Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2024)
50¢ VOL. 144 NO. 18 10 Pages Wednesday, May 8, 2024 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Chadd Doherty awarded by OCCA BOC discuss ASA Plan, Circuit Court building, and solar projects By Annalynn Black During the May 1st meeting of the Morrow County Board of Commis- sioners, public comments were first on the agenda. Jodi Ferguson, a resident of Morrow County, took the opportunity to present a series of requests and suggestions to the board. Ferguson started by highlighting the ongoing issue with the ambulance service in the area. She urged the board to ensure that the providers who bid for the service have second out crews readily available, capable of arriving at the scene within 15 minutes. According to Ferguson, the current response time of over 30 minutes is simply unacceptable. Furthermore, she emphasized the im- portance of the providers utilizing the appropriate resources within the coun- ty. Ferguson advocated for quick responders to be paged out when medical personnel are needed on the scene, as these responders operate independently from WKH ORFDO ¿UH GHSDUWPHQWV who may not always in- clude medical personnel in their ranks. Shifting her attention to DGL൵HUHQWPDWWHU)HUJXVRQ urged the board to think “outside the box” when considering the location of the Circuit Court building. She encouraged them to explore the possibility of collaboration with other entities rather than solely focusing on the cost of the old mill site. Fergu- son referenced information shared by representatives, suggesting that the Port of Morrow has funds available for infrastructure invest- ments. She further men- tioned that a board member of the Port of Morrow ex- pressed the Port’s desire to invest in the project during a candidates’ forum held in Heppner. Ferguson drew attention to Commissioner Drago Jr.’s desire to keep the courthouse in Heppner, but argued that the north end of the county, which boasts the Port of Morrow, jobs, and new housing, presents an opportunity to revitalize the south end of the county. She concluded her statement by urging the commissioners to champion this project to ensure pros- perity and growth for the entire county. Following Ferguson’s comments, no other members of the public stepped forward to address the board. County Administrator 0DWW-HQVHQWRRNWKHÀRRU to deliver a comprehensive presentation outlining the requirements for this cru- cial decision. Jensen began by listing the key criteria to be con- sidered during the selection process, enlightening the attendees with a slide show. The requirements outlined were as follows: 1 st ) the selected pro- vider must demonstrate the ability to deliver a high level of pre-hospital emer- gency medical care.2 nd 0 The provider must show- FDVHVX൶FLHQWFDOOYROXPH and financial stability to ensure the long-term sus- tainability of the service. 3 rd ) The chosen provider must guarantee quality care for all individuals living in or passing through the service area. 4 th) The poten- tial service provider must adhere to all regulations set forth by the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Medical Board, and Oregon Depart- ment of Motor Vehicles. 5 th ) The proposal submitted by the ambulance service pro- YLGHUPXVWLQFOXGHVSHFL¿F details such as the number and type of ambulances, along with the medical equipment they will carry. Additionally, the proposal should outline the vehicle storage arrangements, com- munication capabilities, dispatching abilities, and the number of personnel. 6 th) Any selected provider must diligently adhere to all policies, procedures, and guidelines outlined in the Morrow County ASA Plan and the enacting ordinance. 1H[W ZDV WKH 6SHFL¿F guidelines, Matt Jensen mentions that since there are three service areas, we need a provider that can service all those areas; 1 st Prospective Providers must submit a proposal for individual ambulance service areas (ASA). 2 nd Prospective Providers may submit individual proposal for multiple ASAs. 3 rd The Selection Committee and Board of Commissioners may communicate with Perspective Providers for FODUL¿FDWLRQDQGWRGLVFXVV service options. The date of issuance is set for May 6th. Jensen also mentioned that notices will be published in newspapers across not only this county but also adjoining counties. 2QHVLJQL¿FDQWGDWHWR note is May 20th, which is when written questions will be allowed. After that, the proposal deadline has been set for two weeks later on June 3 rd at 2pm. Following the submission deadline, the board will review the proposals and determine which ones will move forward. The selec- tion committee, consisting of representatives from all ¿YHFLWLHVZLWKLQWKHFRXQW\ will meet from June 5 th and June 12 th to discuss the pro- posals. Jensen, who initially suggested the formation of this committee, informed the board that four out of WKH¿YHFLWLHVKDYHDOUHDG\ appointed their represen- tatives. %UHQGD3UR൶WDFRXQ- cil member from Board- man, will represent that city, while Mayor Michelle Patton will represent Irri- gon. Heppner will be rep- resented by local medical professional Emily Jack, and Jerry Reitmann, a local business owner, will rep- resent Ione. Jensen stated that they are still awaiting Lexington’s decision, as they are expected to select their representative after the Lexington May Council meeting. Additionally, the county representatives on the committee will be Matt Jensen himself as County Administrator and Bob Blackmore as legal coun- sel. Two EMS professionals from adjoining counties are also being considered for the committee, pending FRQ¿UPDWLRQ Commissioner Sykes inquired about the structure of the committee meetings and whether they would be held publicly or privately. In response, Jensen ex- pressed a preference for private meetings, without live streaming on plat- forms such as Zoom. The Commissioners motioned to approve the ASA plan scheduling. Commissioner Sykes kickstarted the Circuit court building project conversa- tion by turning to Jensen and requested a brief sum- mary of how the board ar- rived at the present state of D൵DLUVUHJDUGLQJWKH&LUFXLW