THE DALLES — A month after their last discussion on the matter, the Wasco County Board of Commissioners once again met to discuss the management and maintenance of Kramer Field. Like the Nov. 1 meeting, this discussion was split into two sessions, a morning session at the normal time of 9 a.m., and an evening session at 5:30 p.m. Kramer Field was discussed at the evening session.
At the Nov. 1 evening session, the board discussed the possibility of Wasco County taking over the management of the field from parks and recreation in response to a series of concerns from users of the field, particularly those involved with Little League. In October, the lease with parks and recreation ended, leaving the county to decide either to take over managing the facility or sign another lease with parks and recreation.
It was established at the Nov. 1 meeting that the field has problems with broken fences, mole holes and puncturevine, as well as trash in the dugouts that continues to re-accumulate. Updates to the electrical and irrigation systems are also needed. Community members expressed that relationships with parks and recreation were strained, as they felt the district does not prioritize investing in the field, since the county and not the district owns it.
Commissioners expressed concern about the request, particularly funding and the county’s ability to manage a facility they’re not familiar with managing.
“My concern is you’re asking us to do something we, one, have never done before and, two, that has been done by an entity, a partner of ours for decades,” Commissioner Scott Hege said.
Hege also noted that, until recently, he hadn’t heard anything to indicate parks and recreation was doing a bad job. Little League Board of Directors President Katie Kelly apologized that this was the first Hege was hearing of the situation, but explained that she believed Little League’s perspective on parks and recreation was not unique.
“While I don’t disagree that there is an entity to provide the service, that their mission is to provide the service, I would just say that there is a lot of opportunity for improvement,” Kelly said. “And if that’s not being prioritized, then we need to look at a different relationship.”
This was a sentiment echoed by many other community members who spoke at the meeting, many of whom testified to the problems with the water system, the work volunteers have put in trying to keep the field usable and difficulties communicating with parks and recreation.
One of the community members who spoke was Umpire in Chief and Coaching Coordinator Patrick Urain. Urain proposed a potential model for restoring and taking care of the fields.
Commissioners expressed hesitation to completely take over parks and recreation’s role, and put an emphasis on salvaging the relationship between parks and recreation and those who use Kramer Field.
“It feels to me like this is a situation where ‘We’re unhappy with a certain district, we want you to take over, come and supplant their work,’ and I’m just telling you right now, I’m not into that,” Hege said. “What I am into is dealing with all the problems that you guys are bringing up. I think they’re good problems. I think we need to figure out how we’re going to move forward and, frankly, we need to figure it out quickly.”
Hege agreed to go to the January parks and recreation meeting to discuss the issue and see if the district is willing to work together to repair the situation. Commission Chair Steve Kramer said they would have a clearer path forward, following that discussion.
Kramer then challenged Urain and his team to fully create and bring forward the model, with the promise that the county would review it.
“Give me something to work with so I can be your champion,” Kramer told Urain. “Because I believe in the ballfields and I believe in the work we do to foster and grow our kids.”
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In other business, the county’s morning meeting was packed full. The board approved the dissolution of the Wasco County Veterans Services Advisory Committee, which was requested due to the group’s inactivity and the robust Veterans Services Office that now exists. They also voted to reinstate and amend a grant agreement for juvenile crime prevention between the State of Oregon, the Oregon Department of Education and Wasco County.
The county also appointed Joyce Ordendorff to the local public safety coordinating council, and approved an agreement for the state homeland security program grant of $32,076 to purchase and install six P25 compliant handheld radios.
Commissioners also heard audit results for the library district, the 4-H and Extension District and the county itself, which were all clean audits with no reservations.
They approved the re-appointments of Pat Davis, Ken Polehn and Deora Patton to the Wasco County Library Service District and the 4-H and Extension Service District budget committees. They also appointed Jeff Wavrunek as budget officer for the library service district and Chelsie Gibson as 4-H and extension service budget officer.
Next, the county adopted a revised records request policy to be in line with recent changes made by Oregon Legislature. They also approved purchases for the IT (information technology) department.
Scheduled for this meeting was a quasi-judicial appeal hearing on a developer request to replat 66 lots in a residential zone just outside of The Dalles' urban growth boundary.
This subdivision was approved by the county 70 years ago, prior to the establishment of the urban growth boundary, but the request to replat the lots was made recently.
An appeal was filed by Friends of the Gorge. However, both groups’ attorneys requested a continuance until February to give them time to resolve the issue, which was granted by the board.
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