Wasco County Preview: County to Deed Land to Dufur and Maupin, Tri-County Recycle Asks for An App, Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot Program Gets an Update, and the County Unveils a New Transit Plan
Meet the Wasco County Commissioners LEFT TO RIGHT: Steve Kramer, Scott Hege, Kathy Schwartz
Welcome to Quick & Easy Wasco County Commission Preview
Get a sneak peek at the upcoming Wasco County Commission Meeting without having to read through 567 pages of an agenda.
The Wasco County Commissioners will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on Jan. 19th, 2022.
Attend the meeting: Click here to join the zoom meeting at 9 a.m. on January 19th.
Watch the meeting: Watch Livestream here.
Read More: January 19th, 2022 Agenda & Board Packet.
Submit public comments: Your County, Your Voice.
The Agenda Break Down
COVID Update from North Central Public Health District
Intergovernmental Agreement 1480 Expunction of Juvenile Records
Maupin Surplus Land Purchase
Budget Committee Appointment
Letter to Pacific Source from the County and Mid-Columbia Center for Living
Planning Commission Decision Appeal
Fee Schedule Hearing
5-Acre Bargain Sale & Deed to City of Dufur
Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot Program
Recycling and Hazardous Waste Search App
Youth Think Update
Strategic Investment Program Community Service Fee
Wasco County Transit Development Plan
Intergovernmental Agreement 1480 Expunction of Juvenile Records
Wasco County Commissioners are being asked to approve an agreement between the Oregon Youth Authority and Wasco County. The agreement, pursuant of ORS 190.110 and ORS 420A.010(6) would allow the State to provide the County with compensation for costs associated with the expunction or erasing of juvenile records.
About Oregon Youth Authority
The mission of the Oregon Youth Authority (“OYA”) is to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments. Youth are committed to state custody as a result of criminal acts in Oregon’s 36 counties. Youth may remain in OYA custody until a maximum age of 25 years. OYA provides a continuum of services and sanctions including: parole and probation services, residential and foster care services, individualized treatment and support, juvenile crime prevention programs, and secure close-custody facilities for youth who represent an unacceptable risk to the public. OYA currently serves approximately 600 youth in state owned and operated close-custody facilities and an additional 900 youth on parole or probation.
Maupin Surplus Land Purchase
Wasco County is being asked to approve the Sale and Purchase Agreement and Bargain Sale and Deed for surplus property parcel 5S 14E 6 500 to the City of Maupin for $22,329.22.
Background Information
The City of Maupin expressed a need for additional land March of 2021 for future capital improvements projects and possible affordable housing.
At that time, Wasco County had already prepared the list of properties to be auctioned off in June of 2021. A request to pause the sale of parcel 5S 14E 6 500 by Wasco County at auction was granted by the Board of County Commissioners shortly thereafter. In October 202, Maupin City Council approved the purchase of the parcel from Wasco County in an amount of property taxes forgone due to the foreclosure. The documents presented will complete the sale to a governmental entity as prescribed by ORS 271.310.
Budget Committee Appointment
Wasco County is being asked to approve appointing DeOra Patten to the Wasco County Budget Committee
Letter to Pacific Source from the County and Mid-Columbia Center for Living
Wasco County Commissioners are being asked to share their input on a letter thanking PacificSource Insurance for their recent decision to provide a stability payment to MCCFL.
Background Information
MCCFL and PacificSource have been meeting since the summer of 2021 to update the contract and payment terms. The original deadline for finalizing the contract was January 1st, 2022 however that deadline has come and gone.
“We are watching the contract negotiation very closely as the health of our communities hangs in the balance,” reads the letter.
“Now is the time for investment in behavioral health.” it states.
“We need to see this in advance of our post-pandemic recovery effort so that we can stabilize MCCFL and build capacity. The well-being of our communities across the region are quite literally at stake because without a strong safety net CMHP (Community Mental Health Programs) model that is financially stable, we cannot properly care for the residents//PacificSource members as we are charged to do so as the Local Mental Health and Local Public Health Authorities.”
