Clatsop Sheriff And Rural Law Enforcement District Advisory Committee Host Second Public Meeting October 27

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

SHERIFF, RURAL LAW COMMITTEE HOST SECOND PUBLIC MEETING

The Rural Law Enforcement District Advisory Committee is hosting the second in a series of public meetings Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 at 6 p.m. at the Jewell School Library, 83874 Hwy 103.

The Sheriff’s Office along with the RLED is seeking public input in developing the Sheriff’s Office Strategic Plan for 2012 through 2017. This is an opportunity for the public to provide input in regards to how the Sheriff’s Office is doing its job now, where they would like to see their Sheriff’s Office in the future and how do we get there. The meeting will include a briefing on how the Sheriff’s Office has performed on the current strategic plan. You can visit the Clatsop County website at www.co.clatsop.or.us and go to the Sheriff’s page to view the current strategic plan.

We will also discuss jail proposals and outline the issues that the county jail faces currently. We will be asking for public input on the various proposals. This will include a briefing that demonstrates some of the challenges the entire criminal justice system faces in the county due to lack of effective jail beds.

If you are unable to make this meeting, there will be more opportunity as the Sheriff’ s Office intends to conduct further meetings in Lewis and Clark, Clatsop Plains/Gearhart and Knappa/Svensen/Westport areas throughout the fall and winter to seek additional input on the strategic plan and jail proposals.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

Clatsop County Planning Division Hosts Panel Discussion On County's Ocean Planning Proposal

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

PANEL EXPLORES COUNTY’S OCEAN PLANNING PROPOSAL

A panel discussion Monday in Seaside hosted by the Clatsop County Planning Division explored the county’s proposal to extend its land-use planning authority beyond the ocean shoreline.

Local and state land-use experts and others discussed and took audience questions about the project, in which the county is developing a review code under Statewide Planning Goal 19-Ocean Resources to cover the stretch of ocean 3.45 miles out from shore.

The Goal 19 plan element will allow the county review applications for new ocean uses not envisioned when its land-use code was first adopted in 1980, including wave energy installations, and help ensure those new developments are compatible with fishing, recreation and other uses.

“In coming years new uses will compete for space in the ocean,” County Commissioner and panel moderator Peter Huhtala said. “One emerging ocean industry will create electricity from waves, wind and tidal forces. As we nurture this renewable ocean energy industry we must respect and protect existing ocean users.”

The county planning commission is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hearing on the draft plan in December. The plan will go to the county board of commissioners for its review in early 2012.

Panelist Mark Barnes, a planning consultant who is assisting the county with the Goal 19 project, said the plan element would put in place the same type of land-use review process used in the rest of the county. Only structures would be subject to review, not uses like fishing, navigation and recreation, he said. Barnes compared the ocean code to the county’s jurisdiction in forest lands, where its review authority is limited to structures, and state and federal rules govern uses such as logging, road-building and hunting.

The county’s project is taking place at the same time that the State of Oregon is updating its Territorial Sea Plan, which covers the same 3.45-mile band of ocean. The Ocean Policy Advisory Committee (OPAC) has been tasked with the project, which is aimed at providing opportunities for wave-energy developers while protecting fishing, viewsheds and other resources.

The updated plan is due to go to the state Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) in summer 2012.

Studies found that the Oregon Coast has some of the best wave-energy potential in the United States, but when developers began proposing projects in 2004, concerns were raised that the state had no system in place to ensure the new projects are compatible with existing uses. In 2008 then Governor Ted Kulongoski signed an executive order directing state agencies to create a plan for identifying renewable energy sites.

Tim Josi, Tillamook County Commissioner and LCDC member, noted that Clatsop County and the state disagree whether counties have any land-use jurisdiction offshore, and said the issue will need to be resolved.

Panelist Paul Klarin, Marine Program Coordinator for the state Department of Land Conservation and Development, said Clatsop County’s work on the Goal 19 issue “could lead to something very positive, regardless of where the jurisdictional issue ends up.”

