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OKANOGAN COUNTY WATCH

Okanogan County Watch
Helping Citizens Stay Informed

Photo Credit: Justin Haug

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meets every Monday and Tuesday at the Commissioner's hearing room at the Virginia Grainger building in Okanogan. Volunteer citizens take notes at most BOCC meetings and post them here. The volunteer notes are a paraphrasing of what they observe and hear and are not considered part of any official records. For officially approved minutes of Board of Commissioner meetings, normally published at a later date, see www.okanogancounty.org.

For information on various County boards and commissions, click on the County Boards tab above.

We have started doing live video on Facebook for occasional presentations and hearings. They will be saved on our Facebook page indefinitely and can be viewed any time. We also have a You Tube Channel where our videos are archived and can be viewed. Due to the limited number of people available for this task, we are video taping a limited number of meetings. The videos may be of regular meetings, presentations and public hearings at BOCC or Advisory Committee meetings such as Planning Commission, Watershed Councils, etc. If anyone has a request for us to video specific County-related subjects that are addressed in public meetings or hearings, please contact us and we will make an effort to do so.

For links to the most current agendas for the BOCC meeting and the Planning Study Sessions, scroll to the end of the BOCC notes section.

We need video volunteers! It's easy- all you need is a smart phone and a Facebook account. We'll show you how. Click on the button below to let us know when you are available and we will contact you.

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BOCC Notes

Recent BOCC meeting notes are posted below, along with a short summary of what was discussed. For older notes, click on Archived Notes tab above. Click here for a list of acronyms and County Personnel.

bocc_notes_5-21-18.pdf
File Size:	107 kb
File Type:	pdf

Grizzly re-introduction letter, New planner position, Mgmt of WRIA 49 watershed council, employee holiday, Net Ecological Benefit workshop, Fairgrounds Budget, Lake Management District, Comprehensive Plan. There is a video of this meeting on our You Tube Channel

bocc_notes_5-8-2018.pdf
File Size:	124 kb
File Type:	pdf

Assessor’s Office-new vehicle; Roads update (flood damage, general repairs); various sewer projects; WATV routes south to Pateros; Solid Waste update; Board of Health meeting; Human Resources/Risk Management update. (jail issues, etc.); Probation Office space request, courthouse security.

pub_hearing_5-08-18_water_study.pdf
File Size:	101 kb
File Type:	pdf

Public Hearing on OCC 17A.400 Water Availability Study Areas

bocc_notes_05-07-18.pdf
File Size:	127 kb
File Type:	pdf

Grizzly bear reintroduction; Shoreline Management Plan; Comprehensive Plan

bocc_notes_4-30-18.pdf
File Size:	393 kb
File Type:	pdf

Review of changes on map to be submitted to WDOE on Okanogan County Shorelines Master Program regarding changes from Riverine to Rural and Rural to Conservancy designations; Review of Comprehensive Plan map regarding designation of Resource lands, particularly of State and Federal lands; report from Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) regarding planned litigation against the State of Washington regarding unfunded mandates.

bocc_notes_4-24-18_pm.pdf
File Size:	209 kb
File Type:	pdf

Meeting among Okanogan County, Mayors, US Forest Service and others regarding current status and timeline for funding, maintenance, and decisions regarding retention of North Cascades Smokejumper Base (NCSB) by the Forest Service in the Methow Valley.

bocc_notes_4-23-18.pdf
File Size:	112 kb
File Type:	pdf

Finance Committee Meeting; Executive Session/Comprehensive Plan/Meeting with the Yakama Nation.

