Columbia County commissioners approve consent agenda including ambulances, advisory appointments and union health benefit letters

Columbia County commissioners approved a multi-item consent agenda Wednesday that included personnel actions, appointments to advisory committees, and several letters of agreement covering employee health benefits.

The consent agenda, moved and approved during the July 2 Board of Commissioners meeting, authorized personnel actions for department heads effective July 1, 2025; appointed Corey Padron as administrator of the Columbia County ambulance service plan and ambulance service ordinance; named Jessica Kosidar and Dan Clark to advisory committees; and approved multiple letters of agreement with bargaining units on fiscal year 2026 health benefits.

The agenda listed these items specifically: approval of board meeting minutes for June 18 and June 25; approval of work session minutes; payroll and personnel approvals; Order No. 44-2025 appointing an administrator for the Columbia County Ambulance Service Plan and related ordinance; appointment of Corey Padron as ambulance service administrator and the emergency management director as an ex officio nonvoting member; appointment of Jessica Kosidar as the administrative designee ex officio nonvoting member to the Ambulance Service Advisory Committee; reappointment of Dan Clark to the Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee for a term to expire June 30, 2028; and letters of agreement with several bargaining units including AFSCME locals and the Columbia County Deputy Sheriffs Association for FY 2026 health benefits.

The board also approved a series of agreements, contracts, and amendments listed on the consent agenda, including intergovernmental agreements with the cities of Vernonia and Columbia City for permit data compilation services, a personnel services amendment with La Chevelle Strategies LLC, and a consent agreement with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (25-AREC-1889). The board voted aye to adopt the consent agenda as presented.

Because many items were bundled on the consent agenda, individual members did not debate every item during the meeting; the board followed the standard practice of moving the full package as a single motion.

The board did not identify any required follow-up reports during the motion on the consent items; where specific documents require signatures, the motion authorized the chair to sign.

For residents seeking specific documents or details about a particular appointment or contract, staff indicated standard public records processes apply for obtaining copies of the signed orders and agreements.