Wasco County approves youth, health and emergency equipment agreements and shifts wildfire work to SWCD

Wasco County commissioners on Dec. 3 approved a series of state and federal grant agreements and equipment acquisitions intended to sustain youth services, improve data sharing and strengthen regional emergency response.

The board unanimously approved Grant Agreement No. 38662 with the Oregon Department of Education’s Youth Development Division to fund the “What’s Strong With You” program, Youth Services Director Molly Rogers said. The competitive community-investment award will support resilience and early intervention programming through Wasco County’s YouthThink prevention division.

County legal counsel Kristen Campbell and Administrative Officer Tyler Stone also briefed commissioners on a Security and Access Agreement (OHA Agreement No. 186789) with the Oregon Health Authority. Rogers said the agreement is required for the county’s Behavioral Health Resource Network reporting and gives staff access to OHA’s ROADS data system; the agreement carries no direct cash exchange but was described as a condition of ongoing Measure 110 behavioral-health funding.

District Attorney’s Office program manager Karen Shultz presented the 2025–26 VOCA and Criminal Fine Account (CFA) non‑competitive awards to fund direct services for crime victims; the board approved acceptance of the VOCA/CFA package as presented.

Separately, Emergency Manager Sheridan McClellan explained two SPIRE (Statewide Preparedness and Incident Response Equipment) grant agreements with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to accept state‑owned equipment that will be regionally shared. The county will steward a trailer‑mounted emergency generator and an unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone) for use during incidents; the board approved the agreements.

Wildfire Coordinator Melissa Napoli told the commission that work previously assigned to the Wamic Rural Fire Protection District under the US Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant has been reassigned to the Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) because Wamic could not meet the grant’s reimbursement requirements. The revised SWCD agreement increases the subaward to $2,474,590 and preserves the original scope of defensible‑space and risk‑reduction work, Napoli said.

To support on‑the‑ground mitigation, commissioners also approved the county’s purchase of a Morbark chipper from FMI Equipment for $53,157.50 to support mobile chipping operations overseen by the SWCD. Napoli said the chipper will provide an alternative to burn piles and help clear slash as the SWCD manages contracted crews and vendors.

Finance Director Mike Middleton confirmed that available grant and program funds will cover the county’s obligations to accept and operate the equipment and to pass through the subaward money to the SWCD. County counsel reviewed the revised intergovernmental agreement and found it consistent with the federal grant terms.

What happens next: County staff will execute the revised IGA with the Wasco County SWCD, accept state SPIRE equipment and proceed with the chipper purchase and SWCD contracting for the CWDG work. The board directed staff to monitor federal reporting and reimbursement requirements closely.