[0:20] Oops.
[0:48] You know who Michael is
[0:54] introducing.
[1:18] What's that?
[1:21] Natural resources land policy committee
they go out the roles as far as how they
[1:28] go work on stuff
we know yet.
[1:33] » I don't know. Um, seems like that public
lands meeting
[1:40] probably quarter of the year that we
meet. Oh, that's western interstate
[1:45] stuff though. They meet in person four
times a year.
[1:53] Hi, family.
Hey, morning.
[2:01] » Before we get going, I'll ask you to
remove your hat, please.
[2:20] That's ridiculous.
[2:25] » Yeah. So that that one in
>> right I just meant work from scratch. Is
[2:31] that a committee where it's done or just
also committee
[2:36] because last year that a great
resolution
[2:42] » guess I'm over by a couple
[2:47] distracted for a minute there. Good
morning everybody. It is 9:32 a.m.
[2:50] September 2nd, 2026. Uh county court is
in session for regular session. Please
[2:55] stand and join me for the pledge.
[3:00] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[3:05] republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
[3:10] justice for all. Thank you.
[3:24] » County Court. Uh, for the record in
attendance, myself, Judge Hart,
[3:28] Commissioner Frank, and Commissioner
Doro, public attendees,
[3:32] um, we have, uh,
[3:38] Rick,
[laughter]
[3:41] » Paul, Paul. There we go. Sheesh.
And, uh, Connor gets from the
[3:47] fairgrounds as the fair manager. um
online um Michael Miller, Brent
[3:53] Thompson,
Hannah Strain,
[4:00] um Bryce, let's say that's Bryce Mertz,
Diana Antwell, and Rick Stafer
[4:08] at the current time. Uh late items, any
late items for the agenda?
[4:15] » No. Any amendments or changes relate
items to the agenda?
[4:20] » No.
>> Agenda approval.
[4:22] » Move to approve the agenda as presented.
>> I second.
[4:26] » Motion's been made and second to approve
the agenda for county court regular
[4:29] session September 2nd, 2026.
Been made and seconded. Any further
[4:34] conversation, discussion?
All in favor signify by saying I.
[4:39] » I.
>> I. And
[4:40] » opposed.
Hearing none. Motion carries. minutes
[4:43] approval for August 19th regular session
minutes.
[4:48] » Has everyone read it?
>> Yeah. And there was only one thing and I
[4:51] couldn't email Danny quick enough, but
there was a there was a typo. Chris Pat
[4:56] node. It's just missing a de. But if
you're listening to the minutes and you
[5:00] don't know her, you wouldn't know it
wasn't Chris Pat. No. So, sorry I didn't
[5:03] get that to you sooner. Other than that,
>> I changed that for
[5:07] » Well, they can approve it with that.
>> Yep. With that change,
[5:11] » I move to approve the August 19th Har
County Court meeting minutes as
[5:15] discussed.
>> Second.
[5:17] » Motion has been made and seconded to
approve the Harney County Court regular
[5:20] session minutes from August 19th as
discussed with the change as discussed.
[5:25] Any further discussion? Huh?
>> All in favor signify by saying I. I
[5:30] » opposed. Hearing none, motion carries.
Opportunity for public comment. Anybody
[5:35] in the room? Rick.
>> Rick Paul Burns. Just a reminder that
[5:39] SEAK meets later this month. So any
transportation issues you've got, please
[5:43] get them to us so that we can respond to
them.
[5:45] » Yes.
>> Where it's about the 24th I think is the
[5:48] meeting
>> somewhere around there. And I forgot to
[5:50] look. Where are we at next time? John
Day.
[5:52] » John Day.
>> Yeah. Um I was going to
[5:56] ask or inquire at the meeting um about I
think this topic's been discussed before
[6:02] but not stop light walk cross crosswalks
you know not installing uh stop light
[6:08] ones but just the you know like the
flashing caution type of crosswalks.
[6:14] Um, here in town it's I mean traffic is
getting crazy and I don't know what all
[6:18] the parameters are for crosswalks and
everything but I was going to ask that
[6:23] question.
>> I think it's a good question. Every
[6:26] intersection because they crosswalk if
it's marked or unmarked sugar they'll
[6:30] say so that any place that there was a
in this case or cut uh for the handicap
[6:38] is is a legitimate cross without a
lighter.
[6:43] I was going to inquire about something
along the lines as what they have out at
[6:46] Hines where it's the flashing yellow
light when they push the button and it
[6:50] just gets the flashing caution lights.
It gets people's attention, you know,
[6:54] something maybe along those lines in a
couple different spots through town.
[6:57] » Yeah, I people don't realize where
people are supposed to stop for
[7:02] crosswalks.
>> Yeah, I've seen so many close calls for
[7:04] one car stops and the other car
especially in the fourlane zone.
[7:08] » Right. Right. pressure.
>> I was just curious as to a couple of the
[7:12] the main areas that that you've noticed
or catch your attention.
[7:16] » Um probably somewhere around um Reeds
Lewab.
[7:21] Uh maybe somewhere around Dairy Queen.
>> Yes.
[7:24] » Okay.
>> We watch that a lot and people coming
[7:27] over from the motel to days in is DMO
almost um daily through there. We watch
[7:36] that all the time. I don't want to have
I don't want to have one at every
[7:40] intersection along the way, but I think,
you know, strategically placed two or
[7:43] three of them here or there would be of
benefit. Thank you.
[7:46] » I wonder [clears throat] like the
slowdown for the burn school that is
[7:52] time activated and comes on at a certain
time. I wonder if they could do that if
[7:56] the if the traffic flows over a certain
amount, have those come on because when
[8:00] stuff is slow, it's not as much of an
issue, but like you said, this summer
[8:03] there's been so much traffic that it is
an issue. Yeah. What interrupt?
[8:09] » Yeah. School school zone kicks on. The
flashing lights in the school zones kick
[8:13] on at
I don't know 6:45ish or so. 6:50ish,
[8:19] something like that. And they're on
until about 7:50
[8:23] cuz I come through at usually about a
quarter till they're still flesh. I
[8:26] think they go off about 7:50. So they're
on for 45 minutes to an hour at morning,
[8:32] lunch, and afternoon.
>> Sure. seems like they'd maybe be pro
[8:36] programmable.
You know, the technology is not new
[8:41] technology.
>> Certainly something we can bring up and
[8:44] have a discussion, but
>> yeah. And and I have a question just in
[8:46] general. So, um how many seats on the
sea act does Harney County have
[8:52] including the cities or any other?
>> Five, six,
[8:56] » one, two, three.
>> You got one for each city, for the
[8:58] county, for the tribe and and then at
large, which I am six. Yep.
[9:04] Is are there any barriers to helping
have more participation or are you
[9:08] satisfied with the level of
participation from our county on
[9:13] » I think the representation that we have
is fine. Um I think bylaws probably
[9:19] specify which we can always discuss and
change but
[9:22] » but ours have pretty good people
attending or zooming in regularly.
[9:29] » I mean
>> competing schedules. I I give a report
[9:34] written report generally to each of the
cities
[9:37] uh because Brenda and Roxan usually
don't attend it. Roxanne has covered the
[9:43] best about zooming in and the tribe I
have bitched about constantly. Suzanne
[9:49] does not attend and she does not come
in. Well, I I just
[9:55] » if uh if it was the scheduling of it or
if it's just something maybe to be
[9:59] revisited to help. It's good to get
their input and have them participate.
[10:03] » I've asked the um I know two members of
the council of it tribe with the tribe
[10:09] and they have no idea. They don't know
really why Susan is appointed because
[10:14] they have a transportation committee and
she's not on it. Um, so I suggested
[10:20] they'll try to appoint somebody else who
can have more interest, but we're going
[10:26] to have the issue with them. Um, it's
ongoing and really the SEAK doesn't add
[10:32] to it with the boat overpass for the
animals out about well post 200 in that
[10:41] area. they're trying to do. And right
now the ODOT has an agreement with the
[10:46] trucking industry that they'll have no o
overpasses on Highway 20 between Bend
[10:51] and Ontario
um so that they can have their oversized
[10:56] loads go through here.
So it may have to be an underpass for
[11:01] the animals to be able to pass through.
They are actively working to have an
[11:07] animal overpass.
I'm using that word because I don't know
[11:11] what else to use from one a safe pass
from one side of the road to the other.
[11:17] » I have my own personal
doubts on those on the effectiveness of
[11:22] those
uh installations. You know how
[11:27] » it is an ongoing conversation with the
northern pyudes and
[11:33] » their planned wildlife project on that
highway is an overpass.
[11:38] I I'm using the word overpass because I
don't know what else to use. It's either
[11:42] going to be over or under the road.
>> Generally a tunnel.
[11:46] » Well, I think the verbage I think the
verbiage has been an overpass.
[11:51] » I don't Yeah, I agree. I don't think
that's going to be effective at all.
[11:54] That's ridiculous.
[11:59] » Cak has not been involved in that
discussion except where I bring it up. I
[12:04] mean, it's a less than 30 second
discussion.
[12:09] Thank you.
>> So, anything else?
[12:12] » You got another month. I have one more
meeting.
[12:18] » Um, any
[12:22] any comments from anybody online?
[12:32] I don't hear anything. We'll move on.
Um, we don't have any Well, we have the
[12:36] fair board here. Is there anything you
want to brief on the upcoming fair?
[12:41] » It's happening whether I'm or not.
>> It does do that.
[12:46] » Uh, I mean, we're looking good for
everything so far. So, it's just a
[12:51] matter of all those fun last minute
little, oh crap, get it done things. So,
[12:57] » I would agree. I would check my email in
two days, but [clears throat] the last
[13:01] that I talked to the building official,
he said he didn't work really closely
[13:04] with you and the extension agent. Have
you guys planned a walk through yet?
[13:08] » We just got that done yesterday. Oh,
>> and uh Rick said he'd be signing the
[13:13] TCO, I believe, Thursday.
Um so, we'll be all good to go there.
[13:19] » Awesome.
>> I think there's um electrical
[13:22] inspections that need to be done today.
I believe they're planning on that today
[13:28] » and then TCO on Thursday.
[13:34] » Um, for the just for the record, so to
speak, I I'm pretty sure we had talked
[13:39] about it, but I had a member of the
public ask me the other day about some
[13:41] of the recent uh department head type
positions that we filled. And so for
[13:46] those people who missed it, whatever.
Congratulations. Connor Githens is our
[13:49] fair manager. Um, we also, um, hired a
new juvenile director, Jeremy Thomas,
[13:56] and, um, emergency manager in the throws
of the fires, Carrie Conway. So, those
[14:01] three positions, just for the record,
somebody said they hadn't heard, so I'm
[14:05] restating them. I think we have stated
those before, but just in case.
[14:11] Um, old business,
fair wash rack. Um, I wanted to add
[14:16] this. Um, and the the building official
the building official is online, uh,
[14:21] Rick Stoffer. But, um, I need to clarify
in in our discussion on July 15th, it
[14:27] was discussed about the construction of
the wash rack and whether or not it was
[14:31] being connected to a potable water
source or a a wellwater source. Um, and
[14:37] it was said that it was being connected
to a wellwater source, but there's been
[14:41] some concern that it was actually
connected to a potable water source. And
[14:46] then therefore the permitting and
licensed plumber requirements and the um
[14:53] the mode of connection the type of
connection all comes into play. So um I
[14:59] want to verify one way or the other
whether this was if if somebody can
[15:02] honor um somebody commissioner Frank as
the leison on the fair board if somebody
[15:08] can verify whether or not that was a
potable water source or a well wellwater
[15:12] source.
>> I'll tell you what I know. Um firstly
[15:16] the fair board asked that we table this
and not have discussion or take action
[15:21] until they can be present because none
of them could be present today. But I
[15:24] said we're going to have discussion
about it anyway. So I'll share what I
[15:28] know. One of the fair board members who
is the liazison to the livestock
[15:31] committee and is involved in a lot of
volunteer work down there told me the
[15:36] following. They had to dig up a line
because it was broken because when it
[15:40] was installed they back filled with pit
run and as it settled the line broke
[15:45] » a line that was
>> a previous line just a previous water
[15:49] » connected to potable or or irrigation
well
[15:53] » I don't know they had a broken line so
they had a hole there exposed they had
[15:57] reached out in July to all the available
local plumbers to hook this project up
[16:02] and still had heard nothing back and
there was two weeks to there. And so
[16:08] there was a 4-in white PVC line, which
is usually
[16:13] consistent with what would come from an
irrigation well. And so
[16:18] they use their expertise to tie into
that water line. They absolutely did not
[16:22] tie into a C900 line, which is a city
water line. And that's as much as I know
[16:29] about that. And there was also some
question and concern about the hangman
[16:34] being off of metered water. And I I'm
not sure where the water comes from for
[16:40] that hangman. But one of the discussions
that we had had when John Lar Garza came
[16:44] to town was if we could get some
technical assistance or some master
[16:49] planning to identify where all the
electrical infrastructure is, where all
[16:53] the water infrastructure is because
right now no one's sure which lines are
[16:57] coming from where is my understanding.
But that's what happened with hooking up
[17:01] the wash. No one.
>> I don't think so.
