SIX - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 12, 2023
New circuit court site raises concerns
-Continued from PAGE ONE new administrator,” said adjacent property owner, ning commission, but there
new Morrow County Cir-
cuit Court building until
she left office in December
of 2022.
The county was able
to move forward with the
building because of state
funding that was approved a
couple of weeks ago, at the
end of the 2023 legislative
session.
The county has re-
ceived $12,745,000 in
state funding toward the
new circuit court building
through Oregon Senate
Bill 5512. Morrow County
Board of Commissioners
Chair David Sykes, Oregon
Sixth Judicial District Pre-
siding Judge Daniel Hill,
Representative Greg Smith
(R-Heppner) and several
others from the county had
written letters of support
or testified at a Joint Com-
mittee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Public
Safety March 9 to voice
their support for SB 5512.
The state grant is a
50-percent match, with
half the cost coming from
the county. That made the
land already owned by the
county especially attrac-
tive, since the value of the
land can be used toward
the county’s share of the
funding.
Sykes rolled out the
site selection at the board
of commissioners meeting
July 5 in Heppner. He said
his work on the project
started when he took of-
fice in January. Hill asked
him where the county was
with the new circuit court
building.
“I was not only not up
to speed, I was at a dead
standstill,” said Sykes.
Sykes said he worked
to get up to speed and kept
in touch with Hill. Also
working on the project at
the county level are Mor-
row County Interim Admin-
istrator Roberta Vanderwall
and Morrow County Fi-
nance director Kevin Ince.
Sykes said he also con-
tacted Heppner Mayor Co-
rey Sweeney, who said the
city was behind the project.
The Heppner City Council
held a work session and
came up with nine sites,
which they passed on to the
county.
The county committee
narrowed the options to
four sites and then hired
DLR Group in March to
conduct site analysis. Based
on that analysis, the coun-
ty committee decided the
current site near the Mor-
row County Fairgrounds in
Heppner is the best fit.
“This is the best site
that we came up with,” said
Sykes.
“Right now this project
is teed up really nicely,” he
added. “The money’s there.
We’re ready. We have the
site ready. We have the
preliminary analysis.”
Vanderwall said she
was finishing up a request
for proposals for the proj-
ect, and Sykes added that
they also want to request
proposals for a project man-
ager, especially since the
county will soon transition
from Vanderwall to a new,
full-time administrator.
“This is not our area of
expertise. We don’t have
anybody on staff. We don’t
want to dump this on a
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Sykes. “I really would like
to see a project manager get
on board soon to help us
through the whole works.”
“I think it’s essential,”
added Vanderwall.
Sykes also addressed
the topic of the current,
historical courthouse.
“My interaction with
the public on this has been,
‘What are you going to do
with that courthouse?’” he
said. “I think we need to
have at least a conceptual
idea of where we’re going
to go with the historical
building.”
Drago said it was his
understanding that some
of the offices in the current
courthouse would remain
there, which Vanderwall
confirmed. For instance, the
justice court will remain in
the historical building.
“So it’s not going to be
historically a museum or
anything,” said Drago.
The board directed staff
to develop a high-level,
conceptual design of what
would happen to the 1902
courthouse.
“I want people to know,
we’re going to take care of
that building,” Sykes said.
While the funding and
the selection of a site for
the new building are major
milestones for the project,
not everyone is thrilled at
the prospect of having a
circuit court building as a
neighbor.
Patrick Collins was
present online on behalf of
adjacent property owners,
and asked the commission-
ers if they had any idea
about the project timeline.
Sykes responded that they
did not, since the fund-
ing had come through so
recently, and probably
wouldn’t know until they
had a project manager to
work out the details.
“To throw a time out
there, Patrick, would be
irresponsible at this time,”
said Sykes. “But we intend
to be very open and trans-
parent with the public on
all of this and, as soon as
we have a definite timeline,
make it public.”
