GOLDENDALE — Despite a petition presented to them and signed by 249 people, Klickitat County Commissioners declined at their July 1 meeting to declare a last-minute, complete ban on fireworks in the county.
At the previous week’s meeting, the emergency management department and some fire chiefs argued against issuing such a ban. Though it was counter-intuitive at first glance, they told commissioners that if fireworks were completely banned, people would go into remote areas to set them off so they wouldn’t get ticketed. And with the long dry spell, exposing the back country to the additional risk was not worth it.
Commission Chair Ron Ihrig stressed that in allowing this safety valve, the hours would be strictly enforced.
“Just make sure people are clear, they are only legal in the county on July 4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.”
Wasco County, scene of the recent devastating Rowena Fire, issued a complete ban this year.
Jail update
Jail Administrator Bill Frantz praised his staff for covering extra shifts while two positions remain empty, a problem that is compounded by the summer vacation season. And he said they had been dealing with some difficult individuals.
“In the last seven days, we’ve had four spontaneous uses of force,” he said. “In one case, officers were confronted with somebody coming at them. They tried to leave the cell and take over their part of the jail. In two of those cases, we had to put them in enhanced restraints. So while we can manage these behaviors at the jail, they are a consumer of time and resources for our staff.”
Grants awarded
On the positive side, Public Works Director Jeff Hunter said the county had received a number of grants for upgrades at the courthouse.
“We’ve been pretty fortunate at the courthouse,” he said. “We’ve gotten the roof done with a grant, the front entryway with a grant, and the doors and the windows were grants. So most of the big stuff at the courthouse was done by a grant.”
If those figures are correct, the county didn’t “defund” the sheriff’s budget. Instead, they increased it by more than 15%.
NORCOR agreement
Under the consent agenda, Commissioners approved an agreement with Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities (NORCOR) to house juvenile detainees.
Klickitat County will pay NORCOR $68,620 up front for one bed in the juvenile detention facility for one year. That will be applied against a charge of $188 per day.
When the advance payment is depleted, NORCOR will bill the county $210 per day per detainee until June 30, 2026, when the payments will be renegotiated. A day is defined as anything from 5-24 hours, measured midnight to midnight.
Klickitat County is responsible for transportation to and from the facility and for any medical, dental or mental health care expenses except for routine items or injuries incurred at NORCOR.
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