[17:06] That for for example, one of the things
that we talked about that fairboard
[17:09] meeting the other night is there are
some weird there's some sprinkler stubs
[17:13] out in the parking area that aren't
being used anymore. And it was suggested
[17:20] we should just tear those lines out so
that it would be easier to maintain that
[17:23] area. But
>> when when the underground infrastructure
[17:28] stuff was was being done a few years ago
as part of all this capital improvement
[17:33] that had to be done first, isn't it all
lined out? What professional or city or
[17:38] county entity has that information on
>> any new stuff that went in should
[17:42] absolutely be mapped out and there
should be a record of that? But all the
[17:45] old stuff
I I don't know if there is a
[17:49] comprehensive layout of what what old
stuff is where. And so I know the
[17:54] concern with whether or not it's
portable water or the irrigation water
[17:58] has to do with backflow devices.
>> So So when at the last a few a few
[18:03] county court meetings ago when there was
a discussion and it sounded like uh fair
[18:09] board chair and former fair manager said
we have eight eight you know acres of of
[18:15] irrigation water rights. And it, you
know, I've got the impression they knew
[18:20] where it is, was knew what they were
talking about on that. Or are you saying
[18:24] there's not clarity on that now?
>> Oh, no. They have a well that has an
[18:28] irrigation water, right? They just don't
know where all the infrastructure that's
[18:32] been put in in the last 40 or 50 years
is going to that. And that hangman, for
[18:36] example, according to their
recollection, has been installed for at
[18:40] least 22 years. And so it would take
some testing shutting off the metered
[18:47] water to see if you still have water
there. And they try not to use it anyway
[18:51] because according to one of the fair
board members that works on that stuff
[18:55] and has expertise in the area, it hammer
slams when you turn it off. If people
[19:01] fill up out of it and they don't turn
the valves off the right way, it slams
[19:05] and it causes a problem. And so they
said if there is an issue with the way
[19:09] they installed that water rack,
it was two weeks till fair and they need
[19:14] to water that water act. So they hooked
into a line that was available. If we
[19:18] need to re-evaluate that would be a good
time to maybe re-evaluate some of these
[19:23] other water sources as well because I
also don't know what serves the water
[19:27] that goes back behind the arena. I don't
know if that's the irrigation well or
[19:31] city water.
So um
[19:35] » so those pass were there 50 years.
>> Um
[19:42] anyway so so that those yes those were
my concerns as well on the on the
[19:46] metered water if if we tied into a
metered water supply which in the
[19:51] meeting of July 15th the the fair
president and the former fair manager
[19:56] both indicated that that line they were
tying into was the well line. Not I mean
[20:00] they indicated during that meeting they
were confident that it was the well
[20:03] line. So that's what that's what I went
on that's what we went on at that time I
[20:08] believe. Um I don't know and I can't I
don't know as we can say I guess I guess
[20:14] the test I would propose is um make sure
there's no other metered water running.
[20:19] Go out there and turn on that wash rack
and turn on that hangman and see if the
[20:23] meter runs when you turn it on. If it is
then that's metered water. And I have I
[20:27] have I have concerns then and I realize
that the the the jumble of lines and not
[20:33] knowing what's what or whatever. But I
have a real concern then about using
[20:37] pouring dollars on the ground because
that hangman is going to be used for
[20:40] watering the arena, watering the track,
watering other other areas for dust
[20:45] abatement and um and then the wash rack
for washing animals down that could be
[20:51] used out of an agricultural source.
Again, I don't I think the ter
[20:55] determination is is to find out and and
a good mapping of resources out there or
[21:01] utilities and infrastructure would be a
good would be a good step forward. But
[21:05] for the time being, I think a simple
test of turning on the water and see if
[21:09] the meter's running or not would be a
good good layman's test.
[21:14] » Add my little bit. So, talking with
Lindsay,
[21:19] um the all of the hydrants along the
arena on inside the track, that is all
[21:26] off of CityWA. Um
and when Rick came to me about all of
[21:32] this, I double checked with Lindsay and
shot her a text on August 27th and asked
[21:39] her if that line that feeds the hangman
behind the arena is potable water. and
[21:45] she did confirm that it is. Um, which is
the line that is that now has the wash
[21:52] rack hooked into it. Um, and that leak
in the line is to the line that feeds
[21:58] the hangman. And so that's where they
tied in the wash rack. And I have I have
[22:04] the text from her that says um I asked
her if it's potable water and she
[22:09] replied with yes. Um, so that's that's
what I know on that. So,
[22:15] » did she know she did she discover that
later on? Because I can replay it. The
[22:20] July 15th meeting, they both said it was
the wellwater.
[22:23] » Yeah,
>> I it was my understanding and it was
[22:26] clear in that meeting that if we hooked
into the wellwater, we didn't need the
[22:30] certified plumber and the permit.
What I'm guessing is that a volunteer
[22:37] that was helping
recognize we can't get a plumber out
[22:41] here and there's a water line right
there and we need water. So, we're going
[22:44] to hook into it. He suggested that if
there is a problem with that after fair
[22:48] is over, it's nothing to dig it down,
cab that off, and do whatever they need
[22:52] because it sounds like potentially if
that's not the well line, they're going
[22:57] to have to run quite a ways line to get
to the well line. I guess that that's my
[23:02] understanding as well. Um, and whereas
I'm all for making sure we're good for
[23:09] fair, I would also like to make sure
things are just getting done correctly
[23:13] the first time so we don't run into
stuff like this. I believe it's my
[23:18] understanding again, and this might be
wrong, but I believe when some of the
[23:22] infrastructure work was done out there
at the fairgrounds, I think in the early
[23:25] stages of the of the project, that the
well line coming from the well to the
[23:30] hangman, because there's two hangmans
out there. There's one at the east end
[23:33] of the of the fairgrounds and one at the
west end of the fairgrounds that they
[23:37] put in new line from the well location
which is right in front of the the newly
[23:42] constructed event center. It was right
in front of the 4 building in in past
[23:48] layout. Um but they put in new line from
there running east and connected it to
[23:55] the hangman. So that so that portion of
it was connected to the hangman. And
[23:59] then also I believe as a part of that
they put in new
[24:03] new access points or whatever for
sprinklers along that road along the the
[24:08] main road that comes in there some
somewhere along there. They put that
[24:10] line in so that they could then water
and irrigate the the grass there.
[24:14] » Yes.
>> So that part of it I believe we can
[24:16] confirm as new. Whether or not that line
or any line went westward from the well
[24:23] was would be the question. and and
existing line. If there's existing line
[24:27] that goes westward from the well,
>> well, at least it's not
[24:34] super far away from what it's going to
have to be corrected.
[24:40] » I agree with what the fair manager said
about we need to make sure we do things
[24:45] right the first time, and I appreciate
that. I don't know, and I'd be curious
[24:50] to hear the building officials take on
this. If that is installed incorrectly,
[24:56] as it sounds like it may be, I don't
know if there is time since fair starts
[25:00] in less than a week to rectify that, but
I think we probably need to do it
[25:04] immediately following and maybe can make
some of those other changes as well.
[25:08] Does that sound like what you're
thinking?
[25:11] » Yeah.
>> So, it can be changed. It can be changed
[25:13] afterwards. Um, but you know, I don't
know if you guys all looked at my email
[25:19] from uh last Tuesday.
Um, but you know, we had a very clear
[25:26] conversation in court on July 15th about
unlicensed people doing work on potable
[25:34] water systems. It was very clear, very
clear. And so I bent and said, "Okay, if
[25:39] you're going to hook into the well line,
then that's fine." Um the the well is
[25:45] hundreds of feet from where this wash
rack is. Um so I happened to just stop
[25:52] by
uh last week and found this open hole
[25:57] and saw the work and it was saddled into
a C900 pipe. Somebody somebody cut into
[26:02] the pipe, installed a saddle and
installed uh an incorrect valve. Um, and
[26:08] [clears throat] so I told Connor at that
time I wanted them to stop the work.
[26:14] And he he I believe he made a phone call
and had a conversation with or I left a
[26:19] message for somebody and then somebody
decided to go in and just finish the
[26:23] work regardless.
So the the work that is done in there is
[26:28] not correct. It was not done by a
licensed plumber. It is on a potable
[26:31] water line and you know after fair it's
going to have to be dealt with. But, um,
[26:37] this is probably going to be sent to the
building codes division for them to to
[26:40] deal with.
>> Rick, uh, do you have knowledge or
[26:48] official records that maybe some of the
rest of the players don't seem to have
[26:52] on
where the potable water lines are?
[26:59] Well, I did the inspections on those
water lines and so I know what was put
[27:04] in by the uh by FiveStar last year. Um,
plus there are some plans that show
[27:11] things and show some existing lines. Uh,
the part that I do agree on is there's a
[27:16] lot of lines out there that have been,
you know, who knows what's been done
[27:20] with them over the years. But you know
what this comes back to is is this is
[27:25] another line that's not done correctly
on a on a big investment that was just
[27:29] done. So,
you know, why why would we want to do it
[27:33] wrong? Um, you know, the way it was
installed, it was installed with a valve
[27:37] on a 45 that you could never shut the
water off to because it's about 5t down
[27:42] in the ground.
um and it's an incorrect valve for that
[27:47] type of installation and there's no
backflow uh feeding the uh yard hydrant
[27:52] they put in. So there's a multitude of
of issues here.
[27:59] Num number one being the fact that we
were very clear about this and then it
[28:03] was just an attitude of we're just going
to do what we want. So you know that's
[28:07] that's we're just going to let the ships
fall where they may.
[28:12] That's uh that's frustrating to say the
least that the information you're giving
[28:17] us that it was hooked into a C900 is at
odds with the information that I was
[28:22] given.
I'm optimistic that moving forward the
[28:27] fair manager seems to be on the same
page that we can have this stuff done
[28:32] correctly.
>> I completely agree with that statement.
[28:40] we'll make it a high priority and try to
figure out how to pay for it
[28:45] right after fair.
>> Um,
[28:50] thank you for the discussion. It's just
that I I felt it was um
[28:55] definitely an issue that needed to be
discussed and we need to get to the
[28:59] bottom of it and ensure that things are
done appropriately and correctly in the
[29:03] future. People don't know for a fact
firstand knowledge fact when we ask them
[29:10] questions technical questions they
should say they're not sure. Okay
[29:15] everybody
thank you.
[29:20] Um
any other any other points on um on that
[29:25] topic?
[29:28] » It's all up and running and ready to go
for fair
[29:32] » as far as I know. is glad.
All right, we'll continue to investigate
[29:38] and pursue that and make it right if we
need to.
[29:43] Um, new business proposed recision of
the 2001 roadless area conservation
[29:51] rule, RIIN,
um, and associated docket numbers at the
[29:57] federal
level. Um
[30:01] » is this uh
this is not exclusive to the blues plan.
[30:08] This is in general across all forest
lands.
[30:12] » Yeah. For about the last year and a half
or two years there was talk of resending
[30:17] the roadless rule and it's finally
coming to fruition and is open to
[30:22] comment and the comment period ends
pretty quickly. I want to say
[30:28] it's before our next meeting and so this
this draft of comments was made based on
[30:35] all the conversations that the ENRAC and
the BIC has had regarding the roadless
[30:40] rule and it's something that our
community has been pretty vocal about
[30:43] for the last 10 years if not more. And
so I think this draft of comments is
[30:51] consistent with the community wants the
NRA's recommendation.
[31:04] » So um this was was this reviewed
discussed by the ENRACH? This was not
[31:09] reviewed by the ENRACH because of the
time sensitivity and we weren't going to
[31:13] have another ENRAC meeting by the time
this has to be submitted. But it all of
[31:18] the previous discussions the ENRAC has
had about the Robus rule which was
[31:21] mostly in the context of Blue Mountain
forest plan are reflected in this
[31:27] » and those representatives on the REN
rack on the ENRACK from our local
[31:32] federal agencies. How did they I mean
were they were they in favor of this?
[31:38] Are these comments in line with their
concerns or
[31:41] » Yes. And a lot of this road roadless
rule
[31:46] really seems like it pertains more to
the Forest Service than the BLM. And the
[31:53] roadless rule would still allow local
discretion if a road needs to be closed
[31:59] down for ecological purposes or
whatever, but it would also allow us to
[32:03] build roads if we needed the
infrastructure for maintaining the
[32:08] forest or for fire suppression. And I
think that falls right in line with our
[32:12] our local district
and our lo what's the think about this I
[32:19] think of Josh Giles in terms of
immigrant creek ranger district and then
[32:22] Ann for the the mountier forest. So I
think it's consistent with
[32:28] our local and our forest prerogatives. I
think it's
[32:35] growing up here and remembering the the
timber years and the timber sails along
[32:40] with timber sails.
Um roads were constructed, logging, you
[32:45] know, skitter trails or whatever they
called them were constructed for getting
[32:50] the timber out of the cut location and
out to a deck location, etc. Um, I would
[32:56] presume that this roadless rule pre
prevented within logging sales of being
[33:01] able to do that kind of work and and
make it economical to get the timber out
[33:05] of the out of the forest. So, this would
open up for timber sales. Again, you're
[33:10] not going to put a a road down a down a
geographical uh terrain that's, you
[33:16] know, got a 45 degree angle or
something, whatever, but but it still
[33:19] opens up to be able to put in those kind
of accesses for commercial uses. Is that
[33:25] I mean, would that return that ability?
