6WXDUW'LFN¿OHVSHWLWLRQ
to recall commissioners
50¢
By Annalynn Black
(BOC) refuse to cooper-
Stuart Dick, Morrow ate or exercise transparen-
County resident, has sent cy with MCHD (Morrow
VOL. 144 NO. 8 8 Pages
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
petitions for a recall of County Health District).
commissioners David They have not followed
Sykes, Roy Drago, and the established process for
-H൵:HQKRO]WRWKHFRXQW\ amending the Ambulance
clerk.
Service Area Plan, dam-
The following is the aging the viability of the
statement provided on all county ambulance service
By Andrea Di Salvo
lift and a lot to abide by, and three recall petitions.
after approximately thirty
Another solar energy
a lot to get right and a lot
1) All three Morrow
project seeking to site itself
of expectations. It’s been County Commissioners -Continued to PAGE EIGHT
in Morrow County moved
a lot, and it’s been hard to
one step ahead last week
accomplish.
when the Morrow County
In fact, Sweeney said
Board of Commissioners
he didn’t blame NextEra,
approved a comment letter
but said he saw a need for
in support of the project.
more compliance over-
The comment letter
sight and coordination. He
is part of the process for
indicated that the learning
a company seeking a site
curve had placed a burden
certificate from the Ore-
on county resources.
gon Energy Facility Siting
³:H¶UHWU\LQJWRJHWLW
Council (EFSC). This was Map by Morrow County Associate Planner Stephen
right, because we’re just
the second comment letter Wrecsics - Contributed Photo
seeing the tip of this, and
submit an annual monitor- QRZ :KHDWULGJH (DVW LV
the county was asked to a third of the land.
:KLOHWKHFRPPHQWOHW- ing report.
submit concerning a site
coming on,” he said. “It’s Team photo Heppner Lady Mustangs. -Contributed Photo
0RUURZ&RXQW\:HHG just going to continue to get
FHUWL¿FDWHIRU:DJRQ7UDLO ter to the EFSC expressed
The Lady Mustangs on January 25th. The Lady
Solar, a project of NextEra overall approval of the Supervisor Corey Sweeney worse if nobody catches it made history on Saturday, Mustangs improved their
Energy. NextEra is head- project, there were a cou- told the commissioners to make sure it’s taken care February 17, 2024, by de- record to 18-7 and earned
quartered in Florida but has ple of sticking points for that the additional recom- of and done properly.”
IHDWLQJ :HVWRQ 0F(ZHQ the right to face No. 3 Regis
“green” energy projects in the county, Mabbott said. mendations stemmed from
That was one reason he
44-36 and securing the third LQWKH¿UVWURXQGRIWKH6WDWH
49 states, including some Chief among those were problems with past energy ZDQWHGWRVHH:DJRQ7UDLO
underway here in Morrow weed control and Goal 3 facility agreements.
Solar have its own weed spot at the Blue Mountain 2A playoffs on February
District Basketball Tourna- WK:HVWRQ0F(ZHQRQ
“This stems from some coordinator.
mitigation.
County.
JDSV LQ :KHDWULGJH RQH
A Weedy Topic
7KH SODQQHG :DJRQ
“That’s what we’re try- ment at the Pendleton Con- the other hand, suffered
³:H GLG PDNH D QRWH and two, in monitoring and ing to do; do the right thing vention Center. This was three consecutive losses
Trail Solar farm would
not be as large as the near- that we would recommend reporting some weed issues and get it to where we don’t the third and decisive clash to Stanfield, Enterprise,
by 10,000-acre Sunstone that a weed plan be required that have really developed have out-of-compliance between the two rivals, who DQG +HSSQHU LQ ¿YH GD\V
Solar but would be large and that the weed plan be in the last three years,” issues, we’re not spread- had split their previous and dropped in the State
enough—a 500-megawatt reviewed and approved by Sweeney said, “and kind ing weeds, and we’re not meetings. Heppner lost 45- 2A rankings. All four Blue
farm located on about 7,450 the county weed supervi- RIDPLVIXO¿OOPHQWRIRE- creating a huge problem,” 48 at Athena on January Mountain teams will still
ligations in that weed draft. he said.
5th but bounced back with
acres in central Morrow sor,” said Mabbott.
-Continued to PAGE SEVEN
“NextEra’s been great
The letter also recom-
County. Morrow County
Sweeney said that, ac- a 54-44 victory at home
Planning Director Tamra mended that the site cer- on rectifying, great on cording to ordinance, the
Mabbott told the board tificate owner, NextEra, working with and trying draft plan only has to be
of commissioners that should fund at least one full to get this back in compli- submitted 30 days before
the company estimated it time position to implement ance,” he added. “These
Morow County- Fol- Authority which should
-Continued to PAGE TWO lowing the second joint be in the middle of March.
would only build on about weed abatement, as well as weed draft plans are a heavy
meeting on Feb. 13th, the The Health District has ex-
Morrow County Health pressed concerns that their
District and the Morrow employees are unlikely to
County Board of Com- stay for just 90 days, which
missioners have mutually puts their services at risk in
agreed to suspend negoti- the county. The county stat-
By Andrea Di Salvo
cultural trust.
So, an individual who
ations and meetings tem- ed that they require the new
The Morrow County gives $100 dollars yearly to
Schreiner said that, porarily. Morrow County ASA plan to be implement-
Board of Commissioners a local cultural organization
right now, an estimated Commissioners and Mor- ed before they can accept
recently learned more about would also donate a match-
¿YH SHUFHQW RI SHRSOH HOL- row County Health District any long-term contracts.
a way Oregonians can sup- ing $100 to the Oregon
gible for the tax credit are couldn’t agree on extending The county will assume
port the arts and culture in Cultural Trust and would
using it. That raises around the date for the ambulance ambulance operations on
their communities while receive a $100 tax credit.
