[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6276381,"mediaKeyId","2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619","parentId",2660513,"title","Board approves two emergency-management grant agreements for communications and equipment","audioSeconds",545,"startMs",3133000,"endMs",3678000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619&start=3133&end=3678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619/thumbnail_3133000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6276381/Columbia-County/Oregon/Board-approves-two-emergency-management-grant-agreements-for-communications-and-equipment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276381-fba293ae5a3694708d62fb9e67fbf753/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920414&Signature=eO8rUEtRKqIpo4cIALXXDJI18MlsBxuyh-qq2M1tw-jkB9aw6a3JG4qgGs9Uu-tMWUEdVGDcWcuoyzpq~BNcTer17Ixbd9MkcIgFo9JaOiWixEYAYrQNAkMlLjlZp7RV8ZhZiF8Louw~3DHU5Dz7bId1F0Wvr5etHTjKpqRPvrYs~9IqJ9vljU5DJPrsM5xSpM0v6VU~y7M87j9HpYaPI3l-cUL-uNF5dm-leysKJ93BVi-~~-U9bCvlDpTIA8tCeEBPZm1j-~XqqQuHuU5XIh-o7PuWU0og3NdY~OD84~7zY0lbWPgq4PUtyyCYXFHYYySGPGROh3lTid61PpLePw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","OR / Columbia County ","date","2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","article","Corey Pedron, director of Emergency Management, asked the board on Feb. 12 to approve two grant agreements that fund communications and equipment upgrades for county emergency response.

Pedron presented the 2024 State Homeland Security grant (grant number 24218), a $40,260 award with no local match. He said the grant includes funding for a digital display processor for the emergency operations center, about $5,000 for video cameras requested by small communities, approximately $8,000 toward a fuel-resiliency plan (e.g., small fuel-storage capacity to support county vehicles) and $11,000 to buy Starlink mobile units for communities beyond cellular or VHF coverage. Pedron said the Starlink units pay first-year service and that jurisdictions using them would absorb ongoing monthly fees if they choose to continue service.

Pedron also reported an amendment to a fiscal-year-2022 UASI grant that provides $20,795 to acquire a deployable public-works variable-mesh communications trailer. He said the trailer will be assigned to CERT for disaster response while public works will maintain and use it for non-disaster activities. Pedron noted a May 1 purchase deadline for the trailer procurement.

The board moved to approve contract C18-2025 (state grant) and contract C42-2023-1 (UASI agreement amendment) and authorized the chair to sign both. The motions were seconded and passed by voice vote.

Ending: Pedron said he expects to return with additional grant applications and thanked staff and partners for their work to secure the funding.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Columbia County Board of County Commissioners Meeting February 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved a 2024 State Homeland Security grant (no local match) for EOC and regional communications upgrades totaling $40,260 and approved a reactivated UASI amendment to buy a public-works deployable variable-mesh communications trailer valued at about $20,795.","taxTitle","Columbia County, Oregon","taxId",52787,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276387,"Parks director seeks design RFP and grant application for six new cabins at Camp Wilkerson",703,2412000,3115000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619&start=2412&end=3115","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619/thumbnail_2412000.jpg","/articles/6276387/Columbia-County/Oregon/Parks-director-seeks-design-RFP-and-grant-application-for-six-new-cabins-at-Camp-Wilkerson","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276387-641327c99a02af2c09a4a2ddf4cc5e60/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920414&Signature=ZudbxWTQEYDeJTMXo0ThprAGgK9Q1uyvsU5rsq7qAw80yFnOO3Zqp6qeWt5mZo9kAm9rtGpLAAMuO9Y~ETY1hz7WUXaC0DMTNUOwNKBOhd~lCiXDgBFExZa8S4RgnAV30LTya5yvKUklMFqrlZ1k-NTicTd4R8oKaiAJIg23NfKHu-45Rj6jC3n5Olo57ECZvGX27tlWbpReb55IDZaE3pGo2mgy3WUV~OPTAbRBUAXz9IG7PwQHWVZ4cFHiZlvvVKCU7FqQ5ToVgf4ara10LR-Rc9HFC8V3YbmreDpEsgwo2Ghs~QoQEOxmB6sOFXfbqxI~ImtKSMlEBAS0jPUYxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Melissa Enright, director of Parks and Recreation, told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 12 that she seeks authorization to issue an RFP for design and permitting and to apply for an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department local government grant to fund a proposed expansion at Camp Wilkerson.

