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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2024)
50¢ VOL. 144 NO. 34 8 Pages Wednesday, August 28, 2024 Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon Ambulance service agreement finalized Kinzua Circuit Court site hits $1.5 million ground fill roadblock and looming contamination worries Judge Hill advocates for Boardman annex in official letter By Annalynn Black The August 21 st BOC meeting kicked off with Tamra Mabbott, the MC Planning Director, dis- cussing the importance of updating the Natural Haz- ard Mitigation plan every five years. Failure to do so would render the county in- eligible for natural disaster funds. Mabbott noted that once the board approves the plan, a notice will be sent to the cities, giving them the option to adopt it as stand- alone entities. However, during the discussion, some concerns were raised by the commissioners. Wenholz voiced his confusion regarding the mention of renewable ener- gy in relation to hazard mit- igation in Morrow County. One sentence of the plan stated that the county is dedicated to sustainability through harnessing wind and solar energy to create a cleaner community. Wen- holz questioned the rele- vance of this statement and compared it to the section on data centers, which de- scribed their existence in ar- eas with chronic droughts, sounding somewhat nega- tive in his opinion. “One is really rosy, and one is kind of downbeat when reading this,” Wenholz remarked. Commissioner Sykes supported Wenholz’s ob- servation, agreeing that some of the adjectives used in the plan, such as “the government offers extreme- ly valuable tax breaks,” seemed subjective and questionable, “that’s the best subjective call I’ve heard” Sykes said. Wenholz further raised concerns about the claim that data centers use exces- sive amounts of water that could otherwise be used for farming. According to him, this statement is incorrect, as the water used to cool down servers is repurposed for irrigation purposes. “It’s not factually correct, be- sides one is really rosy, and one is really downbeat,” he stated. Commissioner Drago expressed agreement with Wenholz’s point. In response to the is- sues raised by the commis- sioners, the board request- ed Mabbott to reword the problematic sections in the plan. They agreed to review the revisions in the next meeting. County Administrator Matt Jensen delivered an update on the ASA advi- sory. Jensen explains that this committee will play a significant role in advising on various matters on a quarterly basis. Addition- ally, they will act as the frontline reviewers when it comes to addressing any jurisdictional conflicts or issues within the ASA, making them crucial for efficient functioning. Jensen revealed that the committee has been entrusted by the OHA (Or- egon Health Authority) to review response times of the ambulance service. While the current shortest response time stands at 20 minutes, the OHA believes that this duration should be reduced. Jensen fur- ther emphasized that the newly formed committee will effectively address this concern. The committee’s struc- ture involves the partic- ipation of two specific representatives from the county. Robin Kennedy, the Morrow County direc- tor of Public Health, has been appointed as the chair. However, it is worth noting that a representative from the MC Health District is yet to be designated. Alongside these rep- resentatives, several other members have been se- lected to bring diverse per- spectives to the commit- tee. From Boardman Fire, George A, Paul Martin, the director of EMS services at PMH, will serve as desig- nees from Pioneer Memori- al Hospital. The committee also includes Judy Gabriele as the designee from Good Shepherd Hospital. The remaining mem- bers comprise represen- tatives from different fire districts, ensuring that first responders with firsthand knowledge of the field par- ticipate in important dis- cussions. Thomas Roberts from Irrigon Rural Fire Protection District, Tamra Beardsley from Board- man Fire Rescue District, Eric Chick from Heppner Rural Fire District, Adam McCabe from Ione Rural Fire Protection District, and Josie Miles from the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department. The motion was passed by the board to approve the committee picks. Moving onto an update from Project Manager Doug Carl on the Kinzua Mill site, a potential site for the new Circuit Court Building. Doug revealed that there is a substantial amount of ground that needs to be filled, estimated to be 16 thousand cubic yards, costing an additional 1.5 million, according to Doug. He mentioned that there are suspicions of potential soil leeching, and borings are proposed to verify this data. Doug further emphasized that if the soil is contami- nated, it will require storing elsewhere, incurring addi- tional expenses. Commissioner Drago expressed his concerns by stating that he is “highly concerned with continuing” with the current site. Com- missioner Wenholz echoed this sentiment, adding that the site has already created complications, and moving forward, these issues may intensify. “It’s not gonna get better; it’s gonna get worse at best,” Drago emphasized. Jensen received a letter from Judge Hill, which presented an alternative proposal for a court annex building. County Admin- istrator Matt Jensen eluci- dated the letter’s contents, explaining that Judge Hill recommends a court annex in Boardman. According to Judge Hill, this loca- tion would cover 80% of civil and 90% of criminal cases in the north end of the county. Jensen made it clear that Judge Hill is not demanding the circuit court to be located in Boardman. The administrator also as- sured that the letter would be made available on the county’s website for public view. District