Court building. Jensen began by ex- plaining that over the past year, the prevailing assumption was that the county courthouse needed to be situated within the city boundaries of Hep- pner, in accordance with the Oregon Revised Stat- utes (ORS) and other state standards. Thus, the team had narrowed down several potential sites to ultimate- ly select the fairgrounds -Continued to PAGE SEVEN Morrow County’s support for county rights recognized in landmark Oregon Supreme Court decision Morrow County was a friend of the court in defense of county autonomy By Chris Sykes ,QDVLJQL¿FDQWGHFL- sion, the Oregon Supreme Court recently ruled in the case of “Umatilla County v. Dept. of Ener- gy,” with Morrow Coun- ty acting as a “friend of the court.” The case in- volved the interpretation of Oregon Revised Stat- utes (ORS) in relation to the approval process for a proposed energy facility. Specifically, the court had to determine wheth- er the Energy Facility Siting Council (referred to as the council) had the authority to issue a site FHUWL¿FDWH IRU D IDFLOLW\ that did not meet all local land use requirements but aligned with statewide planning goals. The case was ignited by a dispute over the ap- SURYDORIDVLWHFHUWL¿FDWH for the construction of a wind energy facility in Umatilla County, Ore- gon. Despite the proposed facility not adhering to a local siting criterion man- dating a two-mile setback between each turbine and a rural residence, the Energy Facility Sit- ing Council granted the FHUWL¿FDWHWR1ROLQ+LOOV :LQG//&'LVVDWLV¿HG with the council’s deci- sion, Umatilla County sought a judicial review, contending that Nolin Hills should have been compelled to abide by the two-mile setback rule. According to Morrow County, they joined in the appeal to protect local land use rights and were neither in support nor against Umatilla Coun- ty’s 2-mile setback. Umatilla County ar- gued that local land use criteria must be strictly followed and that any facility not meeting these criteria should be de- nied a site certificate. The county cited ORS 215.283(2)(g) and ORS 215.190 to support its stance, emphasizing that these statutes required lo- cal approval for facilities on high-value farmland and prohibited construc- tion from violating local regulations. However, the Su- preme Court disagreed with the county’s inter- pretation. The court high- lighted ORS 469.504(7), which states that local governments must amend their plans and regula- tions to align with the council’s decisions if a VLWH FHUWL¿FDWH LV LVVXHG suggesting that the coun- cil’s decisions can over- ride local discrepancies in certain scenarios. The court further an- alyzed the legislative history and intent behind these statutes, concluding that the legislature in- tended for the council to have the ultimate author- ity in siting decisions, es- pecially when balancing local criteria with broader statewide planning goals. 7KH FRXUW D൶UPHG WKDW ORS 469.504(1)(b)(B) applies even if a facili- ty does not meet all lo- cal criteria, as long as it complies with statewide planning goals. Ultimately, the court upheld the council’s de- cision to issue a site cer- WL¿FDWH IRU WKH SURSRVHG facility, concluding that the facility met the nec- essary statewide planning goals, and thus, the local government’s compre- hensive plans would need to be amended according- ly to accommodate the facility. This outcome chal- lenges the traditional role of local governments in strictly controlling land use within their jurisdic- tions. Typically, local en- -Continued to PAGE EIGHT Heppner Public Works Director Chadd Doherty. -Photo Contributed C h a d d D o h e r t y, a student from Blue Moun- tain Community College (BMCC) and the Heppner Public Works Director, has been recognized and awarded by the Oregon Community College Asso- ciation for his outstanding achievements in academics, community service, and leadership. This prestigious accolade was bestowed upon him after being nom- inated by his advisor at BMCC, Dr. Velda Arnaud. Doherty’s commitment to excellence and passion for education has paved his path to success. As a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honors society, he has consistently demon- strated his dedication to scholarship and has become a true role model for his peers. Alongside 54 other exceptional students from across the state, Doherty was also selected for the coveted 2024 All Oregon Academic team. Accepting this honor, Doherty was given the op- portunity to speak at the recognition luncheons held in Salem at the Chemeketa Community College on -Continued to PAGE NINE Heppner 8 th grade 7 )¿QLVKHVVHDVRQ Pictured is (L-R) Avia Botefuhr, Sam Lamb, Lizzie Ginn, and Olsen Anderson. -Photo by Erin Anderson The eighth-grade track SHWHG LQ WKHLU ¿QDO PLGGOH DQG ¿HOG WHDP IURP +HS- school meet in Milton-Free- pner Jr High recently com- water. Controlled hunt deadline May 15 SALEM, Ore.— Hunt- ers should apply for their controlled and premium hunts as soon as possible and before the deadline of Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. An application is re- quired for most deer and elk hunts in eastern Oregon and for all pronghorn, bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat hunts. As of Monday, April 29, about 131,986 appli- cations for fall hunts have been sold, compared to 129,866 last year at the same time. ODFW antici- pates receiving more than 500,000 controlled hunt applications, The easiest way to ap- ply is online at ODFW ‘s licensing system but applications are also sold at license sale agents during store hours. Applications are $8 per hunt series (buck deer, antlerless deer, elk, prong- horn, bighorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain goat), and an annual hunting license is also required. New this year, hunters will be able to see their party’s total points after ap- plying for a controlled hunt. A new feature in ODFW’s licensing system allows each party member to see other members’ points and the group total for the par- ty’s application. That way, everyone in the party can KDYHFRQ¿GHQFHLQWKHRGGV of drawing a tag. CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
