[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6511332,"mediaKeyId","5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6","parentId",5331718,"title","Morrow County commissioners approve credit card for executive assistant, temporary HR pay and drought declaration; land‑use reading continued","audioSeconds",884,"startMs",4081000,"endMs",4965000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6&start=4081&end=4965","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6/thumbnail_4081000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6511332/Morrow-County/Oregon/Morrow-County-commissioners-approve-credit-card-for-executive-assistant-temporary-HR-pay-and-drought-declaration-landuse-reading-continued","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511332-8b2d320847828e6552d0a80f727389a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176412&Signature=T4l04FMTr4iqPimfWD8OTeCjABv0h1F5J3Q1SJFPeTgq7YjNTs9YUTC3s2jIM51MuD4HY7h0GKlKAyLxjBFCOVyY8XMGCZbW3OrF~h3-336lGKgbKQxx4G5JGyYSdx1N~FZet4pqA-JEgId1d3o1QvuL0qdfGaSolX9IoiN2nfcVPBYJzAaYcplwRjou4GQXZt9O0YVi7D9aoCPqV~Et5oux2Sv38XpLCmxbsCyur9r2dfDWm5fQwB6qDhq9~Eaw2fVFMjtQGaAQ7lhurk241pSrxwIM8Majt5bcMlDXu2t8pc9uwvIIDkfs~fJ9TkJo4j3Fw-pAHuY5CI5mWkV3~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Morrow County, OR","date","2025-07-08T18:26:27Z","article","The Morrow County Board of Commissioners approved multiple administrative motions at its July 2 public meeting.

Key votes at a glance

- County credit card for Valerie Ballard: The board approved issuing a county credit card to Valerie Ballard, executive assistant to the board and the county administrator, to allow staff to book lodging and meeting‑related expenses without using personal cards. The motion was moved and seconded and adopted by voice vote.

- Out‑of‑class pay for interim HR lead: The board approved an out‑of‑class pay adjustment for Mindy Wilson to \"step 1 of the HR director grade\" (grade 30), described in the packet as a $7.40 per hour increase effective 07/02/2025, while the county recruits a new HR director. The board was told the adjustment will cease after the new director is hired and any brief overlap for training will be handled administratively.

- Continuation of land‑use second reading: Planning staff asked the board to postpone the final public‑meeting decision on four land‑use items originally scheduled for second reading. The board moved to continue the matter to the July 16, 2025 meeting to allow time for final edits and review; staff said the final decision need not be a separately advertised hearing but must occur in a public meeting.

- Drought declaration, Resolution 2025‑08: The board adopted Resolution 2025‑08 declaring drought conditions in parts of Morrow County. County staff said the declaration was supported by the Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District and US Drought Monitor data; adoption authorizes the county to request state assistance and to coordinate with local conservation partners.

- Consent agenda: The board accepted the consent agenda as presented.

- Executive‑session personnel actions: After a closed‑session meeting, the board approved a pay adjustment for a patrol‑sergeant promotion (grade 26, step 8) and authorized hiring of a vegetation/weed control applicator at grade 14 up to step 13. Motions were moved, seconded and carried by voice vote.

What the record shows: For the public motions recorded in the meeting transcript, movers and seconders were not named on the audio record provided; all motions that received seconding passed by voice vote and were recorded as \"Aye\" or \"motion carried.\" Officials noted the HR out‑of‑class pay is temporary and will end after the new HR director is in place.

Background: Planning director Tamara Mabbit told the board the land‑use items require a second reading in a public meeting under the county’s zoning code and state appeal rules; the applicant’s counsel and county counsel needed additional time to finalize edits. The drought measure was supported by a letter from the local Soil and Water Conservation District and regional NOAA/US Drought Monitor indicators, staff said.

