Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 11, 2023 -- SEVEN
New commissioners conduct first meeting of the year
-Continued from PAGE ONE “Just kind of let us know in contact with them,” he so she could verify that they Cutsforth and then later to and is tasked with distrib-
emergency portion and
some of the recovery, but
the ongoing recovery will
going on for years.
“I’m only dealing with
the emergency part, trying
to make sure that we can get
the state going with some
of the stuff that they have
promised within their work
plan,” said Gray.
“It just sounds to me
like what you’re really ask-
ing us is, for you to just do
your job,” said Sykes.
“Yes,” Gray responded.
“That’s exactly what I’m
asking. Before, I was kind
of pushed to the side while
the commissioner was run-
ning the show. I want to
be able to do my job, and I
need to be part of the whole
aspect of the emergency,
and through this I’ve been
kind of pushed to the side.
I brought it to commis-
sioner Doherty, brought it
to commissioner Lindsay,
and I was always told that
they would keep me better
informed on some things,
and it always just kind of
fell through.”
“I don’t want to over-
step my bounds, because
somebody else was doing
some of the work, and I
just want to make sure it’s
okay if jump in and do it. I
just don’t want to step on
anybody’s toes,” he added.
The commissioners
said they saw no problem
with that.
“I think you know bet-
ter than either of us what
needs to happen to deal with
the state,” said Wenholz,
saying it was his under-
standing that emergency
was declared in order to
get the attention of the state
and obtain needed resourc-
es, and that had happened.
“It’s up to you to manage
those resources and move
forward,” he told Gray.
County employee
retirement plan
Morrow County Fi-
nance Director Kevin Ince
and Morrow County Hu-
man Resources Director
Lindsay Grogan brought
forward a proposed amend-
ment that was meant to
correct an error from the
original drafting of the
county employee retirement
plan. The plan is adminis-
tered through Northwest
Retirement Solutions.
“They reached out to us
and wanted to do a discre-
tionary amendment to the
plan because we are admin-
istering the plan a different
way than the document
was actually written,” said
Grogan.
The amendment states
that the plan only recog-
nizes compensation from
the time the participant
becomes eligible for the
compensation that Morrow
County makes contribu-
tions on and deducts from
the employee wages. That
is how the plan has been
administered but not how it
was written in the original
document.
Grogan said it affects
12-15 employees. The plan
became effective in 2020
with a six-month waiting
period. The first partici-
pant was not eligible until
February of 2021, and they
asked that the amendment
be backdated to then.
Wenholz questioned
the back dating of the res-
olution, and the commis-
sioners chose to set the
issue aside until more of
their questions could be
answered.
On the subject of the
retirement plan, though,
Sykes said he remembered
when the contribution plan
was begun and asked if
there was a time the board
of commissioners could re-
ceive a full update on where
the plan was.
“At the time we had
a financing hole,” he said.
where we’re at. Are we
gaining any ground on
that?”
“Is there something that
we as a commission need to
plan for, to make sure we’re
good going into the future?”
he added.
“My concern is that the
last time I saw it there was
something around a $13
million unfunded obliga-
tion,” Wenholz added. “So,
what level do we need to
fund it up to and, going for-
ward, do we need to look at
appropriating toward that?”
“It’s not simple,” said
Ince, adding that a work
session with the consultants
might be in order.
Revision of board
chair rotation
In other business, the
commissioners looked at
possible revision of the
current rotating chairman-
ship of the Morrow County
Board of Directors. After
the commission eliminated
the county judge position
several years ago, the com-
missioners made the chair
and vice chair positions
rotate yearly by elected
positions. Sykes was elect-
ed to position #3 which,
according to rules set in
place, is the board chair for
2023. Wenholz asked to
revisit that decision.
“It’s been my expe-
rience that sometimes a
good board member doesn’t
necessarily make a good
board chair,” he said. “Also,
an aspect of it is that about
after a year is the time ev-
erybody’s getting in a good
swing of how everything’s
working, and then you just
start over.”
“I’d like to see us move
away from that rotation and
make it an annual deal that
the board will appoint the
chairman on an annual basis
by a vote of the commis-
sioners,” he added.
Before the switch from
county court to county com-
mission, the Morrow Coun-
ty Judge was always chair.
The commissioners
directed Morrow County
Counsel Justin Nelson to
prepare a resolution for
review at a future board
meeting.
Possible change to
meeting schedule
The commissioners
also discussed a change in
the board of commission-
ers’ meeting schedule. A
current ordinance dating
back to 1981 states that
meetings shall take place
at 9 a.m. on the first four
Wednesdays of each month,
three times in Heppner and
once in Irrigon.
