Wednesday, March 17th Regular Meeting
Enforcement action approved
The board of commissioners voted 4-0, with Commissioner
Sarah Nebeker absent, to direct county counsel to file suit against the owner
of the Sunset Lake Resort and RV Park for failing to comply with a county order
to address numerous code violations at the site, located on the shore of Sunset
Lake south of Warrenton.
A county hearings officer originally issued a compliance
order against the property’s owners, Ken Hick and Resources Northwest, in
October 2011 for allowing more units than allowed, inadequate utility connections
and other violations.
Hick appealed the ruling to the Oregon Land Use Board of
Appeals, which remanded the matter back to the county for reconsideration.
In September 2012 the hearings officer issued a new
compliance order allowing the park a maximum of 18 mobile homes and 25 RVs for
permanent residency, with proper utility service, and a maximum of 38 RVs for
temporary (less than 30 days) stay. The order directed Hick to bring the park
into compliance by Dec. 1, 2012.
Along with the legal action, Board Chair Peter Huhtala also
requested that county staff draft a letter to the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality expressing the county’s displeasure at the agency’s
failure to respond to problems of wastewater disposal and housing demolition at
the Sunset Lake property.
Tobacco restrictions introduced
The board opened a public hearing on an ordinance extending
a ban on tobacco use to more county properties.
In August 2012 the board adopted the first phase of the
tobacco-free campus ordinance, which banned smoking and tobacco use at the
800/820 Exchange St. block, Judge Guy Boyington Building and public works
facilities in Astoria. The second phase covers the Sheriff’s Office/Jail
facility, county courthouse and Marine Patrol boat house in Astoria and the
Parole and Probation office and Animal Shelter in Warrenton.
The ordinance also expands the ban to all lit smoking
devices.
The board continued the public hearing to a future meeting.
Veterans program funding increased
The board voted unanimously to increase county funding for
the Veterans’ Services Officer program, which assists local military veterans
in applying for benefits through the federal Veterans Administration.
The increase will boost the county’s annual contribution
from $6,200 to $20,485. The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs provides the
program $43,100 a year.
At a Feb. 27 work session, Veterans’ Service Officer Phil
Simmons told the board that under the existing level of county support he would
likely have to reduce the number of hours he devotes to the position each week,
but that with increased funding he could reach more local veterans and increase
the amount of benefits coming to the county. There are a total of 4,518
veterans in Clatsop County, and local veterans currently receive a total of
about $80,000 a month in benefits.
Legal services reviewed
The board voted to put out requests for proposals for all
the county’s current legal counsel services. The county currently has contracts
with five firms for legal counsel: Heather Reynolds as primary counsel and
Blair Henningsgaard as co-counsel for general legal services; Bullard, Smith,
Jernstedt and Wilson PC for labor relations; Jordan Schrader Ramis PC for
co-counsel work primarily on land-use issues; and Beery, Elsner and Hammond LLP
for special projects.
All five existing contracts expire June 30, 2013.
Bank services contract approved
The board approved a contract with US Bank for banking
services.
The board had requested county staff to research whether
some county banking functions could be handled by local banks. A request for
proposals drew responses from US Bank, Wells Fargo and Clatsop Community Bank,
and after evaluating the proposals for cost of services, experience and
financial stability, US Bank was determined to be the top choice.
Other business
In other
business the board:
-Approved a
resolution asking the Federal Aviation Administration to consider the public’s
safety and privacy concerns when drafting rules governing unmanned aerial
vehicles.
-Approved
three budget amendments for the Emergency Management Division to account for
grants funding hazardous materials training, ($12,550), public health water and
sanitation exercise ($20,770) and Emergency Operations Center equipment
($10,287).
-Approved a
budget amendment for the Juvenile Department to account for an increase in
funding from the Oregon Community Foundation of $39,752 for coordination of
regional parenting education programs.
-Designated
Public Works Director Ed Wegner as alternate county manager pro-tem.
-Approved a
letter of support for a bill before the Oregon Legislature allowing counties to
enact tobacco taxes.
-Appointed
Philip McCurdy and Robert Stricklin to the North Clatsop Plains Sub-Area Plan
Advisory Committee.
-Appointed
Jackie Dochow and Laurie Moore and re-appointed Jim Coffee to the Clatsop
County Human Services Advisory Council.
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