Ending: Commissioners and staff said they will continue to post updates and follow up on action items, including the HR recruitment, the land‑use second reading and coordination on drought‑response planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Morrow County Board of Commissioners Meeting: July 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Morrow County Board of Commissioners approved several administrative and personnel actions at its July 2 meeting, including issuing a county credit card to the board executive assistant and authorizing a temporary pay increase for the interim HR lead.","taxTitle","Morrow County, Oregon","taxId",73539,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6511337,"Officials warn state contract changes could shift community mental‑health services away from Morrow County",1402,181000,1583000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6&start=181&end=1583","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6/thumbnail_181000.jpg","/articles/6511337/Morrow-County/Oregon/Officials-warn-state-contract-changes-could-shift-community-mentalhealth-services-away-from-Morrow-County","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511337-96297b58c96d1ec891e11323d63fc6c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176412&Signature=Adt4Kv7llI5AtKpapaaTCoLkahEKcuqk4mQEb2Um1Kypx0Y8lVTnMRe9hvE9IF~etN1ATJlBqhCWxIkZcotHLRcOeR~kd1DwH51QHsrSQhbH4qKAiiZQuP-bmHQR~-2q5Vz0srZmZ2kI15BwDc~4dzAOb4baeyAeQ2vJzDTw4gTf4sc9pcZ7GG2wj29UdICAGjDHRfEG9BmUi2aEziZJRtLl66Qxd0cnrnDXnvV2A42ZcM7sDMvFMwhYYytANNlV~7GP7P0PFo1Fi5TZ~Atf2LuxvxiFq6TE1m7O1ixeZJuJZblrfvD1RD0GTZ6M3SpP9sET4dAG4Xz1fa20RHYR~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A county behavioral‑health representative told the Morrow County Board of Commissioners on July 2 that proposed changes to the state master contract for mental‑health services risk stripping counties of control over which providers deliver key services.

The representative said the master contract — variously described in the meeting as the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) or the county financial assistance award (CFAA) — has long included a sentence making county obligations subject to \"based upon the availability of funds.\" The speaker said a recent draft from the Oregon Health Authority omitted those words and the state declined requests to restore them.

Why it matters: Counties contract with the state for funding to operate community mental‑health programs (CMHPs). The speaker warned that removing county‑specific language could allow the state to reassign some service elements to a single, multi‑county contract or to providers the county had not chosen, reducing local oversight and potentially weakening services in smaller counties.

The speaker said some service elements already targeted for removal from county contracts include \"service element 13\" (school‑based counseling) and elements tied to gambling‑prevention dollars (identified in the discussion as elements 80 and 81). The change would also allow the state to issue regional contracts for those elements rather than per‑county contracts; the speaker said that would mean small counties such as Morrow, Wheeler, Gilliam and Grant could see base allocations fall dramatically.

\"If you start to look at CCS, Morrow, Wheeler, Gilliam and Grant as one county, everybody's gonna lose money,\" the representative said, arguing that smaller counties could be reduced to a fraction of current funding levels. As an example, the speaker said gambling funds currently provide a base of about $80,000 to each county, with larger counties receiving more; under a combined contract, smaller counties could fall to $20,000–$30,000, the speaker cautioned.

The presenter said counties and the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) had pressed the state to keep the availability‑of‑funds language. The meeting transcript records that the governor left a negotiation session after the state refused to restore the phrase; after that stalemate the state agreed to extend existing contracts for six months while talks continue.

The representative also warned that Medicaid funding is a major part of the CMHP financing mix and a risk to service continuity. \"Medicaid funds... make up about two‑thirds of our total funding,\" the presenter said, and if those dollars were cut the county would face \"significant changes,\" including reductions in services and provider capacity.

What commissioners were asked to do: The presenter asked commissioners to follow the negotiations, suggested commissioners contact county staff (named in the meeting as Gina) or attend AOC or work‑group meetings, and urged the board to push to keep the listed service elements inside county contracts or, if that is not possible, to require one contract per county rather than a single regional contract.