For information on the county’s Goal 19 project, go to “Ocean Planning” under “Land Use Planning” at www.co.clatsop.or.us.

For information on the State of Oregon’s Territorial Sea Plan update, go to www.oregonocean.info.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

Got Your Clatsop County Property Tax Bill? Want To Know Where Those Dollars Go?

Monday October 17,
2011

TAX PAYMENTS FUND
VARIETY OF SERVICES

Property tax bills
have arrived in the mail. Where does your tax dollar go?
Clatsop County
collects taxes for all local taxing entities – 66 in all. But only about 12
cents out of every dollar goes to county government – the rest pays for schools,
city services, water and sewer districts, rural fire districts and other public
entities.
Here’s the break-down
of the average tax dollar:
· Schools (including
community college) – 48.41 cents
· Cities (including
urban renewal) – 19.41 cents
· Other (water, sewer,
recreation, transportation) – 17.17 cents
· County – 12.11
cents
· Rural fire districts
– 2.90 cents
To see an illustrated
break-down, as well as information on paying your property tax bill, go to http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/.
Tax payments for 2011
are due on or before Tuesday, Nov. 15. For your convenience, taxes can be paid
at any one of the following ways:
· By mail in the
envelope included with your tax statement.
· Clatsop County
Assessment and Taxation Office, 820 Exchange St., Suite 210, Astoria. Hours are
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· Local branches of
Bank of Astoria, Clatsop Community Bank or Wauna Federal Credit
Union.
· Online – go to
“Property Records/Taxes” at http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/ for more
information.
If you disagree with
the value of your property as printed on your tax bill or a penalty assessed for
late filing, you can file an appeal with the Clatsop County Board of Property
Tax Appeals. Forms are available from the Clerk and Elections Division, 820
Exchange St. in Astoria and the Clatsop County website http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/. Petitions
must be filed by Jan. 3, 2012.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

2012 Republican Presidential Primary Straw Poll Results

Mitt Romney 24 (54%)

John Huntsman 4 (9%)

Rick Perry 3 (6%)

Sarah Palin 1 (2%)

Gary Johnson 0 (0%)

Herman Cain 2 (4%)

Newt Gingrich 0 (0%)

Rick Santorum 0 (0%)

Ron Paul 9 (20%)

Michele Bachmann 1 (2%)

Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Approve Jail Plan Study Funding

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

COMMISSIONERS APPROVE JAIL PLAN STURDY FUNDING

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved funding for a remodeling plan for the county jail.

The vote is the first step in a proposal to seek voter approval next year for a major expansion of the undersized facility.

The funding will pay for plans including a detailed layout, preliminary design and specific costs for a project that would add up to 100 beds to the existing jail at Seventh and Duane streets in Astoria. The county will seek bids from qualified architectural firms for the project. The plans will be used to develop a final design, bid documents and construction drawings, if and when funding is secured.

The board, with Commissioner Patricia Roberts absent, voted unanimously for the budget adjustment, which will make up to $100,000 available out of the county’s Special Projects budget.


"The campaign for a new jail begins now,” Commissioner Peter Huhtala said. “It’s clearly needed.”

The funding will also pay for an updated cost estimate for construction of an all-new jail facility, for cost-comparison purposes with the remodeling proposal. The board also passed a resolution allowing for the costs to be reimbursed by a jail construction bond.

The board will review the resulting plan and cost estimates and decide whether to seek voter approval for a bond measure to fund the project, likely in either the May or November 2012 elections.

Sheriff Tom Bergin and County Manager Duane Cole told the board that multiple studies of the jail issue, including a comprehensive review completed in 2008 by Voorhis Associates complete with population and crime forecasts, have made clear the need to expand or replace the existing 34-year-old, 69-bed facility.


"They
have done the study to end all studies,” Cole said of the Voorhis report.


