The Okanogan County Board of Commissioners reorganized its leadership at the start of 2025 and approved a package of routine actions including a procedural amendment to the county nightly-rental code and several procurement and interlocal items.

Board members nominated and confirmed the chamber leadership for 2025. John Neal was nominated and confirmed as chair for 2025; a separate nomination for vice chair carried as well. The board then moved through a series of consent and action items.

Why it matters: the procedural amendment to the county’s nightly-rental code removes a health-permit step commissioners said the county could no longer require after the public-health permit moved out of county control. Other approvals fund public-facing services (a $70,000 county contribution to a Firewise program) and complete small procurement steps needed for county facilities and projects.

Key actions approved
• Ordinance amendment to OCC 5.06 (nightly rentals): The board approved a procedural amendment that removes the requirement that an overnight-transient permit be issued by the county health department because the health permitting authority is no longer a county department. County planning staff presented the amendment and described it as a typographical and process cleanup so the local code aligns with current public-health practice.

• Ringhofer building fire system upgrade (contract authorization): The board approved a motion to proceed with fire-system upgrades at the Ringhofer building with Felden Fire Service. The motion passed on a voice vote; the transcript records the contractor name and the contractor-selection discussion but the contract amount is recorded in the meeting transcript in ambiguous form as “20 $6,610.24 plus tax.” The board instructed staff to finalize signatures and next steps.

• Change order for sheriff storage gate: A Halmi Construction change order to add a 4-by-6-foot walk-through gate at the sheriff’s equipment/corner storage was approved (amount shown in the minutes: $1,047).

• Interlocal agreement with Okanogan Conservation District: The board approved an interlocal agreement to provide $70,000 to the countywide Firewise program for 2025.

• Administrative/resolution items: The board approved appointments and administrative resolutions including signature authority for Deputy Clerk Stacy McClellan and a multi-county reappointment of a trustee to the North Central Regional Library board.

Votes at a glance
- Chair of the Board (organizational): John Neal — nomination carried (voice vote).
- Vice chair (organizational): Commissioner Hobert — nomination carried (voice vote).
- Ordinance — procedural amendment to OCC 5.06 (nightly rentals): Motion to approve ordinance number recorded in packet (transcript: “ordinance number 2020 5 dash 1”) — motion carried on a voice vote.
- Ringhofer building fire-system upgrade contract authorization: Motion to proceed with Felden Fire Service — motion carried on a voice vote. (Contract amount recorded in transcript as “20 $6,610.24 plus tax”; staff to finalize.)
- Change order — Halmi Construction gate at sheriff storage: $1,047 — motion carried.
- Interlocal agreement — Okanogan Conservation District, Firewise program: $70,000 for 2025 — motion carried.
- Resolution — appoint/reappoint trustee to North Central Regional Library (Kathleen Alstotte): motion to sign reappointment carried.
- Administrative resolution — grant signing authority to Deputy Clerk Stacy McClellan: motion carried.

What board members said and next steps
Planning director Kate Palmer explained the code amendment to the board and said the health permitting step was a duplication because the health district is no longer a county department and no longer issues the overnight-transient permits the code referenced. For procurement items staff will complete final contract paperwork and return signed documents to the records file.

The board recessed for lunch and scheduled follow-up on project updates and capital planning at future meetings.