Post Mountain residents seek power, a transfer station and county support for post-fire cleanup

Residents from Post Mountain used the June 11 general-plan workshop to press for basic services and community infrastructure after years of wildfire impacts and limited access to utilities.

Key requests from Post Mountain attendees included: - A local transfer station to reduce travel time and illegal dumping; residents noted they currently travel long distances to dispose of waste. - Improved electric service and broadband (county staff noted a county clean-energy feasibility grant is underway to study power delivery options). - County support to help property owners with post-fire cleanup and maintenance tasks (removal of hazard trees, invasive-species control and sediment reduction) but not placing full financial responsibility on the county.

County response and staff guidance: Planning staff said no private parcels were redesignated to commercial because most property owners in Post Mountain declined rezoning during workshops; staff said rezoning would only be done with property-owner consent. Staff recommended the board consider program language that supports grant-seeking, partnership with nonprofits and agencies, and county facilitation of access to funding to help with maintenance and cleanup rather than a county-funded entitlement program.

County-owned parcels: The county identified two small parcels (about five acres combined, north of Proline Road between Fern Court and Rattlesnake Road) that could potentially be evaluated for public facilities. Staff cautioned there are environmental and regulatory hurdles for transfer-station siting and detailed feasibility work would be required.

Grants and partners: Multiple public commenters and staff pointed to active grant pursuits (clean-energy feasibility, sediment reduction, wildlife restoration and Cannabis-related restoration grants) and regional partners (McConnell Foundation, North Coast Resource Partnership and Watershed Research and Training Center) already working with the community. "It's a great opportunity to pursue grants," said Lisa Wright, a local stakeholder.

Next steps: Board members directed staff to: - Continue to seek grant funding and partnerships for power, broadband and transfer-station feasibility. - Treat post-fire cleanup and fuels reduction as countywide priorities, while exploring targeted community programs for Post Mountain that rely on external grant or partner support rather than direct county-funded programs. - Return to the community with revised language and identify potential commercial parcels if property owners express interest.