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Umatilla County board approves vehicle repairs, equipment purchases, grants and permits in routine meeting
Summary
The commissioners approved a series of routine administrative and procurement actions including a sheriff vehicle repair ($7,521.56), equipment purchases (lowboy trailer $149,545.28; excavator $306,859), an emergency trailer repair ($15,041.43), a mass-gathering permit and several grants and payables.
Umatilla County commissioners on May 6 approved a slate of routine procurements, grants, contracts and appointments during their regular meeting.
Items approved included an annual support fee for the county's public-records system, repair of sheriff vehicle #2207 to Blue Mountain Colorworks for $7,521.56, renewal of a law-enforcement services contract with the City of Athena, rejection and reissuance of an RFP for vehicle upfitting, and several public-works purchases. Public works director Tom Pills described the need for a heavier lowboy trailer to move new equipment; the board approved purchasing a 140,000 GBW trailer from Diesel Depot for $149,545.28. The board also approved purchasing a John Deere 230P excavator for $306,859 to meet long lead times and approved payment of $15,041.43 to Eagle Carriage & Machine Inc. for a same-day repair to an existing lowboy trailer.
Steve Robertson, representing the event applicants, described the Salt/Basalt Bash fundraiser and said the inaugural event raised $75,000; "This year, our goal is... $100,000," he told commissioners while explaining plans for the July 25, 2026 event. The board approved the zoning permit ZP26116 for the event at 53293 Appleton Road in Milton Freewater. The community and economic development grant review committee recommended $91,000 across 11 applications and the board approved the spring 2026 awards as recommended.
Other administrative approvals included a $5,165 payment to Ryder Elections Services LLC for the county voter-pamphlet insert, a $16,975 purchase of a records file server (paid from archive funds), acceptance of proposed health-insurance rate changes (7% medical increase, no change to dental or life), approval of property-transfer agreements with the City of Umatilla, a payable to the Columbia Development Authority for $201,240.72, and appointment of Jake Bacon to the Umatilla County Housing Authority. The board also approved an amendment to a long-standing experiment-station lease with OSU and authorized a letter supporting a CTUIR request to restore civil jurisdiction in certain cases.
Most votes were taken by voice and recorded as passed in the meeting transcript; the board set a second reading on the public-contracting ordinance for May 20. The meeting concluded with the board opening and adjourning a Umatilla Water Control District meeting where a proposed $168,800 budget for the district was adopted and a letter was approved permitting a City of Hamilton water main to cross under the levee.
