These notes were taken by an Okanogan County Watch volunteer. Every attempt is made to be accurate. Notes are verbatim when possible, and otherwise summarized or paraphrased.
Note takers comments or clarifications are in italics. These notes are not the official county record of the meeting. For officially approved minutes, which are normally published at a later time, CLICK HERE.
The time stamps refer to the times on the AV Capture archive of the meeting on this date at the County livestream archive. To locate items in real time, the clock on the wall in the AV Capture screen can be helpful.
01.20.2026 Tues AM BOCC
Meeting Highlights:
Zak Kennedy, the county’s lobbyist, updates the commissioners about the state legislature which is now in session. The commissioners are against a bill allowing elected sheriffs to be fired by an outside group and another bill that would require some counties to pay for a State Patrol background check for every candidate for sheriff. They say the checks can cost $8,000 to $10,000 per candidate. They also talk about how people on the west side of the state don’t understand our attitude towards wolves.
Barbara Walters, Executive Director of NCW Libraries, talks to the commissioners about the library in Omak. The contract for library services is being negotiated and some feel that the wifi offered 24/7 by the library is attracting homeless people to the park next to the library.
Dan Higbee of the Building Department says that since their permit fees were raised, the department did not lose money in 2025. In fact, they earned $27 more than they spent.
Larry Hudson, Manager of the Noxious Weed Office, updates the commissioners. The office plans to buy a drone that will be able to survey large parcels, or land that’s steep and rugged. The landowners will pay a fee for this service, but it will help to locate noxious weeds.
Meeting adjourned at 11:45.