[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6068770,"mediaKeyId","3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3","parentId",3088451,"title","Votes at a glance: Okanogan County commission actions include franchise renewal, well investigation task order and routine approvals","audioSeconds",2253,"startMs",7211000,"endMs",9464000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3&start=7211&end=9464","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3/thumbnail_7211000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6068770/Okanogan-County/Washington/Votes-at-a-glance-Okanogan-County-commission-actions-include-franchise-renewal-well-investigation-task-order-and-routine-approvals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6068770-6f9e56f2b40826fa7271ecda3856e282/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151532&Signature=AlhrcDprrfa6RouFZQR2myU3Ub7nZEhPxXY5z04SYNY5wXmQlVlN3l2YrrsZeEhXdg80j3LNdBtWkhVHnzB73t3qcUS6ooSq3pk7VH7scdrUzPcC6FGRCXyOYZOB9uk7NcR0PMXnMgkvAH6~fXBI5T3v4H89YKzebh79p~J7DznvrBRm6dyUZxV67F3YgMlo9V9FtuXZ8GDQ~M4KfqSXgpewP2Hi9tKnoVG4SzTF9B-6PElOmGb~J~lgpGd0Yk5f2ylq-xZcnFSICm81I0gdNDJVZVUBuL9fkI3EhDARwhug2SBvskzG6Vl-mRbYvHDp3VtNY23elgVgDpgiukNxaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Okanogan County, WA","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","Okanogan County commissioners voted on several formal items at the April meeting. Key outcomes:

- Franchise renewal: The board approved Resolution 39-2025 granting a 20-year water franchise to Krombacher Estates for water lines, including domestic and irrigation pipes along Krombacher Lake Road. The franchise fee and its public advertisement were discussed; staff reported no public comments. Commissioners voted in favor by voice vote.

- Detention center task order: The board authorized the chair to sign a detention center heat pumps amendment (well investigation task order) for an estimated $148,142 to investigate injection and extraction wells at the county jail. The motion passed unanimously by recorded voice votes.

- Vouchers and minutes: Commissioners approved the March 31 and April 1 minutes and vouchers dated April 9, 2025, totaling $310,242.29.

- EMS disbursements: The board, sitting as the Methow Valley Emergency Services District, authorized disbursement to Arrow Methow Rescue Service for service contracts and accepted pass-through payments from the Town of Twisp and Town of Winthrop; the total disbursement amount recorded in the meeting was $145,077.07.

Other routine actions on the consent agenda included award of a 2025 guardrail project bid and various cattle-guard renewals; commissioners approved the full consent agenda by voice vote.

Why it matters: The franchise renewal continues an existing 20-year arrangement allowing privately maintained water lines to occupy county right of way; the well investigation funding is a targeted technical step to determine necessary corrections for a county facility with ongoing operational problems; vouchers and disbursements represent routine stewardship of county funds.

Meeting notes: For the franchise renewal, staff said the franchise had been advertised for two weeks and no public comments were received; for the detention center task order, staff described the scope of camera inspections and limited pumping tests that will inform any future rehabilitation work and funding requests. Commissioners did not record individual roll-call votes for these items in the public audio; the meeting minutes record unanimous approval.

