Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Highlights Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015 regular meeting

Vision adopted

The board adopted the Clatsop Vision 2030Together. The Vision, crafted with assistance from consultants Zenn Associates and developed through a long public outreach effort that included interviews, community workshops and surveys, provides a roadmap for where citizens hope to see the county in 15-20 years. It includes an overarching vision and core community values, as well as visions for each of six focus areas: Economy and Jobs; Arts, Culture and History; Health, Safety and Resilience; Education and Learning; Environmental, Natural Resources and Recreation; and Community Development and Planning.

The board will consider a plan with specific implementation measures at a future meeting.

Wetlands measures

The board voted unanimously not to have county staff draw up interim wetlands protection measures for the Arch Cape and Cove Beach communities, instead opting to allow a newly formed ad hoc committee to examine the issue and bring recommendations to the board. The committee will focus on the Local Wetland and Riparian Corridor inventories conducted for the Arch Cape area in 2011.

Budget policies adopted

The board approved the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Budget Policies and Strategic Plan/Resource Reduction Strategy. The policies provide guiding principles and instructions for developing the upcoming year’s county budget. They include:

·   Conserving General Fund resources to fund high-priority programs.

·   “Status quo” department staffing levels with any proposed changes fitting within base budgets; any new staffing or program request accompanied by justification form.

·   A goal of no increase in materials and supplies expenditures for General Fund departments

·   Pursuing revenue sources to the fullest extent possible

·   Budget savings achieved during the fiscal year be saved and added to ending fund balance

·   No “back-filling” use of General Fund dollars to make up shortfalls in state or federal funding.

The Resource Reduction Strategy prioritizes county functions for funding in the event that cuts are necessary during the budget year:

1.     Public Safety and Justice

2.     Public Health

3.     Government Direct Services

4.     Community Development, Land Use, Transportation and Housing

5.     Culture and Recreation

Fee study discussed

The board heard a presentation on a comprehensive study of the county’s service fees. The study examined what percent of the cost of service delivery the existing fees cover, compared Clatsop County’s fees to other jurisdictions, and recommended fee adjustments. The board will consider action on the recommendations at its Feb. 25 meeting.

Other Business

In other business:

-Approved an increase in the vaccine administration fee for the county Public Health Department from the current $21.96 per vaccination to $44. Director Brian Mahoney explained that the current rate covers only 50 percent of the department’s actual costs to administer vaccinations.

-Approved a property line adjustment on the southern boundary of Cullaby Lake County Park to account for cranberry bogs that were found to encroach into the park property during a 2010 survey. The county will trade 0.88 acres of property to two neighboring landowners in exchange for land of equal size to adjust the boundary and place the bogs entirely outside the park.

-Appointed Commissioner Lisa Clement to the Northwest Senior and Disability Services Board.

-Approved a proclamation declaring Feb. 2-9 as Tongue Point Job Corps Week in recognition of the program’s 50^th anniversary in Clatsop County.

-Voted to hold all the board’s regular meetings at 6 p.m.

Submitted by Clatsop County