Is that what this is? Okay.
[33:28] » And
I read it very carefully. I think it's a
[33:32] good letter. I support it. And you know,
basically it's saying that we support
[33:38] receiving it. as it should be. That's
one of those one-sizefits-all
[33:43] rules that does not uh enable local good
decision- making by the professionals
[33:48] and the community as well
to decide if and where you know where
[33:53] those areas might need to be. So, I
totally support it. Not just my own
[33:58] opinion. I'm glad ENRA didn't have a
problem with it, but also on behalf of
[34:02] plenty of the people that reach out to
me and tell me that that's they want it
[34:06] rescended. So, I'm in support of it.
>> I think and I I'm trying to remember the
[34:12] last the last uh forest plan meeting
that we went to, this topic was
[34:18] discussed
and I remember talking to Ann and and
[34:23] one of the other um managers. It's
important that just because this is
[34:29] rescended doesn't mean that roads are
going to pop up or stay open all over
[34:32] the place. This is it's it's management
discretion is really what it gives
[34:37] gives.
>> So
[34:40] » that's a a big improvement.
>> Yeah.
[34:42] » To go in that direction. So um I would
uh go ahead and move that to approve the
[34:50] proposed the county court's comments on
the proposed recision of the 2001
[34:55] roadless area conservation rule
as presented.
[35:01] » Second. Motion's been made and seconded
to approve the proposed or the comments
[35:06] to the proposed recision of the 2001
roadless area conservation rule RI0596-
[35:14] A66
docket FS-2025-00001
[35:21] as discussed any further discussion
>> I think Danny put this on our letter
[35:26] ahead or was this form
>> I did not do that on this form but I can
[35:33] would you mind submitting it? And I
don't I can make sure that you have the
[35:36] information. It's either an email
address or it might be one of those
[35:39] links that you have to go online.
>> Absolutely.
[35:42] » And and Danny, since we are starting to
do um some of these in this fashion and
[35:46] again, I'm sure you'll take out the
draft.
[35:48] » Yes.
>> But always please make sure there's a
[35:50] space between the title and their body.
Thank you very much.
[35:56] » Any further discussion?
All in favor signify by saying I I
[36:02] » opposed.
Hearing none. Motion carries.
[36:06] Um and then I guess kind of leading
right into next topic is u blue mountain
[36:11] forest plan revision
decision of environmental impact study
[36:18] action or action pack. We've been
beating this one up for half a year at
[36:23] least and and this set of comments it's
drafted maybe in June was circulated to
[36:29] the ENRACK. It was based on the
extensive comments they have already
[36:33] helped draft
>> and it's very similar to the last set of
[36:37] comments that we submitted prior to the
the determination of environmental
[36:42] impact study. The Forest Service has
been very
[36:48] very receptive, yeah, to the comments
the Haring County has made and it's
[36:52] reflected especially in alternative 2
that they've incorporated that into the
[36:56] plan. And so this this is a pretty old
document that's just been waiting to go
[37:02] in. But I think the deadline is towards
the end of September.
[37:06] This is the condensed version. The
extended version is 13 pages. and I
[37:10] don't know that it really drives the
point home any more than this shorter
[37:14] version.
>> I think this is a good document and a
[37:17] good way to um go ahead and comment and
I like the fact that there's an
[37:21] attachment with some of the specific
requested changes in the the verbiage
[37:27] which would support the narrative that
we were providing. So, uh question uh do
[37:33] you know if um
of uh some of the other local
[37:38] governments that are within the mountain
forest land region are also the
[37:43] important alternative to
>> I think most all of them are and what I
[37:49] would suggest is if we choose to take
action on this and and submit it damy's
[37:53] willing to put it on some letter head
and send
[37:56] » Oh yeah, that was the one said you
already did.
[37:57] » She did both.
>> She actually did both.
[37:59] » Yeah. past me took care of that already.
>> But if she would officially submit this
[38:05] one, I would also forward it to all the
BIC members. That's something that we
[38:09] have kind of asked you if you are
willing to share your comments so that
[38:13] it can kind of give other people ideas
and I want to say Mororrow County maybe
[38:18] has already sent their copy around to
the the group and in our copy as a draft
[38:25] has already been sent to the big and
EOCA because EOCA will probably submit
[38:30] their own comments. So, everyone's
pretty well in line.
[38:47] Yeah, I think
[38:54] a lot of people would like to see things
go back to
[38:58] maybe pre974ish
whatever in forest management, but in
[39:06] all practicality it's not going to
happen. Um, so I think a lot of the
[39:10] strides made in in this plan and in this
negotiations and comments and feedback
[39:16] from counties and public um goes a long
ways.
[39:29] So um the previous roadless is ready to
go. It's on letterhead and ready to go.
[39:36] We have which that one we didn't have
signatures on though. Did the court want
[39:40] to have signatures on it or just submit
it upload it as is?
[39:43] » As is fine.
>> Okay. And then the the uh
[39:50] uh Harney County comments on the Blue
Mountain Forest Land Management Plan
[39:55] draft environmental impacts. It does
have signatures on it.
[40:00] » I move to approve.
>> Second. A motion has been made and
[40:05] seconded to approve the Hornney County
comments on the Blue Mountain Forest
[40:09] Plan Management Plan draft environmental
impact statement support for alternative
[40:14] two
as discussed and presented. Any further
[40:18] discussion?
>> Good job.
[40:20] » All in favor signify by saying I. I
opposed
[40:25] hearing none. Motion carries.
[40:54] And
[41:02] next topic, and I thought we discussed
this a little bit last time. I hope it
[41:07] got carried over accidentally, but we
can cover it real quick. Like AOC annual
[41:11] conference in November. Um, I talked
with Commissioner Elect Omen. You are
[41:15] planning on attending. if you would
coordinate with Danny on if she hasn't
[41:20] already um on paying the the uh fee, the
attendance fee and for lodging. Um after
[41:30] after you take office, we'll have a
credit card purchase card for you and we
[41:33] could take care of those items yourself.
But in the meantime, Danny has a card
[41:38] and she'll be able to help you with that
if she hasn't already.
[41:41] » I think she already has.
>> Yeah, we're after. But I do have some
[41:46] bills for you. Perfect.
>> Um,
[41:51] uh, Commissioner Doro, are you planning
on attending?
[41:52] » I am not. I'm not. Save the county
money.
[41:55] » Okay. Um, Commissioner Frank,
>> I am. Let's send the Kenny's phone.
[42:00] » Um, I'm planning on going. Um, I'm going
to go Tuesday through Friday. Well, I'll
[42:06] leave Friday morning because the we are
planning on doing the county booth at
[42:10] the U Travel Oregon or whatever it's
called these days. Um, so I want to be
[42:16] there for that, but I'll leave first
thing Friday morning. And then they have
[42:19] some administrator sessions that really
take up most of my time while I'm there.
[42:25] A lot of those topics and whatnot, I try
to hit the other stuff that's important,
[42:28] but I hit those primarily. So, I will be
leaving Tuesday afternoon on the
[42:36] 18th 17th 17th and then coming back
Friday morning.
[42:43] Um
is there anything else I wanted to hit
[42:46] on for that? Um
[42:50] » that would be
talking about moving the region.
[42:55] » Oh yes.
>> So
[42:57] » so that week the 18th I think it is is a
county court session.
[43:01] » Yes.
Um, so I would propose that we move that
[43:06] county court session to the 16th on
Monday.
[43:09] » Fine to read.
>> You want a motion?
[43:14] » I don't think so. Just administrative in
nature. We'll just make sure it gets
[43:17] changed on the calendar and everything
so that the public knows. And then there
[43:21] was another another conflict coming up
with county court. Uh, was it in
[43:26] October?
>> Yes. December.
[43:28] » Yes. I I have something I'd like to
attend that's on a county court date and
[43:32] that would be October 7th. Um it's it's
a first expo with a lot of information
[43:39] and I never really got any of that
information before. So um if we can
[43:44] shift that a day or two,
I'd appreciate that.
[43:49] It's one time deal.
>> I'll honestly probably be unavailable
[43:53] that whole week anyway. So you guys
still have a corn, but just throwing
[43:57] that out there.
>> Okay. Um J. Um
[44:10] I think the sixth would probably work
better for me. I can do it. Okay. I have
[44:15] these under scheduling, but since we
kind of broached on it up here um under
[44:20] this other topic, we just cover them.
But um
[44:24] anyway, so then um we'll change county
court session from October 7th to
[44:29] October 6th. Same time, same times for
both or same normal times, different
[44:34] dates.
>> Right. Um next up then is order
[44:41] rescending legalization order recision
of document number 2007
[44:48] 2052.
Action for action. Um,
[44:54] so
have a res or an order prepared.
[44:59] County council has reviewed it. Uh,
order rescending legalization order.
[45:05] Recision of document number 200072052
in the matter of recision of the
[45:10] legalization order for East Steam Road,
Harney County Road number 20,
[45:16] East Stein Roads, East Steam Road,
Andrews diversion. Whereas on September
[45:22] 5th, 2007, Harney County Court entered a
legalization order pursuant to OS
[45:28] 362.201
to 362.221 221
[45:32] uh recorded September 12th, 2007 in the
county clerk's records of Harney County,
[45:39] Oregon as document number 2072052,
which legalized a newly surveyed
[45:46] alignment of the East Steam Road, Harney
County Road number 201 between section
[45:53] one and a quarter corner of section 34
and the northwest corner of
[46:00] of section 26, Township 35 South Range
33 East. The Andrews diversion declared
[46:06] that alignment to be a county road and
withdrew the prior alignment of East
[46:10] Road from the county road system to
become a local access road under OS
[46:15] 368.001.
[46:18] Um I wanted to get that first portion in
there. Um, unless the court Oh, yeah.
[46:24] Fire alarm testing was on my notes to
let everybody know they're certifying
[46:29] the elevator
and um it's just a test.
[46:36] Uh I had that in my notes because say
right up front at the beginning and
[46:39] skipped it. So anyway, I wanted to get
that first paragraph in there. Um unless
[46:44] the court thinks it's important to read
the entire thing. I do want to note that
[46:47] um that uh the county did hold a public
hearing in fields
[46:54] um closer to those
residents properties and and
[47:00] uh constituents in that area. a few
members attended or a few residents
[47:06] attended and we discussed the pros and
cons um of of realigning it or or
[47:14] keeping it as it is. Um it was discussed
that um the county does have a grant a
[47:21] public lands access grant for paving uh
up to Frog Springs from where the
[47:26] current pavement ends up to frog about
Frog Springs that's supposed to take
[47:30] place in 2028.
the estimated cost of of
[47:36] realigning diverting the road was
estimated at approximately a million
[47:39] dollars or more. So these are all
factors that we took into consideration
[47:44] um before coming to the to the um
decision to resend that order.
[47:52] » Uh judge
I don't think we need to read the whole
[47:56] thing. However, and I wouldn't mind
doing it if you don't want to do it. I
[48:00] think maybe reading the now therefore it
is hereby ordered section. Okay.
[48:05] » At the end and also I have a question on
the fourth item on that last paragraph.
[48:11] It says this order shall take effect
immediately upon its entry by the Hardy
[48:15] County Board. Do you mean approval or
adoption or I didn't know what entry
[48:22] just seemed a little bit
>> um
[48:27] I don't know. Well, I'm going to say the
uh entry being as soon as it's recorded
[48:32] by the clerk because there is a a
recording section by the clerk. So, upon
[48:36] its entry into the records.
>> Okay.
[48:40] » I thought this resolution was really
well done. It's really thorough. It
[48:44] captures everything that we talked
about.
[48:47] I I move to approve.
>> Let me finish. Let me let me read the
[48:51] now therefors.
Um, now therefore, it is hereby ordered
[48:55] that the legalization order entered by
the Harney County Court on September
[48:59] 5th, 2007 and recorded September 12th,
2007 in the county clerk's records of
[49:05] Harney County, Oregon as document number
2072052
[49:10] is hereby rescended and vacated in its
entirety. The Harney County Road
[49:14] Department and County Surveyor are
directed to update the county road
[49:18] inventory and records for East Road,
Harney County Road number 201,
[49:24] including to wit that the portion of
East Road designated as a local access
[49:30] road in the legis in the legalization
order is now to be added back to the
[49:34] county road system. Nothing in this
order con uh con constitutes
[49:40] a final determination of the ownership
status or disposition of the surveyed
[49:45] right of way described in the 2007
legalization order. The Harney County
[49:50] Court reserves the right to take such
further and additional action upon
[49:53] consultation with legal counsel as may
be necessary or appropriate to fully
[49:58] resolve any remaining questions
regarding that right of way.
[50:04] Uh, this order shall take effect
immediately upon its entry by the Harney
[50:08] County Court dated this 2nd day of
September 2026.
[50:13] Um,
yeah. So, I guess the one of the major
[50:17] points there is that the rightway stays
in effect. There is no obligation by the
[50:21] by the county to maintain or construct a
road just based on the fact that there's
[50:27] a rightaway there. We have rightaways
all over the county. Um, many of them
[50:31] are not maintained and they're just on
paper and at the later time the
[50:34] landowner wishes to request that right
away be vacu uh vacated, we could do
[50:39] that at a later time.
