, however, com-
missioners were not quite
ready to accept the gift at
their last meeting. Com-
missioner Don Russell said
a “couple of things have to
fall into place” before the
county would be ready to
accept the 100 X 110 square
ft lot the city of Heppner
was offering near the fire
hall on Riverside.
County Commission
Chair Melissa Lindsay had
earlier asked the city for the
Riverside land on which to
build its new emergency
management facility cur-
rently located at the old mill
site. She said the county is
currently leasing that build-
ing from the Port of Mor-
row, which owns the mill
site, but there is an offer
to purchase the building so
the county must find a new
location. It was mentioned
that a business is interested
in moving there and wants
the building.
At last week’s com-
mission meeting Russell
said the port does not yet
have a for sure sale of the
property and he questioned
if the Riverside property “is
the right spot in the county”
for the new emergency ser-
vices facility. Heppner City
Manager Kraig Cutsforth
was at the commission
meeting and said the city of
Heppner appreciates what
the county has done for the
This map features self-response rates from households that responded to the 2020
Census online, by mail, or by phone. Rates can be viewed in rankings here.
Oregon
Self-Response
Morrow
Self-Response
63.6%
38.6%
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Total
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Morrow
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Tribal Area
Morrow, Oregon Self-Response Rate
city in offering the lot for
free. Earlier he estimated
the value of the plot at $10
to $15 thousand.
The county has a first
right of refusal on the cur-
rent mill site building and
could buy it from the port
if it wanted to, however,
Lindsay says there is a
need to vacate the property
because there is a “great
economic benefit to south
county at the mill site.” She
pointed out the county owns
property up in the Lott’s
addition next to the sheriff’s
office, but the citizens have
indicated they don’t want
the development there.
In other business at
the June 10 meeting, the
commission discussed if
the county should begin a
“petition to intervene” or
become a legal party in a
current petition before the
Public Utility Commission
(PUC) to eventually allow
Umatilla Electric Co-op
(UEC) authority to con-
demn certain property in the
Boardman area making way
for a new electrical trans-
mission line. The county
owns land next to property
that would need to be con-
demned but has no direct
property involvement. The
commission discussed if
there would be an advan-
tage to the county becoming
a party to the action. The
petition is before the PUC
now and a public hearing
was held last week about
the condemnation proce-
dure.
The process has be-
come controversial with
Operational
Updates
38.6%
Total
33.0%
Internet
County considers
land offer from
Heppner
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Self-Response by County
Historical
Data
Email us at responseratemap@census.gov
Responses received as of 6/11/2020.
Click here for technical details
Current self-response rate for Oregon and Morrow County shows 63.6 for Oregon and 38.6 for Morrow County.
some landowners hiring
attorneys and it appears the
process may be headed to
court if a deal is not reached
between the landowners
and UEC. Intervening and
becoming a party would
allow the county certain
rights in the legal process,
but also raised some con-
flict of interest questions.
If the petition is suc-
cessful and the land is se-
cured by UEC then the
application for the trans-
mission line would shift to
the Morrow County Plan-
ning Commission for ap-
proval. Any decision by the
planning commission could
end up being appealed to
the County Commission,
so questions have been
raised if the county can
both intervene and also be
an arbitrator in future plan-
ning commission decisions.
“There is still a land use de-
cision to be made and if the
decision is appealed, we are
the appeal body,” Commis-
sioner Don Russell pointed
out. “Does it prejudice our
ability to be an appeal body
if we are an intervenor?”
he asked County Council
Justin Nelson. Nelson said
outside of “perception” he
did not see a problem with
the county becoming a par-
ty to the action. “A petition
to intervene doesn’t have to
be adversarial,’ Nelson said.
