BOARD OF SKAMANIA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Meeting for Week of January 23, 2006

 

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2006 at the Commissioner’s Meeting Room, 240 NW Vancouver Avenue in Stevenson, with Commissioners Paul Pearce, Chair, James D. Richardson, and Albert E. McKee present, opening with the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Rob Nunn advised that the adoption of Resolution 2006-02, amending Skamania County Comprehensive Plan “A”, has limited his ability to short plat his property located in the north County area and felt he was not notified of this action.

 

Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Commissioner Richardson and motion carried to approve the Consent Agenda as follows, with the exception of item #4 which was removed and would be considered later this date:

1.       Minutes of January 16, 2006.

2.       Special occasion liquor license for American Legion Cape Horn Post 122 for February 18, 2006.

3.       Notice of Completion of contract with Creagan Excavating, Inc for snow plowing Forest Service 90 Road.

4.       Set public hearing for 10:00 AM Thursday, February 2, 2006 to consider Resolution 2006-12 Supplemental Budget #6 for 2005.

5.       Minutes of November 28, 2005 joint special meeting of Commissioners of Clark, Skamania and Cowlitz Counties at Ridgefield, WA to consider proposed Watershed Management Plan for Water Resource Inventory Areas 27 and 28.

6.       Minutes of December 7, 2005 joint special meeting of Commissioners of Lewis, Skamania, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties at Longview, WA to consider proposed Watershed Management Plan for Water Resource Inventory Areas 25 and 26.

7.       Agreement with Technical Imaging systems, Inc for conversion of County’s microfilm to digital images for period of 1854 through 1981.

8.       Interlocal agreement amendment #2 with Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board to extend the duration of the agreement to provide for the operation, funding and support of the management board until July 1, 2010.

9.       Interlocal agreement with Northwest Service Academy/ESD 112 for Forest Explorers Title III Program.

10.    Agreement with Brian Bea, PA-C to provide medical services for inmates in County jail.

 

John Carlson, Emergency Management Coordinator reported on monitoring of Mount St. Helens, Community Emergency Response Teams training activities, Search and Rescue missions, recovery phase training, National Incident Management System compliance, self defense kit training, amateur radio testing, Emergency Operations Center progress, and Emergency Management website.

 

Commissioner Richardson moved, seconded by Commissioner Pearce and motion carried to waive all County permit fees for the relocation of the LaCombe house located on Piper Road in Stevenson, citing that no FEMA assistance is available to the property owner for landslide damages to their house caused by an act of nature.

 

Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Commissioner Richardson and motion carried approve a request from Ole Helgerson, WSU Cooperative Extension Agent to reallocate $9,078 in budgeted funds for the Firewise Title III program to cover the following two items:

1.       Purchase of vehicle #409 Jeep Cherokee from ER&R for the second survey crew. No replacement funds will be collected for this vehicle.  Cost $1,500.

2.       Increase the four Firewise Surveyor positions from .31 FTE to .35 FTE each, adding approximately one-week work time to each of the positions.  Cost $4,500.

 

Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Commissioner Richardson and motion carried to approve the following Personnel Committee recommendations:

1.       Solid Waste Laborer/Maintenance new job description and classification at Range 14, effective 1/1/06.

2.       Juvenile Court Secretary revised job description and reclassification at Range 14, effective 1/1/06.

3.       Clerk to the Board new job description and classification at Range 17, effective 1/1/06.

4.       County Clerk Chief Deputy Clerk revised job description and reclassification at Range 18, effective 1/1/06.

5.       County Clerk Civil Deputy Clerk revised job description and reclassification at Range 15, effective 1/1/06.

6.       Senior Services Information and Assistance Specialist new job description and classification at Range 15, effective 1/1/06.

7.       Exceptional qualifications for Rick Hollatz for position of Public Works Engineering Technician III at Step B of Range 19, effective on date of hire.

8.       Exceptional qualifications for Rachael Hegewald for position of Auditor Recording Deputy at Step C of Range 15, effective on date of hire.

 

Commissioner Richardson moved, seconded by Commissioner McKee and motion carried to set a public hearing for 10:00 AM Thursday, February 2, 2006 to consider adoption of Resolution 2006-12 Supplemental Budget #6 for 2005.

 

Commissioner Pearce gave an update on the Broughton Landing proposal at the old Broughton Mill site along State Road 14 in eastern Skamania County.

 

The meeting recessed at 11:30 a.m. Monday, January 23, 2006 and reconvened at 1:30 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Pearce, Richardson and McKee present.

 

The Board participated in a workshop with Bob Wittenberg, Manager and Humaira Falkenberg from Public Utility District No. 1 (PUD) to discuss land use and future development north of High Bridge.  The Board advised they would support any efforts that benefit the citizens and agreed to provide build out information to the PUD.