Ending: Staff will return with reports and contract documents in follow-up meetings for any recommended rehabilitation work and to implement franchise paperwork.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Commissioners Meeting 04/09/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its April meeting the county commissioners approved: a Krombacher Estates water franchise renewal, a $148,142 detention center well investigation task order, vouchers, minutes and several routine consent items and disbursements to the local EMS district.","taxTitle","Okanogan County, Washington","taxId",65560,"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},6068773,"Noxious Weed Office outlines lake surveys, spray equipment lease and cross-border coordination",879,5455000,6334000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3&start=5455&end=6334","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3/thumbnail_5455000.jpg","/articles/6068773/Okanogan-County/Washington/Noxious-Weed-Office-outlines-lake-surveys-spray-equipment-lease-and-cross-border-coordination","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6068773-0d9d4f37d47f73c1a17c06a536fa5343/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151532&Signature=Q1g9xzZsrHsWj8FyxJ5JLRZE4FPLu-mGAA3hqrXCTK~GMwljN-aFmQ0dWIEcr~gDpm1nVzJdSx1GX41fFupijgR0T-RpYHLwAtp8d8zQOfw5oYANER5XVSi9YaoWQrnUe9JDcfjgLWGfzZBVE9mbLIT-Ft~mjJzzZFG0AOvtsLMDvg9T1CIe~z~h7WI6AGoZKCptfdnvPoZ1pAtKD2G8vUjQumYfyx3Njd6PUyoi1kmWxQrci3i1LPqQSdhaav0cBW-nm2aFs35LMVkLwyCQDscnr0n3yIutxFNZ06RMhSFhge96i7W9OesWifF52d~HhWAj4ThBm0~w6iT63iyNrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Larry Hudson, manager of the Noxious Weed Office, told commissioners the office is planning a June 27 survey of Osoyoos Lake with a community meeting in Oroville the same night and expects treatments in late July if monitoring warrants action.

Hudson said the office will hold a public meeting in Oroville and will publish a newsletter to area landowners. He said the Osoyoos Lake Management District wants a June survey and that last year's meeting attendance was low; the office intends to try a Friday evening meeting this year to boost turnout.

On equipment and program changes, Hudson said the office is launching a spray-equipment lease program for residents, including backpack sprayers and two HEV sprayers; the county is adding an online reservation link and an anonymous reporting form so people can flag weed infestations. The county expects to place the 200-gallon trailer sprayer in service in May once an axle supplier fulfills a delayed order.

Hudson also described coordination with Canadian partners and the Okanagan Basin Water Board, noting that last year the Canadian side wanted only notification prior to treatments and that the Canadian harvester program remains active across the border. He said the Canadian district donated a harvester and that equipment operators have attended Okanogan meetings.

The manager detailed other planned work: a Patterson Lake meeting to discuss donated ProcellaCOR herbicide and a May 9 effort to control flowering rush in Lake Roosevelt in coordination with Ferry County and the tribes. He added that the county received about $18,000 worth of donated herbicide from the Department of Natural Resources and that department involvement should reduce program costs.

Hudson said he is drafting a letter for the state weed board urging that Douglas County establish a weed board; Douglas County does not currently have an assessment-funded weed board, and Hudson told commissioners that weeds from Douglas can cross into Okanogan County. He said other counties, including Chelan, have supported outreach to the state weed board on this issue.

Why it matters: Hudson's updates point to active, multi-jurisdictional aquatic weed management this season and to new public-facing services intended to help landowners treat infestations without hiring contractors. The proposed Douglas County request to the state weed board reflects concern that adjacent jurisdictions' weed-control policies affect Okanogan County.

Ending: The Noxious Weed Office will hold the scheduled meetings in late May and June, roll out the equipment-reservation webpage and report back to commissioners on survey findings and treatment plans.","Okanogan County's Noxious Weed Office reported plans for lake surveys and community meetings, a spray-equipment lease program for residents, and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions and the tribe; staff also pushed the state to require Douglas County to reestablish a weed board.",{"_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},6068778,"Okanogan County OKs $148,142 well investigation as jail geothermal repairs continue",7538,2106000,9644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3&start=2106&end=9644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088451-5b5743a27fbeb4ae31b3193a72b8cee3/thumbnail_2106000.jpg","/articles/6068778/Okanogan-County/Washington/Okanogan-County-OKs-148142-well-investigation-as-jail-geothermal-repairs-continue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6068778-bd3e65c43deaf26cf60ebd9fe6744067/orig.mp4?Expires=1771151532&Signature=dQ-de7eC9fvSuETybWTQLiP0wk7tt-oGCtIlBiyyeEXltG2nGHSMGHtc3OIb-3Y0MQj7iptyeZHOlwx0Ki9uKL3GlS0OVTNT38PC0jD5jkb2Ms7MmH6lQOmoG-zcBQ6y1l9Q3GuSJxnA1Yj4ArB2YGhn8QggzTUwmKEovuOaRdKR-2n46qStqzrQMQdlcVntc2cZIieF-AYhJVUdPoCdvR3iis8q2o5MvCXKwqTKm5xVxGV~UOKJ4uBaYzmNiqyLUcSERjh4kAvSo~vGEbRo2u3lIK5vFqAnqXDoruxxbA3wRAK4TxZC072mGCmHAoFi5pdLhcZ0BTOOs3M1-o5-9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Okanogan County commissioners voted to authorize a $148,142 task order to investigate the county detention center's geothermal wells, part of an ongoing response to system failures that have left the jail relying on portable cooling units.

