Board also hears legislative update
GOLDENDALE — Klickitat County Commissioners started their Feb. 27 meeting a few minutes early in order to hear a legislative update from Zak Kennedy of Kennewick-based Potts and Associates, a lobbying firm representing rural counties, port districts, and agricultural businesses.
“They basically are treating the initiatives like bills,” he told commissioners. “They can amend them, and do what they want with them.”
The Chief Clerk’s office at the Washington Legislature clarified that legislators can’t change the actual initiatives themselves, but they can modify the ideas and draft a competing measure to appear alongside the initiative on the ballot.
He also said the majority Democrats are tying pet projects to other bills, “... so you can’t get rid of them without cutting a whole bunch of programs.”
And he urged commissioners to contact key legislators in regards to a proposed West Klickitat assisted living facility, in order to insure that it remains in the Housing Trust Fund supplemental budget for the Department of Commerce.
Loren Meagher, executive director of the Eastern Klickitat Conservation Service, successfully asked commissioners for a letter of support on behalf of landowners and ranchers whose grazing was affected by last year’s Newell Road Fire. He said 11 ranchers petitioned the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for rest and deferment on 30,000 acres affected by the fire.
“The way the NRCS ranked system worked out,” he said, “all the funds ended up going to the Spokane fires. This is really important for the re-establishment of grass stands and to reduce the amount of invasive species that move in or get spread around as we see these grounds get recovered.”
Klickitat County Auditor Heather Jobe reported a busy spring for elections.
“We just certified the first five elections this year,” she said. “This one had six school levies: Two for Prosser — we have 53 voters in the Prosser School District — one for Goldendale, one for Centerville, one for Roosevelt and one for Glenwood. All of them passed.”
She told commissioners that the office was under way with their second election.
“Presidential primary ballots went out last Wednesday,” she said. “That election is March 12, and will be certified March 22.”
A third election, for the Bickleton School District, will take place in April.
She also said that she had been talking with Prosecuting Attorney David Quesnel, who had been in contact with PAs from other counties, and the consensus was that the county could hold an election this year for a county coroner to start in January, but the final decision would likely come from the attorney general or a ruling from a superior court. Prosecuting attorneys in counties under 40,000 population in the state have previously served as coroners, but a recent change requires spinning off that function into a separate coroner’s office.
Interim Planning Director Lori Anderson made her last appearance before commissioners in that role, as the new planner will be ready to go for the next commission meeting.
And commissioners covered a lot of ground with a robust consent agenda. The 13 items approved on that agenda included a letter of support to the City of The Dalles, regarding a renovation of the old Chenowith School as a childcare facility to support the local area, including Klickitat County.
Other items included authorizations for:
• The Human Resources Department to advertise for a road department supervisor and two clerical administrative assistants.
• Public Works to send a notice to contractors to advertise for the Sundale/Old Highway 8 Project. The Contract provides for the improvement of 3.54 miles of Sundale road, 0.59 miles of Old Highway 8 and the intersections of Kelley Road and Goddard Road. Engineer’s estimate is between $3 million and 5.5 million.
• Public Works to send a notice to vendors, advertising for four new pickup trucks to replace older vehicles in the ER&R (Equipment Rental and Revolving) fleet.
• Award of the 2024 county road striping contract of $327,369 to Stripe Rite Inc. of Kennewick.
• Approval of a $3,521.62 contract with Oliver’s Floor Covering of The Dalles for floor covering replacement in the county auditor’s office and ADA restroom.
• Final acceptance and release of $3,891.58 from a 2023 contract with Columbia River Contractors for guardrail repairs.
• Approval of bids for five new vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department — four Dodge Durango Pursuits and one Chevrolet Silverado PPV, all equipped for police work — for a total of $372,712.59.
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