BOARD OF SKAMANIA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MEETING for WEEK of JANUARY 13, 2003
The Board met in executive session from 9:00 a.m. until 9:50 a.m. to discuss personnel and potential litigation, with no action taken.
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m., Monday, January 13, 2003, with all Commissioners present, opening with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Brent Holman, Public Works Director/County Engineer, reported on maintenance of dry wells in the Carson area, clean up of windfalls due to high winds and gave an update on the Nelson Creek slide area at Loop Road. He advised of upcoming meetings at Carson Hot Springs regarding storm water and Underwood Conservation District at White Salmon, and advised that information packets will be sent to all departments regarding the Equipment, Rental and Revolving Fund program.
Darlene Dickson, Senior Services Director, reported on program counts for 2002.
Consent Agenda Items were approved as follows:
A. Minutes for week of January 6, 2003.
B. Washington State Liquor Control Board, special occasion license for American Legion Post 122 for January 25, 2003.
C. Resolution 2002-01 Invitation to Bidders for Crushed Aggregate, set deadline to receive bids for 4:00 p.m., January 29, 2003 and set date to open bids for 10:00 a.m., January 30, 2003.
The following contract renewals for 2003 were approved as follows:
§ Senior Services, Inc. of North Bonneville to operate and maintain a senior services center in North Bonneville. Total amount of contract is $17,675.00.
§ City of Stevenson for Sheriff to provide law enforcement services and criminal justice programs for the City. Total amount of contract is $93,600.00, plus Criminal Justice funds of $240.00 for Program Area 1 and $1,538.00 for Program Area 4.
§ City of Stevenson and Sheriff to provide incarceration services for the City. Total contract amount is $50.00 per day for each City inmate incarcerated.
§ WSU Cooperative Extension to provide an extension agent for Skamania County. Total amount of contract is $14,881.00.
§ Skamania County Domestic Violence to provide assistance and counseling to County residents. Total amount of contract is $20,000.00, with $10,000.00 from County funds and $10,000.00 from grant funds.
§ Klickitat-Skamania Development Council for operation of a food bank in Skamania County. Total amount of contract is $19,680.00.
The Board met in executive session from 10:50 a.m. until 11:50 a.m. to discuss personnel, with no action taken.
The meeting recessed at 11:50 a.m., Monday, January 13, 2003 and reconvened at 1:30 p.m., the same date, with all Commissioners present.
A contract renewal was approved with the Chamber of Commerce to perform activities to promote tourism and provide visitor information services in Skamania County. Total amount of contract is $23,780.00.
The Board participated in a workshop with Karen Witherspoon, Planning and Community Development Director, to discuss position papers for 14 topics in the General Land Use Track of the Management Plan Review. Discussion included issues, current provisions, options and recommendations of Gorge Commission and Forest Service staff for each topic.
The meeting recessed at 3:30 p.m., Monday, January 13, 2003 and reconvened at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 14, 2003, with all Commissioners present.
A joint public meeting was held with Klickitat County Commissioners Ray Thayer, Chair, Joan Frey and Don Struck to discuss mutual watershed issues and fish recovery issues regarding the development of a local watershed plan for the Water Resource Inventory Area 29 (WRIA 29). Concerns expressed by both Klickitat and Skamania Counties included structuring and procedures for development of an Operating Procedures Manual and the need for direction to move forward with this process. Discussion included the need for clarification of the responsibilities, functions and authority of the Initiating Governments, Oversite Committee and Planning Unit.
Both Klickitat and Skamania County Boards were in agreement to proceed as follows:
Following the conclusion of the joint meeting regarding mutual watershed issues, both Klickitat and Skamania County Commissioners met in executive session to discuss potential litigation from 11:25 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., with no action taken.
The Board attended an Elected Officials luncheon at 12:00 p.m. at the River’s Edge Café in Stevenson.
The meeting recessed at 12:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 14, 2003 and reconvened at 1:30 p.m., the same date with all Commissioners present.
The Board met in executive session from 1:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to discuss personnel, with no action taken.
The Board participated in a staff workshop to discuss meetings, budget process, personnel, safety policy, and mail packets.
The meeting recessed at 3:40 p.m., Tuesday, January 14, 2003.
The Board met for a special workshop meeting at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 15, 2003 with Rich Lang, County Surveyor, at the North Bonneville Industrial site to discuss property boundaries.
The meeting reconvened at 9:00 a.m., Thursday, January 16, 2003, with all Commissioners present.
The Board met for an annual Wind River Nursery meeting with U.S. Forest Service members Greg Cox, District Ranger, Lawnie Morgan and Neil Oliver of the Mt. Adams Ranger District, Ken Bible of the Wind River Canopy Crane, and Peggy Bryan of the Skamania County Economic Development Council. County topics discussed included the status of management of the Wind River Nursery, update on the progress of the water system, final report of the groundwater supply assessment, application for a broadband grant, and status of the purchase of a tractor. Forest Service issues discussed included establishing a timeline and a graph for separating the water/septic systems, need to designate Chapman Avenue as a county road, recommendation to revise the Forest Service Road Agreement, the need to have an additional person trained and certified for repair and maintenance of the existing water system, and discussion of the Collection Agreement for use of the water system. Motion was approved to acknowledge the Wind River Water System Maintenance and Cost Reimbursement Plan for 2003 in the amount of $1,414.79. The Board was updated on the status of ground contamination at Wind River house #1062.
Charly Boyd, Watershed Planning Coordinator for Skamania County, and Peter Banks, Prosecutor, clarified the role of the Initiating Governments, the Oversite Committee and the Planning Unit in the Water Resource Inventory Area 29 (WRIA 29). This matter is in reference to the joint meeting of January 13, 2002 with Klickitat County Board of Commissioners. The Prosecutor advised that the Initiating Governments have no control over the Planning Unit and no authority to suspend the Planning Unit meetings without the agreement of the Planning Unit members.
The Board participated in a staff workshop to discuss communications between departments and use of county vehicles.
The meeting recessed at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, January 16, 2003 and reconvened at 2:55 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Talent and Quinn present. Commissioner McKee was absent due to personal business.
Vouchers were approved for the period ending January 16, 2003 in the amount of $528,746.97.
The Board met in executive session to discuss personnel from 3:05 p.m. until 3:25 p.m., with no action taken.
The meeting adjourned at 3:25 p.m., Thursday, January 16, 2003.