In 2006 the Sheriff’s Office contracted with the DLR Group architectural firm to draft a plan for adding 80 dormitory-style beds in the ground floor of the jail building, which currently houses Sheriff’s Office staff. County officials have determined that that plan is not workable, but in a recent meeting with county staff and Sheriff’s Office officials, DLR representatives presented an alternative proposal that adds up to 100 beds on the building’s upper level where the current jail is located.

Most studies say the county needs at least 120 jail beds. The current facility, plus the 15 beds the county rents in Tillamook County, means that many offenders serve only two or three days of much longer sentences before they’re released for lack of space, Bergin said. “There is no truth in sentencing,” he said.

Bergin said he believes voters are more likely to support a project that upgrades, rather than replaces, the existing jail.

“I have been a proponent of trying to utilize this building all along,” Bergin told the board. “But we need to have (these plans) done before we go to voters.”

Clatsop County voters rejected a bond measure for a new jail in 2002. No detailed plans were drawn up for that project, and the possible location had not been selected.

Board Chair Dirk Rohne, who also serves on the board of Clatsop Community College, noted that the college failed several times to gain citizen support for its modernization project until it developed a plan to remodel the existing campus, at approximately half the cost of earlier proposals.

“We need to be able to maintain public safety in our community, and this is one part of doing that,” he said.

Huhtala noted that materials and labor construction costs are low. “The timing is excellent,” he said.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

Clatsop County Sheriff's Auction Offers Up Assorted Vehicles And Boats October 22, 2011

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

VEHICLES, BOATS OFFERED AT SHERIFF’S AUCTION OCT. 22

Several vehicles and boats will be up for bid at a public auction hosted by the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 22 at the county Road Department shops, 1100 Olney Ave. in Astoria.

The auction will start with a viewing from 9 a.m., and the bidding will start at 10 a.m. People interested in bidding will need to arrive at 9 a.m. to register and obtain a bidding number. Sales are “as is, where is” and the successful bidders must make payment by cash or check at the close of the auction. All purchased items must be removed from the property no later than Friday, Oct. 28.

Items to be auctioned include: 2004 Dodge pick-up, 1991 Cavalier coupe, 1991 Cavalier station wagon, 1996 Jeep Cherokee, seven Ford Crown Victorias (1997-2006), 1996 Dodge 150 pick-up with canopy, 1991 Ford ambulance and six boats of various makes and models.

Released by:

Tom Bennett

Community Relations Coordinator

(503) 338-3622

728 Foot Bulk Carrier Loses Propulsion 9 Miles Off Cape Disappoinment!

SEATTLE — The U.S. Coast Guard and Wash. Dept. of Ecology are monitoring a 728 foot bulk carrier that lost propulsion nine miles west of Cape Disappointment, Tuesday.

The motor vessel Edfu has anchored and is holding its position in 17 mph winds and 13 foot seas.

The Coast Guard has offered assistance and is waiting for the crew Edfu to assess what repairs will entail. A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter crew out of Coast Guard Air Station Astoria conducted an over flight Tuesday evening to assess the situation.

Edfu's destination was Kalama, Wash., and the vessel is not carrying any cargo. The cause of the propulsion failure is not know at this time.

Wash. Dept. of Ecology Public Affairs Officer Curt Hart can be contacted at (360) 480-7908.

The Wash. Dept. of Ecology has established a website at the below address.
Click This To Go To WDOE Site

For more information, please contact 13th Coast Guard District Public Affairs, at (206) 217-7237.

Special Election Voter Registration Deadline Set For October 18, 2011

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011

SPECIAL ELECTION VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS OCT. 18

The Clatsop County Clerk and Elections Office reminds local residents that Tuesday, Oct. 18 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 special primary election.

Ballots for the election will be mailed out beginning Friday, Oct. 21 for registered Democratic and Republican voters.

Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. is the deadline to hand in or mail a registration form if you are registering to vote for the first time. To be eligible to vote, you must be an Oregon resident, a U.S. citizen, and be at least 18 years old by Election Day.

You must update your registration if you move or change your mailing address, change your name, or wish to change your party affiliation. Those who are updating their registration have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to do so.

