+HSSQHU*D]HWWH7LPHV+HSSQHU2UHJRQWednesday, May 8, 2024 -- SEVEN
Board of Commissioners discuss ASA plan schedule
-Continued from PAGE ONE
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.
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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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ty, will meet from June 5 th
and June 12 th to discuss
the proposals. Jensen, who
initially suggested the for-
mation of this committee,
informed the board that
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have already appointed
their representatives.
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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 counsel.
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 assump-
tion was that the county
courthouse needed to be
situated within the city
boundaries of Heppner, in
accordance with the Oregon
Revised Statutes (ORS) and
other state standards. Thus,
the team had narrowed
down several potential sites
to ultimately select the
fairgrounds as the preferred
choice. The fairgrounds
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cost availability, size of the
area, ready-to-build infra-
structure, proximity to utili-
ties, and county ownership.
However, unforeseen
circumstances arose as the
potential impact on fair-
grounds parking during the
county fair was brought to
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acre lot that hosted horse
races and accommodated
participants’ vehicles be-
came compromised. Taking
this into account, the board
started exploring alterna-
tive options for parking.
This turn of events also
generated discord among
neighboring residents.
1HYHUWKHOHVVDVLJQL¿-
cant development occurred
when the state’s chief jus-
tice sent out a notice clarify-
ing her interpretation of the
location requirements. Ac-
cording to her, the Circuit
Court could be established
beyond the city limits as
long as it remained within
the county boundaries.
Armed with this new-
found understanding, the
board expanded their scope
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sites across the county.
They considered proposals
from Irrigon, Boardman,
Lexington, and the Mill
site offered by the Port
of Morrow. After care-
fully weighing the pros
and cons of each location,
some were dismissed due
to issues such as the need
for building demolition,
environmental concerns,
or inconsistent political
and geographical proximity
to the current courthouse.
The historical connection to
Heppner, which the court-
house actively serves, was
also taken into account.
Addressing concerns
about the future of the cur-
rent courthouse in Hep-
pner, Jensen assured that
its symbolic significance
and historical relevance
would endure. However,
the impact of having the
courthouse physically lo-
cated in the Heppner area,
both perceptually and prac-
tically, was acknowledged
by the board.
In a recent executive
session, the commission
had requested Jensen and
the design team to under-
take a narrowed-down se-
lection process and provide
cost estimates for several
potential sites. This deci-
sion aimed to streamline the
decision-making process
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of funds, as there is a grant
with a deadline of 2026 that
must be utilized.
With careful consider-
ation of numerous factors,
the Board of Commissions
embarked on a focused
search for potential Circuit
Court locations. Their aim
was to strike a balance
between meeting the nec-
essary requirements and
considering the concerns
and history of the county.
Commissioner Sykes
raised the question, why
can’t the Bartholomew
building (the current court-
house in Heppner) be up-
dated and used?
Jensen acknowledged
that while revitalizing the
courthouse was a possi-
bility, the entire burden of
funding would fall on the
counties shoulders. He not-
ed that the current funding
being allocated by the state
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for new construction proj-
ects. Sykes interjected, em-
phasizing that this funding
accounted for 50% of the
total amount required.
Confirming Sykes’
statement, Jensen revealed
that the 50% funding equat-
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$12.7 million. While some
may argue that this sub-
stantial amount could be
used to construct an entirely
new and impressive build-
ing, Jensen explained that
the court system imposes
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construction of courtrooms.
These standards cover ev-
erything from structural
requirements to the size of
windows and the offices
allocated to judges. Jensen
says a study had been con-
ducted regarding the neces-
sary updates and additions
to the Bartholomew Build-
ing and when the Circuit
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he will look into updating
the Bartholomew Building.
Kelly Stewart, an archi-
tect from DLR Group, pre-
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collaboration with Alliance
to analyze potential loca-
tions for the county court-
house. Stewart revealed
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promising spots: the Kinzua
Mill Site North end, the
Kinzua Mill Site South end,
the fairgrounds in Heppner,
and a site in Boardman.