UEC filed the petition
March 19 to allow con-
struction of the overhead
transmission line which
will require an interest or
condemnation of land. The
line will run approximately
4.3 miles from the Highway
730 Switchyard and termi-
nate at UEC’s planned Ol-
son Road Substation where
the location of new Amazon
data center is being con-
structed. UEC states the
line is necessary to allow
the company to continue
providing adequate line
capacity and reliability to
existing and new loads in
the Boardman and Port of
Morrow areas. Critics of the
new line route say there was
poor planning prior to siting
the new data center there
without adequate electricity
to meet its needs, thus ne-
cessitating the new power
line and condemnation of
land.
“People want to make
sure all alternative routes
have been considered,”
Russell said of the condem-
nation process. “As long as
we don’t take sides, I don’t
see a purpose of us being in-
terveners when all the infor-
mation is public,” he said of
the proposed county action.
“I would hate to see us get
disqualified from making
a decision on the planning
because we became a par-
ty.” Lindsay said she did
not consider it becoming a
party, but just being “at the
table at the highest level”
when decisions are made.
“I asked the landowners
and their response was to
make sure all options are
looked at,” Russell said of
the condemnation process.
“I think at this time we
need to be neutral. At some
time, we need to approve
a planning commission
decision,” he reminded the
other commissioners. Nel-
son said perception and law
were two different things
and he was confident he
could craft the intervention
to be a neutral position for
the county. The motion to
intervene passed 2-1 with
Lindsay and Commissioner
Jim Doherty voting yes and
Russell voting no. “Hope-
fully, they establish another
route that satisfies everyone
and have better planning
next time,” Russell said.
Sheriff’s Report
The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office has released
the following information:
January 16 (cont.):
January 20: Morrow
Morrow County Sheriff’s County Sheriff ’s Office
Office received a report at received a report at A1
SE Utah Ave/SE Tenth St, Martin Towing on N C St/E
Irrigon that two callers re- Main St, Lexington that the
ported a driving complaint shop has its lights on. RP
of a white Chevy pickup. advised he doesn’t believe
One of the callers said the he would be working this
vehicle almost clipped him time of night and his vehicle
then did donuts and con- isn’t there.
tinued on. That caller also
-MCSO received a re-
advised he is going to get in port on SE Fourth St, Irri-
his vehicle and hunt down gon that a male has his truck
the driver. Unable to locate. door open blaring music.
-MCSO received a re- Unable to locate.
port on Hwy 207 Echo,
-MCSO received a re-
Lexington of a vehicle in port on I 84 W, Boardman
the ditch outside of Lex- that a Dyna Electric truck
ington. It appeared the is swerving and not using
vehicle slid off, is on its signals. Unable to locate.
wheels and the driver is ok,
-MCSO received a re-
has help coming. Deputies port on Bombing Range Rd,
checked on the vehicle, no Lexington that a log truck
one around, not blocking. has a motor on fire, driver
-MCSO received a re- is asleep in the car, blood
port at Mill Zone, Hwy 74, coming from his mouth.
Heppner of a vehicle in the
-MCSO received a
ditch on the west side of the report on Shoemake Rd,
road. Vehicle was removed Boardman that subject with
and driver will work with a warrant is at location.
property owner to repair Corine Ann Deforest was
fence damage.
arrested by MCSO on Nez
-MCSO received a re- Perce County warrant. Sub-
port on Hwy 730, Irrigon of ject was lodged at UCJ with
a vehicle on its side in the bail of $5,000.
ditch. Patient refusal.
-MCSO received a re-
-MCSO received a re- port on I 84 W, Boardman
port on NW Gale St/NW that a semi cut off another
Church St, Heppner that semi. Referred to other
there was a white car spin- agency.
ning cookies behind the
-MCSO received a re-
Catholic Church. Unable port on Hwy 74, Lexington
to locate.
that someone broke into
-MCSO received a re- his residence and stole his
port on W Eighth St, Irri- appliances, can see visible
gon of suspicious activity. damage. RP advised it is
RP advised a person was under construction, are not
shining a flashlight by the currently living in it.
mail boxes, shining the
light onto his property, then PRINT & MAILING
took off east on Kangaroo.
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