Columbia County board approves consent agenda, permits and contracts

The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved a multi-item consent agenda at its March 18 meeting, ratifying attestations of updated project data for several school-district project IDs, authorizing multiple Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) applications and special-event permits, and approving contract and permit items including a hold-harmless agreement for a trail race.

The board chair read the consent items aloud, which included attestations for school-project records transcribed as 'Grama Air School District 13-85,929', 'Nona School District 47J-805932' and 'Skateau School District 1J-85931', with authorization for the chair to sign each; the chair also presented prior meeting minutes for approval and several OLCC items: an OLCC retail application for a county store (transcribed as '38 151 0' for the Midtollston County store) and special-event applications for Watering and Wolf LLC (April 15, 2026, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., 105 4th Avenue, St. Helens, Oregon) and Watering Hole LLC (June 13, 2026, 1 p.m.–8 p.m., 450 B Street, Columbia City, Oregon). The motion to approve "all the consent" items was made, seconded, and the chair recorded voice 'Aye' responses; the consent agenda passed. The transcript does not provide an itemized roll-call by commissioner name, only in-voice ayes.

The board then considered contract and permit items. A contract change order and contractor authorization (contract references transcribed as C160-2025-57 and PCM 6-7 in the record) were described and approved; the board also approved permit C35-2026 and a hold-harmless agreement for the 2026 "Crown Stove Ultra Trail" race and authorized the chair to sign. The clerk moved approval, the motion was seconded, and in-voice 'Aye' votes were recorded. The transcript does not list individual yes/no votes by name, only the collective affirmative responses.

Commissioner Garrett used the floor later in the meeting to promote community events, including an Estuary Partnership fundraiser at Fort George Brewery and the Rainier History Bowl (virtual, held at Rainier School District facilities), and mentioned a fundraising cutout campaign benefiting the Klatskine/Klaskanai Cultural Center Marquee Fund. Commissioner Smith noted that lengthy work sessions have streamlined regular meetings by moving detailed items onto consent agendas and congratulated a local high-school dance team on a state championship.

The board proceeded to an executive session at the end of the agenda and gave routine instructions to the media about breakout-room participation and nondisclosure of executive-session content.

Votes at a glance - Approval of agenda: motion made and seconded; 'Aye' responses recorded; motion approved (exact roll-call names not specified). - Consent agenda (school attestations, minutes, OLCC items): motion to approve "all the consent" items made and seconded; 'Aye' responses recorded; consent agenda approved (exact roll-call names not specified). - Contracts and permits (contract change order, contractor authorization, permit C35-2026, hold-harmless for Crown Stove Ultra Trail race): motion moved and seconded; 'Aye' responses recorded and items approved (exact roll-call names not specified).

The board did not provide detailed roll-call tallies in the available transcript; the record documents voice 'Aye' responses but does not attribute individual votes to specific commissioners.

The meeting moved into an executive session to consult with legal counsel under ORS 192.660(2)(h). The transcript states that no final action was anticipated during that executive session.