People can register online with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office at www.sos.state.or.us/elections. Voter registration forms can also be downloaded from the “Clerk/Elections” page at www.co.clatsop.or.us.

For more information go to the Clerk/Elections page on the Clatsop County website or call (503) 325-8511.

The special election features primary contests for the vacant District 1 Congressional seat. Only voters registered as Democratic or Republican will receive ballots.

Released by:

Tom Bennett

Community Relations Coordinator

(503) 338-3622

Clatsop County Property Tax Bills Go Into The Mail In The Next Few Days!!!

Tuesday October 11, 2011

PROPERTY TAX BILLS MAILED SOON; PAYMENTS DUE NOV. 15

Property tax bills for the 2011-12 fiscal year will arrive in mailboxes in the next few days.

The tax bill that you will be receiving will show market values in most areas have decreased, but this may not translate into lower taxes. The primary reason can be found in the provisions of Ballot Measure 50, the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1997.

Under Measure 50, your assessed property value cannot increase by more than 3% annually unless you have made significant improvements to the property. In addition, your assessed value cannot be higher than your real market value.

The real market value (RMV) on your tax statement represents the market value of the property as of Jan. 1, 2011, based on 2010 sales. It is important to understand that your property taxes are based on your assessed value (AV), not market value. In most cases, assessed values are still significantly lower than market values. A decline in the market value does not automatically reduce your Measure 50 assessed value unless your real market value falls below your maximum assessed value (MAV). See the following example:

LAST YEAR’S VALUES
THIS YEAR’S VALUES

RMV
250,000
215,000

MAV
112,000
115,360

AV
112,000
*115,360

*Reflects 3% increase

Another factor that may explain increases on property taxes is voter-approved levies or bonds.

Within Clatsop County, tax rates on individual statements vary because property taxes support 60 local government-taxing districts, most of which have different boundaries. These districts include schools, cities, local fire, water and sewer districts, rural law enforcement, road districts and other special assessment districts.

Tax payments for 2011 are due on or before Tuesday, Nov. 15. For your convenience, taxes can be paid at any one of the following ways:

· By mail in the envelope included with your tax statement.

· Clatsop County Assessment and Taxation Office, 820 Exchange St., Suite 210, Astoria. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

· Local branches of Bank of Astoria, Clatsop Community Bank or Wauna Federal Credit Union.

· Online – go to “Property Records/Taxes” at www.co.clatsop.or.us for more information.

If you disagree with the value of your property as printed on your tax bill or a penalty assessed for late filing, you can file an appeal with the Clatsop County Board of Property Tax Appeals. Forms are available from the Clerk and Elections Division, 820 Exchange St. in Astoria and the Clatsop County website www.co.clatsop.or.us. Petitions must be filed by Jan. 3, 2012.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000

Ringo's Dinghy Is It?......It's Baaaaaaack!!!!

Photo taken right off Old Train Depot site 09-20-2011

View Details

Democrats Define Rich!

Andrew Stiles
The National Review On-Line
October 7, 2011 6:00 P.M.

Is the threshold $250,000 or $1 million in income?

In his role as head of the Democratic party’s political-messaging operation, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) has been one of the prominent voices in the ongoing and often heated debate in Congress over federal deficits and debt. At every turn, he has loudly accused Republicans of risking a government shutdown, or even default, in order to protect “tax breaks for the wealthy.” However, when it comes to actual tax policy — and the precise definition of the term “wealthy” — Schumer and his Democratic colleagues, most notably President Obama, don’t exactly see eye to eye.

Read Full Article

Clatsop County Sheriff's Office Hosts ATV Safety Courses At Fairgrounds Oct. 22-23, 2011

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

SHERIFF’S OFFICE HOSTS ATV YOUTH SAFETY COURSES

The Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office is making available ATV Safety classes to Clatsop County youth Oct. 22-23.

By January of 2012 all youth riding ATV's on public lands in Oregon will be required to have completed a "hands-on" class. The Sheriff’s Office presents the ATV Safety Institute Ridercourse, a four-hour ATV safety course, and the OSU/4H Youth Rider Evaluation Program, a two-hour session designed for those youth who already possess riding skills beyond the basic level.

