PENDLETON — Umatilla County commissioners foresee challenges next year for local government but also opportunities.

Commissioner Dan Dorran said issues range from personnel changes in the courthouse to proposed state legislation damaging to Morrow and Umatilla counties. Some challenges carry over from this year, while others are slated to arise anew in 2023.

And Commissioner John Shafer said he aims to provide Umatilla County with an acute psychiatric facility by July.

“That’s the biggest thing I hope to achieve next year,” he said.

Supply chain issues might delay the opening, however.

Shafer serves on the board of directors for Community Counseling Solutions, the county’s provider for mental health and addiction behavior services. He said the board approved the purchase of the former Aspen Springs Psychiatric Hospital, 1212 W. Linda Ave., Hermiston.

“It was a 16-bed hospital,” he said. “Lifeways opened it and operated for seven months.”

Lifeways was the county’s mental health provider and operated Aspen Springs, but in April 2021 the nonprofit closed the facility due to staffing difficulties, then reopened it a month later as a secure residential treatment facility rather than a psychiatric hospital.

“When it shut down, it was as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room,” Shafer said. “Its closure was a huge blow to the region.”

Another major concern for Shafer stems from the retirement of Commissioner George Murdock. Shafer must add Murdock’s budget and finance liaison assignment to his portfolio responsibility.

“Those are some big shoes to fill,” Shafer said.

Commissioner-elect Cindy Timmons offers a different viewpoint and brings fresh ideas to the board, Dorran said. Three commissioners each elected two years apart is a rare situation. He also credited prior commissioners for setting the county in a solid financial situation.

“Now it’s up to us to protect and promote that position,” he said. “We work as a team, even if we don’t always agree on everything.”

State actions have local consequences

Possible state government actions rank high among challenges from outside the courthouse, Dorran said.

“We need to pay attention to state government and reintroduce Umatilla County to the rest of Oregon,” he said. “We must rely on everyone with a voice.”

Umatilla County has the second youngest average age of Oregon counties, after Benton County, and is one of the most diverse, Dorran said.

“Our ability to establish a solid financial footing is in danger of being dropped by onerous bills in the Legislature,” he said.

Among other legislation, Dorran cited a proposed act targeting high energy users, such as data centers in Wasco, Crook, Morrow and Umatilla counties. Bills attacking enterprise zones and changing land use law to take away local ability to site renewable energy facilities also are under consideration.

“It will cost us a lot to fight those bills,” he said. “We’re lucky to have a strong delegation in Salem, even if they’re from the party out of power. The struggle will be a marathon, not a sprint.”

A third of Umatilla County residents live outside municipalities, Dorran said. The county must provide their needs, such as for unpolluted ground water, whether for people or agricultural uses.

Other areas to address

Hermiston and Pendleton have programs and premises to battle homelessness. Dorran said he hopes to help Milton-Freewater achieve similar gains.

“We’ve made strides in affordable housing,” he said. “But we still have a lot to do.”

Stream bed erosion recovery and mitigation also remain a challenge, but the county is addressing the problem.

“The 2019 and 2020 floods, plus the 2022 heavy rains, caused extensive bank erosion,” Dorran said.

The county’s renewable energy base is aging, but the oldest wind turbines in the Vansycle Hills near Helix are being upgraded. Wooden transmission line poles are being replaced with steel, able to carry heavier and higher capacity cables.

“We’re not on a path to produce the power needed for all cars to be electric by 2035,” Dorran said. “Nuclear is needed. Permitting takes too long.”

Among its other natural resources and competitive advantages besides wind and sun, Umatilla County is a major commercial freight transportation hub. Distribution is changing and the region can benefit.

Dorran also said he believes bringing the chip industry back onshore could help Morrow and Umatilla counties grow, thanks to abundant water, power and land.

“We’re blessed with the trifecta,” he said.

Incoming commissioner Cindy Timmons could not be reached for comment by press time.