Elevator fire elevator fire alarm
[50:46] testing.
Um, so with that said, any other
[50:51] discussion or a motion? I move to
approve
[50:57] the Harney County court order in the
matter of the recision of the
[51:00] legalization order for East Steam Road,
Harney County Road number 20, East
[51:05] Steams Road/Andrews Diversion. Um order
rescending legalization order the
[51:10] recision of the document number
200072052.
[51:16] » Second. A motion has been made and
seconded to approve order rescending
[51:21] legalization order recession of document
number 2072052
[51:26] in the matter of the recision of the
legalization order for East Stein Road
[51:31] Harne County Road number 201 East
Road/Andrews
[51:35] diversion. Any further discussion as as
presented and discussed? Any further
[51:40] discussion?
[51:46] All in favor signify by saying I. I.
>> And opposed.
[51:50] Hearing none. Motion carries.
[51:58] Can I bring up a quick go back real
quick? The building official still on
[52:02] the line.
I think he probably is.
[52:07] Um,
[52:11] » is he not going to be able to attend
virtually either this morning?
[52:15] » He was on early.
>> You want me to reach out to him?
[52:17] » He's not on here now. It doesn't look
like
[52:20] » I can reach out to him. I I was just
going to ask if he has any documentation
[52:24] of the incorrectly installed valve and
plumbing. If he could share that with
[52:29] » such as photos and Yes, he does. He can
>> he does have
[52:33] » he does have all that. We can send it
out to you.
[52:37] » Thanks.
[52:41] » Um
okay, ne next topic is um on I guess
[52:47] retention would be the the
classification of our building official.
[52:52] Our building official um has done a lot
of great work in the last two plus
[52:58] years, two and a half years, whatever
it's been um with
[53:03] re
envisioning the building department um
[53:08] to the point of expanding and providing
service to neighboring county, Brandt
[53:13] County, and serving as the building
official. And our entire two programs
[53:17] are still mingled. Um, at this point
we
[53:23] and I don't recall exactly I want to say
we we did a 8020 split on fees. Do you
[53:30] know Jesse what our building permit
split was that was?
[53:32] » So before before we were able to have
the building official position it was
[53:37] 90. I wanted to get to that
>> the uh with Grant County right now I
[53:42] believe it is they get 15% we get
>> 85 8550 so we get 85% of every dollar in
[53:53] permit fees with Grant County and then
all of our permit fees here in Carne
[53:57] County with the exception of the fees
that we have to pay to the state just
[54:01] that are statutory.
Prior to that, uh, a big portion of our
[54:06] inspections were conducted by the state
and they kept 90% of every dollar and
[54:13] they didn't even come out on site. We
still had staff that would go out to a
[54:17] to a to a site, whether it was
electrical panel or or plumbing or
[54:22] whatever, and turn on FaceTime on their
phone and show the inspector that's
[54:26] sitting in Bend or Portland or wherever,
this this is what it is. So, so they got
[54:33] 90% of the fees for doing that.
Um,
[54:39] we now have a building department that
doesn't rely on any
[54:43] general fund subsidization.
Um, because of that, because of doing it
[54:49] all in house. Um, there I could look
back at the budgets in the past. I
[54:53] didn't in preparation for this, but uh
there was a easy
[54:59] $30 to $50,000 that this that the
general fund was subsidizing the general
[55:03] or the uh building department for in the
past.
[55:07] Um so I think I guess my point being is
the building official
[55:13] has been offered a position in another
jurisdiction. I don't know where um at
[55:20] this time. I don't I don't know where,
but he's asking for um a $10,000
[55:26] increase in his salary, which he
justifies off of the entry level of
[55:32] building official and other local.
Granted, the cost of living in Harney
[55:37] County is not what it is in other higher
paying localities, but um I can't in
[55:43] order to do that, I'm going to have to
make some movement in in budgeted funds
[55:48] and it'll have to come before the court
anyway. So, I we just as well discuss it
[55:53] and decide whether or not we want to
retain um and then make those moves in
[55:58] budgeted funds or or or stay with what
we have. Um he's also asked for um a uh
[56:08] solidified telework agreement
um
[56:14] which I think it works right now. Um but
we never did a formalized agreement for
[56:20] his telework.
Um and he's asked to acrew vacation time
[56:28] one category higher than where he's at
right now. Right now the the beginning
[56:32] entry entry level um um vacation acral
is one to five years at 6.66 hours or
[56:43] something like that and it comes out to
be two weeks and the next level up is is
[56:48] 3 weeks is what it the hourly rate
includes to. So that's where I'm at with
[56:54] it. Um
[56:58] the court has not given me as the
administrator the authority to move on
[57:03] these kind of things independently. So
and and we have to do a budget move
[57:07] forward anyway. So I'm asking the court
I I would like to retain him. I guess my
[57:10] recommendation is I would like to retain
the building official. Um what he's done
[57:14] for our department, what he's done for
Harney or for Harney and Grant County,
[57:19] we're a model. There are jurisdictions
all over this state that are probably
[57:24] going to continue to try and recruit
him. Um I would probably propose if we
[57:28] decide to do this if we can work with
legal counsel to have some kind of a
[57:34] commitment letter. Um I don't know how
that how applicable, how enforceable
[57:38] those are or whatever, but um it would
probably be an ask that I would consult
[57:43] with council on
to do that.
[57:46] » Does he live in Harney County?
>> He does not live in Harney County. He
[57:49] lives in Clamoth County.
>> Did the court give him money to move to
[57:56] Harney County, but part of it?
>> No.
[58:00] » But gave him a a a sign on bonus. I
believe it was an initial bonus, but it
[58:06] wasn't an actual moving allowance that I
recall. Not that it not that it it makes
[58:11] any difference because I'm I don't have
a vote at this time, but uh I would
[58:20] I would my vote and my position would be
absolutely not. I couldn't support that
[58:28] with where the people that voted for me
that elected me
[58:34] um and the sentiment
that has come from
[58:39] right? The appearance
of what the building department has
[58:46] driving brand new rigs. Um, now I'm not
saying either way. I'm just saying from
[58:53] the constituents that that I know I
would have to
[58:57] » be on the contrary of raising
changing a budget for that position.
[59:04] » All right. I will comment on the
vehicles. I mean, all of our departments
[59:10] need vehicles and have to travel and get
out and do the job. The assessor's
[59:14] office has to assess properties to
gather those taxes. Building department
[59:18] has to approve those those building
permits, applications. Um, and that's
[59:25] goes into our tax base and everything
too. So, the ability that they had to
[59:29] buy those vehicles within their
department and not from general fund,
[59:34] which is previously in uh the vehicles
that were all down there previous to
[59:38] those two or three new vehicles were all
purchased by general fund dollars and in
[59:42] this case they weren't. Our general fund
is extremely strapped and they have
[59:47] found ways to limit the burden, if you
would, on the general fund and allow us
[59:53] to be able to do more with other
departments that are dependent on the
[59:56] general fund. So in that respect, I
would I would rebut by saying that
[1:00:01] » I I would I so I I don't know that this
I would um I would like to have some
[1:00:09] personal conversation with the judge
outside of this particular setting um to
[1:00:16] discuss some of those issues. So I'm
just stating where I would sit if I had
[1:00:21] a if I had if I was there, I would just
just so that the court knew that. No, I
[1:00:27] respect that. And in four more months or
so, you'll be off to court.
[1:00:32] » I did. But yes,
>> and and I and it's I did before I took
[1:00:36] office. I came in and was privy and part
of these discussions because there was
[1:00:40] things that would carry forward into my
term. So I I appreciate that you're here
[1:00:45] and you contribute to the conversation.
>> Thank you.
[1:00:49] Um, I will also wanted to add to the
fact that um, I have been contacted by
[1:00:54] contractors in the local area and they
find the service that's that's provided
[1:00:59] by our building department as on the
spot, very timely and uh, very
[1:01:05] accessible. Um, I think a lot of that or
all of that can be contributed to the
[1:01:10] building official.
Don't get me wrong. Um, nobody is
[1:01:16] irreplaceable.
Myself included. Anybody is is
[1:01:19] irreplaceable, but it's the time in
between if we don't retain two as to how
[1:01:26] are we going to navigate that in our
building department for not only us, but
[1:01:30] in some respects Grant County that we
have a contract with to to perform those
[1:01:35] services for. Um
[1:01:40] I
I think it's important to be able to
[1:01:44] retain for succession even to continue
the what we're the track that we're on
[1:01:49] and developing other individuals that
might someday then be able to
[1:01:54] succeed our building official. You never
know how that's going to pan out. It's
[1:01:59] just but you got to try to plan for it.
So So those are my points I guess for
[1:02:04] retaining
[1:02:11] I feel like the building officials
performance to my knowledge
[1:02:18] has been
exceptional. I will say that I do view
[1:02:22] it in kind of two different buckets and
you spoke to the fact that you've had
[1:02:26] contractors reach out to you as have I.
I think when it comes to development in
[1:02:31] the community and we have new
development and new construction going
[1:02:35] on with contracting crews that are
that are accustomed to all the
[1:02:40] permitting and everything that needs to
take place to do it by the book. They
[1:02:46] love the responsiveness of our building
official and our building department.
[1:02:49] When they need inspections, they have
them done. However, there is the other
[1:02:54] bucket of people which are people who
just want to do something simple at
[1:02:57] their house like extend a water line or
do a simple add-on. And I think there's
[1:03:02] a lot of frustration there because we do
everything by the book. And I'm not
[1:03:07] insinuating that we shouldn't do things
by the book, but sometimes that is a bit
[1:03:12] of a barrier and an obstacle. I think
the majority of the people in the county
[1:03:17] fall into that second bucket. the
majority of square footage and dollars
[1:03:20] in construction falls into that group
that appreciates the responsiveness.
[1:03:25] I think by all accounts the building
officials performance has been really
[1:03:29] good. I am very in favor of offering
flexibility in the job because I I tend
[1:03:36] to prefer outcomes rather than just how
many hours they're in the county. And if
[1:03:40] we have expectations for them and they
are meeting those or exceeding those,
[1:03:44] that's all I care about, not how many
hours they're in the office. I think as
[1:03:48] we finish up this class and comp study,
flexibility might be only one of the
[1:03:54] only ways that we can help with
retention and recruitment and make some
[1:04:00] of those positions that maybe are under
paid more desirable. That being said, I
[1:04:06] am not in favor of a pay increase,
especially as we're finishing up this
[1:04:11] class and comp study. And we are going
to have some positions that need to be
[1:04:16] paid a lot more than they are currently
paid. And if I remember correctly from
[1:04:21] that initial report that that particular
position was a grade 12 and was proposed
[1:04:26] to be a grade 11, I just think it is not
very defensible for us to do a $10,000
[1:04:32] increase or a department head. We know
we're going to have other department
[1:04:36] heads and positions that are going to
require increases and we probably do not
[1:04:41] have the financial resources to give all
those increases across the board.
[1:04:47] Those are my thoughts.
[1:04:51] Well,
here's some of the things why I am
[1:04:55] generally in support of this. um is that
um our building official
[1:05:02] has taken our building services
by an order of magnitude to a place of
[1:05:09] excellence, place of service, place of
consistency
[1:05:13] and legally supportable and sustainable
things. It has been a culture shift for
[1:05:18] our county for people that just like to,
you know, do their own work at stuff.
[1:05:23] There's still things that that need to
be done and
[1:05:27] and consistently and and fairly. And our
our con local contractors years ago
[1:05:32] working with them, they were very
asking us to do what we can to make sure
[1:05:37] that um licensed work is done by
licensed professionals. There's a reason
[1:05:42] for it. It's really about consumer
safety and other matters, but it's wrong
[1:05:47] not to. And I remember when this
building official came and he did a
[1:05:51] courtesy stop by to the commissioners at
the time after he was well on the way to
[1:05:56] being hired. I said, "How do you you
know what do you think about enforcing
[1:06:01] things, not enforcing things was the
grayer and we had a good conversation
[1:06:05] and he has he has been consistent and
fair in things. He has tried to work
[1:06:09] with things when there's difficult, but
there are some things that have to hold.
[1:06:12] And I I support that and I appreciate
how hard it is to make that paradigm
[1:06:17] shift. But he he he has a lot of
certification and has continued to get
[1:06:21] more certifications during his time
here. He's very highly skilled. I get
[1:06:26] great uh responses from contractors and
other people how how responsive he and
[1:06:31] his department are.
um
[1:06:35] he's creating sustainability for
whenever he isn't here anymore. He, you
[1:06:39] know, with his people, his people are uh
pursuing additional
[1:06:44] um education, training, and and skill
sets, which I I appreciate. Um
[1:06:52] a pay increase when it's not, you know,
right at the time of budgeting, you
[1:06:58] know, it's like, well, that's that's
unusual.
[1:07:02] uh he's asking $10,000 now. When he was
hired, he was the Grant County program
[1:07:06] wasn't there. And to my knowledge, he
didn't get he may have gotten some some
[1:07:11] minor increases, but he didn't get like
the fact that his program is a twocount
[1:07:16] program, not a onecounty program. Really
didn't get any significant increase to
[1:07:21] to account for that. A telework
agreement formalized. That's probably a
[1:07:25] good idea. I don't know anything about
about that. It just sounds like
[1:07:29] generally a good idea. So expectations
are are clear. Um uh with technology a
[1:07:34] lot can be done and with just good time
management, you know, seems like that
[1:07:39] could work. Um increase vacation time
from two weeks to three at his level.