Enright described a first phase of six new cabins, two of them ADA-accessible, with larger sleeping configurations than the existing cabins. She estimated the project could cost around $500,000 (a preliminary estimate), and said she would request grant funding in April to cover roughly half the project cost if the grant application is successful. Enright said current cabin revenue is about $22,000 annually and she estimated expanded cabins could generate roughly $100,000 a year, noting she would verify nightly rates against state park pricing.

She said survey work and preliminary siting have been completed, including locating utilities, and that preliminary designs and elevations are available. Enright asked the board to authorize general services to apply for the state grant and to allow the county to issue an RFP to complete design and permitting.

Commissioners and staff raised questions about whether additional conditional-use or land-development review would be required, what final engineering remains, sewer capacity and permit timing, and whether planning or grant funds might be available from other sources. Facilities and procurement roles were flagged as follow-up items.

A commissioner moved to authorize general services to apply for the grant; the motion was made, seconded and then withdrawn pending more detailed engineering and permitting information. The board asked Enright to return with a fully vetted application package closer to the April grant deadline.

Ending: The board gave direction to continue vetting the project and to return with final engineering and a grant application when the package is complete; no authorization to submit the grant was approved on Feb. 12.","Parks Director Melissa Enright asked the board to allow an RFP for design work and to authorize applying for an Oregon Parks and Recreation local government grant for a proposed six-cabin expansion at Camp Wilkerson; commissioners asked for more engineering and permitting detail and the formal application was deferred until further vetting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276392,"Sheriff discusses May ballot title for jail operating levy; board to refine wording",394,1996000,2390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619&start=1996&end=2390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619/thumbnail_1996000.jpg","/articles/6276392/Columbia-County/Oregon/Sheriff-discusses-May-ballot-title-for-jail-operating-levy-board-to-refine-wording","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276392-c6f5a7e1c749503f897dbefbeb6951cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920414&Signature=KngRZezg7DjcixSSJ9gY4pg6QSgV7v0-i0JlyIf60mi6wOzUVSksprNTFNR72QoU3JwEkWxVCBr~FOLFHa7FjxX5PJqPREgspLMOSTHXFsR9~2LWKwABz1A6B92N3o1xCIJiFCXO8yXTjM5Pv7d40ramnQBSn11kx9Nz4oG~SWKSeAFJ~j8N5RAfA~2GHUylxfhju9u7mE8ug99ksJC5leGc76MX~93Bm6nzNIGkzK8ILo9RVW9ivNV5v1DQaKadeFUHdSSFYCKp~VLVJUtdfXqG5XPF0sPIXPgtigx4gQO8J7dUzWgWO2QMqiphEz2IFbyFaylMK1IvSLoC5gkdIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sheriff Pixley briefed the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 12 about a proposed notice of ballot title, referred to in the meeting as SCL 805, for a May 2025 jail operating levy.

Pixley and staff walked commissioners through the ballot-summary language and fielded questions about whether the summary made clear the levy is one of multiple revenue streams that support local jail beds. A member of the county's Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee, Rosemary Lorky, attended and urged clearer language so voters understand the levy is one of several funding sources and that rejecting it could affect the county's ability to maintain local beds.

County counsel and staff noted the ballot title must conform to a 75-word limit for the explanatory statement and said small wording changes could be made if they remain within that count. Counsel and Pixley said they would reword the paragraph to emphasize the levy is one of three primary funding sources supporting local beds.

On timing, staff said the transcript recorded a filing date phrased as the \"20 eighth\" and later referenced the twentieth; staff committed to verifying the filing deadline. Commissioners emphasized the need to be precise in the public explanation and to return with a clear, succinct statement; Pixley and counsel said they would work on revisions and bring the item back for formal adoption.