Context and local developments: The representative noted the county’s current contractor, identified in the discussion as CCS, has held the existing multi‑page contract for many years and that small, incremental edits had occurred but no comprehensive rewrite until now. County staff and CMHP directors participated in a state‑convened work group over the past year; the presenter said negotiations appeared to stall about a month before the meeting when the state produced a draft without the availability‑of‑funds language.

The representative closed by saying counties and CMHP directors largely oppose further erosion of county authority and urged commissioners to engage with AOC and staff if they wish to advocate for preserving local control.

Ending: Commissioners were informed the state has issued a six‑month extension of current contracts while talks continue, and the presenter said staff would keep the board apprised and welcomed commissioner participation in future meetings.","A county behavioral‑health representative told the Morrow County Board of Commissioners on July 2 that proposed changes to the state master contract for mental‑health services risk stripping counties of control over which providers deliver key services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6511327,"County staff: enforcement workload left some noxious‑weed cases unresolved; abatement can lead to large bills and liens",184,3196000,3380000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6&start=3196&end=3380","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5331718-0cf776d04bc28ea5122e370f71dd5df6/thumbnail_3196000.jpg","/articles/6511327/Morrow-County/Oregon/County-staff-enforcement-workload-left-some-noxiousweed-cases-unresolved-abatement-can-lead-to-large-bills-and-liens","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6511327-88a37dd3debf40d59ce8a42b5d135f87/orig.mp4?Expires=1777176412&Signature=JOoPfF2JGu~nToWVnQ2zCVnJJo4QyDIYLjL7OMwXpjuI9Cra3jzELQpeKkKXJfrgTPlvn1UUOpfF6T~uFsphlUc09PBubt452dnGj1uN5UwUrs7k2sPupL7riY4Jt7H4EGoKYa8dCro1e2Bz4NV4SH445CVHt96IuXtNxHKYdKzS1zCJFYhxVggnuzXGNQok3lpsY8uqimcH1OFcgdOAWi45vOCYWL8jpvVduFwaMHylLKqxNUWS4oFWAuOhK6wUsM2WWrexqEsY70fOulf4LexVV-Nt3ZS4wBiUAuoBlYP0kt8JgQQHQMhVWFv8XeFUYXzK2yr1pmvG36MmCWbcbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A county staff member reported to the Morrow County Board of Commissioners on July 2 that enforcement of noxious‑weed complaints has been stretched thin and that some landowners could face expensive abatement bills and liens if the county must complete work ordered in notices.

The speaker described the typical enforcement process: staff first try to work with property owners informally, then send a written 20‑day notice requiring remediation; if owners do not comply zoning/planning enforcement can escalate, and ultimately the county can abate and bill the owner. The speaker said the bill for county abatement can run roughly $3,500–$4,200 and that unpaid bills may become liens on the property.

\"It's gonna be 3,500 to $4,200 if the county steps in and takes care of it,\" the speaker said, urging commissioners to note the consequences for landowners who fall behind on weed control and for neighbors who may see noxious weeds spread.

The speaker said the department has recently sent three written 20‑day notices; two properties came into compliance and one was in progress (sprayer tracks were observed). Staff attributed part of the enforcement delay to limited personnel, noting the workload has increased over several years and the department is seeking to hire staff to address the backlog.

Commissioners and staff discussed the need for a more complete compliance loop, including follow‑up plans from the weed district or extension to help landowners with sustained control rather than a single order to \"get rid of\" the plants, the speaker said.

Ending: Staff asked commissioners to relay the explanation to constituents and signaled recruitment is under way to restore capacity for timely code enforcement and weed‑management planning.","A county staff member told commissioners that staff capacity has been strained and some property owners may face abatement bills of roughly $3,500–$4,200, with the county able to place liens if bills go unpaid; two of three recent notices have come into compliance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Morrow County commissioners approve credit card for executive assistant, temporary HR pay and drought declaration; land‑use reading continued

Officials warn state contract changes could shift community mental‑health services away from Morrow County

County staff: enforcement workload left some noxious‑weed cases unresolved; abatement can lead to large bills and liens