SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, December 28 , 2022
County contracts with company for ‘water coordination’
By Andrea Di Salvo
The Morrow County
Board of Commissioners
approved a contract with
GSI Water Solutions, Inc.
to provide water coordina-
tion services for the county
during a short meeting Dec.
20 in Heppner.
At an earlier meeting,
the commissioners had au-
thorized Morrow County
Planning Director Tamra
Mabbott to issue a Notice
of Intent to award a contract
to GSI Water Solutions, Inc.
and to work with Morrow
County Counsel Justin Nel-
son to develop a contract.
The contract approved
Dec. 20 was for GSI to pro-
vide consulting services as
“water coordinator” over a
two-year period (2023 and
2024) to help organize and
guide the county’s response
to the “long-standing water
quantity and water quality
issues” facing the county
and the region. The con-
tract is for a not-to-exceed
$140,000 budget and ends
Dec. 31, 2024.
As water coordinator
for the county, GSI will
work to communicate with
and educate county resi-
dents about water issues, as
well as work with Morrow
County Public Health to
help address or mitigate
impacts of those issues. The
company will also support
the development of policies
and programs for a sustain-
able water supply for the
county, coordinate county
responsibilities for pro-
grams and activities related
to water quantity and qual-
ity, and help position the
county to secure funding
to support implementation
of water-related programs
and activities.
At the meeting, the
board also awarded a six-
month janitorial contract
for north and south county
buildings to Patriot Build-
ing and Grounds Main-
tenance, ending June 30,
2023. The proposal from
Patriot was the only one the
county received and is for
janitorial work in county
buildings at both the north
and south end of the county.
Patriot Buildings &
Grounds maintenance
was the single proposal
received. The monthly to-
tal for south end work is
$6,191.80 and the north end
will cost $3,198 per month.
Morrow County Com-
missioner Melissa Lindsay
gave an update on the rec-
lamation of the old gas sta-
tion in Ione. (See “County
commissioners hear update
on Ione gas station” in the
Dec. 21 G-T.)
Also at the meeting,
Hermiston engineer Ron
McKinnis requested the
board sign a Sixth Street re-
plat for the City of Irrigon.
The purpose is to remove
plat lines and replat for de-
velopment of multi-family
structure. The commission
unanimously approved the
replat.
Morrow County Com-
missioner Melissa Lindsay
and Morrow County Pub-
lic Works Director Eric
Imes approached the county
commission about the need
to revise an agreement with
the U.S. Forest Service
regarding USFS Road 21.
The 21 Road (Old Western
Route) is a major means of
forest access. The county
had entered an agreement
with the forest service in
2018 in which the county
agreed to help maintain
the road. Lindsay said the
agreement was made with
the understanding that grant
funding was available for
that maintenance, but that
the grant funding has not
materialized.
“There are a lot of
roads in the county that
need work, and we have
even some public access
roads that we’ve talked
about need work,” Lindsay
said. “I’m not sure why we
would take on the federal
government’s roads when
we struggle to maintain our
own.”
She requested the board
direct Imes and Morrow
County Assistant Roadmas-
ter Mike Haugen to termi-
nate the 21 Road agreement
and begin discussions re-
garding an intergovern-
mental agreement (IGA) for
minor maintenance such as
annual blading.
Imes agreed that the
grant money had not been
forthcoming and likely
would not be. He also add-
ed that he was concerned
about being saddled with
other, more complicated
road maintenance.
“It’s just beyond what
I think the road department
should be involved with
on a non-county section of
road,” he said.
Board of Commission-
ers Chair Jim Doherty said
the lack of funds was con-
cerning and that he support-
ed the idea of establishing
an IGA so the residents
who use that road could
still have it maintained
more than the forest service
might do.
“We’re already main-
taining that 17 miles. To do
it once every couple years is
absolutely feasible,” Imes
said.
“It would be nice if it
doesn’t cost the county any
money and the road main-
tains some drivability,”
added County Commission-
er Don Russell. “I’d hate to
see it fall into disrepair like
some of the forest service
roads.”
The board unanimous-
ly voted to terminate the
current agreement and pur-
sue an IGA for acceptable
maintenance.
Morrow County Hu-
man Resources Director
Lindsay Grogan advised the
board that the 2023 Mor-
row County Compensation
Board had one vacancy
due to a resignation. The
compensation board has
five members and prepares
a recommended compen-
sation schedule for county
employees for the county
commission each year.
The vacant position had
been held by Kalie Davis,
who resigned after moving
out of the county. Grogan
recommended appointing
Christine Gray to the four-
year term, which ends De-
cember of 2026.
Gray is the human re-
source director at Commu-
nity Counseling Solutions
(CCS) in Heppner and has
more than 15 years of HR
and payroll experience. She
has also served on the Jo-
seph School Compensation
Board, been trained by the
Oregon State Economist in
wages and compensation
and has several years’ expe-
rience performing organiza-
tional wage studies and im-
plementing pay structures.
“I don’t personally
know her,” said Grogan,
“But according to her ap-
plication, she is a highly
qualified individual that I
think we would be lucky to
have serve on the compen-
sation board.”
Grogan added that the
one concern was that Gray
works for CCS, which is
contracted with the Morrow
County Health Authority,
but that she didn’t think
there was a conflict there.
Doherty and Russell
agreed that they didn’t see a
conflict and the board voted
unanimously to appoint
Gray to the compensation
board.
Reminder to insulate
water meters
The City of Heppner
would like to remind every-
one to insulate their water
meters this winter.
“It is important to
protect the meter from
freezing before the tempera-
tures drop,” said a statement
from the city, adding that
Pettyjohn’s and other build-
ing supply stores carry the
proper insulation for a low
price—much lower than
the $75 plus materials the
city charges for the repair of
any uninsulated meter that
becomes frozen.
Anyone that has a
difficult time accessing their
meter to insulate it is en-
couraged to contact the City
of Heppner for assistance.
Anyone with questions or
concerns is asked to call
541- 676-9618 or stop by
Heppner City Hall.
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