Ending: No formal vote was taken on the ballot title on Feb. 12. Staff will verify the filing deadline and return with revised ballot-language options so the board can consider adoption at a future meeting.","Sheriff Pixley presented a notice of ballot title (SCL 805) for a May 2025 jail operating levy and commissioners discussed clarifying language to ensure the public understands the levy is one of multiple funding sources for the jail; staff will verify filing deadlines and return with revised wording.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276394,"County assessor seeks to reclassify staff and propose new fee schedule for assessment services",621,499000,1120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619&start=499&end=1120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660513-a1a4cdf294bdb8cafa96a45195b85619/thumbnail_499000.jpg","/articles/6276394/Columbia-County/Oregon/County-assessor-seeks-to-reclassify-staff-and-propose-new-fee-schedule-for-assessment-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276394-3247a1a7e398da1526a9f1fad0eccf0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770920414&Signature=aq94tM0Vaeqys5XEoyOduziTKA~pFpuHwIlC2EH0YSo3IeC7b10zD5j3ZJ3w2Nh1Y7rNjRX0I~N5Y7M5nJJnUS71m81DfBKYyEdfKnksy0pSgQRti5UqzRvEuHRJgfBdNZs6sfvM9XePfNJ5SKNA6ATci4fSqPSHdHpr8wil3vwvZ3ekQAAddI0hLT0UFeVc-IellEnLe7ZTExtpo2UiKkA~jb40tIiykI3DPfpJWURsJdVa7Mi0-CLgyQ8wdiuH9dNB-v9BLx4LsQpeNov7Mb18yi9UQeWu0TO4~dpPRUKKDAnIZO5M0-cfEFyDL6Th0Jp2Mad~o0ynsRap26EoEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Columbia County Assessor Andrea Jurkowitz told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 12 that she will ask the board to create an assessment supervisor position and reclassify an existing staff member, and she outlined a proposed fee schedule for several assessment office services.

Jurkowitz said the reclassification would slot Joelle Leach into an \"assessment supervisor\" role, effective March 1, and that the position would include training to perform tax roll duties and supervision of support staff. Jurkowitz said the pay change would be one step above Leach's current pay and that funds are already budgeted through June for the vacancy created by the previous office manager's retirement.

Jurkowitz said the board needs cross-training so the assessor's office is not dependent on a single person to produce the tax roll. \"If something should happen to me for any reason ... we need somebody who could then step in and do that big piece of it,\" she said.

She told commissioners she plans to backfill the resulting vacancy with a GIS technician by July to cover cartography duties as a longtime GIS staffer (Robin) approaches retirement. Jurkowitz said the reallocation would likely save money in the next budget year.

Alongside the reclassification request, Jurkowitz presented a proposed fee schedule for non-statutory services the office performs. She said she compiled fees from roughly half of the state's 36 counties that publish schedules and pared thousands of lines of data to a concise list tied to staff time and an internal hourly rate.

Examples she cited: special-assessment applications (farm or forest deferral) average about five staff hours per application and were estimated at $225; creating the assessor's frozen valuation and mapping for a new urban renewal district was estimated at about 60 hours of combined GIS and appraisal work, or roughly $2,700. Jurkowitz said certain records requests would be charged at the county's public records request rate.

On deferrals, Jurkowitz explained differences between state programs: \"With the farm program, you don't collect back taxes\" when a parcel is disqualified; forest deferral statutes have different collection rules. She said the office now conducts more site verifications than in previous years and that those checks have reduced long-term improper deferrals.

Commissioners asked for more detail before any fee schedule would be adopted. Jurkowitz characterized the fee schedule as a July 1 earliest implementation target and said she expected to return with additional data, including counts of applications and disqualifications. She also noted the county and assessor community are pursuing expanded assessment funding at the state level, which could change the local need for fees.

The board indicated it would place creation of the assessment supervisor position and the job description on next week's consent agenda for formal action rather than acting at the Feb. 12 meeting. Commissioners also asked staff for a follow-up work session to review statutory constraints and revenue estimates for any new fees.

Ending: The board did not vote on the fee schedule on Feb. 12; Jurkowitz will return with more data and with a reclassification item on the consent agenda for the next meeting.","Columbia County Assessor Andrea Jurkowitz asked commissioners to create an assessment supervisor position and discussed a proposed fee schedule for services such as farm deferrals and urban renewal mapping; reclassification will be placed on next week's consent agenda and the fee schedule will be discussed further at a future work session.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves two emergency-management grant agreements for communications and equipment

Parks director seeks design RFP and grant application for six new cabins at Camp Wilkerson

Sheriff discusses May ballot title for jail operating levy; board to refine wording

County assessor seeks to reclassify staff and propose new fee schedule for assessment services