Stewart highlighted the ex-
pansive size of the Kinzua
Mill site, spanning over
100 acres, and noted that it
had been divided into two
distinct sections for analy-
sis purposes. However, she
emphasized that the extent
of environmental geotech-
nical bindings needed to be
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surveys.
According to Stewart ,
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could be made, these sur-
veys needed to be conduct-
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The time required for the
surveys was estimated to
be a minimum of three
months. However, depend-
ing on the results, the pro-
cess could potentially take
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timeline of the project. It
was noted that the surveys
were initially planned to
commence sooner; howev-
er, the necessity to prioritize
the installation of water and
sewage infrastructure led to
a delay.
The commission mem-
bers were presented with
the estimated costs asso-
ciated with installing wa-
ter and sewer facilities at
the chosen sites. For the
North end, considering
the distance, the projected
cost ranged between $2.2
million and $2.9 million.
On the other hand, for the
South end, the estimated
cost was reported to be
between $1.9 million and
$2.8 million.
Turning their attention
to the last two sites, Stewart
reassured that although the
Boardman site still needs
to undergo a survey, she
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major obstacles would be
uncovered during this pro-
cess. While the Fairgrounds
site has already been sur-
veyed, so, moving into
development will be swift.
Jensen chimed in and
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of the two potential sites. He
mentioned that the North
site option is located just
west of the Ag extensions
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Kinzua Mill. In contrast, the
South site sits on the south
side of the road, adjacent to
silver creek storage. Jensen
further highlighted that the
South option would not be
impacted by the 500-year
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it a more viable choice for
development. Jensen also
disclosed that the port has
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ish some storage facilities
in the vicinity. However,
he expressed his concerns
about potential environ-
mental implications that
such actions might entail.
Sykes raised concerns
about the potential impact
of surveys on the project
timeline and cost. Com-
missioner Sykes sought
confirmation on whether
the surveys required for
the Kinzua Mill site options
would add an additional
four months to the proj-
ect. Doug from Alliance,
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stated that the surveys were
indeed necessary and would
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line and cost.
Sykes inquired about
the state’s power to veto the
project based on the results
of the survey studies. Doug
explained that anything
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be built upon, but he also
highlighted that some of
the additional costs would
solely fall on the county.
Seeking clarity, Sykes
pressed further and asked
at what point they would
know the exact cost to the
county. Sykes wondered
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a site and then allow the
state to decide if they would
provide 50% of the funding.
In response, Doug sug-
gested that the exploration
cost would likely be borne
solely by the county but
emphasized that the exact
details were still unknown.
Eurl, last name un-
known, another Alliance
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some light on the matter
saying that it would be
impossible to determine the
full extent of any remedia-
tion required until a site was
chosen and the building’s
schematics were presented
to the state. Sykes then
requested asked for an ex-
ample of what can be found
that will require remedia-
tion. Responding to Sykes’
query, Doug explained that
if contaminated soil were
to be discovered at the se-
lected site, the only solution
would be to dig down until
reaching uncontaminated
soil and replace it. Howev-
er, he emphasized that this
remediation process would
come with a hefty price
WDJPDNLQJLWD¿QDQFLDOO\
burdensome endeavor.
According to Jensen,
the fairgrounds necessitate
some excavation work,
as indicated by a recent
survey highlighting areas
that require soil removal.
However, Jensen assures
that such sites, with a his-
tory spanning hundreds of
years, are bound to have
sections that need to be re-
done. Inquisitive about the
potential contamination of
old mill sites, Sykes asks
Jensen for an example and
what they could anticipate.
Doug provides a response,
suggesting that there could
be several possibilities,
including chemicals used
to treat logs that may have
seeped into the soil. He
also highlights that during
the mill’s operation, due to
the prevailing practices of
the time, oil and equipment
were changed right on site
without proper recycling,
leading to oil seepage into
the soil. However, Doug
HPSKDVL]HV WKDW GH¿QLWLYH
knowledge about the con-
taminants present will only
be attainable through site
testing.
Delving further into the
matter, Jensen emphasized
that obtaining water from
the city would be a more
cost-effective option for
the south site, as opposed to
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for a building of that size.