The classes take place at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds on Walluski Loop.

The OSU/4H evaluations take place Saturday, Oct. 22 beginning at 10 a.m. To register, go online to OregonATVSafety.com. There is a $20 fee for the evaluation which will be collected online when registering.

Students registering for this program will be required to have obtained the Oregon ATV Safety Education Program card prior to enrolling. To obtain this card go to rideatvoregon.org and complete the on line training. This training is free.

Two ATV Safety Institute Ridercourse classes will be conducted Sunday, Oct. 23, also at the fairgrounds. The 9 a.m. class will be for youth 6 to 11 years old, and the 2 p.m. class will be for youth 12 to 15 years old. To register for these classes call 1-800-887-2887. There is a $55 fee for these classes, but Oregon residents are eligible for a $50 subsidy making the cost to the student only $5. Be sure to request this subsidy when registering.

There will be one 50cc and one 90cc loaner ATV available for each scheduled session. To request a loaner for the Saturday session contact the instructor at (503) 791-4978. For the Sunday sessions request the loaner when registering.

Additional information is available on the internet at www.atvsafety.org, OregonATVSafety.com, or www.rideatvoregon.org, or call Deputy Michael Nelson, (503) 791-4978.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

Open House On Oregon Health Plan Changes Scheduled For October 13, 2011

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011
PUBLIC MEETING ON OREGON HEALTH PLAN CHANGES OCT. 13

The public is invited to learn more about proposed changes to the Oregon Health Plan at a community meeting Thursday, Oct. 13 in Astoria.

The meeting takes place 6-8 p.m. at Clatsop Community College in Columbia Hall Room 219.

The new program, approved by the Oregon Legislature and set to go into effect in 2012, calls for organizing Oregon Health Plan providers into Coordinated Care Organizations. It is designed to provide a continuum of integrated care for OHP patients’ physical, mental and dental health services, while at the same time reducing the state’s Medicare and Medicaid expenses.

For more information go to www.health.oregon.gov.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

Clatsop County Sheriff's Office And Astoria Police Department Arrest Four Suspects In Local Area Robberies

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011
FOUR ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH LOCAL BURGLARIES

Personnel from the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office and Astoria Police Department arrested four individuals in connection with a number of local burglaries Friday morning.

A search warrant was executed at residences at 1729 5th Street and 40991 Grand View Lane at about 6 a.m. Friday. The warrant was related to evidence from recent residential burglaries. A pistol stolen from a Warrenton residence was recovered, as well as evidence connected to other area burglaries.

Taken into custody were:

Amy Kelly, 1729 5th St., dob 9/13/72, charged on an outstanding warrant

James R. McGuire, 1729 5th St., dob 7/11/69, possession of a stolen firearm; possession of heroin

Matthew Betts, 40991 Grand View Lane, dob 4/23/80, possession of heroin

Keith Murray, 1729 5th St., dob 5/12/75, possession of methamphetamine

All four suspects were lodged in Clatsop County Jail.

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

Clatsop County To Hold Panel Discussion To Examine Its Role In Ocean Resources Planning

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011

PANEL DISCUSSION EXAMINES COUNTY’S OCEAN PLANNING ROLE

Clatsop County’s land-use review program may soon extend beyond the land itself.

County officials are crafting an Ocean Resources development code covering the territorial sea off the county’s coastline. The code would provide the county with the authority to review applications for wave-energy, aquaculture and other in-water development projects within the strip of ocean extending roughly 3.5 miles from shore.

To more fully examine the issues surrounding this proposal, the county is hosting a panel discussion Oct. 17 featuring land-use and ocean policy experts. The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. at Seaside City Hall, 989 Broadway.