Collins also asked if the
site selection was firm, or if
there would be any public
input on the process. Sykes
responded that he believed
the process for the condi-
tional use permit was the
appropriate place for public
input.
“Because it is located
in the city limits and it will
require that,” said Sykes.
“That’s the purpose of
planning, is to have these
things talked about and
vetted,” he added. “We
definitely want to keep the
adjacent property owners,
as well as the whole town
of Heppner and the county
to a degree, we want to
keep you in the loop what’s
going on.”
Leann Wright, also an
said that it looked like the
plans cross her property
line.
“We’re not going to
cross any property lines,”
Sykes replied. “This is
a very preliminary plan.
We’re not going to take
anybody’s property. We’re
not crossing anybody’s
lines.”
He also said that, while
the county had rolled out
the plan to get the process
going, no one had been
notified because the plans
weren’t solidified.
“This is the first step,”
he added. “You have to start
somewhere.”
“We’re not going to just
ram this through,” Sykes
said. “We want adjacent
property owners to know
exactly what we’re doing.
It’s just in the really pre-
liminary stages right now.”
Heppner citizens also
voiced concerns over the
proposed circuit court site
at the Heppner City Council
meeting earlier this week.
Fifteen members of the
public attended the regular
council meeting, many of
them concerned over the
placement of the new cir-
cuit court building.
Heppner Mayor Corey
Sweeney recognized their
concerns but emphasized
the importance of the new
building for Heppner.
“We don’t want the jobs
to leave Heppner. We don’t
want Heppner to lose any
more than we’ve already
lost in the last 20 years,”
Sweeney told the gathered
crowd Monday night in
Heppner. “We’re hoping the
city can work with individ-
uals and property owners
and take your comments…
whatever we can do to come
to a good resolution for this
courthouse being built.”
Heppner Interim City
Manager Tommy Wolff
also addressed the specific
question about rodeo park-
ing during fair and rodeo.
He said that, in a meeting
with Sykes last week, Sykes
had specifically said there
would be no circuit court
hearings during that week.
He also pointed out that
part of the lot would con-
tain public parking for the
courthouse.
“Chair Sykes assured
me that during fair and
rodeo week, that parking
lot would be available for
rodeo contestants and par-
ticipants,” Wolff added.
Terri Gentry, vice pres-
ident of the Oregon Trail
Pro Rodeo Association,
said she was confused as
to whether concerns should
be addressed to the county
or the city, and whether the
“serious discussions” were
already done.
“I don’t know who’s in
charge,” she said.
Sweeney said discus-
sions have yet to take place
within the Heppner plan-
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was an ongoing need for
communication.
“Yes, moving forward,
we’re going to have to iron
out what works for the
rodeo, what works for the
neighbors, what works for
everybody,” he said. “Right
now, we’ve got to get it out
to the public and get their
feedback on it.”
“I realize in the scheme
of things, the rodeo uses
that land three, four days
a year,” said Gentry. “So
it’s not in the interest of
everyone to not have the
courthouse there so we can
use it three days a year. We
understand that.
“But the bottom line
with the rodeo is, if you
put that building there, we
probably will not have a
rodeo,” she added.
Sweeney reiterated that
the council was looking for
public input.
“ I t ’s n o t b r e a k i n g
ground till 2025,” he said.
“This is the first step, is for
everybody to process it,
think about your concerns.”
Kyle Robinson echoed
Gentry’s concerns, adding
that the rodeo is a big eco-
nomic boost to Heppner.
“This is the first of,
hopefully, many meet-
ings,” replied Heppner City
Councilor Cody High. “The
county is the one deciding
what they want to build, so
you want to talk to them
about what you want to
see them build. The city
determines if issues have
been corrected for them to
be approved to build, so
you want the city to know
what your issues are so your
councilors—because we
represent you guys—can
make sure those issues are
resolved.”
A couple of citizens
questioned why the mill
site was not selected, but
Sweeney said the city does
not own that site, and he
could not speak as to why
it was not selected.
