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
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who may not always in-
clude medical personnel in
their ranks.
Shifting her attention to
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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
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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-
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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-
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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appointed their represen-
tatives.
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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
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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
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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
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: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