Panelists are:

· Mark Barnes, Planning Consultant, Clatsop County

· Belinda Batten, Director, NW National Marine Renewable Energy Center, Oregon State University

· Jason Busch, Executive Director, Oregon Wave Energy Trust

· Onno Husing, Director, Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association (OCZMA)

· Paul Klarin, Marine Program Coordinator, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development

· Matt Spangler, North Coast Regional Representative, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development

Panel moderator is Clatsop County Commissioner and OCZMA Chair Peter Huhtala.

Ocean policy falls under Goal 19 of the Oregon statewide planning goals, but Clatsop County did not adopt a code specific to Goal 19 when it enacted its land-use program in 1980. With no official process in place in the county’s comprehensive land-use plan, county staff are concerned that there is no avenue for the county to provide input on such projects as wave-energy facilities and other uses not envisioned when the plan was originally adopted.

Goal 19 calls for “(conserving) marine resources and ecological functions for the purpose of providing long-term ecological, economic and social value and benefits to future generations.”

If Clatsop County adds a Goal 19 component to its comprehensive plan, projects proposed for the territorial sea would go to the county Planning Division and be reviewed for consistency with the relevant criteria. The review would allow the county to examine the project’s potential impact on fishing activity and viewsheds.

As currently proposed, the code would cover only fixed structures such as piers, cables and wind- and wave-energy devices. Activities like commercial and recreational fishing would not fall under the new review system.


Released by:

Tom Bennett

Community Relations Coordinator

(503) 338-3622

Suspicious Package Leads To Evacuation Of Clatsop County Courthouse!!!

Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE LEADS TO COURTHOUSE EVACUATION

The Clatsop County Courthouse was briefly evacuated Friday morning as a precaution after a suspicious package was found in an employee break room.

The package was inspected and found to be harmless, and employees were allowed into the building at about 8:15 a.m.

Released by:

Tom Bennett

Community Relations Coordinator

(503) 338-3622

Clatsop County May Take An Updated, 170 Bed, Existing Sheriff's Department/Jail To The Voters In 2012!For Approval

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011

COUNTY MAY SEEK VOTER APPROVAL FOR JAIL PROJECT IN 2012

Clatsop County officials are updating an existing plan for expanding the obsolete county jail, with the goal of seeking voter approval next year for the long-sought project.

At its Oct. 12 meeting the county board of commissioners will be asked to allocate up to $100,000 to revisit a five-year-old study that recommended remodeling the facility at Seventh and Duane streets in Astoria.

The funds will pay for schematic plans for a new expansion option based on the old study, as well as a new cost estimate for the construction of an all-new jail facility for cost-comparison purposes.

If the board approves the allocation, the county will seek bids for detailed schematics and cost estimates for the remodel option. County officials hope to put a bond measure before Clatsop County voters in the May or November election in 2012.

The expansion would add up to 100 beds to the existing 69-bed facility, which has long been deemed inadequate in size and design for the needs of the county’s public safety and criminal justice systems.

“We have known for years that the current jail doesn’t meet our needs, and the county commissioners have made it one of their top priorities to address this issue,” County Manager Duane Cole said.

The 2006 study, completed by the DLR Group architectural firm, proposed adding 80 dormitory-style housing units to the ground level of the facility where administrative space for the Sheriff’s Office is currently located, at an estimated cost of just under $5 million. County staff has determined that this option would not work due to operational and constructability issues.

A new second option, for which no detailed engineering or design work has yet be completed, would involve a more extensive remodel of the current jail and boost its total capacity to 170 beds.

Construction of an all-new jail, which has been tentatively proposed for the county’s North Coast Business Park in Warrenton, has previously been estimated to cost approximately $12 million, not including site preparation.

Numerous studies have illustrated the inadequacy of the existing jail, which first opened in 1977. Built with an original capacity of 29, its capacity has been increased with the use of portable beds and other make-shift measures. But even the expanded number is deemed too small by the Sheriff’s Office and consultants, who say the county needs at least 120 jail beds to meet its needs.

The current lack of beds means criminal offenders frequently serve only a few days out of longer sentences, and probation violations often go unpunished. The crowding has also raised concerns about safety for staff and inmates, as the facility has limited space for separating violent offenders from the rest of the population.

