Klamath County commissioners approve bids, equipment purchases, insurance switch and multiple appointments

Klamath County commissioners on Oct. 12 voted on a slate of procurement, contract and personnel actions, including authorizing Public Works to solicit bids for chip-seal rock, approving two equipment purchases for the sheriff’s search-and-rescue program, approving a union health-insurance memorandum of understanding for two bargaining units, and adopting a final order for a comprehensive-plan map change.

Why it matters: The actions secure road surfacing materials, replace aging search-and-rescue vehicles, change employee insurance coverage for two bargaining groups and finalize a zoning change that starts an appeal period for neighboring property owners.

Most important actions

- The board authorized Public Works to issue a request for bids for EAC (chip-seal) rock, with an engineer’s estimate of about $1,000,000 and a quantity of roughly 22,900 cubic yards. The department said current stocks will finish this season but would be depleted without new purchases.

- The board approved purchases for the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue program: a 2025 Polaris Ranger XP Northstar Premium crew cab side-by-side with tracks and mounts for $37,219.93 to be paid from the sheriff’s Search and Rescue auction proceeds; and two Polaris Titan S4 snowmobiles at $15,895 each (total $31,790), to be paid from the sheriff’s special revenue fund that the county said is dedicated to snowmobile-related acquisitions.

- The board approved a memorandum of understanding allowing KCSSA and KCPOA employees to discontinue coverage under the Oregon Educators Benefit Board and enroll in a union-offered plan through the Fraternal Order of Police (Thin Blue Line). The county said the union plan will provide medical, dental and vision coverage; meeting remarks listed a $14.75 monthly employee premium figure and stated the county currently contributes $1,680 per month toward premiums for these employees. The county estimated a $205 per month change per KCPOA/KCSSA employee for the remainder of the fiscal year (future impact depends on premium changes).

- The board approved Amendment No. 4 to the provider agreement between Cascade Health Alliance and Klamath County Public Health to incorporate updated Oregon Health Authority contract language; the county said there is no fiscal impact.

- The board approved an amendment to an existing public-works contract to replace the contractor name on file: WH Pacific (as listed previously) will be replaced by NV5, Inc., and the county will issue payments to NV5. The county indicated no fiscal impact for this administrative change.

- The board adopted Ordinance No. 44.172 and the final order CLUPZC3TAC24, which implements a previously approved zone change and triggers notification to neighboring property owners and the start of the appeal period for an 8.04-acre property. Meeting materials identified no fiscal impact for the county.

Other formal items included the approval of a federal Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) revision providing grant revenue of $82,771 with a required county match (meeting remarks cited up to $62,086.43 as a general-fund match requirement), approval of a domestic-well financial assistance grant to a named recipient, several board and committee appointments, and a bylaws change for the Library Advisory Committee removing a location-representation requirement.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in meeting proceedings)

- Request for bids for EAC rock production (Public Works): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. - Amendment No. 2 to WH Pacific / NV5 contract (administrative name change): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed (no fiscal impact stated). - Ordinance 44.172 / Final order CLUPZC3TAC24 (zone change, 8.04 acres): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. - Purchase of 2025 Polaris Ranger XP Northstar side-by-side for Search & Rescue ($37,219.93): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. Funds to come from sheriff’s Search & Rescue auction revenue; a budget resolution will be submitted to account for revenue and expenditure. - Purchase of two Polaris Titan S4 snowmobiles for Search & Rescue ($31,790 total): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. Funds to come from the sheriff’s special revenue fund; a budget resolution will be submitted. - MOU approving KCSSA and KCPOA switch to Thin Blue Line insurance through the Fraternal Order of Police: motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. Meeting remarks cited employee monthly premium of $14.75 and county contribution of $1,680/month for these positions. - Amendment No. 4 to the provider agreement with Cascade Health Alliance (public-health provider agreement updates): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed (no fiscal impact stated). - EMPG 24-517 grant revision (Emergency Management): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. Meeting remarks cited $82,771 grant revenue and up to $62,086.43 county general-fund match. - Klamath County Domestic Well Financial Assistance Grant (named recipient Robert Napier): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed. Fiscal impact listed as $21,760.60 from the commissioners’ miscellaneous grant fund. - Bylaws amendment for the Library Advisory Committee (remove location-representation requirement): motion made and seconded; chair signaled approval; motion passed (no fiscal impact stated). - Multiple board and commission appointments (library advisory board, fair board, planning commission, local alcohol and drug planning committee, tourism grant review panel, Title 3 advisory council, Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee, budget committee): motions made or read into the record and approved; one appointment vote included an abstention from a commissioner who said they were not present for interviews; otherwise motions passed as recorded.

What the meeting did not do: No ordinance was rescinded, no long-term contract award was finalized at this meeting (procurements authorized to go to bid or to accept vendor quotes were approved where noted), and several items were recorded as having “no fiscal impact."