[1:07:43] Yeah, I would be fine with that. Um but
again, we don't want to do personnel
[1:07:48] matters all the time just as a matter of
a county court agenda item. But in this
[1:07:52] case, um he's got an opportunity and he
came and had a conversation with you. um
[1:08:00] when in shifting the culture to which
some some people maybe weren't pleased
[1:08:04] about certain calls he made or or
whatever. Um I would just say that I the
[1:08:10] fact that he's doing it right. He's not
being a jerk. he's doing it right, but
[1:08:14] he's he's being professional and and you
know has facts on his side when when he
[1:08:20] has something that is um being
challenged and that
[1:08:27] the responsiveness and and and positive
uh work that is being done that far
[1:08:34] outweighs any of the grumblings that
some people might have about the book.
[1:08:38] So, I I have always gotten a lot of
feedback around this department and this
[1:08:43] individual
um why I don't know, but people call me
[1:08:48] and um I think he's doing an outstanding
job. He's he has two counties and never
[1:08:54] got really recognized for that since
he'd been hired two and a half years ago
[1:08:58] and I'd hate to lose him now.
So I I I mean to me the building part is
[1:09:04] one of our success stories under a hard
time of um county services and um
[1:09:11] revenues and you know with creative
thinking and good hard work uh and a lot
[1:09:17] of a lot of over I'm sure unp you know a
lot of working late and creating all the
[1:09:23] the agreements and things. He's always
come and basically given us complete
[1:09:27] staff work on some of these major major
things.
[1:09:31] does a great job and we support
>> I don't disagree with anything you
[1:09:35] commissioner Doro said or or Judge Hart
but when when we hired the building
[1:09:42] official initially we extended above
and and gave more money to get someone
[1:09:49] who was highly qualified and we have
seen the fruits of that and it paid off.
[1:09:54] I have no doubt that he is worth more
money than we're paying him and and the
[1:10:00] problem of if we lose him, what do we
do? That's a very valid concern,
[1:10:03] especially as we have some development
starting to take place. However,
[1:10:09] especially in the shadow of that pending
class and comp study, I would be very
[1:10:14] open to any other flexibility we could
show or things like the extended
[1:10:19] vacation time. I don't think I would be
supportive of of more dollars because
[1:10:25] there's nothing. We have lots of other
department heads that are probably not
[1:10:28] compensated at fair market value and I
boy I just don't I don't know that I'd
[1:10:35] support that.
I I do have intended to discuss with um
[1:10:41] the consultant contractor for our class
and comp that in addition to our base
[1:10:47] salary schedules and and classification
schedules that we look at um the
[1:10:54] creation of some senior tier positions
that would encompass, you know, maybe
[1:10:59] three or four positions throughout the
county to include uh a county
[1:11:03] administrator,
um the building official,
[1:11:06] And um I still lobby for and I would
like to have the discussion because we
[1:11:12] need to make a decision on a piece of
property. Um I still lobby for the
[1:11:16] creation of a uh county health services
administrator. I still lobby for that.
[1:11:23] Um I don't know, you know, people have
asked, we haven't been able to fill it
[1:11:27] with a fill the public health director
position. Would we be able to fill a a
[1:11:32] health administrator position? But all
those positions are going to be higher
[1:11:36] level pay than what our even top 14
grade and steps are. So um I think it I
[1:11:43] think it might be warranted to look at
some kind of a senior management level
[1:11:49] position grade uh creation which that
would then fill in or fit into that. Um,
[1:11:55] and I think again as we as we've kind of
gone over the class and comp study, uh,
[1:12:00] where we're at with it, um,
there are some positions that need
[1:12:05] further review and and making sure that
the preliminary or draft classifications
[1:12:12] are where they should be. And I'm not
sure if the
[1:12:16] as you've mentioned it and I've talked
about it, I don't think his job
[1:12:19] description mentions Grant County in it
at all, which brings a lot more
[1:12:24] complexity to it. Would definitely bring
it up in in classification.
[1:12:28] Um, so we need to look at that aspect of
it. Um
[1:12:38] I have I on the on the financial side of
it
[1:12:43] that money is able to be paid through
the budget from the building department.
[1:12:48] It's not going to affect general fund
again. So it's I mean if it were
[1:12:55] the struggles we've had over the last
three years and the last four budgets
[1:12:58] that I've had to prepare revolve around
the general fund and relieving the
[1:13:03] pressure on the general fund. I'm I'm
extremely concerned that if we allow our
[1:13:09] building department to
[1:13:14] retreat back to where it used to be that
then we're going to have that burden
[1:13:18] back on the general fund again.
Um,
[1:13:23] I agree with everything Commissioner
Doro said. I'm not 100% opposed to what
[1:13:28] you've said, Commissioner Frank. I I
understand and I had those I had those
[1:13:31] exact same thoughts and feelings in
trying trying to decide my position on
[1:13:36] this. But when it comes right down to
it, I think my position is is that I
[1:13:40] support it because of the alternative
or the potential alternatives of what
[1:13:46] the building department could recess to.
>> And I I would acknowledge for the
[1:13:54] record, I I do acknowledge that if we if
we lose Rick, we will lose money and we
[1:14:00] will lose progress. I I just am not sure
if that supersedes the defensibility of
[1:14:08] the $10,000 raise, especially with the
lar department. And it does make it more
[1:14:14] complex because that is a
self-sufficient
[1:14:17] department.
Um that's tough.
[1:14:22] If
>> if we would take action on that, I would
[1:14:24] ask that we break it into can we break
it into the flexibility and break it
[1:14:29] into the pay increase.
into separate elements and vote on
[1:14:34] separate elements.
>> Um
[1:14:39] » and and is this a model of how um we as
a county court will always need to talk
[1:14:46] about things of this nature?
agenda.
[1:14:51] » Well, and I think that needs to be
ironed out too, maybe in a separate
[1:14:53] discussion or whatever, as to what
leeway and what what u authority
[1:14:59] » um I as the administrator or whoever is
the administrator is going to have.
[1:15:05] » Um
>> okay, I just I'd rather take care of it
[1:15:08] » at a lower level,
>> but knowing that the court trusts the
[1:15:12] decision that's made by myself or
whoever. Um but again, this
[1:15:18] um will require a resolution to move
some funds from one portion of of their
[1:15:25] budget to another portion. Um it's funds
that we don't believe are going to be
[1:15:29] needed. Actually, we budgeted $40,000 in
capital outlay for for transportation, a
[1:15:34] vehicle. And I I asked I asked Rick, I
asked the building official if he
[1:15:40] planned on using that, and he doesn't
have any plans on buying a vehicle. So,
[1:15:44] we both don't know how that got put in
there other than maybe just a
[1:15:47] placeholder for some funds. I don't
know. But anyway, that's where the funds
[1:15:50] would be transferred from is from
capital outlay to personal services.
[1:15:57] And since that would definitely require
a vote and a move by
[1:16:03] the county court,
take care of the discussion now all at
[1:16:07] once. But this is somewhat timely as
well because I I need to be able to give
[1:16:11] an answer to the building official.
[1:16:16] Are you setting a precedence um without
the study being done?
[1:16:24] » Um and those and those items being
finished for
[1:16:31] your other department heads.
[1:16:38] » I thought it
>> Are you open the door? Are you opening
[1:16:42] the door for
some negotiation? Maybe some
[1:16:49] just [clears throat] a just a thought.
That's just a thought.
[1:16:52] » Yeah. Um,
when we first retained the building
[1:16:56] official
and we and we set the compensation at a
[1:17:01] rate higher than what the what the
current grade scale even indicates, I
[1:17:06] would suppose at that time we probably
should have done a a an employment
[1:17:10] contract to go along with that, not just
a normal hiring. Um, which would have
[1:17:17] addressed that issue right there. Um,
[1:17:29] I don't I don't I don't think so. I
don't I don't think we would be setting
[1:17:33] a precedent. It's still
we still have a pay scale, pay grade
[1:17:37] scale, um, at the time for the needs and
what we determined we needed and and
[1:17:43] we're okay with that that level of
compensation.
[1:17:47] Um,
I think we're okay as far as not setting
[1:17:52] a precedent.
[1:17:58] » Um, I I don't care how we vote on it. I,
you know, whether you all just say that
[1:18:03] you give me the authority to negotiate
or we address each item individually. I
[1:18:09] move to approve the building official's
request for
[1:18:14] teleawwork and vacation time. Does that
address those components of the eclipse?
[1:18:23] » You want to make that you just made a
motion for just those two items so far.
[1:18:27] Um I second. A motion has been made and
seconded to approve uh the request for
[1:18:33] telework agreement and um
vacation approval
[1:18:40] um increase for the building official.
Any other discussion? Well, let me let
[1:18:46] me add some discussion there. Is there
any parameters or any limitations to the
[1:18:51] telework
that the court would be concerned with
[1:18:54] or you going to let me negotiate that?
As long as he meets,
[1:19:00] » he accomplishes the mission.
>> Okay.
[1:19:02] » With excellence.
>> All in favor signify by saying I
[1:19:06] » I
>> and opposed.
[1:19:08] » Hearing none. Motion carries. So then
the next topic is compensation.
[1:19:13] » How how they voted on one then I guess
we'll vote on the other.
[1:19:16] » Yeah. If you'll make the motion, I'd
appreciate it just because I might get
[1:19:20] the wording. So, um
um I'll make a motion to approve a
[1:19:28] $10,000 increase um for retention of the
building official salary. $10,000
[1:19:35] increase in salary for retention of the
building official.
[1:19:38] » I second.
>> A motion's been made and seconded
[1:19:42] to increase in compensation by $10,000
for the building official
[1:19:48] for retention. Any further discussion?
All in favor signify by saying I. I
[1:19:55] » I
opposed. N
[1:20:00] » and
um the eyes have it. Majority motion
[1:20:06] passes.
[1:20:10] » Thank you for the discussion and the
consideration.
[1:20:14] » When do we need to do the resolution?
How timesensitive is that
[1:20:18] » resolution
>> to funds?
[1:20:21] » Um, we can do it next court. Um, I mean,
as it is right now, we're just into the
[1:20:26] year, so it's not going to be I mean,
there's funds there that are budgeted up
[1:20:30] to this point. I mean, technically, we
wouldn't have to do it until we got down
[1:20:33] to the last couple of months, but we'll
have it done in the next county court
[1:20:36] session
because there, yeah, there's funds
[1:20:40] available to to cover it at this time.
Um,
[1:20:50] correspondence
[1:20:54] have a letter from
the Department of the Interior
[1:21:01] Bureau of Land Management. I'm pleased
to announce the completion of the Lewis
[1:21:08] Lois Lewis Canyon Geographic Management
Area final environmental impact
[1:21:13] statement. The final LG
>> huh
[1:21:19] » L US E
>> I don't know that's how it says
[1:21:23] » um
the finalized LCGMA
[1:21:28] FBI is available at
link is there in the documents for
[1:21:33] public or anybody who wants to look at
it. Um I have a notice of public hearing
[1:21:39] from the city of Hines.
[1:21:42] And the notice is hereby given that the
Hines Planning Commission will meet in
[1:21:46] council chambers at Hines City Hall
located 101 East Barnes Avenue, Hines,
[1:21:51] Oregon, and remotely via Zoom on
Wednesday, September 9th, 2026,
[1:21:55] beginning at 5:30 p.m. for a public
hearing to consider the following
[1:21:59] requests. Application
2025-.07.008
[1:22:05] Telos Development. So this is in regards
to the application. The um Telles
[1:22:11] development company has submitted an
application to create a subdivision on
[1:22:16] three parcels in the city of Hines. So
public hearing public
[1:22:22] hearing city fines.
[1:22:26] All I had for correspondence. Any other
correspondence?
[1:22:29] » If we could go back to the Laos Canyon
Febis.
[1:22:33] I reached out to that contact and I
hadn't checked my email in two days, but
[1:22:39] they did respond back and they said that
the decision does not affect Harney
[1:22:43] County land, permittes, infrastructure,
any other county interest. There was
[1:22:46] just a courtesy and so if you guys want
or it probably makes sense I can forward
[1:22:52] this to Danny and it can be as
correspondence to go with that.
[1:22:59] I just wanted to share that.
>> I do have another piece of
[1:23:01] correspondence.
I didn't I wasn't familiar with it. I
[1:23:04] didn't even know
didn't know where it was at.
[1:23:08] » I figured it was out of Horn County
because I hadn't heard Well, there's a
[1:23:11] lot of places I've heard of, but sure
didn't ring a bell.
[1:23:16] » Just did they say where it was at?
>> It's in the Vale district.
[1:23:19] » Bale district.
>> That's all they said about it.
[1:23:22] » So, there was another piece of
correspondence. I don't know if you both
[1:23:25] got your certified copy in your box. I
know I've got one and it's from maybe
[1:23:30] it's because I made a comment quite a
while ago. This is from the Department
[1:23:34] of the Air Force. It's a memorandum for
federal, state, and local public public
[1:23:38] agencies, interested parties, and
members of the public from a Colonel Ray
[1:23:44] Gunter, commander of 366 Fighter Wing
and Mountain Home, Idaho Air Force Base.