bocc_notes_4-17-18.pdf
File Size:	74 kb
File Type:	pdf

Kurt Ziegler of NPR - Grizzly reintroduction process, Civil Attorney, Short Haul RR, Maintenance (Fair: Weed spray, rentals & extra work, Water system, Trustees usage), NPR. – grizzly reintro, PWorks: Admin (CCT meeting, SW Plan, CDL & MOU, Scale software, Land sale, SW Tipping Fees), Engineer (Maintenance & Road Conditions, Elmway Levee, Mazama Levee, Peter Dan Rd slide repair, Conconully Sewer repair, Edelweiss Sewer Force Main Replacement), Yakama Tribe meeting, Omak Stampede Rep, Fair Events Coordinator position, Noxious Weeds Quarterly Report, Narcan & Sheriffs Dept, Solid Waste Public Hearing on Mgmt Plan, Consent Agenda Approval.

bocc_meeting_4-16-18.pdf
File Size:	119 kb
File Type:	pdf

Fairgrounds, JARPA, Similkameen Trail, Lake Management District, Nightly Rental Code, Comprehensive Plan, Parks & Recreation Board. There is a video of this meeting on our You Tube Channel.

bocc_4-10-2018.pdf
File Size:	109 kb
File Type:	pdf

Miscellaneous, Planning Dept: (Similkameen trail washout, WRIA 48 water study, Oroville EMS levy, Yakama Nation meeting with BOCC), Maintenance: (new maintenance position, Jail trustees working, fair water issues), Civil Attorney, Planning Commission Code on Advisory groups, Human Resources, Risk Management, WCOG Key Award, Public Works: (Maintenance & Road Conditions, Loup Loup Canyon Rd, Gravel Crushing Contract, Peter Dan Rd slide repair, Conconully Sewer repair, Edelweiss Sewer Force Main replacement, WASCE conference June 4 – 6, Spending policies for County and State roads, Portable toilet at the PNT Trailhead, Human Services transportation, DoT planning study for projects), Public Health Board, USFS Tonasket RD Quarterly report: (Mt. Hull alternatives, PNT trail goals, District 1: WATV)

bocc_notes_4-9-18.pdf
File Size:	375 kb
File Type:	pdf

Cannabis interim ordinance hearing; Veranda Beach/Lake Mgmt District meeting; Formation of WRIA 49 Planing Unit membership, leadership, structure; new Draft Comprehensive Plan.

wria49_presentation_perry_huston.pdf
File Size:	3103 kb
File Type:	pdf

Powerpoint presentation given at the April 9th BOCC meeting by Planning Director Perry Huston about WRIA 49.

bocc_4-3-18.pdf
File Size:	296 kb
File Type:	pdf

Citizen Comment Period (Assistive hearing devices, Citizen Input on Comp Plan, Citizen Advisory Committees; Methow Housing Trust; Human Resources/Risk Mang't update; Consent agenda.

bocc_4-2-2018.pdf
File Size:	125 kb
File Type:	pdf

Update from the Coroner’s Office: Budget issues, refrigeration of bodies, opioid deaths; Nightly Rentals: Ordinance review, licensing; Okanogan Watershed Council Initiating Governments, interim control of cannabis operations, sewer project at Champerty Shores, Fairgrounds maintenance; Comprehensive Plan: vision statement, population growth estimates, zoning in and near airports, city expansion areas, resource land maps and critical aquifer recharge areas.

bocc_notes_3-27-18.pdf
File Size:	112 kb
File Type:	pdf

Staff Reports (Administration, Civil Attorney, Maintenance, Planning, HR, Risk Manager), Legal Newspaper Contract Approval, Leachate Pond # 3 construction, PWorks, Public Comment Period, Upper Columbian Salmon Recovery, County Department Heads Meeting, Fair Ground Plan Review, Public Hearing, Miscellaneous Resolutions

bocc_notes_3-26-18.pdf
File Size:	154 kb
File Type:	pdf

OCC 5.20 Dance Permits; Shoreline Management Plan; Water Availability Study Areas; Tonasket EMS; Mazama Parking Lot; Draft Comprehensive Plan

