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Harney County to clarify appointments to Local Public Safety Coordinating Council under ORS 423.56
Summary
Lottie Pressley raised the council’s unappointed seats under ORS 423.56; commissioners asked county counsel to clarify whether several members (e.g., sheriff, police chief) are automatic and to prepare a single appointment packet to be considered at a future session.
Lottie Pressley, representing the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC), asked Harney County Court on Feb. 5 to complete formal appointments required by statute and to clarify terms and who must be appointed. Pressley said several positions named in ORS 423.56 — including a lay citizen and representatives of community‑based nonprofit victim services — are specified by statute and that the county has not made formal appointments in recent years.
Why it matters: ORS 423.56 establishes the local public safety coordinating council and lists specific membership categories; the statute also indicates that county commissioners make certain appointments. Formalizing appointments would ensure statutory compliance and clarity about terms, chair selection and the council’s quorum.
What the court agreed to do: Commissioners asked staff to consult county counsel, Dominic Carrillo, for an interpretation of the statute and whether named offices (for example, the sheriff) need a formal vote of appointment or are assumed. The court directed staff to prepare a single packet of appointments to be presented in one session to minimize repeated returns to court. Commissioners discussed handling staggered start dates if some bylaws list January or July term starts.
Ending: The court asked Pressley and LPSCC members to confer on recommendations for citizen seats before the next county court meeting.