$5.2 million per year, but service. The Health District March 13. They expect a
receiving a tax break.
Schreiner says there is room R൵HUHG D \HDU H[WHQVLRQ plan for ambulance ser-
However, the tax credit is
Jaylene Papineau of the capped at $500 for indi-
for growth.
and proposed to use the vice coverage from County
Morrow County Cultural viduals, $1,000 for couples
“If more folks simply current ASA for stability, Administrator Jensen at
Coalition and Aili Schrein- ¿OLQJMRLQWO\DQGIRU
knew about the tax credit, but the commissioners sug- their meeting on Feb. 21.
er, Cultural Trust Manager C-class corporations.
liked where the funds went gested a 90-day extension Morrow County and the
of the Oregon Cultural
Schreiner stressed that Aili Schreiner
and participated in it, the until they receive an ap- Health District may meet
Trust (OCT), were on hand supporting the Trust doesn’t
size and number of our proved service agreement again after OHA approves
at the Feb. 7 board of com- mean paying more in taxes grant awards.
grant awards would go up from the Oregon Health the ASA plan.
missioners meeting to share but being able to choose
The Trust also runs VLJQL¿FDQWO\´VKHVDLG
the unique way the OCT to some extent what state competitive grant pro-
³:H¶UH XQLTXH LQ WKH
works with taxpayers to taxes fund.
grams, funds cultural work nation,” Schreiner told the
direct where some of their
“This is good news for in Oregon tribes, and funds commissioners. “No oth-
taxes go.
those of us who believe statewide service provid- er state has a way for its
Schreiner said the Ore- in the arts, heritage and ers such as the Oregon citizens to elect to send
This update follows Service Area Plan. MCHD
gon Cultural Trust was cre- humanities and who help Heritage Commission and some of its tax dollars to a
two
meetings between the is publishing this update to
ated 22 years ago, in 2001. support that work with our the Oregon State Historic cultural trust, and then we
Morrow
County Health explain our stance on some
According to her, a diverse own personal donations,” 3UHVHUYDWLRQ2൶FH
in turn redistribute those
District
Board
and the of the important topics that
group had gone to the state she said.
funds
around
the
state
so
In Morrow County, it’s
and asked for a way to sup-
She told the commis- the Morrow County Cul- that there are grant options Morrow County Board have been stumbling blocks
port cultural projects.
sioners the Trust has sup- tural Coalition that partners available wherever you during which the two par- between the two parties.
“They said, ’You know, ported more than 1,600 cul- with Oregon State Cultural live in Oregon or whatever ties agreed to come together :K\ZRQ¶W0RUURZ&RXQ-
culture is happening every- WXUHQRQSUR¿WVLQ2UHJRQ Trust to distribute funds. kind of culture is important to discuss a path forward ty Health District extend
where in Oregon, and we’d
³:KLFK MXVW VSHDNV WR Some of the areas funded to you.”
for the ambulance service. the 90-day notice period?
like to make sure there are how busy Oregonians are could include the county
Papineau invited coun- Unfortunately, the two par- MCHD has agreed to an
funds to support the arts and exploring their world and rodeo, community parades ty residents interested in ties could not agree on an extension of two years.
history and heritage that is WKH PHDQLQJ WKDW WKH\ ¿QG and the Morrow County learning more to come visit immediate path forward. This is considered short-
important to each commu- there,” she added.
Historical Society, among with her.
Meetings between the two term in this industry due to
nity,’” Schreiner said.
Schreiner said 60 per- others.
“I feel pretty strongly parties will resume when WKH VLJQL¿FDQW LQYHVWPHQW
As a result of that, cent of the funds get dis-
“So, wherever you are about this program,” she the Oregon Health Author- LQ HTXLSPHQW DQG VWD൶QJ
the Oregon Cultural Trust tributed to various organiza- in Oregon, you have access said. “I’m a believer in ity approves the Ambulance
-Continued to PAGE THREE
was created to raise funds tions and projects, with the to arts and history and her- keeping our history going.”
through a state tax cred- other 40 percent going into itage in your community,”
it program and distribute a permanent fund.
Schreiner said.
them throughout the state.
Of that 60 percent, half
On the other hand, the
The way the tax credit goes to competitive cultur- permanent fund is designed
program works is that, if an al development grants, a to provide interest and in-
individual makes donations quarter to partner agencies vestment income for the
to an organization like the like the Oregon Historical Trust, which she said was
CALL
Morrow County Historical Society, and the final 25 especially important during
Society, they can make a percent to county coalitions times like the COVID-19
541-989-8221
matching donation to the and nine tribes—around pandemic.
ext 204
OCT, which comes back 450 awards to counties and
“It’s nice to have a per-
to them in the form of a tribes per year.
manent fund to leverage
for more
dollar-for-dollar tax credit.
In the time it’s been when the times call for it,”
“This is a source of around, the trust has award- she said.
information
funding that is completely ed more than 10,000 grants
Another source of in-
up to individuals,” she told for a total of more than $40 come is the special Cultural
the commissioners. “A lot million throughout the state. Trust license plate. The
of folks are not used to us- This is done partly through license plate was commis-
ing tax credits, there aren’t a a statewide network of cul- sioned on the OCT’s 20 th
lot in Oregon, and this one’s tural coalitions, groups of anniversary, and a portion
pretty special.”
volunteers who make yearly of the fee also goes to the
Another solar project seeks approval
Weed control top of mind for county
Lady Mustangs advance
WRVWDWHSOD\R൵V
Joint meetings paused
Cultural trust supports art, history
through tax credits
MCHD press release
ambulance service