Jensen then raised con-
cerns regarding the expense
of connecting waste water
to the city. It brought into
question whether the coun-
ty would be willing to cover
the full cost of approxi-
mately $235,000 associated
-Continued to PAGE NINE
Proudfoot & Cutsforth
awarded BEO $500
scholarships
Heppner, Oregon,
(May 2, 2024) Bank of
Eastern Oregon has selected
its 2024 high school senior
scholarship recipients. This
scholarship is awarded to
students planning to enroll
in agriculture or business in
college and judging is based
on scholarship, leadership
and citizenship. Applica-
tions are accepted from
graduating seniors in the ar-
eas where Bank of Eastern
Oregon and Bank of East-
ern Washington branches
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Cameron Proudfoot and
Morgan Cutsforth were
the students from Heppner
awarded $500 scholarships.
April Morrow County
Marriage licenses issued
Issued on April 15 th -
Donna Marisa Sherman
from Heppner and Richard
Bedolla Hernandez from
Boardman. Issued on April
24 th - Nyellie Felipe Carrilo
from Boardman and Nathe-
niel Anthony Hernandez
from Boardman. Issued on
April 25 th - Vanessa Mo-
nique Olvera from Board-
man and Ismiael Diaz from
Boardman. Issued on April
26 th - Michael Louis Bogart
from Heppner and Alice
Mae Ragan from Heppner.
EHA to host open
house May 18 th
Echo Heritage Asso-
ciation will be hosting an
open house in the historic
St Peters Church at 33208
Marble Street, Echo, begin-
ning at 10:30 on Saturday
May 18, 2024. Doris Pitzer,
locally renown organist,
will treat us to selections
on the 120-year-old pump
organ at 11:00. Doris has
played and led music for
church, school events, wed-
dings, and funerals in this
region for decades and she
still plays with a warm style
and genuine capacity every
chance she gets.
An interpretive tour
will be led by local Pas-
tor Fr. Daniel Maxwell
at 11:45. There is always
beautiful symbolism adorn-
ing a Catholic church and
the early inhabitants of
WKLVDUHDLQFOXGHG¿QHVWDW-
uary and an altar in this
church from the beginning,
in 1913. Pastor Maxwell
is very well versed in the
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items in St Peters and will
be giving us insight into
these uniquely historical
symbols during the OPEN
HOUSE.
The Annual ACE Car
Show will be going on
downtown that day and, of
course, the café’ and two
wineries in Echo are not far
away. All in all, a vacation
close to home awaits on
Saturday, May 18 th in Echo
and includes free tours for
all ages at the historic St
Peters Church.
Judicial Department wants
to hear from court users
If you have interact-
ed with Oregon’s circuit
courts recently, the Oregon
Judicial Department (OJD)
wants to hear from you.
OJD is asking court
users to take an anony-
mous Access and Fairness
Survey. The survey results
will help OJD identify ways
to improve and ensure that
everyone has equal access
to the courts.
Questions on the sur-
vey include: Did the court
treat you with respect? Did
the court make things easy
to understand? Did the
court make you feel safe?
OJD invites anyone
who has interacted with
the state circuit courts to
participate. This includes
people involved in lawsuits
or other court cases and
their family members. This
also includes witnesses,
jurors and potential jurors,
victims, attorneys, and law
enforcement.
The survey is avail-
able online at www.courts.
oregon.gov/survey in
English, Spanish, Russian,
Traditional Chinese, and
Vietnamese. People who
prefer a paper survey can
ask for a copy at their local
court.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAY AT 5:00 P.M.
Senior Boys
&
Fathers
Free Lunch
May
14th
11:30-1pm
Tuesday May 14th from 11:30-1pm Heppner and
Ione Graduating Senior boys and their fathers or
male mentors are invited to the Heppner Masonic
Lodge, 138 W Willow st, for a free lunch
sponsored by Bucknums Tavern
with Guest Speaker Brett Koss.
Heppner Lodge #69 wants to honor the hardwork
these local men have put in and wish them well on
their future endeavors.
Please RSVP to Cody High at 541-256-0847 to
ensure we have enough for everyone. We hope to
have all local senior boys attend this event.