[1:23:51] The subject is notice of availability of
the draft environmental impact statement
[1:23:55] for the proposed homeland defense over
the horizon radar northwest region. And
[1:24:00] basically it says
that um there will be a 15-day public
[1:24:08] comment period beginning this Thursday,
September 4th to September 19th for the
[1:24:13] purpose of soliciting input regarding
the analysis presented in the draft EIS.
[1:24:19] It gives the um the website where people
can go to view that
[1:24:25] and provide input and it also gives
information on to where inquiries
[1:24:30] regarding this could be directed to the
Mountain Home Air Force Base public
[1:24:34] affairs office. So I would like to Am I
the only one who received this?
[1:24:38] » I didn't get one.
>> Okay. I don't know how long ago, but I
[1:24:42] think you were both there when when they
had their not well publicized um
[1:24:49] showing of some of their early stuff.
And I remember at the time I did do some
[1:24:54] thinking about it, researching it and
and provided some input that I submitted
[1:24:58] at the time just as myself. Um so I
would like this to be um go ahead and
[1:25:05] scan into our record so people can
access that. And that's all I had on
[1:25:10] correspondence.
>> Not to put more on your plate, but
[1:25:12] because you have done some research,
would you be willing to draft a set of
[1:25:16] comments in response to that for the
court?
[1:25:18] » Sure. Did you submit some back at the
day too? And if so, let me see those as
[1:25:23] well. I don't remember if you did did or
not. I don't remember what month or year
[1:25:27] it was,
>> but if I did, I think it was last 2025
[1:25:31] sometime. I'll have to live. But yeah,
I'd be happy to do that. And since
[1:25:37] it will be
[1:25:40] before our next county court meeting,
the deadline, uh, if you're I can just
[1:25:46] send you all an email with my draft and
if you say put my name on it or don't
[1:25:51] put my name on it, I'll at least submit
something for myself. It's not all of us
[1:25:56] or two of us. Okay,
>> that's good.
[1:25:58] » All right.
[1:26:02] Um, scheduling. So, I already took care
of kind of earlier took care of the two
[1:26:06] rescheduling dates topics that I had on
here. Other than that, it's normal first
[1:26:11] and third. I need a calendar here. I
think I've said that before.
[1:26:16] » I can do that.
>> I'll give one up out of my mind. It's
[1:26:18] all marked up in my office and we're
almost at the end of the year. We'll get
[1:26:22] one for next year. Um,
other than those changes
[1:26:29] to the uh 16th and
6th
[1:26:36] » or the uh was it
>> that would be November 18th move to
[1:26:42] Monday the 16th
[1:26:47] » and October 7th moving to October 6th.
Yeah.
[1:26:52] » And then next county work date is
September 16th.
[1:26:57] » Okay.
>> Um any other meeting schedules of
[1:27:03] interest?
[1:27:09] » We have the u September 10th um session
or continued session from Wealth Works
[1:27:17] uh with Harney High Partnership etc.
that um is something we've been going
[1:27:22] to. That's the next one is
>> which one? What day was it?
[1:27:25] » September 10th at 8:30. You can either
go to the high desert partnership
[1:27:30] and join the folks who will be there or
you can zoom in. I'll probably zoom in.
[1:27:36] Could can I ask about that because I was
thinking about it and
[1:27:42] since we are starting to deliberate
things that we are going to take action
[1:27:45] on in that do we need to publicly notice
that meeting
[1:27:51] » because I think there's a lot of value
in us all attending but I feel like
[1:27:55] we're getting to the point where our
options are either to delegate
[1:27:59] » one person to go or to publicly
>> what's an example of an action you think
[1:28:04] » like the riff
[1:28:06] stuff and we kind of deliberate how
we're going to put in for that. Or maybe
[1:28:11] I'm wrong. I was
>> I think we cover it and we discuss it at
[1:28:16] county court meetings, but that's just
my thought. I mean, that's it's almost
[1:28:20] like a work session, those things, even
though it's it's kind of high level. And
[1:28:25] then if we say we think the county can
help in this way, then that would be
[1:28:29] something we discuss throughout.
You can you can check with high desert
[1:28:34] partners what their intent is, but I
don't think
[1:28:38] I think it's more of a a work session
for kind of a a little group of specific
[1:28:43] partners or
like the governmental entities. I agree
[1:28:49] that any any formal decisions definitely
have to be brought back to this to this
[1:28:54] body. Um and I think in our last
in our last
[1:29:02] session
it it was comments from each of us
[1:29:06] towards the group not deliberation
between ourselves.
[1:29:10] » Right?
>> So as long as we're careful on that part
[1:29:12] of it and not deliberating between
ourselves on some kind of an agreeance
[1:29:16] or plan for the county then we're not
deliberating and it doesn't create that
[1:29:21] quorum issue.
>> No, I think you guys are right. I just
[1:29:24] want to talk about I think I think you
know when I'm sitting there and I'm
[1:29:27] thinking of my comments are to the group
as a whole
[1:29:32] um
>> it's brainstorming. We're doing a lot of
[1:29:34] brainstorming is what it is. So
>> when it comes down to that so we'll be
[1:29:39] careful to make sure that we bring stuff
from that back
[1:29:45] along the way as appropriate.
Um, there's a maybe I've got it wrong,
[1:29:52] but if anyone's interested, I hadn't
penciled in that Pacific Core OTC
[1:29:57] transmission topic, transmission line
topic that there's a virtual
[1:30:03] session on September 9th from 6:00 to
7:00 p.m. I'm going to zoom in if I if
[1:30:10] I'm available just to hear. I'm not
working that issue per se, just general
[1:30:14] awareness.
Uh,
[1:30:22] I'm going to participate on the 15th in
the 211 roundt.
[1:30:29] Um,
that I'm I forget who's hosting it, but
[1:30:33] I I thought for emergency management and
time such as that, I I had the time. So,
[1:30:39] I'm going to go. It's a three-hour
meeting. Not sure.
[1:30:43] » September 15th. The
>> 15th. Yeah.
[1:30:46] and it's it's at 11 and it's you have to
sign up ahead of time and it's got a
[1:30:50] lunch in it and it's going to be out of
the tribe. So, I'll represent or listen
[1:30:55] in for Harney County and bring anything
back to you all. If you have any thing
[1:30:59] you want to talk to me about before
that, please do. That's all I had.
[1:31:06] » Oh, the mission for
>> Oh, yeah. The old Bernie County Fair
[1:31:10] from the 8th to the 13th.
It's coming up.
[1:31:15] There's a fivemile dam meeting on the
14th, which I haven't attended any of
[1:31:19] those, but I probably will because if we
can get them hooked up with the Klein
[1:31:25] Schmidt consultants, I think there'd be
a lot of knowledge in that group.
[1:31:29] Where's the Oregon Infrastructure
Summit that conflicts with our next
[1:31:34] county court meeting? I was trying to
pull up that email to see what that was
[1:31:39] about.
>> What day was that meeting?
[1:31:42] » On the six. Wait, what day was the five
mile band meeting is on Monday?
[1:31:48] I think it's at it's in the afternoon.
Hold on. I'll tell you exactly.
[1:31:54] » 1 to 2 at the community center, I
believe, is where that
[1:31:59] » Monday the 14th.
>> Thank you.
[1:32:04] » Oregon Infrastructure
[1:32:14] Is this the one that's in
>> I think you need to go to a few more
[1:32:18] conferences.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
[1:32:23] » Statewide forum focused on
infrastructure investments, policies and
[1:32:26] partnerships needed to support Oregon's
communities and economies.
[1:32:33] business leaders and infrastructure
professionals for a day of high level
[1:32:36] discussion.
[1:32:39] » Even get a railroad do it.
>> Yeah. I mean, it sounds pretty
[1:32:44] important, but also don't know.
Was that on anyone else's radars?
[1:32:51] » What day is it?
>> It's on the 16th.
[1:32:56] » County court date.
>> County court date. No.
[1:33:01] I don't recall seeing it. Oregon
Infrastructure Summit.
[1:33:06] Who is it? Is it by Business Oregon?
>> Business Oregon and Northwest
[1:33:11] Environmental Business Council.
Looks like it's in Salem.
[1:33:24] Yeah, I might if you haven't seen it, I
might forward it to you guys, but I
[1:33:29] don't know.
I think I probably saw that and looked
[1:33:35] on calendar and thought about it and
didn't
[1:33:39] situation didn't sound out. Honestly,
part of me kind of feels like we need to
[1:33:45] get our own house in order first. And
we've been working pretty hard at lining
[1:33:48] out our infrastructure. And so
>> that's that's how I feel, but also um
[1:33:55] you know, the legislature is always a
big piece of of things that we always
[1:33:59] need addressed. So, you know, I don't
know if there's going to be an
[1:34:03] opportunity for to get some uh after
conference summary of some highlights,
[1:34:10] you know, that they might put out is to
>> rebuilding our transportation vision.
[1:34:17] Hopefully, a good one.
>> Yeah. Whose vision has
[1:34:22] » Well, it won't be ours if we're not in
the room.
[1:34:25] I I have I have to say that there's one
coming up in December that I've gone to
[1:34:30] which is the the governor's uh
>> business
[1:34:36] » business leadership summit something
like that. I'm not going to it this
[1:34:40] year. I've gone the last two three years
and it and I get absolutely nothing out
[1:34:44] of it.
>> Portland centric.
[1:34:46] » Yeah. Last year
was it?
[1:34:49] » Yeah.
>> Countyentric.
[1:34:52] » Yeah. But it doesn't include if it was
the governor's plan for the entire
[1:34:57] economics of the state and covered all
four corners of it. That would be
[1:35:02] different and that would be something
that we'd want to be in tune with to
[1:35:05] make sure we're working with and not
against. But it doesn't do that. It the
[1:35:11] first year was entirely about Portland.
>> The governor came out and scolded
[1:35:15] everybody and said stop digging on
Portland,
[1:35:20] you know. And then the next year it was
all Eugene centric and all of their big
[1:35:25] plans and everything. But that doesn't
well in the first year too I I took
[1:35:30] exception with that that they made the
statement that the entire economy of the
[1:35:35] state of Oregon is uh revolves around
Portland. And I'm like I don't know of
[1:35:40] any any time in my lifetime that a dime
earned in Portland benefited Tarnney
[1:35:46] County.
Well,
[1:35:49] remember when uh Tim,
you know, was appointed to to lead some
[1:35:56] type of economic
um thing 16 members. Nobody from the
[1:36:02] east side.
I mean it was agriculture is not even a
[1:36:07] thing that they
>> so while I
[1:36:10] » they define business a certain way that
excludes us and they and that sounds
[1:36:14] like that forum you've tried you've gone
two or three times right and uh tried to
[1:36:20] speak up and do stuff and it's just it's
not a good use of
[1:36:23] » I usually sit with AOC
members
[1:36:27] » they have an AOC couple of AOC tables
and I'm not the only one um AOC staff
[1:36:33] themselves have not been
have not been uh real impressed with it
[1:36:39] in past years as well.
>> I remembered you saying that and that's
[1:36:44] what I kind of wondered about this one.
I'll reach out to
[1:36:47] » So I guess my point being is regards to
this one is that I'm a little it doesn't
[1:36:53] do good to bury your head in the sand
and ignore all of these opportunities
[1:36:56] and we're not representing ourselves and
we don't have any representation or or
[1:37:00] leadership from county to them. But I'm
just a little tainted on these meetings
[1:37:06] that are organized and coordinated and
and centric to the west side of the
[1:37:11] city.
>> I'm going to put that as a very brief
[1:37:14] hot topic at our AOC district 2 hot
topic and just say there's this thing
[1:37:19] who's been going. What's your
impression? Here's county's impression.
[1:37:23] AOC, you're here. you know, and just get
some more. Um,
[1:37:28] » actually, I think the int the attendance
overall in the last three years of that
[1:37:32] business leadership summit has dropped
from my times I've been too. So, I don't
[1:37:37] think all, you know, all the way around.
I think people are stopped going to that
[1:37:40] one. And that one could be just in and
of itself. And the other ones have
[1:37:43] value. I'm I don't without going, we
don't know.
[1:37:47] » You definitely need to put on schedule.
Do you have any dates?
[1:37:50] I don't
>> other than I mean it's on my calendar
[1:37:54] but just for meetings and scheduling
whatever I'll be out Thursday and Friday
[1:37:59] this week.
Monday's a holiday and the following
[1:38:04] week I'm out Thursday, Friday the 17th
and 18th I think it is.
[1:38:16] » Okay.
>> I need more vacation time too. I want to
[1:38:19] lobby for more vacation time.
I think I've only with these days
[1:38:24] » these days off I've only taken about
eight days this year
[1:38:27] » so far.
[1:38:34] » Were you gonna did you already?
>> Yeah, that's it. That's all I had.
[1:38:40] » Um for scheduling then
uh regular court dates general
[1:38:45] deliberation.
I don't really have anything. I think
[1:38:48] most of what we've covered
just normal business continuing jail
[1:38:54] project. You can see it's moving along.
Still dealing with O uh OJ on um
[1:39:01] uh
funding our monthly invoices with them
[1:39:06] and putting a package together that they
like to see and we'll approve. They're
[1:39:11] being they tell us one thing and then
don't deliver on their end. So get a
[1:39:15] little frustrated.