Clatsop County last sought voter approval for a jail project in November 2002, when a bond for a new jail facility was defeated by a 59 percent to 41 percent margin.

Released by:

Tom Bennett

Community Relations Coordinator

(503) 338-3622

October 12, 2011 Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Regular Meeting Agenda

Read Full Agenda Packet

Highlights Of September 28, 2011 Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Regular Meeting

Clatsop County Board of Commissioners

Highlights
September 28, 2011 Work Session Audio Tanscript
September 28, 2011 Regular Session Audio Transcript

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 regular meeting

Official minutes available once approved by board

Circus animal ordinance

The board voted to draft an ordinance for placement on the May 2012 election ballot banning elephants and other exotic animals from display within the county.

The ban would be limited to exotic animals used in circuses and other entertainment venues and would not cover rodeos and horse shows, 4-H and FFA events and educational displays. The ordinance would only cover the unincorporated county.

The ban was promoted by Astoria resident Janice Robertson and other supporters, who say elephants and other animals used in many travelling circuses suffer cruel and inhumane treatment.

The ordinance will be brought back to board for a public hearing at an upcoming meeting.

Ambulance plan reviewed

The board heard a report from County Manager Duane Cole on a pending update to the county’s Ambulance Service Area (ASA) plan, and approved the recruitment of members of an advisory oversight committee.

The ASA plan spells out the boundaries and minimum service standards for the service area, which covers the entire county. The current plan was adopted in 1996; the state of Oregon notified the county earlier this year that the plan was due for an update.

The plan update does not involve any change to the existing franchise agreement with the current service provider, MEDIX. The franchise agreement runs to 2016.

Health plan letter

The board approved a letter to be sent to the Governor’s Office regarding the pending changes to the Oregon Health Plan and reorganization of OHP service providers into Coordinated Care Organizations. The new program, approved by the Oregon Legislature and scheduled to launch in 2012, is designed to provide a continuum of integrated care for OHP patients’ physical, mental and dental health services, while at the same time reducing the state’s Medicare and Medicaid expenses.

The county’s proposed letter, drafted with input collected from local stakeholders by Public Health Director Margo Lalich, expresses concerns about data-sharing, unfunded mandates, allocation of funds saved by the program, and counties’ role within new regional structures.

Hood to Coast report

The board heard a report from organizers of the Hood to Coast Relay on the 2011 event, Bob Foote and Felicia Hubber. They said the number of running teams, which was increased from 1,000 to 1,250 for this year’s event, will be reduced to 1,050 for the 2012 running, due to congestion at the finish area in Seaside.

The event raised $517,000 for the American Cancer Society, they said.

Other Business

In other business the board:

-Approved a letter of support for a grant request from the Port of Astoria for federal funding to upgrade its Pier 3 facility for expanded log and lumber export activity. Commissioner Debra Birkby voted no, citing concerns about increased log truck traffic.

-Appointed Gary Sunderland, Bree Phillips and Clarke Powers to the Board of Property Tax Appeals. Patrick Jensen was appointed as an alternate.

-Approved a proclamation recognizing Oct. 1-8 as Oregon Days of Culture.

Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 325-1000 ext. 1312

Clatsop Ambulance Service Area Advisory Committee Seeks Applicants To Serve

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE AREA ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Clatsop County is seeking applicants for open seats on the Ambulance Service Area Advisory Committee.

The committee provides input to the county Board of Commissioners on the ambulance service plan and ambulance service franchisee. The committee will review the service plan as part of mandated update of the document and recommend possible changes to the board.

The openings are for members who have no association with the emergency medical system. The county board of commissioners will make the appointments.

To apply, obtain an application form and return it to the Clatsop County Manager’s Office at 800 Exchange St., Suite 410, Astoria OR 97103, (503) 325-1000. Forms are available from the County Manager’s Office or can be downloaded from the county website www.co.clatsop.or.us at “Committee application forms” under “Administration/Board of Commissioners.”

Released by:
Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622