EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 26, 2020
CONDEMNATION
-Continued from PAGE ONE co-op examine a shorter
alternative routes con-
sidered that would not have
required condemnation.
He went over the major
technical difficulties with
each route coming back to
the same conclusion that
the proposed route filed
with the PUC is the best.
Echenrode has said sever-
al times condemnation of
property is never a desirable
option, and the co-op works
hard to avoid the process,
but all the engineering and
environmental studies show
the current proposed route
is the best.
In an effort to avoid
condemnation, commis-
sioners have proposed the
route putting a part of the
power line over county
property. Echenrode said
while the offer was “gen-
erous” it would not change
the co-op asking PUC for
the right to condemn. “So,
the county coming to a writ-
ten easement agreement,
would it change your con-
demnation work and how
much you would condemn
of one of our neighbors?”
Morrow County Commis-
sion Chair Melissa Lindsay
asked. “No. We would still
have two landowners that
we would need to reach
mutually agreeable terms
and receive an easement
on,” Echenrode said. He
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said while gaining the coun-
ty easement might lessen
the amount of private land
needed, there would still be
a need for easements across
some of the remaining two
holdout landowners’ prop-
erties. “Whether the order
of condemnation is for one
foot or 100 feet is rath-
er irrelevant,” Echenrode
pointed out. “I don’t think
the act of condemnation
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changes. How much (land
would be needed) could
certainly change if a short-
er route is obtained,” he
added. “Condemnation is
never a good thing; it’s
always the last resort. If the
county signed an easement,
that would certainly work
toward minimizing the im-
pact on the land owners,
but it would not force any
different outcome with the
act of condemnation on the
landowner,” Echenrode
emphasized.
Details for an easement
agreement between the
county and UEC had al-
ready been worked out and
documents were ready to be
signed at last week’s meet-
ing, however, the county
put off consummating the
deal for further study. The
agreement was for an ease-
ment option with UEC. If
the easement were needed
UEC would then exercise
its option. According to the
agreement UEC would pay
the county $1,000 per year
for the option and $16,275
lump sum if the easement
were used. The county land
over which the power lines
would run is being used by
the public works depart-
ment, and Director Matt
Scrivner has been directly
involved with the negotia-
tions and easement details.
On delaying signing of
the easement option, Ech-
enrode said that until there
is written agreement with
the county, UEC will con-
tinue to plan for the current
proposed route and all of
the procedures necessary to
build the power line there.
He added that if signed, the
co-op would not exercise
the county easement option
if not needed. “So, if I don’t
need the easement, I won’t
execute the easement. If
for some reason the adja-
cent landowner is settled,
we would not execute the
easement and let it expire.
If it is in the best interests
of a neighboring landowner
to look at a shorter route
because of the county’s
generosity, that’s great. I
can focus on that effort. But
I need the county’s ease-
ment with certainty before
I can continue to offer that
option with the adjacent
landowner,” he said of the
ongoing negotiations with
property owners.
He said without the
county easement agree-
ment, the co-op would
continue working on ob-
taining the current power
line route without change.
“I cannot adjust the route
until I have the alternate
route that was discussed
here today established. So
if the county needs some
time, I can respect that but
I cannot deviate from filing
the application with the var-
ious agencies until I have
an alternative route that is
achievable, and that won’t
happen until the county
executes an agreeable set
of documents,” Echenrode
pointed out. “If the county
is ready to take action,
that is wonderful. If not, I
understand.” Following an
executive session to discuss
the proposed easement in
private, the county com-
mission made no decision,
and placed the UEC ease-
ment agreement back on the
agenda for the August 26
commission meeting.
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