 

The meeting recessed at 2:20 p.m. Monday, January 23, 2006 and reconvened at 2:45 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Pearce, Richardson and McKee present.

 

Marilyn Butler, Director of Administrative Services advised of concerns from the Auditor regarding the expenditure for three heat pumps for houses at the Wind River site paid with funds from the Wind River Nursery grant, and advised that the purchase was within the scope of the grant from the Forest Service under maintenance of facilities.  The Board advised they had no concerns with this expenditure.

 

Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Commissioner Richardson and motion carried to acknowledge receipt of a letter dated January 23, 2006 from Bradley Andersen, Attorney representing Dave Creagan, regarding the adoption of Resolution 2006-02 amending Skamania County Comprehensive Plan “A”.

 

The Board participated in a workshop with Scott Pineo, Community Events and Recreation Director, Cherie Flood, Treasurer and Mike Garvison, Auditor to discuss online scheduling and registration for facilities and recreation programs, user fees for online transactions, and software programs.  The Board requested more information from other municipalities using online systems.

 

The meeting recessed at 4:05 p.m. Monday, January 23, 2006 and reconvened at 4:45 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Pearce, Richardson and McKee present.

 

The Board met in executive session regarding potential litigation from 4:05 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., with no action taken.

 

The meeting recessed at 5:30 p.m. Monday, January 23, 2006 and reconvened at 9:05 a.m. Tuesday, January 24, 2006, with Commissioners Pearce, Richardson and McKee present.

 

The Board participated in a staff workshop to discuss the animal control budget, with no action taken.

 

The meeting recessed at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 24, 2006 and reconvened at 10:00 a.m. the same date, with Commissioners Pearce, Richardson and McKee present.

 

Tod LeFevre, Public Works Director/County Engineer introduced Rick Hollatz recently hired to fill a vacant Engineering Technician III position, and reported activities for the Road Department, Solid Waste, engineering, surveying/right of way, bridges, and equipment, rental and revolving fund.

 

Undersheriff Dave Cox advised of Skamania County being the recipient of funding from Washington State Homeland Security and requested authorization to proceed with equipment purchases.  The Board requested an itemized list be submitted prior to granting authorization.

 

Commissioner Richardson moved, seconded by Commissioner McKee and motion carried to authorize Sheriff Dave Brown to sign ongoing maintenance agreement renewals approved in the budget.

 

John Ostenson, Safety Committee Chair reported on the Safety Committee meeting of January 10, 2006.  Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Commissioner Richardson and motion carried to agree with the Safety Committee’s findings and recommendations for reports #2005-25 and #2005-E-16.

 

Commissioner Richardson advised of a request from Nancy Rike, District Ranger for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to discuss the County’s appeal of the Hemlock Dam removal.

 

The Board met in executive session regarding personnel from 11:05 a.m. until 11:25 a.m., with no action taken.

 

The meeting recessed at 11:25 a.m. Tuesday, January 24, 2006 and reconvened at 10:10 a.m. Thursday, January 26, 2006, with Commissioners Richardson and McKee present.

 

Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Richardson and motion carried to approve vouchers for the periods ending December 31, 2005 and January 26, 2006 in the total amount of $505,088.78.

 

The Board met with Nancy Rike Gifford Pinchot District Ranger and Neil Oliver, Gifford Pinchot District Engineer for an annual meeting as required in the Wind River Nursery Conveyance Agreement to discuss shared infrastructure.  Nancy Rike advised that, because the County’s obligation regarding the shared infrastructure has not been completed and will expire at the end of the year, the County needs to submit a request for an extension and an updated critical path describing what has been accomplished to date and what is pending.  Marilyn Butler, Director of Administrative Services gave an update on the Public Development Authority.  Other issues discussed included the need to address wastewater and the timber harvest in progress at the Wind River Nursery Site.  All were in agreement that the next meeting should be scheduled for September 2006, prior to the beginning of Fiscal-Year 2007 for the Forest Service.

 

Commissioner McKee moved, seconded by Commissioner Richardson and motion carried to approve Modification No. 1 to the Collection Agreement with the USDA Forest Service for Wind River Nursery Site shared infrastructure for the Fiscal-Year 2006.

 

The meeting recessed at 11:25 a.m. Thursday, January 26, 2006 and reconvened at 2:00 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Richardson and McKee present.

 

The Board met in executive session regarding personnel and potential litigation from 2:00 p.m. until 2:40 p.m., with no action taken.

 

The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m. Thursday, January 25, 2006.

 

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

SKAMANIA COUNTY, WASHINGTON