Attorney Justin Nelson shared his thoughts saying that the letter sent by the county council re- garding the statute require- ments was commendable. He appreciated that the letter supported the notion that the courts should be in Heppner, despite a previous conversation that seemed to suggest otherwise. Nelson also brought up an important consideration regarding the expansion of the courthouse. He stated that he was unsure about the extent of services they were Morrow County Administrator Mathew Jensen (L), and Morrow County Commissioner David Sykes (R) signing the new Ambulance Service Area plan. -Photo from the Morrow County Website. Morrow County an- nounced that all three ambu- lance provider agreements under the new Ambulance Service Plan have been finalized. Contracts with Morrow County Health District were signed on August 23, 2024, to pro- vide ambulance services in the Southern area starting September 6, and in the Northeast (Irrigon) area starting September 20. The Northern Area (Boardman) was previously awarded to Boardman Fire Rescue District, which has been the full-time provider in that area since July 17, 2024. Each agreement has a five- year term. Board of Commission- er Chair David Sykes ac- knowledged the lengthy process leading to the final- ization of these agreements and expressed appreciation -Continued to PAGE SIX Father Condon Memorial Golf Tournament The attendants and players at the ‘Father Condon Memorial Gold Tournament’. -Photo from Kay Proctor Participants in the an- nual Father Condon Me- morial Golf Tournament enjoyed nice weather and a huge breakfast buffet this past Saturday while rais- ing scholarship funds for local students. Organized by Mark McElligott and originated by Jim Swanson, the scramble begins with a whiskey toast and a prayer for Father Condon, and -Continued to PAGE THREE Flowers on Main Street -Continued to PAGE SIX Heppner Daycare calls on community to find location for new facility Heppner, OR- The Heppner Daycare Expan- sion Subcommittee is ap- pealing to the local com- munity for assistance in identifying and securing a suitable location for a new and expanded childcare center. After more than a year of diligent searching, the Subcommittee is now calling on residents, land- owners, and stakeholders to help meet the critical need for enhanced childcare services in the area. The planned facility will significantly expand care options for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children requiring af- ter-school care. The current daycare facility, located on Gale Street in Heppner, is no longer adequate to meet the increasing demand, particularly for infant and toddler care. The lack of available slots has become a pressing issue for many families in the community, driving the urgency of the Subcommittee’s search for a new location. Board Chair Katie Murray highlighted the importance of acting swift- ly, given the financial and temporal constraints tied to the project. “We have time constraints on spending the grant funds we have already secured, and deadlines for additional essential funding for this project. If we do not acquire property, we look at potentially delaying this project several years,” Mur- ray stated. “This is a crucial juncture for us. We are in an excellent position right now to have the childcare facili- ty this community deserves, but we need to take this critical next step to make it happen. It truly takes a village, and we are asking ours to come together to accomplish this.” The urgency stems from the need to secure a property that can accom- modate the necessary ex- pansion while adhering to the specific requirements set forth by the grants and funding bodies. The new facility is envisioned to provide a minimum foot- print of approximately 0.3 acres. The Subcommittee is flexible in negotiating with potential landowners and is committed to finding a solution that benefits both the seller and the commu- nity at large. Beyond simply ex- panding the physical space, the new facility is expected to play a transformative role in the community by enhancing the quality of early childhood education and care. Heppner Day Care has established it- self as a family-focused, high-quality licensed, and certified center, dedicated to nurturing the social-emo- tional and physical growth of children. This foundation is seen as vital for fostering future academic success and building strong self-es- teem in the community’s youngest members. The expanded daycare center will not only provide more slots for infants and toddlers but will also intro- duce new programs aimed at enriching the lives of preschoolers and offering much-needed after-school care for working parents. The Subcommittee believes that the new facility will serve as a cornerstone for the community’s future, helping to meet the evolv- ing needs of Heppner fam- ilies. Murray also empha- sized the broader impact of the project, noting that the expanded daycare center would support the eco- nomic growth of Heppner by enabling more parents to participate in the work- force. The availability of Flowers hung up outsie of the local Bank of Eastern Oregon (L), and hung up outside of the local food pod (R). -Photos by Cindi Doherty. During the spring and summer months, the Heppner public works de- partment puts up beautiful flowers around town. The flowers line both sides of Main St., creating a vibrant and colorful display for residents and visitors to -Continued to PAGE SIX enjoy. These yearly flower arrangements add charm and a touch of natural beau- ty to the town, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of Heppner. Whether you’re strolling through town or driving along Main St., you can’t help but notice and ap- preciate the vibrant blooms that adorn the streets. CALL 541-989-8221 ext 204 for more information
