Harney County Court approves street vacation, fills multiple board seats and signs Secure Rural Schools letter

The Harney County Court on Jan. 23 approved a court order vacating parts of Third Street and adjacent alleyways in the town of Jersey, appointed multiple citizens to county boards and committees and voted to send letters to the county’s federal delegation urging restoration of Secure Rural Schools funding.

The court voted by voice on a set of separate motions. The court approved an order titled “Court Order 2025-05” vacating a portion of Third Street from Commercial Avenue to B Street and two alleyways described by tax lot numbers; the order includes instructions to record the vacation with the county clerk and assessor. The court also appointed Debbie Arndt to fill a vacancy on the Harney County budget committee and reappointed Kate Cunningham to a second term on the Harney County Library Advisory Board. The court approved appointments or accepted applications for members of the Elected Officials Compensation Board, the Harney County Fair Board, the Southeast Area Commission on Transportation (SEAC) at-large representative, and the Harney County Wolf Advisory Committee.

On a separate motion the court authorized the chair to sign and transmit letters to U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Representative Cliff Bentz (Oregon), urging appropriation of Secure Rural Schools funding for the county. The court record shows the motion passed by voice vote.

Votes at a glance

- Court Order 2025-05 (street and alley vacation, town of Jersey): motion carried by voice vote; clerk directed to record (motion text and supporting report appear in the record). - Appointment: Debbie Arndt — Harney County budget committee (fills vacancy): motion carried by voice vote. Training dates for budget committee noted (Department of Revenue sessions March 20, March 27 and April 3). - Appointment: Kate Cunningham — Harney County Library Advisory Board (reappointment, second term): motion carried by voice vote. - Appointments / acceptances: Fair Board applicants (two vacancies), Elected Officials Compensation Board applicants (three named applicants accepted for consideration), Wolf Advisory Committee appointments (Russell Clark, Chance Miller, Shane Otley) and SEAC at-large appointment (Richard Paul): motions carried by voice vote. - Letter authorization: sign and send letters to U.S. senators and representative urging passage/appropriation of Secure Rural Schools (motion carried by voice vote).

Details, documentation and vote recording

Most motions were approved by voice vote. The meeting record does not include roll-call tallies listing individual vote choices; minutes report “Aye” and “motion carries” after each voice vote. Motions and supporting documents are referenced in the meeting packet and are available in the county’s public records. The court referenced ORS 294.414 when discussing the budget committee’s membership and duties.

Why this matters

The street vacation affects county land records and title around Third Street and the named alleyways in Jersey; recording the court order transfers title/responsibility consistent with the findings included in the county road supervisor’s report. Appointments fill statutorily required citizen roles that advise the county on budgets, fairgrounds, library policy and wildlife (wolf) matters. The Secure Rural Schools funding request responds to a projected shortfall—county staff estimated roughly $1,040,000 in typical Secure Rural Schools funding, versus approximately $75,000 if the calculation were limited to timber receipts—creating a sizable potential gap for road and school budgets if the appropriation is not enacted.

The court’s actions were procedural and taken by voice vote during the meeting; for full text of motions, supporting documents and formal orders see the county’s agenda packet and recorded minutes.