GOLDENDALE — Klickitat County Commissioners took a step toward increasing the supply of affordable homes at their March 31 meeting by approving a Planning Commission recommendation to change the approval process for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) from a conditional use permit to an administrative one.
“This is something that we see as a win-win for the public and for the county,” said Planning Director Scott Edelman. “We'll save staff time and save the public a couple months' worth of process and around $450 to $500 of fees.”
In Washington state, an ADU is defined as is a self-contained, smaller residential unit (attached or detached) located on the same lot as a primary single-family home. They must have permanent provisions for living, sleeping, cooking, and sanitation.
Jail update
There was good news from Jail Administrator Bill Frantz. He reported that while major incidents were absent, the facility faced a significant challenge in providing resources for inmates with Medication Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). He outlined a plan to partner with an external agency, BoulderCare, to provide assessments and treatment, supported by a $73,000 grant that would also fund a new narcotics management system (a Pyxis machine). It would be used to store medical drugs needed by the prisoners.
“The Pixis machine is like a fancy toolbox,” Franz said. “[Jail employees] can scan their ID, and they can say. 'I need these medications for so and so,’ and that drawer will pop open and they can take those medications. It also keeps track of what we have in there."
inmates can also be treated for addictions. "If they're on Suboxone when they leave, they're not going to want to go use heroin because it'll make them sick,” Frantz added. “And if they don't want to use heroin, they might not be going to steal the chainsaw out of the back of my truck."
Candidate provides public comment
In the public comment section in the afternoon, John Bruce, a candidate for Klickitat County Sheriff, pointed out an overlooked aspect of Senate Bill 6974, the controversial measure that would allow the state to remove elected sheriffs.
"Senate Bill 6974 is currently sitting on the Governor's desk,” he said. “One section of this bill, if the governor signs will impact you, the county. One section requires background [checks] be conducted by the Washington State Patrol. The cost will be passed on to the counties. Washington State Patrol was estimating that backgrounds would cost between $8- and $10,000."
Courthouse work bids
Commissioners also opened bids for stucco repair and repainting on the courthouse There were eight bids for the painting with an engineer’s estimate of $295,000. The bids ranged from $377,347.36 down to $75,548.
Four bids were received for the stucco, with an engineer’s estimate of $68,000, but two of them were deemed nonresponsive because they did not acknowledge an addendum sent by the county. The original bid was to be for removing the plaster and replacing it. The addendum deleted that line item and replaced it with overlaying the existing stucco. The two surviving bids were for $59,367.22 and $38,199. In both cases, bids were referred to the Public Works Department for their recommendation.
Consent agenda
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:
• A fairgrounds licensing agreement with WSU 4-H and Extension Office.
• The appointment of Emily Paxson to the Klickitat Lead Entity Citizens Review Committee.
• An amendment to professional services contract C18125 with WIC Peer Counselor Tracy Cramer.
• An amendment to professional services contract C18025 with WIC Peer Counselor Jordyn Caven.
• A backfill amendment to the Community Development Block Grant document recording fee with the State Department of Commerce.
• An increase in the credit card limit for the Building Department.
• An upgrade to permitting software to configure the public portal and train staff.
• An agreement with the City of Goldendale for Incarceration of city prisoners.
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