Crook County approves advisory appointments, mental-health funding agreement and pushes ODOT for safety fixes on Highway 126
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Summary
The board approved appointments to advisory committees, accepted an intergovernmental agreement and local plan for community mental health funding, and voted to send ODOT a letter seeking temporary speed feedback signs, speed reviews and long-term roundabout funding after a recent fatal crash on US-126.
The commissioners approved several routine and policy items during the meeting.
Appointments and orders: Tim DeBout (Natural Resources) presented recommendations to fill vacancies on the Natural Resources Advisory Committee; the board approved four-year appointments for Laura York and Andy Gallagher. Health and human services director Katie Plumb presented recommended appointees to the ambulance service area advisory council — Jeremiah Kenfield, Lieutenant Madden, Dr. Grues and Tom Evans — and the board confirmed those appointments by motion.
Mental-health funding: County staff and counsel discussed a condensed intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to finance community mental health programs and an accompanying local plan and budget. Staff said the state later identified a contractual error that will be corrected by amendment; counsel recommended approving execution of the agreement rather than delaying for the state amendment. The board approved the IGA (agreement number 44300-00054285) and the local plan and budget by voice vote.
Highway 126 safety push: Commissioner (Speaker 4) reported a recent fatal crash at Mile Post 7 on Highway 126 and presented crash and traffic-count data compiled with Under Sheriff Bill Elliott, noting large traffic volumes on Pal Butte Highway (roughly 27,900 vehicles during a seven-day sample, equating to about 4,000 vehicles per day at one count location) and decades of crashes at the corridor. He asked the board to sign a letter asking ODOT for immediate safety measures including speed feedback signs in both directions, speed-limit review and near-term calming treatments, and to prioritize a roundabout. The board voted to send the letter to ODOT and the Central Oregon Area Commission on Transportation.
Support for emergency-preparedness funding: The board also voted to send a letter supporting House Bill 4121, a bill described in the meeting as providing funding for emergency-preparedness training and resilience projects that could help county facilities such as CORE3.
What’s next: staff will finalize and distribute appointment orders, execute the IGA, and send the ODOT safety letter. Commissioners said they will pursue regional coordination through COAC and follow up with legislators on short-session priorities.