Wolff reiterated that
the county had made it
clear that the site had been
picked, and the city’s only
role was in the conditional
use permit. He urged res-
idents to go to the county
board of commissioners
with concerns.
“I’m going to pass the
buck here, but the city has
no decision-making capa-
bilities on the site at this
time,” he said.
Heppner City Attorney
Bill Kuhn clarified that,
because the site is within
the Heppner city limits,
the build will require the
Heppner planning commis-
sion’s permission as far as
meeting the city’s specifica-
tions for the site.
“Everyone will not be
happy,” High added. “But
our job, and what we want
to see, is the best route.”
The next step for the
county will be to apply for
a conditional use permit
through the City of Heppner
Planning Commission.
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Due to increased fire
danger and dry weather
conditions, Phase A of the
Public Use Restrictions
(PURS) for smoking, off-
road travel and chainsaw
use went into effect on the
Umatilla National Forest on
Tuesday, July 11.
Phase A is the first level
of restrictions, generally
implemented when the fire
danger is moderate to high.
PURS are phased in collec-
tively, as conditions war-
rant, and may differ from
forest to forest. Restrictions
under Phase A include:
-Chainsaws may be
operated only between the
hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
local time. A one-hour fire
watch is required after saw
operations cease. Saw oper-
ators are required to have an
axe (minimum two-pound
head, 26 inch length), shov-
el (eight inch wide, 26 inch
length), and fire extinguish-
er (minimum ABC eight
ounce) in their possession.
Chainsaw operation as-
sociated with commercial
and personal use firewood
permits are regulated under
the conditions of the permit
and are not impacted by this
public use restriction.
-Smoking is allowed
only in enclosed vehicles,
buildings or cleared areas.
-No off-road/off-trail
vehicle travel or travel on
roads not cleared of stand-
ing grass or other flamma-
ble material; no vehicle
travel on those Forest Ser-
vice roads where access has
been impeded or blocked
by earthen berm, logs, boul-
ders, barrier, barricade or
gate, or as otherwise iden-
tified in the Fire Order.
The public is also en-
couraged to practice safe
campfire principles when
recreating in dispersed and
developed campsites. For-
est officials recommend the
following campfire safety
precautions:
-Campfires should be
in fire pits surrounded by
dirt, rock or commercial
rings and in areas not con-
ducive to rapid fire spread.
All flammable material
shall be cleared within a
three-foot radius from the
edge of the pit and free
of overhanging material.
Use existing pits wherever
possible.
-Campfires must be
attended at all times and
completely extinguished
prior to leaving.
-Persons with camp-
fires should carry a tool
that can serve as a shovel
and one gallon of water in
their possession. The intent
of this recommendation is
to ensure individuals with
a campfire have the tools
necessary to completely
extinguish their campfire.
The public’s awareness
of the increasing fire danger
and cooperation is essen-
tial to a safe fire season.
Recreationists, firewood
cutters, hunters, and other
forest users can all help by
closely adhering to restric-
tions, operating safely and
cautiously, and keeping up
to date on the latest orders
and regulations.
Regulated closures
may be in effect on State
and private lands protected
by Oregon Department of
Forestry (ODF) in northeast
and central Oregon. Please
check with your local Ore-
gon Department of Forestry
office for PURs on lands
protected by ODF. For more
complete information, con-
tact a local Oregon Depart-
ment of Forestry office or
visit one of the interagency
dispatch centers’ webpages:
Blue Mountain Interagency
Dispatch webpage, www.
bmidc.org, or John Day
Interagency Dispatch web-
page, http://bicc-jdidc.org/
index.shtml.
For more information
about the Umatilla Na-
tional Forest’s Public Use
Restrictions, please con-
tact the Umatilla National
Forest Information Hotline
at 1-877-958-9663, or visit
our website at www.fs.usda.
gov/umatilla/.
More information
about the Umatilla National
Forest is available at https://
www.fs.usda.gov/umatilla.
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Umatilla National Forest
moves to Phase A public
use restrictions
81170