[{"_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",6068618,"mediaKeyId","3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3","parentId",3088454,"title","Okanogan County adopts six-month moratorium on new cannabis grows as county and state compliance dispute continues","audioSeconds",184,"startMs",4556000,"endMs",4740000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3&start=4556&end=4740","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3/thumbnail_4556000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6068618/Okanogan-County/Washington/Okanogan-County-adopts-six-month-moratorium-on-new-cannabis-grows-as-county-and-state-compliance-dispute-continues","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6068618-37efc5e1808148b9e9670bad488afe96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096457&Signature=NZwHMPnXK1-OG9J27Vq7tkmiqLU6yIt0AE-b7ZbnO0YgfZ~QECPNOy76QFNUa8EtoMFcAN8Q-stb3YIrFFujJBSjbTj2Venwim2hZu-9uYlP~9YnH0nLLuLE9~aLuiXw44z8lGUUO7q4KJokm1bsrllqXLU5aaMWTsJ550~JOY3j5dWEP3fqpEOJW17i-0cTR2RN-MSOUKhUd6M-Yl2AVMCL-7mfaWR8Px-cDddbgIflUFnP9S2RvDSEd4cUmCB-Y42jjlwYmjED8PhBhOuQCaP~X-~yBRAbqM63Q6YHXOgGHYXiE38v2~TFByTIIXFDJM-LaursWTV~2QrVp9A1Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Okanogan County, WA","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","At its meeting, the Okanogan County Board of Commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on permitting new cannabis grows in the county and directed staff to pursue a formal meeting with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and other state officials to resolve enforcement and licensing conflicts.

The board adopted an ordinance establishing the moratorium after discussion of repeated cases in which licensed cannabis operations did not meet county building, septic and zoning rules and, commissioners said, were difficult to bring into compliance. The board voted in favor with one commissioner abstaining; the ordinance will be placed on a future agenda for final ministerial steps.

County staff and commissioners said the moratorium is intended to pause new applications while county staff: (1) convene the state licensing agency to clarify how state licensing will account for local zoning and building code requirements, (2) refine a local enforcement and monitoring approach for existing operations, and (3) draft a work plan to evaluate whether long-term code changes or administrative processes are needed. The ordinance allows a single six‑month extension if the board adopts a written work plan before the first moratorium period expires.

Commissioners and staff described a mix of operational problems at some licensed sites, including unpermitted structures, expired permits and, in a subset of properties, multiple unpermitted buildings on a single parcel. Staff told the board that the county’s inventory includes 59 known cannabis-related operations and that 22 of those were identified as noncompliant in recent reviews. County officials said lack of local engineering or contractor willingness to work with some growers has been a barrier to bringing certain structures to code.

County staff recommended using the moratorium period to (a) request a formal, multi-hour agenda item with the state licensing agency so commissioners and department heads can present local concerns, (b) pursue regulatory clarifications such as what constitutes an “agricultural building” under county code, and (c) explore interim enforcement measures — including administrative variances, annual monitoring fees for nonconforming sites, or prosecution where required by code. The board directed staff to schedule the state agency meeting and return with a timeline for the work plan.

The moratorium applies only to new cannabis grows; existing licensed sites remain subject to county inspections and any corrective actions required by county code. County staff and several commissioners stressed the moratorium is not intended as a permanent ban but as a pause to give the county time to align its permitting, inspection and enforcement processes with state licensing practice.

Ending: The board set a 180‑day moratorium with a procedural path to extend once, if a work plan is in place. Commissioners asked staff to prioritize outreach to growers, local engineers and the state licensing board during the moratorium and to return with a recommended schedule for the required outreach and any proposed code edits.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Commissioners Meeting 04/01/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting, the Okanogan County Board of Commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on permitting new cannabis grows in the county and directed staff to pursue a formal meeting with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and other state officials to resolve enforcement and licensing conflicts.","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},6068608,"Commissioners approve four open-space designations; public hearing scheduled for boating safety supplemental as SAR seeks drone purchases",1078,7443000,8521000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3&start=7443&end=8521","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3/thumbnail_7443000.jpg","/articles/6068608/Okanogan-County/Washington/Commissioners-approve-four-open-space-designations-public-hearing-scheduled-for-boating-safety-supplemental-as-SAR-seeks-drone-purchases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6068608-f990c66b39d4fd82b72713aa7f3832bc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096457&Signature=c-5HPvVplHMrasTVx~wb~hWsCZjwVIsJQUIpElim7A-AnOe262ICImqWu8Dkg2EkomeupjOpl-pNd0XdPd27SOA4WwDQwxiJru0IbAsqddIPkI-SeDluuUmyGpIUxLmj2y6sNFeyHfNzEzZmG63E~zyxI9FxdVqv0kKTOVLyfSKtik03odRgxzcYqYrV6XBAD0HVPB1cDhPpAN3ZsU5tgCsGjVnOrIW25OD~zQ80DZ1gixrjIN6wBFpgohhRGT1ehhkmWaAKVxPQyuBreZqn9mfu-~wIFY-6Eo1rlDEWvg6qDGH5HKzjyH6vn2pOtn3~WMIdWEo4jJl5j~~4X2jxww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of County Commissioners approved four open‑space designations recommended by the hearing examiner after a public hearing in which the Methow Conservancy described the parcels’ public benefits for wildlife and trail connectivity. The board voted to adopt the resolutions after staff confirmed conformity with the county’s scoring system; commissioners also agreed to review whether the county’s point schedule should be revised to recognize contiguous trail systems and nonprofit‑owned conserved land more clearly in future evaluations.

