Hermiston Herald
April 18, 2003,

County ends effort to procure radio

By  Frank Lockwood
Staff writer

IRRIGON - After battling recent complaints, criticisms,  and problems, CSEPP Governing Board Chairman Dennis Doherty has stepped down from his leadership role in procuring the essential 450 megahertz radio system, leaving the system's future uncertain.

Doherty  had left  Wednesday's meeting midway through, however, Vice Chairwoman Linda Fox read into the minutes a letter that amounted to a resignation from the position as the administrator of the Intergovernmental Agreement for the 450 MHz system. The system would keep fire fighters, police, rescue workers depot officials and government leaders in touch in the event of a chemical accident involving deadly chemical weapons at Umatilla Chemical Depot. Several members pleaded for a change of heart after Fox read Doherty's letter, others made comments of concern.

Doherty, chairman since the board's inception in August 2000, left a letter to be read into the minutes and a procurement program for a 450 megahertz radio system with no one any longer in charge. Furthermore, the transcriptionist announced to those present that Doherty would not be available for questions or comments for the rest of the week.

CAC Chair Objects to Secrecy

Doherty later agreed to participate in a conference call with CSEPP leadership, however, but refused to discuss the problems in public. Now Doherty wants CSEPP problems identified in private meetings, not in public, he said in Thursday's late afternoon conference call. Over the objections of Citizens Advisory Commission Chairperson Bob Flournoy, the other members agreed they would form a committee to identify problems in secret. Those issues they idendtified would later be brought to the public meeting.

A dispute over reimbursement for services seems to have been an event that triggered Doherty's resignation on the part of the county, which was in the form of a letter signed by Umatilla County's three commissioners. According to the draft intergovernmental agreement of Aug. 14, 2001, the Umatilla-Morrow ESD would have been paid fees of 12 percent (up to $1-million) to development and implementation of the system, but the ESD  decided against taking on the project. Other entities, including Umatilla County, were reluctant to take on that responsibility as well. "Umatilla County neither sought nor wanted the responsibility for this project," Doherty's April 16 statement said. When other entities would not agree to be in charge, Dennis Doherty, with Umatilla County's approval,  decided to break the impasse and took charge of the $9-million project.

But this week, citing "distractions and multiple issues," Doherty wrote, "We agreed to take the project on at a time (Sept. 2001) when it seemed there was no one else willing to, and we now find that we do not have the breadth of support that we require."  Doherty also mentioned "personality, agenda, political and other problems." He noted, "We thought we had sufficient protocols in place to contain and control them. We were wrong."

Doherty may also have been upset over the news that the county could not be paid to administer the program for the 450 MHz system. "We are now told that we are a subgrantee and, therefore, not eligible for management or administrative fees," said the letter signed by Umatilla County Commissioners Bill Hansell, Emile Holeman, and Doherty. An option for the county might be to attempt to renegotiate indirect cost agreements.

Another Entity's Turn

Doherty noted, "RFPs (requests for proposals) are due by Friday, April 18. Umatilla County proposes to cancel the request for proposals prior to then, and wind up its involvement in such a way that another willing entity may take over the project."

Following Fox's readings of the letter and statement, several board members expressed concerns or said they hoped Doherty would reconsider his decision. Beverlee Venell of OSP said she hoped the others in Umatilla would stand by her in understanding that "we all have a responsibility" to the public. Mayor Linda Fox thanked Umatilla County "for the work it has started." She was concerned, she said, about what's going to happen, or not happen, in the next 30 days to move the project forward.

But J.R. Wilkinson, the incineration critic and representative for GASP, said he was "very disappointed" with the meeting. "To have (Doherty) leave, and then to have someone else read his letter into the record, and then a lot of questions come through, unresolved, I simply don't subscribe to this," he said.

Detractors and Problems

Doherty's document mentioned "our detractors" and called upon others to step in and resolve the problems. Some of the problems and "detractors" may have been among those mentioned in the March 19  minutes, which included the following:

• Doherty had concerns about continuing to support a Quality Assurance project which some of the other members supported. "I am hearing that the will of the Governing Board is to sign the contract," said Terry Tallman of Morrow County. Doherty was opposed.
  
• Doherty was questioned over delays in completing work on the 450 megahertz radio system. "Is Umatilla County or Commissioner Doherty holding up the process of the 450 for the purpose of administrative fees?" Commissioner Tallman asked.
  
• Scott Hamilton suggested, "Why not do a technology assessment and identify all needs rather than piecemeal?
  
• Doherty was willing to speak to individual Governing Board members concerning certain aspects of the 450 megahertz project but would not address them in the public forum, the minutes said.
  
• Citizens Advisory Commission members accused Doherty of stonewalling: "The board is not resolving problems and keeping things going forward," the minutes quoted them as saying.
  
• Doherty himself acknowledged, "There is a significant disagreement between the two counties."  The roles of Umatilla County, Morrow County, and Oregon State CSEPP are being confused with what is a CSEPP project, he said.

Other issues which have arisen are:

• An emerging crisis in CSEPP funding. Federal money arrives months later, creating repeated fiscal crises. CSEPP is adjusting with an approach called Life Cycle Cost Estimating, but the future costs are climbing steeply.
  
• It would take six hours to evacuate, CSEPP wants that reduced to two hours, at a cost of $15 million.
  
• Under the new governor, Oregon Emergency Management, has been placed back under the Oregon State Police, a move which is considered by some to mean that OEM now has a lower status than it did under Governor John Kitzhaber. Kitzhaber had elevated OEM, giving the agency a seat at  the cabinet level.
  
• Federal Emergency Management is continuing negotiations with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla concerning the possibility of building their own Emergency Operations Center. Doherty and others had opposed allowing the tribes a seat on the CSEPP Governing Board. That is starting to change, but it may be too late. The tribes reportedly have received a grant from the Army to look into their own communication requirements. Doherty also opposed allowing the tribes their own CSEPP program.

Whatever the reasons are, that Doherty said he is not willing to have made public, his written statement told the other agencies that Umatilla County is "standing down" so that one of them may stand up and accept the responsibility of satisfying all the diverse interests and delivering the perfect tactical communications system, as he put it,  "yesterday - under budget."

"Morrow County, the State of Oregon, or another entity may now take this job on, for the greater good of all stakeholders," he wrote. "Umatilla will cooperate."

The 40 megahertz radio system has long been described as a necessity. Without the system, emergency preparedness would not be complete and incineration of chemical weapons should not move forward, the Executive Review Panel had maintained.

"There are several key issues that are currently in progress and will be resolved in the coming months to strengthen the CSEP program," the Executive Review Panel's May 14, 2002, recommendation to the governor had said. "The communications system is being upgraded with a 450 MHz radio system by February 2003." That has yet to happen, but everyone involved seems to agree it is necessary. As CSEPP spokesperson Cheryl Humphrey said yesterday, "One thing everyone agrees upon is how important this project is."

n Frank Lockwood may be reached  at 567-6457 or by e-mail at flockwood@hermistonherald.com.