Tribal resident urges county to fix Omak Mountain Road; commissioners flag funding limits

Lisa True, who lives on an allotment off Omak Mountain Road, told the Okanogan County Board of Commissioners she has pressed the county for decades to improve the dirt road that splits her family’s property and said an open‑pit operation approved in 2013 caused new dust and damage near her home. She told commissioners she suffers safety and access problems when the road becomes washboarded and asked the county to place a stabilizing treatment (commonly called "oil" in local usage) or perform more consistent grading and plowing.

County staff responded that the county does not use petroleum oils on roads and instead applies stabilizers such as calcium or magnesium chloride; they explained the county’s road budget is constrained by largely flat state gas tax revenue and federal Secure Rural Schools funding and that rising equipment and material costs have forced them to consider limiting magnesium chloride use next year. The staff presentation said the county had expected $760,000 in a federal payment but instead received $83,000, and that property‑tax revenue is capped by statute and cannot keep pace with rising service costs.

Commissioners and staff said they understand the local safety concerns but that the county’s choices reflect limited resources and competing priorities including plow routes tied to school bus safety. Staff proposed holding a public meeting to ask residents what level of road service they want to keep and to identify possible funding or service trade‑offs. Commissioners agreed to pursue public‑works follow‑up and to keep the commenter informed of next steps.

The county did not adopt any policy change at the meeting; staff said they will review the site conditions, check historic permits and right‑of‑way records, and bring options back to the board for possible future action or inclusion in the budget process.