Crook County commissioners approve proclamations, budget corrections and land-use change; authorize VOCA signature and $5,000 contribution

The Crook County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 5 approved a series of routine and time-sensitive items, including a proclamation for Operation Greenlight to honor veterans, authorization for the district attorney to sign a VOCA grant agreement, a clerical correction to the county's adopted budget order, a supplemental budget to carry forward Title 3 funds, and a zone-map amendment reclassifying about 20 acres in the Pal Butte area from exclusive farm use to rural residential.

The board adopted a proclamation recognizing Nov. 4'11 as Operation Greenlight for Veterans after Katie Quan, the county's health and human services director, explained the county's planned lighting of the historic courthouse and veteran services office and summarized recent veteran-services outcomes. The board approved the proclamation by voice vote.

Crook County District Attorney Carrie Hathorn told the board the county's VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) awards returned to historical levels; she asked that the board authorize the county representative to sign the VOCA CFA (grant agreement). Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to authorize the signature; the motion passed.

Staff presented an amendment to order 2025-18 that corrected a clerical error in the budget ordinance (one appropriation line mislabeled as contingency should have been capital outlay). Staff said the amendment is retroactive to July 1, 2025, and will not change fund totals, appropriations, or tax rates; the board approved the correction.

Finance director Christina Herron presented Resolution 2025-36, a proposed supplemental budget to roll forward Title 3 funds for two unfinished projects: upfitting a donated bus as a mobile incident command post for the sheriff's office, and outfitting a search-and-rescue pickup for public-lands missions. Herron also asked the board to appropriate funds from the foreclosure and county lands fund. The board held the noticed public hearing and adopted the supplemental budget as presented.

In land-use business the board held the second of two quasi-judicial hearings on Ordinance 355, a zone-map amendment for property identified as MTL 1614110001200. Planning staff said the parcel is roughly 20 acres in the Pal Butte study area; no agency or public opposition testimony was offered at the second hearing, and the board approved the ordinance.

The board also approved a $5,000 contribution from the county's community-support fund to Oregonians for Floodplain Protection following a motion and second. Planning staff noted the contribution pays a membership or organizational fee and does not directly fund litigation, and one department director said his office does not have a planning nexus for the payment; the board approved using community-support funds.

Several routine items and appointments were approved on the consent agenda earlier in the meeting.

No additional formal actions were taken on the many public comments about local mining operations and water-quality concerns; county planning staff and state agency representatives reported those complaints are under review.

Actions recorded at the meeting are listed below with the motions that generated them and the board outcomes.