bocc_3-20-2018.pdf
File Size:	84 kb
File Type:	pdf

Initiating governance session (Water Shed Commission), Horse Boarding, Alternatives for Draft Comp. Plan, Maintenance, Exec. session to cover potential legislation, Civil Attorney, Finance Cmte Report, Administration, Bid Opening for new PWorks PUs, PWorks Maintenance & Roads, Admin, WATV, Critical Areas & Signage, Opportunity Zones, Exec. Session: Qualifications of an employee, Exec session for Union negotiation , WSU Extension, Approve Consent Agenda, PHealth vouchers, General Business

bocc_3-19-2018.pdf
File Size:	109 kb
File Type:	pdf

Public Hearing concerning Nightly Rentals, Shoreline Management Plan (SMP), Proposed Communications Center Update, Perry Huston updates the Commissioners on upcoming meetings.

March 15, 2018
Link to Facebook video of Methow Watershed council meeting

This video is currently available on Facebook only. We will be posting it on our You Tube Channel soon, and will update the link at that time.
Topics covered:
Chair report of possible presentation for groundwater modeling, Wolf Creek Project report, budget discussion, report from County Commissioner Hover regarding County's approach to determining water availability, Technical committee report, Political Action and Outreach committee report, update on By-laws revision and Water 2066 program, Discussion of potential conflict of interest, Discussion of upcoming Thornton task force meeting, Public comment (inquiry about an earmark in the current state budget).

bocc_3-13-2018.pdf
File Size:	103 kb
File Type:	pdf

Civil Attorney, Risk Reduction, Maintenance, Admin, PWorks Engineering, Admin, Board of Health, Resolutions, Official County Newspaper , Review Draft Comprehensive Plan, Human Resources, April 2 water shed planning, OBHC request

bocc_notes_3-12-18.pdf
File Size:	220 kb
File Type:	pdf

Discussion: Draft Comprehensive Plan discussion of Alternatives for EIS.. Alternatives based upon 3 past Comprehensive Plans vs population growth Alternatives discussed. SMP -Ecology has given county 30 days to respond to recent letter. Fairgrounds: Work session on 2018 Fairground budget.

bocc_3-6-2018.pdf
File Size:	95 kb
File Type:	pdf

Civil Attorney Report (HIPPA issues, French Creek Hearing on Summary Judgment, Executive Session, Discussing a potential litigation), Planning (Fair Grounds budget discussion), Risk Manager report, Admin update (Possible Website Update), PWorks – BR Admin report (SWMP Prelim. Draft, Apple Maggot outbreak), Draft Comprehensive Plan review

bocc_notes_3-5-18.pdf
File Size:	137 kb
File Type:	pdf

Public Works road maintenance grants, WRIA 49 Watershed plan, Permit-exempt well tracking system, Planning Dept website, Comp. plan, SMP, Lake Mgmt District, Champerty Shores, Fairgrounds upgrades and management. NOTE: A video of this afternoon session is available for viewing on our Facebook page.

rcw_90.82.060.pdf
File Size:	89 kb
File Type:	pdf

RCW relating to watershed planning (handed out at BOCC meeting on 3/5/18)

essb6091-part2.pdf
File Size:	60 kb
File Type:	pdf

Senate Bill 6091, Part 2. Also handed out at BOCC meeting on 3/5/18

For previous minutes from 2018 go to the Archived Notes page.

Commissioners Agenda
To access the most current agenda for BOCC meetings, click here.

The BOCC meetings often include Planning Study Sessions conducted by the Director of Planning and Development and Administrative Officer, Perry Huston. For the most current updates on the Study Session topics, click here to go to the planning department website, then click on the "Study Session" tab at the top of the page.

Our County Commissioners

(Click here to view a map that shows the Okanogan County Districts.)

Jim DeTro, Chair
Represents District 3 (North Okanogan County)

Chris Branch, Vice-Chair
Represents District 1 (South Okanogan County)

Andy Hover
Represents District 2 (West Okanogan County)

The Commissioners hearing room is located at 123 5th Ave, Room 150, Okanogan, WA 98840