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| Peter Hutala, Patricia Roberts |
Housing Authority decision
The board voted to appoint itself the governing body of the
Clatsop County Housing Authority in place of the agency’s existing governing
board.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to
take the action, with Commissioner Patricia Roberts voting no. The action
becomes effective immediately.
The board acted in response to
concerns about whether the CCHA board properly followed state public meetings
requirements in handling the agency’s business, in particular that
subcommittees of the board were given power to deliberate over contracts and
other items outside of properly noticed public meetings.
The housing authority manages
several low-income housing facilities around the county, including Owens-Adair
in Astoria, Tilikum and Wapiti in Warrenton, and Clatsop Shores in Seaside, and
makes housing grants available to a number of local social service
organizations.
Board Chair Peter Huhtala said the
commissioners’ decision to appoint themselves as the CCHA governing body will
not result in any changes to the agency’s staff or facilities. “We are just
replacing one board with another,” he said.
The board scheduled a special
meeting for Friday, Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857
Commercial St., Astoria to meet as the housing authority board.
Agency
contributions approved
The board approved contributions
to outside social service agencies recommended by the county Human Services
Advisory Council. The county annually provides $30,000 for distribution to
local agencies that serve citizens in need. The recipients are:
North Coast Prevention Works
Coalition, $9,960
Clatsop County Firefighters,
$9,190
Clatsop Community Action, $4,925
Women’s Resource Center, $4,925
Coastal Family Health Center,
$1,000
Roberts honored
Chair Peter Huhtala presented a plaque to Commissioner
Patricia Roberts thanking her for her service on the board of commissioners.
Roberts, who was elected to the board’s District 2 seat in 2004 and re-elected
in 2008, steps down at the end of her term Dec. 31.
Other Business
In other business the board:
-Heard a report on the audited 2011-12 financial statements
from Brad Bingenheimer of the auditing firm of Boldt, Carlisle and Smith, who
said the county had received a “clean opinion.”
-Heard a presentation from Veterans Services Office Phil
Simmons, who provided data on the numbers of county residents provided with
assistance in obtaining benefits through the Veterans Administration.
-Presented a certification of appreciation to Mary Blake,
the retired director of the Sunset Empire Parks and Recreation District, for
her 28 years of service.
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