Clatsop
County Board of Commissioners
Highlights
Wednesday, Dec. 14,
2011 regular meeting
Listen Full Audio Transcript Of 12/14/2011 Regular MeetingOfficial minutes
available once approved by board
Planning, public
works split approved
The board of
commissioners approved a reorganization plan that divides the county’s Community
Development and Public Works departments into separate entities.
County Manager Duane
Cole told the board that the workload in both offices requires that each have
its own director. Currently the two offices are jointly directed by Ed Wegner as
Transportation and Development Services Director. The change will become
effective Jan. 1.
Under the plan,
Wegner will return to his original position as Public Works Director. Hiller
West, hired in September as principal planner, will become director of Community
Development. West has a lengthy background in land-use planning, most recently
as planning director of Monroe, Wash.
Planning and Public
Works were combined in the Transportation and Development Services Department in
2007.
Darigold funding
approvedThe board approved an
amendment to the county’s contract with Groat Brothers Inc. covering the
demolition of the former Darigold Building to provide additional funding for
removal of contaminated soil and other work at the site. The original $49,850
contract approved by the board in April included an additional $7,450
contingency fund, which will be used to cover the cost of removing a fuel oil
tank from the building site. The amendment will allow spending up to another
$22,500 to pay for clean-up of soil contaminated with petroleum
product.
Medical examiner
appointedThe board appointed
Susan Heinick, MD as District Medical Examiner for Clatsop County. Heinick, an
emergency room physician at Providence Seaside Hospital, replaces Joann
Stefanelli, who resigned from the position earlier this year. Stefanelli will
continue to offer her services on a part-time basis.
The medical examiner
investigates all unattended deaths and participates in criminal investigations
as part of the local Major Crime Team.
Other
BusinessIn other business the
board:
-
Approved a request
from Columbia County to support the participation of a Rainier company,
Rightline Equipment Inc., in the Lower Columbia Maritime Enterprise Zone. The
zone, which covers Columbia County and a portion of Clatsop County, provides tax
breaks to qualified new and expanding businesses.
-
Approved a $50,000
payment to the Westport Water Association for improvements to its water system
made necessary by damage from flooding that accompanied the December 2007 storm.
The improvements, totaling approximately $500,000 and funded primarily by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, were completed earlier this year and
involved a partnership with the nearby Wauna Water District that included
development of an additional water source, adding a chlorinator and increasing
water line capacity. The funds from Clatsop County come from the proceeds of the
tax penalty levied on Georgia-Pacific over the Lower Columbia Enterprise
Zone.
-
Approved an
agreement between the Clatsop County 4-H and Extension Service and the North
Coast Food Web for the operation of the North Coast Communities Food Project, a
collaborative campaign to improve community food security, promote good
nutrition and health and support diversification of regional food production and
access. Funding comes from a Meyer Memorial Trust grant.
-
Approved an
intergovernmental agreement with the State of Oregon to receive $91,306 -
$61,900 for the current fiscal year plus $29,406 carryover from 2010-11 – to
fund treatment and intervention services through the Sheriff’s Office Community
Corrections Division targeted at Measure 57 criminal offenders.
-
Approved the
language of input to be given at the Dec. 15 meeting of the state Territorial
Sea Plan Working Group in Astoria, which is examining ocean-planning and
wave-energy issues off the state coastline. Among other points the input calls
for vigorous public involvement, recommends conditional-use reviews versus
restrictive zones for wave-energy projects, and seeks compatibility between the
state plan and local planning efforts.
-
Conducted the first
reading of an ordinance adopting the county’s Administrative Code. Provisions in
the code, which spells out the county’s organizational structure, board and
committee rules, contracting rules and financial policies, have previously been
established by board resolution, but county staff recommended its adoption by
ordinance so it is included in the process, currently underway, of codifying all
the county ordinances. Second reading and adoption of the Administrative Code
ordinance is scheduled for Jan. 11.
-
Adopted new board
rules governing meeting procedures and protocol, committee appointments, travel
policy and other items.
-
Appointed Pamela
Alegria to the Recreational Lands Planning Advisory Committee.
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 ext. 1312
Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011