Planning staff told the board they will schedule work sessions to review the floodplain and open-space chapters of county code and to discuss possible edits that would accommodate parcels used for habitat protection with limited or shared external trailhead parking. The Conservancy urged county staff and commissioners to consider allowing points where parking is provided adjacent to but not on the nominated parcel and to consider points for nonprofit-owned conserved land even where a conservation easement has not been placed on the organization’s own parcel.

Votes at a glance: commissioners approved the four open-space resolutions and later adopted the cannabis moratorium ordinance. The board also received a presentation from the sheriff’s office about a boating-safety fund supplemental. Sheriff’s staff said they had not budgeted for increased vessel activity earlier and requested a supplemental to add training, vessel maintenance and overtime for deputies certified as marine operators. The auditor confirmed the supplemental has been advertised and will return to the board at a future meeting for final action.

Separately, county search-and-rescue personnel requested reallocation of Title 3 funds previously earmarked for dive-team gear to purchase two drones with thermal imaging and associated training, plus a Starlink terminal and vehicle communications gear. Staff said they would submit a line-item change to the Title 3 MOU and the auditor to effect the change; the board did not object to the request and asked staff to route the paperwork to the auditor for final processing.

Ending: The board approved the open-space resolutions and directed staff to return with proposed code edits or policy language for future open-space scoring. The boating-safety supplemental will proceed through the advertised public‑hearing process; the search-and-rescue Title 3 change will be processed administratively and returned to the board as required.","The board approved four open-space designations after a planning-examiner recommendation and discussion with the Methow Conservancy; commissioners also heard a presentation on a boating-safety budget supplemental (public hearing advertised) and a request to reallocate Title III funds to buy search-and-rescue drones and communications gear.",{"_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},6068613,"County staff to move $188,000 after ARPA line-item error; mobile command funds will be shifted to Tongue Mountain hardening and coroner project",862,239000,1101000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3&start=239&end=1101","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3088454-77fea34de57cb15490942d34db2b28c3/thumbnail_239000.jpg","/articles/6068613/Okanogan-County/Washington/County-staff-to-move-188000-after-ARPA-line-item-error-mobile-command-funds-will-be-shifted-to-Tongue-Mountain-hardening-and-coroner-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6068613-7d2a2600db143e8ece4343c7b047ce7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771096458&Signature=b0MzvwI24bxgYapXkhgZs-m7TPFhwrAdzvO~KTqhT8kng40vOuK-BLkRo0kswSCDJkncHnWlacDTLkBOCY1FSfOr8oSJQKcUamBmnD9-aTbkFCGkNLI2EoTiDhM66sfFTS3qa1JYEzJ3jJxEHZIxz8STOtzi6iA5Kz-yG9PIuuAA05vSjaNwEgviXO2xx3l9GvCEnZqhr168NrWB9wdxrAGnuDFqsVCFouAxxxdwPR3EybQKugrKJJBeUDf-7Oc7FuVYkaqBGKZ9KBSVg6oaWxOOwiemWj5nKCvbScPqcvCv3wb5G2Jo546SYOa0BcTIIzPrBJi1YmiaX0Y6RNKZYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County budget staff informed the Board that an accounting error placed $329,639 in the mobile-command capital expense line instead of the Tongue Mountain fire‑hardening capital project. Staff and commissioners discussed an immediate budget amendment to transfer $188,000 to complete Tongue Mountain project closeout and to move the remaining appropriated monies toward the Coroner’s Building or other eligible accounts.

County finance staff said invoices for work on Tongue Mountain had been routed against the wrong line item and that $53,000 had already been charged to ARPA for related work in 2025. Staff asked the auditor’s office to identify how much has already been expensed against the suspect line item, confirm whether the $329,639 shown as obligated is a remnant or duplicate, and — if necessary — amend the prior ARPA obligation resolution to re-designate funds from the mobile command line to the Tongue Mountain project.

Commissioners and staff discussed reporting restrictions and ARPA timelines. Staff said some ARPA funds were obligated by 12/31/2023 and have specific spending windows; moving funds among ARPA categories will require documenting obligations and, in at least one case, a formal resolution to obligate funds for a sheriff radio or mobile command-related purchase already previously designated. The board directed staff to draft a budget amendment resolution to move $188,000 from the mobile-command line to the Tongue Mountain hardening line and to propose disposition of the remaining balance, pending confirmation of existing obligations and whether bond funds can cover part of the coroner project.

Separately, the board discussed routine budget housekeeping: staff planned to move unspent wage dollars from vacant jail positions into the overtime line to improve monitoring of true overtime exposure. That change was described as a technical budget adjustment that does not alter the county’s overall bottom-line appropriation and would not require a public hearing where funds are already appropriated within line items.

Ending: Staff will prepare a detailed budget amendment resolution for a future meeting after auditors confirm which ARPA lines were actually obligated and how much remains available to transfer. The board instructed staff to prioritize payments that would avoid running project lines negative and to document any amendments to prior ARPA obligations.","Budget staff told commissioners that $329,639 was coded to the mobile-command capital line in error; they proposed a budget amendment to transfer $188,000 to the Tongue Mountain fire-hardening project and allocate the remainder to the Coroner’s Building, and flagged ARPA obligation and reporting deadlines.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Okanogan County adopts six-month moratorium on new cannabis grows as county and state compliance dispute continues

Commissioners approve four open-space designations; public hearing scheduled for boating safety supplemental as SAR seeks drone purchases

County staff to move $188,000 after ARPA line-item error; mobile command funds will be shifted to Tongue Mountain hardening and coroner project