Wenholz said that typ-
ical meetings are no more
than three hours, and he
thought it would be the
most efficient use of time
and resources to meet two
times a month for longer.
“And if it takes all day
to meet, then it takes all
day to meet, and we just
conduct business on those
two days,” said Wenholz.
He suggested making the
change starting in March to
give people time to adjust
and to allow time for the
board to take care of urgent
upcoming business such as
selection of a third com-
missioner. “Maybe by that
time we’ll be in a routine of
how things are happening
and more comfortable with
this.” The meetings would
rotate between Heppner and
Irrigon.
Sykes said he wanted to
hear from elected officials
and staff concerning what
they thought of the change.
“We want to make
sure as commissioners that
we’re having contact with
the electeds and the de-
partment heads,” he said.
“We want to hear their
visions for what they have
for their departments, for
the county. We want to be
added, asking whether that
would be accomplished bet-
ter in weekly or in longer,
bi-weekly meetings.
Morrow County Asses-
sor Mike Gorman said his
only issue would be con-
cerning citizens who have
business with the county,
such as a subdivision plat,
who might have their plans
postponed another week.
“Not that we have a lot,”
he said, “but we have a lot
more than we used to.”
We n h o l z s a i d h e
thought they could always
call a special meeting if
something came up.
Ince agreed in gener-
al with the idea of fewer
meetings.
“Generally speaking, I
always support the idea of
less frequency,” said Ince.
“If we as staff and man-
agement and directors are
allowed to operate within
the bounds of policies…if
that’s the case and we’re
allowed to move forward
in that manner, then maybe
the agendas aren’t as full of
things that don’t need to be
there,” he said, adding that
since he started with the
county he had seen things
come before the board that
he didn’t think really need-
ed to.
“To that point, I think
Dave and I are both on the
same page, in that there’s
where we want to head to,”
said Wenholz, “to have
procedures and policies in
place so that staff can do
their job. We’re up here
to provide policy and di-
rection. The administrator
deals with the day-to-day
operations.”
“I think it makes a lot of
sense for all the reasons you
both have noted,” agreed
Mabbott, but added that
commissioners occasion-
ally have to participate in
land-use hearings or ap-
peals, which might add too
much time to a bi-monthly
meeting. “If those come up,
it might make more sense to
schedule those on a day oth-
er than your twice-monthly
regular meeting.”
“It sounds from what
I’m hearing is that you have
the two standard meetings
and then if something spe-
cial comes up, you are more
than willing to add another
date, so I think you guys
are on a really good track,”
added Morrow County
Treasurer Jaylene Papineau.
The commissioners di-
rected Nelson to draft an
ordinance repealing and
replacing the former meet-
ing schedule as per the
discussion.
Commissioner
appointment
The commissioners
also discussed the pro-
cess required to select and
appoint a third Morrow
County Commissioner. The
commissioner would fill the
rest of the term of former
commissioner Jim Doherty,
who was recalled last year.
Morrow County Clerk Bob-
bi Childers mentioned at
an informational meeting
previously that she believed
candidates for appointment
would need to fill out the
same paperwork as can-
didates who filed for the
position in an election. Oth-
erwise, Nelson said there
was a lot of flexibility in
the process; commissioners
could either select someone
immediately or go through
a thorough public selection
process.
Wenholz said he would
like to post the position in
several places, including on
the county website and in a
couple of newspapers, and
would like to hold it open
at least three weeks to al-
low people time to prepare
and submit applications.
He also suggested having
Childers be the person to
receive those applications
filled out the correct forms.
Sykes agreed but em-
phasized that he wanted
the process done correctly
so there could be no later
accusations of forgetting
something.
“I don’t want to get
tripped up with, ‘Oh, we
should have done it this
way,’ and now we’re open
to a challenge on it,” he
said. He also added that he
wanted all the applications
to be held confidential and
presented to the board at
one time after the deadline.
Since Childers was not
present at the meeting, the
discussion was held over
until the county clerk could
participate.
Interim county
administrator
The board next dis-
cussed hiring an interim
county administrator. The
temporary position would
not be full time, and though
paid through county pay-
roll, would not be eligible
for benefits.
Nelson said that from
the research he had done,
approaching it like hiring
a temporary employee was
the best route. He said he
and Grogan had tried to
look at how it had been
done in the past but not
found much paperwork, so
had talked about what the
best approach would be.
