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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9
MORROW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR LEARNING THE ROPES
Sorte hired late
last year as part of
county’s change in
government structure
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Staff Writer
Jerry Sorte grew up in
Corvallis, but is no strang-
er to Eastern Oregon. As a
kid, Sorte remembers long
road trips to visit family
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ing at Wallowa Lake, or
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“I was fortunate to
spend a lot of time recre-
ating in Eastern Oregon,”
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beautiful, and a great place
to be.”
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provide management and
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venile court. Judge Terry
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STAFF PHOTO BY GEORGE PLAVEN
-erry 6orte was hired as 0orrow County·s Àrst Iulltime
administrative oIÀcer late last year.
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ployees.
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Sorte said.
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decade of experience work-
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gree in public administra-
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Missouri before returning
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way up to planning manag-
er of Polk County.
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Missouri for a year and a
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family decided Oregon was
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were in Heppner,” Sorte
said.
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clearly surfaced as a prior-
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development,
including
roads and facilities.
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its recently completed Bar-
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in Heppner, and Sorte said
talks are underway about
potential building renova-
tions — or possibly a new
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nue coming in from wind
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Portland General Electric’s
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reality, Sorte said.
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budget in a good position.”
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missioners and department
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last. He encouraged resi-
dents to attend county court
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By JENNIFER COLTON
Staff Writer
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clean up an abandoned
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fire in February.
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Commissioners voted to
take abatement action on
a debris-scattered prop-
erty off Lorraine Avenue
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tos provided by code en-
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building materials and
garbage scattered around
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and outside of buildings.
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emergency reports. Police
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material.
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enforcement began work-
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county voting to abate a
property is unusual, ac-
cording to code enforce-
ment coordinator Gina
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years.
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kind of unique circum-
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY UMATILLA COUNTY
Umatilla County will clean up this property on Lorraine
Avenue near Hermiston.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY
UMATILLA COUNTY
Umatilla County has started
abatement proceedings on
an abandoned property.
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cleaned up.”
In most code enforce-
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compliance.
“It’s a matter of educa-
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to people and educating
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cannot do on a property,
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Miller said. “We’re trying
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great feeling.”
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landowners — often ex-
acerbated by issues like
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cerns — code enforce-
ment cases can take
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for a solid waste viola-
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY UMATILLA COUNTY
Debris and an abandoned pickup litter an abandoned and burned home on Lorraine Avenue.
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site so anyone illegally
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and community correc-
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weeks.
More information on
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Enforcement — including
solid waste restrictions
and online complaint
forms — is available at
www.co.umatilla.or.us.
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