GOLDENDALE — Klickitat County Commissioners heard several bits of good news at their June 16 meeting. One of them came from Public Works Director Jeff Hunter, who said there was a change order on the courthouse painting project that would add $84,573 to the cost of the project without requiring any additional funds from the county:
“We're adding extra stuff because we got good enough prices; we had some savings, and this is grant money,” he said. “Instead of turning it back and using our money to paint all the light poles and all that, we talked to the granting agency. They said, 'That's close enough. You can paint.'"
That way, Hunter said, when they finish painting the exterior, everything will be painted. He noted that it had been 28 years since the courthouse had been painted, and suggested they not wait that long in the future.
Courtney Cooke, the county's chief probation officer, thanked commissioners for a long-awaited addition to their staff:
“We filled a case manager vacancy that we have had for four years,” she said. "Darrin Wakefield worked four years in the jail, and it has allowed him to adapt to his responsibilities with our office extremely fast. In fact, in his second week on the job, he had to do an independent court docket day."
She said the judge had complemented him on the occasion.
And commissioners did decide to make one major shift in response to the growing volume of public records requests, which some groups have weaponized to harass government offices. They will take responsibility of coordinating and responding to those requests away from the human resources (HR) department, where it was an unfunded burden on otherwise busy staff and create a new full-time funded position in the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
In order to remain budget neutral, commissioners chose not to fill a position in their own office that was budgeted for, as Chair Ron Ihrig put it.
"We have a position in the commissioner's office, as a support position that we're giving that funding, that FTE (full-time employee) position to that position. We're also have some funding coming from county roads."
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved two grants using “.09 funds.” Washington provides .09% local sales and use tax rebate to qualifying rural or economically distressed counties which can only be used to fund public facilities and economic development.
Those two include:
• A $100,000 grant to Columbia Gorge Regional Airport for a project called the CGRA Waterline Loop, on the condition that it be matched with an equal amount by airport co-owners the City of The Dalles.
• A $400,000 grant Klickitat Valley Health to help pay for infrastructure construction for an MRI wing.
Grants for .09 funds must be approved by the Klickitat County Public Economic Development Authority (KCPEDA). That group includes all three county commissioners, a Port of Klickitat Commissioners, mayors of Goldendale, White Salmon and Bingen and four members of the county at large.
Other items in the consent agenda included:
• The annual Sheriff’s Department purchase of Motorola body-worn camera system, Motorola portable radios, and Lexipol Policies for $96,545.65.
• Change Order No. 1 for the Klickitat County Courthouse exterior wall painting project for $84,573.35.
• Amendment No. 9 with Area Aging and Disabled Services for Southwest Washington, providing carryover funding from the previous year.
• Amendment No. 1 with rea Aging and Disabled Services for Southwest Washington providing funding for MIPPA (Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act).
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