Um, as you can see, we have some
[1:39:20] screening equipment out in the foyer.
Now, that is uh was all purchased with
[1:39:25] state funds, circuit court funds, OJD
funds for court security.
[1:39:30] They have a training session on October
8th, I think, for anybody who will be
[1:39:36] operating this the scanner and whatnot,
sheriff's office staff. And u then we're
[1:39:41] looking at going live with it around the
middle of October. Is that where they're
[1:39:46] going to have that stuff or they just
set it down?
[1:39:48] » That's where it's going to be until we
have have the ability to reconstruct.
[1:39:52] Yeah, just
>> um I did as you may recall through the
[1:39:58] AOC OJ courthouse task force
last well earlier this year I guess it
[1:40:04] was J January February time frame I
submitted a request for
[1:40:10] » 1.5 1.7 million I have to pull it up and
refresh but somewhere around there for
[1:40:17] capital improvement funds to build a an
addition to the front of the courthouse
[1:40:21] for a security screening checkpoint that
all this would then move into. Um all
[1:40:28] the ADA access and everything would then
come through the front of the
[1:40:31] courthouse.
>> I remember.
[1:40:34] » So it's there until we but but it's good
to have it there now. you know, in a lot
[1:40:40] of instances, it's probably going to be
pocket knives and whatnot that people
[1:40:43] forget to take out of their pockets or
whatever, but um all of that goes
[1:40:47] towards statistics and proving that,
you know, and to be quite honest, at
[1:40:52] this point right now, we don't know who
walks into circuit court or the
[1:40:55] courthouse with a concealed weapon on.
So, um, in my past life in law
[1:41:02] enforcement and being an active shooter
instructor,
[1:41:05] uh, it's not a matter of if Harney
County has ever hit with an active
[1:41:09] shooter situation. It's a matter of
when. And I think our
[1:41:15] distant past or recent past, whatever
you want to call it, um, ex exhibits the
[1:41:20] fact that, uh, things can happen.
So, I I I welcome it. I'm glad we have
[1:41:27] it. It's going to be a cultural
adjustment for people, but um I think
[1:41:32] it's in this day and age, it's a it's a
necessary
[1:41:36] function.
That's all I really have.
[1:41:40] » I got several quick uh Okay. So for
association foreign counties district 2
[1:41:48] I'm reaching out to our the
commissioners and judge the one judge to
[1:41:53] tell them which you've got an email from
me but um which of the offices of that
[1:42:00] organization are up for election etc.
And I'm encouraging and people are very
[1:42:04] busy and I know Commissioner Frank you
are very busy
[1:42:08] but I would like to put a bug in your or
be nominated for the least hard thing to
[1:42:14] do which just being an alternate so you
might not have to do anything. It's just
[1:42:17] a one year. So Hardy County at least
have somebody doing something and that
[1:42:21] would be the AOC district 2
representative to the AOC membership
[1:42:26] committee alternate. We'll have some
would you consider that and if not we
[1:42:30] can talk later. I hate having to twist
people's arms, but it's everybody's so
[1:42:35] busy. Um, I'm getting, you know, I'm
having those conversations. You can
[1:42:39] think about it.
>> Yeah, we can talk about that. I agree.
[1:42:42] » I'm trying to give you the one that's
least likely to have any time that you
[1:42:47] would have put it. Um, let me know. Um,
okay.
[1:42:53] uh just to check in on any of the um
delinquent taxes that are
[1:43:02] situation of any large amounts and where
>> there's no no change that I'm aware of.
[1:43:08] » How many years into it are we
>> the one big account the biggest account
[1:43:13] that's delinquent? I think we're
starting the fourth year.
[1:43:19] And without getting too much into it,
was a recent award of a lot of federal
[1:43:24] grant
was that aimed at that same
[1:43:28] » so that
>> so um the one account that is delinquent
[1:43:35] the most that that is back delinquent in
taxes the most is is that facility out
[1:43:40] there.
um they were awarded a 2 million even I
[1:43:45] think it was 2 million even uh grant
from USDA for forest products
[1:43:51] and what they're what they're doing is
they're expanding currently right now
[1:43:54] they they make alpha alpha pellets
they're going to expand into fuel
[1:43:59] pellets for pellet stoves same same size
of pellet uh and make and make fire heat
[1:44:08] fuel pellets
they can switch in the summertime and
[1:44:12] make same system, same production line.
They can make alphalfpha pellets in the
[1:44:17] summertime, spring, spring through
summer, whatever that looks like, and
[1:44:20] then switch production to fuel pellets
in the in the fall, winter time. I would
[1:44:27] they can't use those funds to pay their
back taxes, I guess, is the short short
[1:44:31] part of that. It's all about uh
equipment purchase and whatnot. I will
[1:44:35] say I'm encouraged by it because it it
increases production and possibility of
[1:44:41] jobs and everything else that go along
with it and allows them or hopefully
[1:44:45] gets them to a track where they're back
on track with their prop property taxes.
[1:44:50] » I just I get people who ask me.
>> Yeah, I've seen I've seen some of the
[1:44:54] social media comments on on it recently
about
[1:44:59] about that topic. Um Yeah. I will say
too though that
[1:45:05] the dynamics of back taxes and going
into foreclosure, it runs almost a six
[1:45:11] to sevenyear cycle before a property is
ever even um deeded to the county,
[1:45:17] before it's a done deal and that and and
that a motion or action from circuit
[1:45:23] court deeds it to the county.
year one, two, and three, an individual,
[1:45:28] any individual, whether it's a homeowner
or whatever, can pay their back taxes
[1:45:35] the most delinquent year. And there are
some properties in Harney County that do
[1:45:39] that. They're three years in the rears
and they pay the last most most
[1:45:43] delinquent year and keeps them afloat
another year. There are some properties
[1:45:48] that kind of have that track record.
Um
[1:45:52] once you get past that third year, you
can't and get into the fourth year, you
[1:45:56] can't just go back and pay the most
delinquent year. You then have to pay
[1:46:00] all three delinquent years. So in this
case, I believe that's where they're at
[1:46:04] at this point where in order for them to
stay
[1:46:07] operational, they would have to go back
and pay all three delinquent years, I
[1:46:12] believe. I would have to clarify that
with the assessor, but I believe that's
[1:46:15] my understanding. Um,
looks like there's somebody from the
[1:46:19] assessor's office on.
Is that correct?
[1:46:24] If you can answer that.
I think it's Jennifer. Is it Jennifer?
[1:46:31] » It's not muted.
>> So, anyway, that that's my
[1:46:36] understanding. Um,
so you know, again, if they're planning
[1:46:42] on continuing production, which they got
a grant to do, that would mean at some
[1:46:46] point they're going to have to come in
and pay the taxes in order to stay
[1:46:49] operational.
So, I see it as a good thing, but
[1:46:56] when when it finally happens, I have no
idea.
[1:46:58] » Okay.
um regarding
[1:47:02] the
flood mitigation work with our
[1:47:07] contractor
group and things moving on it. I just
[1:47:11] want to let you know that um two of the
individuals who have spoken to me who
[1:47:18] have been at county court over you know
last year or so uh occasionally on uh
[1:47:24] and that would be Louis and Melody Mold.
Um, I did send them each a a fairly long
[1:47:30] text saying, "Here's a situation. You
need to contact Brandon McMullen and
[1:47:34] please let your neighbors or county
court. Let them know that they need to
[1:47:40] contact Brandon McMullen. He's the lead
on this
[1:47:44] to see if you can have an opportunity or
still have an opportunity. Provide that
[1:47:49] information, data, or anything else you
have that you want to be considered into
[1:47:53] this." So, I put in their court. I
talked to Brandon first to make sure
[1:47:58] that's that's how it works. So, I hope
that that word gets out to all the
[1:48:02] interested parties and if they do or
they don't. Um, let's see. uh
[1:48:12] the
contracting policy that's in the works
[1:48:17] uh you know and what levels you know
>> procurement
[1:48:20] » procurement and does that also include
procurement of services
[1:48:24] » yes services goods
>> does it have a pretty good piece in it
[1:48:30] about
conflict of interest or perceived
[1:48:33] conflict of interest or not and I just
throw that
[1:48:37] Not because I'm trying to point fingers
or say anything was or wasn't, but
[1:48:41] incidents in the recent work at the fair
grounds, you know, one of the
[1:48:46] individuals on fair board who happened
to have that expertise was, you know,
[1:48:50] called on to do stuff, etc. And I'm sure
did receive some pay or will. So, I
[1:48:54] mean, just
not getting nit. I haven't looked at the
[1:48:58] latest rendition, but you know, just the
more we can just line things out easily
[1:49:05] and whether it's needs to be stringent
or not so stringent, but proper.
[1:49:09] » I I first off, I thank Commissioner
Frank for taking that on and
[1:49:13] spearheading that because I've been
trying to work with county council for
[1:49:16] over two years and getting that policy
updated, especially because it has new
[1:49:21] limits on it for spending limits,
increased limits.
[1:49:25] um
>> you know as to whether any other
[1:49:28] announcement of even if it's a short
fuse or not you know if it's an
[1:49:32] emergency situation uh
>> and I haven't had a chance to to review
[1:49:36] the entire and I saw your reply as far
as um whether that's like a a forward-
[1:49:42] facing county policy type of a document
whereas the the actual
[1:49:49] governing document would be a would be
something else like the the uh resol
[1:49:54] resolution would be something else. I I
like that. I think that sounds good.
[1:49:58] That would be like that would serve as
like an attachment to the resolution.
[1:50:02] Um, but I also, like I said, I haven't
reviewed the whole thing yet, but I
[1:50:06] think we need to consider, too. And if
there's some not some language in there,
[1:50:09] there needs to be some language in there
about when we're doing business with
[1:50:14] federal dollars and the requirements of
of u title 2 CFR, Code of Federal
[1:50:22] Regulations, as to um federal guidelines
on reporting and and uses and
[1:50:30] everything. Um, oh, some of that's
coming into play right now with these OJ
[1:50:34] dollars for the for the uh jail project
because those are actually ARPA funds.
[1:50:39] So, they're federal dollars and we have
to comply with not only the state's
[1:50:44] requirements but the federal
government's requirements on those
[1:50:46] dollars. So, I think um when when and if
a department or anybody's looking at
[1:50:52] applying for federal dollars that we
should probably have language that
[1:50:57] addresses concerns of 2CFR. I think it's
2 CFR 200.
[1:51:03] » Awesome. Anyway, that was just I just
wanted to pass that thought, not trying
[1:51:08] to request anything specific. And then
in the discussion earlier on the agenda
[1:51:14] item of the building official and the
compensation stuff. So
[1:51:19] do we do sometimes if someone is an
employee and
[1:51:25] is it something to think about or not
not a good idea or you already do it
[1:51:29] anyway on sometimes there is a a
contract for an extra duty or a contract
[1:51:36] for an extra role or you know i.e. I was
just thinking on, you know, Grant and
[1:51:40] Harney County, you know, we don't have a
lot of these that have, you know,
[1:51:46] two roles beyond our borders or anything
else. is is that and maybe
[1:51:52] again I just jot it down during today's
conversation is you had said something
[1:51:57] should maybe should have been a contract
and that was something else but
[1:52:00] » well because we filled it outside of the
of what the grade scale oh said but we
[1:52:06] filled it outside of that because of the
expertise we were looking for but that
[1:52:10] possibly should have been the only other
contract that we have deals with another
[1:52:15] specialized technical position and
that's our nurse practitioner
[1:52:19] or she nurse practitioner or is she a a
physician assistant? I always get the
[1:52:23] two of them confused. Over at the over
at the RHC at the health clinic, that
[1:52:27] individual is on a contract based on and
again um
[1:52:32] the only time you can contract out for
uh labor personnel services is for
[1:52:40] specialty type positions. you know,
attorneys, um, engineers, surveyors,
[1:52:46] um, medical professionals, those kind of
things. Your normal positions, you can't
[1:52:50] do that with this position with the
building official. Um, you potentially
[1:52:57] could have been
>> a physician's assistant.
[1:53:00] » Physicians assistant. Thank you. I
always get to do
[1:53:04] » somebody who's listening.
Um, so,
[1:53:10] so it's something we probably should
have explored and I didn't think about
[1:53:13] it at the time.
>> That's fine. I just had a question since
[1:53:15] I don't know what that stuff about.
That's all I had.
[1:53:17] » And I'm actually I think I think I'm
going to in light of this and this
[1:53:21] discussion, I'm going to confer with CIS
who does our, you know, covers this for
[1:53:26] labor issues. I'm going to confer with
them and county council and determine
[1:53:30] whether we need to have that kind of a
of a contract moving forward.
[1:53:37] Thanks. I'm done.
>> That procurement manual doesn't have a
[1:53:41] conflict of interest section, but it
does
[1:53:44] have criteria in RFP process that
doesn't
[1:53:50] that tries to uh discourage favoritism.
But I think that's a valid question to
[1:53:56] ask Audrey. And since we want to ask her
about the federal
[1:53:59] funds as well, and for it to be a
manual, I mean, it's 50 pages. It's a
[1:54:03] beast. But I think as a department head,
it would be really handy to have that
[1:54:06] document if you had questions. And the
way she put it, it lines it out. It's
[1:54:11] kind of a if this, then do this.