“I think one of the most
important things we can do
is find an applicant who has
prior experience not just in
the county but within the
county government, so they
can hit the ground running,”
he said. “Even a person who
has years of experience as
an administrator isn’t going
to be the person there. It
might be the person who
knows how this county
runs. It’s kind of a unique
position to fill.”
Grogan added that she
thought the plan should be
to post the position for a
week and allow applicants
to apply.
“Depending on appli-
cants, I could award that
pretty quickly,” said Gro-
gan.
Sykes called on Greg
Sweek, who had already
expressed interest in the
position.
“Of course, we’ve had
discussions, you know I’m
interested in the position.
I am curious about past
practices,” said Sweek,
pointing out a couple of
instances in the past when
he didn’t think positions
had been advertised before
being filled, such as the
undersheriff and an em-
ployment agreement with
Karen Wolff. “When you
talk about treating things
the same, it seems like past
practices, they haven’t all
been treated the same way.”
Grogan responded that
the undersheriff was an
in-house promotion, while
Wolff’s position had been
advertised. Sweek asked
why he, as a county em-
ployee, could not be con-
sidered for a promotion.
Grogan responded that she
did not see his position in
elections as related to that
of county administrator
but said that could be con-
sidered subjective. Grogan
read for the commission the
county’s best practices for
promotion without posting,
and Sykes said he though
Sweek fit that bill.
“I looked at the last
time there was an interim
administrator appointed,
and I go back and look at the
minutes where they made
this decision. I assume our
predecessors were follow-
ing the rules at the time,”
said Wenholz, referring to
when Kim Cutsforth was
appointed interim county
administrator. He said the
minutes showed a motion to
enter into negotiations with
enter an agreement, but the
minutes showed no discus-
sion of posting the position.
“I was just following the
precedent that had been laid
out by our predecessors.”
The board chose unani-
mously to offer employment
to Sweek immediately.
“We want to follow the
process,” said Wenholz,
“but I think it’s important
that we get somebody into
the position sooner rather
than later.”
In other business, the
board of commissioners:
-Appointed Morrow
County Finance Director
Kevin Ince as Budget Offi-
cer for fiscal year 2023-24.
The budget officer prepares
or supervises the prepara-
tion of the budget for the
year. It has been the board’s
practice to reappoint a bud-
get officer every year, a
position historically held by
the finance director.
-Approved the Fifth
Amendment to Morrow
County’s IGA with Ore-
gon Health Authority and
authorized Ince to exe-
cute the amendment. The
IGA provides for fund-
ing for mental health ser-
vices through Community
Counseling Solutions, the
mental health contractor
for Morrow County. The
amendment reduced the al-
located budget by $260,000
because the funds from the
OHA grant had not been
used.
-Appointed commis-
sioners Jeff Wenholz and
David Sykes to the two
vacant positions on the
Columbia River Enterprise
Zone (CREZ) II board with
Mike Gorman as an alter-
nate. CREZ II is complete
uting funds over the next
15 years.
-Appointed the three
Morrow County Commis-
sioners to the three vacant
CREZ III board positions
with Gorman as an alter-
nate. Since Morrow Coun-
ty currently has only two
commissioners, Gorman
will act in his capacity as
an alternate until a third
commissioner is appointed.
-Appointed Wenholz to
the one vacant position on
the Columbia Development
Authority (CDA) board
with Sykes as alternate.
-Reviewed the board
of commissioner commit-
tee and board assignments
and determined to keep
assignments according to
commissioner position un-
til a third commissioner is
appointed.
-Heard the Morrow
County Sheriff ’s Office
monthly report from admin-
istrative lieutenant Melissa
Camarillo. Juvenile com-
plaints were down for De-
cember, but motor vehicle
accidents were up, both of
which were normal for bad
weather, she said.
-Heard an introduction
to the district attorney’s
office from Nelson, who
is Morrow County District
Attorney as well as Morrow
County Counsel. He report-
ed that the new Deputy DA
Zach Williams was working
hard to get caught up on
existing cases.
-Received a written
report from the Morrow
County Fair. The fair board
asked to set up a meeting
with commissioners in Feb-
ruary to talk about funding
received for infrastructure
and building improvements.
New face, promotion
at sheriff’s office
The Morrow County Sheriff’s Office had a busy Tues-
day last week when it promoted one deputy and swore
in another. Top: Morrow County Sheriff John Bowles
(left) with Patrol Sergeant Matt Crowell as Crowell
is sworn in to his new position. Crowell, who has
been with MCSO for eight years, was promoted from
criminal deputy to patrol sergeant. Bottom: Bowles
swears in a new face, Patrol Deputy Royal. -Photos
courtesy of MCSO
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