Planning Commission Decision Appeal
Wasco County is being asked to approve a request to build a new dwelling and agricultural structures to support proposed farm use on a 20.59 acre lot between Huskey Road and Quartz Drive in the Rocky Prairie subdivision, which sits a half a mile south of Mosier.
The County Staff recommendation is to uphold the decision to approve the request, with some amended conditions as proposed by the Planning Commission.
Map of the proposed build area (highlighted in blue.)
Fee Schedule Hearing
This is the second of two hearings to update the Building Codes Fees; following staff presentation and questions, the Board may move to adopt the Amended Uniform Fee Schedule Ordinance.
Wasco County Commissioners are being asked to approve Ordinance 22-001 to amend Wasco County’s Uniform Fee Schedule for Various County Departments.
Bargain Sale & Deed to the City of Dufur
Wasco County will be asked to approve the Land Transfer Agreement and Statutory Bargain Sale and Deed conveying property to the City of Dufur, retaining County mining rights, for $3,000. The County would retain County mining rights on the property.
Background on the Deed:
Public Works Director Arthur Smith was approached by the City of Dufur in April 2021 to discuss Dufur acquiring a five-acre lot near Dufur By-pass Road that is owned by the County.
The lot is the site of an old rock pit that the county has owned since 1924. Some of the five-acre pit had been mined out, but Smith estimated that the site still contained at least 30,000 cubic yards of material for future use. Following Smith’s recommendation to deed the property to Dufur, The City of Dufur and Wasco County legal counsels wrote a Bargain and Sale Deed that conveys the property to the city, but allows the county to retain all mineral rights and ability to conduct mining operations on the property.
Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot Program
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) has been selected as one of six pilots to be included in a draft of upcoming legislative action bill that would award $1 million to MCCAC, Hood River, Wasco, Sherman Counties and the cities of The Dalles and Hood River to build a homeless response system.
MCCAC was included in the legislation following the submission of a letter of interest to the Association of Oregon Counties and League of Oregon Cities City-County Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot in early December.
“The potential resources made available in this pilot could go a long way to helping the Mid-Columbia region solidify an ongoing coordination structure while also helping us achieve some of the goals to be be laid out in our strategic plan,” said Kenny LaPoint, Executive Director at MCCAC in his letter to the AOC/LOC City-County Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot.
Recycling and Hazardous Waste Search App
The County is being asked to approve a quote and purchase agreement for a ReCollect HHW & Recycling Search App for the annual price of $8,307.05
Background Information
Part of the Tri-County Hazardous Waste & Recycling Program’s mission is to provide recycling and education outreach, as well as contamination reduction of collected recyclables, in Wasco, Hood River and Sherman counties. As recycling rules have changed, providing clear information can be a challenging to understand, and many residents of the Tri-County area are looking for answers. One solution is to provide an app on the Tri-County homepage that allows users to search items they are unsure about and find out where they can be disposed of in the Tri-County area. The app, called the “Waste Wizard” is hosted by ReCollect and is widely used among various municipalities’ solid waste districts.
Using the app, gives residents of the Tri-County area the ability to search for ways to recycle or dispose of items based on their zip codes, allowing them to get answers specific to their location. Additionally, users could download the app onto their phone and stay updated with the Tri County Waste event calendar. Tri County can also track analytics on the app to get additional insights into the most common questions residents have about recycling and disposing of hazardous waste
Youth Think Update
Youth Think will give an update on their program.
Strategic Investment Program Community Service Fee
The County is being asked to approve the first Google Community Service Fee distribution to all taxing districts in the tax code area and approve a $750,000 loan to Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue (MCFR) to cover MCFR’s increased costs associated with their Emergency Response Plan to provide service to Google data centers while under construction. MCFR would pay back the loan over the course of 15 years.
Wasco County Transit Development Plan
The County Commission will present a transit development plan involving Wasco County, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, the Oregon Department of Transportation, Kittelson & Associates and APG. The presentation will cover the schedule, future service opportunities, and next steps for the project.
Proposed opportunities include service enhancements, expanded operating hours, adding stops, and adding new bus routes from The Dalles to Maupin and Madras. It would also create and a new bus route connecting Warm Springs Reservation, Madras, Shaniko and Antelope.
The schedule says the project plan is scheduled to be adopted by the Spring of 2022.
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