>> And I think I was
[1:54:15] today's thought was more am I thinking
of when do you have to RFP?
[1:54:20] Because if you don't,
it might look like a complicated. It
[1:54:24] might be that's the only person,
you know, who's got the
[1:54:30] locally that has the skills or
availability to do it, you know, and
[1:54:34] it's a short-term thing and, you know,
just
[1:54:36] » there there's all kinds of provisions
for within the procurement process.
[1:54:40] Number one, the dollar amount and how
much solicitation you have to do,
[1:54:44] whether it's something small that you
can go direct to anybody and just
[1:54:48] contract it. whether it's intermediate
and you have to do some informal
[1:54:52] searches or it gets higher to a larger
one and you have to do a formalized RFP.
[1:54:57] Um there are also provisions for soul
sourcing wherein you're talking about a
[1:55:02] service or a good that only one
individual or organization or entity
[1:55:07] company is the only one that provides
that that that service or good that
[1:55:12] you're looking for. Um it gets complex
the the the uh procurement
[1:55:19] Right. Uh uh OS is four chapters. That's
179
[1:55:26] I want to say or something like OS 179
seems I don't know how but anyway but
[1:55:31] it's it's it's chapter A, B, C and D.
There are four very big chapters dealing
[1:55:37] with procurement on on that. So it's
very it's very complex.
[1:55:42] » Thanks.
General deliberation. First off, capital
[1:55:47] improvements update on the fairgrounds.
There will be lights in the event center
[1:55:52] fair and the doors be up, which is
exciting. And the carnival's coming
[1:55:57] back, which took a lot of work from the
fair board and fair manager because
[1:56:03] there was there was a period there where
we weren't sure if we're going to be
[1:56:06] able to get that back. So,
>> is it the same carnival as last year or
[1:56:08] different ones? Same.
>> So, that's exciting.
[1:56:13] real quickly. Uh, last Sunday, not last
Sunday, Sunday the 23rd, whenever that
[1:56:18] was, BOSCA had their meeting and talked
about legislative priorities. But some
[1:56:24] of the big priorities they'll have is a
legislative concept which would
[1:56:29] make the state coordinate with local
governments if they are giving any grant
[1:56:34] funds or appropriations to any local
groups like nonprofits or NOS's or
[1:56:39] anything like that. Yeah. to make sure
that it aligns with what the counties
[1:56:44] » and hopefully that will also fit broad,
>> right? And then there's also it was
[1:56:50] brought up after the fact. Should we
lump unfunded mandates into that and so
[1:56:55] we're working on a potential other
legislative concept that will address
[1:56:59] unfunded mandates because ironically
there are statutes which prohibit
[1:57:03] unfunded mandates but it doesn't seem to
be very effective because we have a lot
[1:57:07] of them. I'm glad glad that's will get
worked on particularly on if the the
[1:57:12] counties can at least eyeball oh yeah
those are legitimate you know they all
[1:57:16] do some of that work that's fine we
don't have to spend a lot of time on it
[1:57:20] but when that when that fictitious fraud
website that said it was covering Harney
[1:57:27] Grant and few other counties got
actually got funded by OA
[1:57:32] three years ago for something that was
supposed to be CBOS's and our public
[1:57:36] health
They they discovered this had happened
[1:57:40] because they said we aren't a CBO but we
are the only entity that you know can
[1:57:44] provide these services in Harney County
and we would like to maybe get a waiver
[1:57:47] and they no you're already funded your
countyy's already funded. So that would
[1:57:51] touch on that some of that work. Yes.
>> Thank you.
[1:57:55] » Uh DA funding and more specifically
deputy DA funding from the state is
[1:58:01] another legislative concept they're
working on. Right now, the state funds
[1:58:05] DAS, but it does it at a much lesser
amount than it does
[1:58:10] public defenders and in a in a way
smaller ratio, which affects our public
[1:58:15] justice program,
>> but also they don't fund deputy DAs at
[1:58:20] all. So, in a lot of these counties,
counties who have more discretionary
[1:58:24] money can supplement that DA funding to
recruit DAS and they can also pay
[1:58:31] several deputy DAs. We've had a deputy
DA position that's been unfilled for
[1:58:35] years because we can't offer it out of
pay that incentivizes anyone to come
[1:58:40] here and so
>> yeah we're working on a concept with
[1:58:44] that of course need to reach out to the
DA's group to see what they're thinking
[1:58:48] on that but that is another priority and
then EMS
[1:58:53] that kind of came out of the the
listening session we did in
[1:58:59] there are all these barriers and now we
don't have EMS and EMTs in rural areas
[1:59:06] and Jefferson County has an EMT and a
commissioner who are have done a lot of
[1:59:14] research on that and so they might take
the lead on that but I I'll also share
[1:59:18] with the group our new
EMS supervisor director Jim is planning
[1:59:26] some trainings for EMR which isn't EMS
certification but it's emergency respon
[1:59:31] response and he's going to be targeting
>> first responders,
[1:59:35] » I think. So, yeah, he's going to be
targeting RFPA because they're already
[1:59:39] out in the county. They already have
some structure and organization and just
[1:59:43] having a network of people that could
respond with a little bit of training to
[1:59:46] keep one of the big things is if
somebody passes out before an ambulance
[1:59:50] gets to them in the fields and can't
tell them their name or any of their
[1:59:54] medical issues or where they're from,
someone first on the scene can get that
[1:59:58] information and have it. Anyway, that
was another good thing being worked on.
[2:00:03] And then I think Umatella County will
take the lead on pursuing nuclear
[2:00:08] studies and the color of water which has
to do with point of diversion, but it it
[2:00:14] affects all of Oregon, but it county
tried running that last year. It has to
[2:00:19] do with basically if you have one point
of diversion from a river, you could
[2:00:22] change your point of diversion. It
doesn't change your water right or
[2:00:24] anything else like that. You're just
changing where you're taking the water
[2:00:27] from. And so those were some of their
priorities they went over. I reached out
[2:00:33] to the RFPs late after our last
conversation about whether or not we
[2:00:38] should pursue becoming RFPA members. And
as of Monday, I'd heard back from at
[2:00:43] least four of the seven RFPAs. When I
have more information about if we can,
[2:00:49] what their bylaws are, what potential
costs would be, I'll bring that back.
[2:00:52] And my one last thing, we've already
talked about it a bit, but judge, I was
[2:00:57] just wondering,
something came out in the paper and I
[2:01:00] haven't read the paper yet about
foreclosures, and I was wondering if you
[2:01:03] could just, you've already told us quite
a bit about what that foreclosure
[2:01:06] process looks like, but where does it go
from here? Apparently, it was noticed in
[2:01:10] the paper, and so now what happens? So,
I haven't seen that story or article in
[2:01:16] the newspaper,
but it So, we have tax foreclosures, but
[2:01:22] you also have bank private foreclosures,
and the sheriff does does sales sheriff
[2:01:27] sales for private foreclosures as well.
Um, so I don't I don't know what the
[2:01:35] article is. Um, the tax foreclosures are
just that, just like we just kind of
[2:01:39] briefly discussed already that
somebody's three years delinquent. Then
[2:01:44] it goes in a
I can't remember each phase of it, but
[2:01:47] there's three more years of phases of
notifications and trying to get the
[2:01:52] people to pay and giving them not, you
know, sending notices. And then in the
[2:01:57] in the seventh year basically is when it
gets for practical purposes when it gets
[2:02:02] uh deed to the county for back taxes. We
haven't put out notice of ours. So, I'm
[2:02:08] I'm guessing this person misunderstood
it. It was those private foreclosures
[2:02:11] that's always in the paper. That sounds
like that's okay. That's what happened.
[2:02:15] » Just a comment on the DA funding, etc.
um what I would like to advocate for and
[2:02:20] we'll mention it that is going to be one
of the hot topics AOC district 2 and and
[2:02:24] I'm sure AOC stuff but I believe every
all 36 counties should be fully funded
[2:02:30] by state dollars to have a DA and a
deputy DA and whatever little bit of you
[2:02:36] know office
all of them at at a good competitive
[2:02:41] salary in a county like Multma I
remember one of their commissioners
[2:02:45] telling me well we have 17 deputy DAs
because we you know we have a lot of
[2:02:49] people we have a lot of court cases and
stuff and of course they have a lot more
[2:02:54] tax revenue because they have a lot of
people etc. And they said we don't
[2:02:59] really have a problem paying you know
and I said I know that but I said you
[2:03:02] know we can never retain we often cannot
retain you know good quality person who
[2:03:09] otherwise would do a great job here and
maybe like to live here because of the
[2:03:13] discrepancy. So again, I believe the
state should, if they really want our
[2:03:18] our court systems to to stay timely and
getting stuff done and doing a great job
[2:03:23] and equity across wherever you live in
order, maybe have a decent district
[2:03:27] attorney office with a primary and a and
a deputy that might not be looking for
[2:03:34] the next race elsewhere all the time.
>> Some
[2:03:38] of the big that should be basic level
capacity for the whole state. One of the
[2:03:42] big hurdles on on retent or recruitment
is I know that that our DA has gone
[2:03:48] straight to law schools trying to
recruit recent graduates. Well, those
[2:03:52] recent graduates are coming out of law
school with big heavy uh student debt
[2:03:59] and and our pay is not going to is not
going to allow them to pay that debt and
[2:04:04] you know live or you know pay their
bills. So, I don't know, maybe in
[2:04:08] compensation somewhere there's some kind
of uh and I don't know if I don't know
[2:04:15] how you would do this on a national
level, but at a state level if there was
[2:04:18] some kind of student loan forgiveness
for a certain amount of time of working
[2:04:23] in rural areas or something, they do it
they do it with uh medical
[2:04:28] » staff and teachers where they work, you
know, if you work in a rural area for a
[2:04:33] certain number of years and a portion
>> I don't know how all that would work
[2:04:36] out, but maybe as an idea or a portion
of or an idea for recruitment with
[2:04:40] something like that comes from the
state. It goes a little bit further even
[2:04:45] as far as funding goes. It goes a little
bit further than just DA's. The DA's
[2:04:50] office is a state office, but
the whole grand bargain and the circuit
[2:04:56] court system. Half of our courthouse
almost is is taken up by circuit court
[2:05:01] and we get no revenue whatsoever. We
have to fund the maintenance and the
[2:05:05] infrastructure and everything for that
service.
[2:05:09] » Think about that blindfolded lady
holding the scales. It just doesn't make
[2:05:13] any sense to me the like orders of
magnitude more public defenders that are
[2:05:19] funded by the state than there are
prosecutors. And so it's a very uneven
[2:05:23] balance of prosecution to defense. And
it it affects the crimes that we are
[2:05:28] able to prosecute at a local level.
having
[2:05:34] been a juror in Arlington, Virginia, San
Diego, California, and even Hung County
[2:05:39] over my years. Um, not picking on any of
them, but the public defenders
[2:05:45] were really bad. They were I mean I just
thought that poor defendant they at
[2:05:52] least should have competent you know and
I I just remember thinking we can't
[2:05:56] factor that in but um you need to have
good ones but did they did they over in
[2:06:02] Oregon did they just put more money into
that side or
[2:06:06] » well and you know what I could be off on
that
[2:06:08] » other places they were like well they
the prosecutors were better but other
[2:06:13] places
>> and I may have misstated that but the
[2:06:16] fact of the matter is there more money
in the private sector as a defense
[2:06:20] lawyer. That's more accurate. There's
more money in the
[2:06:23] » private sector.
>> So why would you be
[2:06:27] » a DA or a deputy DA if you can go in the
private sector every twice as much
[2:06:34] » which is which is if you're talking
private sector is comprised of both
[2:06:37] public dollars for for appointed public
defenders and private dollars from those
[2:06:43] individuals who can pay for their own
defense.
[2:06:46] Well, good. It's been something that AOC
in various capacities have been trying
[2:06:51] to advocate for for a long time and we
just keep working on it.
[2:06:57] Was there anything else from the EOCA
portion of that you wanted to I mean I'm
[2:07:02] not looking to make this an EOC a
debrief. I just
[2:07:07] » Well, we just found out that the Sheets
County will not be a member this year
[2:07:11] and it's their new commission going
forward if they want to be a member.
[2:07:16] And
I was thinking about like a AOC district
[2:07:22] 2 because I've been thinking about that
stuff lately is when the shoots county
[2:07:26] next year has five commissioners
and
[2:07:31] is beginning politically to become uh a
little bit more on the loose side of
[2:07:36] things.
AOC District 2, see we're kind of like
[2:07:40] tacked in there. You know, there's
Clamoth Lake and us and then there's
[2:07:44] Crook Jefferson shoots, whatever. But
that that may change the flavor of that
[2:07:49] district. We'll just see.
Right now, we have a lot of commonality.
[2:07:55] And this is the only time Har County is
kind of grouped more of a central Oregon
[2:07:59] with Eastern, which is good. It's good
to sometimes be grouped at least one in
[2:08:03] a couple forums aside from the our guys
that were always grouped with. So
[2:08:11] about
any other discussion
[2:08:18] get out of here before lunch today.
If there be no further business
[2:08:24] court shall adjourn.