The board approved the amendment, described in the meeting as a limited well investigation and pump test, after county staff and a Commerce grant representative described repeated issues with silt, filters and well performance since the geothermal project was installed. \"Just for the exchangers? Just for the exchangers,\" a county official said after staff read a quote that showed a single equipment bid for about $489,000, underscoring that repair estimates already returned to the county were substantial.

The approved task order covers downhole video inspection, limited step-rate pumping tests and a written evaluation of well rehabilitation, retrofit or replacement options. Commissioners and staff said the work is designed to establish actual flow rates and the condition of injection wells before the county spends on larger repairs or equipment replacements.

Why it matters: The detention center's cooling system has underperformed for years, according to the discussion. County staff said the geothermal heat exchangers have silt build-up and that earlier maintenance routines and filters either were inadequate or were not performed consistently. Until the county identifies reliable well performance and flows, staff said, the jail will continue to rely on temporary cooling and electric boilers, increasing operating costs.

County and technical staff explained that earlier project phases had oversized extraction and injection wells intending a second phase of expansion; despite that, the injection wells are not accepting flows as designed. \"We did oversize both the extraction and the injection wells,\" a staff member said, \"and we still have water backing up out of the wells.\" A Commerce representative, identified in the meeting as Kirsten, said the agency may have capital funding windows later in the year that the county could apply to for partial assistance.

Discussion and next steps: Staff described a two-step field plan: a limited step-rate pumping test (four incremental pumping periods followed by a final four-hour run at an optimal rate) and downhole camera inspection to document sediment deposits and mechanical conditions. Meeting remarks also referenced separate estimates for a more extensive pump test that could run 24 to 28 hours and a larger rehabilitation scope. Staff estimated the county could see additional contractor costs for full rehabilitation or replacement and suggested a target application window for Commerce grants in the fall.

Commission action: The motion to authorize the chair to sign the amendment for the well investigation (estimated at $148,142) passed unanimously. No individual votes were recorded by name in the public minutes; commissioners signaled all in favor.

Staff cautioned that additional work likely will be required after the investigation: pump tests, possible well rehabilitation or replacement, and replacement of heat-exchange hardware if silt damage is confirmed. County staff said they will return with test results and updated cost estimates and will pursue available Commerce grant opportunities to offset repair costs.

Ending: County officials said they will schedule the field testing soon and expected preliminary results to guide whether the county pursues larger repairs or a conversion to a closed-loop exchanger system. The investigators will also coordinate permitting and discharge issues, including discussions with the City of Okanogan where disposal to municipal storm drains may be necessary.","Commissioners authorized a $148,142 task order to investigate the jail geothermal system\u0000injection and extraction wells after years of underperformance; county staff said additional pump testing and larger repairs may be needed and that the county will pursue state grant funding.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Okanogan County commission actions include franchise renewal, well investigation task order and routine approvals

Noxious Weed Office outlines lake surveys, spray equipment lease and cross-border coordination

Okanogan County OKs $148,142 well investigation as jail geothermal repairs continue