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Board approves county pass-through of $322,149.99 hazard-mitigation grant for Columbia Memorial Hospital; chair declared conflict but voted to meet quorum
Summary
Clatsop County authorized the county manager (or designee) to execute a Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant agreement (EMS-2022-BR-006-009) to pass $322,149.99 to Columbia Memorial Hospital; county counsel cited ORS 244.12(b) to allow a conflicted public official to vote when needed for a minimum number of votes.
Clatsop County approved a time-sensitive pass-through of federal hazard-mitigation funding to Columbia Memorial Hospital and authorized the county manager or designee to execute the grant agreement.
County Counsel Anthony Pope explained an ethics exception in state law, reading from ORS 244.12, subsection (b): "If a public official's vote is necessary to meet a requirement of a minimum number of votes to take official action, they shall be eligible to vote, but not participate as a public official in any discussion or debate out of which the actual conflict arises." Counsel advised that the county charter requires three affirmative votes and only three commissioners were present that evening.
An Assistant County Manager told the board the grant agreement in question is a Hazard Mitigation Assistance award for Columbia Memorial Hospital for $322,149.99 intended to support phase 1 work on the hospital's resiliency features. "This grant is for $322,149.99, and it's for the phase 1 work that is currently underway," the assistant county manager said. Staff said action was time-sensitive; delaying to the board's next regular meeting could jeopardize funding.
The chair declared an actual conflict of interest, left the discussion, and did not participate in debate. Following county-counsel guidance, the conflicted official was permitted to cast a vote to reach the minimum required for action. Commissioner Thompson moved to authorize the county manager or designee to execute Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program Agreement EMS-2022-BR-006-009 for Columbia Memorial Hospital; the motion was seconded and carried.
County staff described the county's role as a conduit: the federal agency will provide funds to the county, which will then pass the funds to Columbia Memorial Hospital under a contract and associated accounting and audit requirements. No additional county funding was committed during the meeting; staff said the county will administer the pass-through according to grant conditions.
