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.
05.19.2026 Tues AM BOCC
Meeting Highlights:
· Andrew Engell, representing the 7th Legislative District, talks with the commissioners about issues that the state legislature might be able to address. Conservation easements, the WDFW and DNR buying county land, wolves and the Hwy 20 closure are on the list. Rep. Engell plans to take several Democratic legislators from the west side over to Okanogan county, hoping to educate them on east side issues.
· Alma Torres Jones and Rick Delap, of the Okanogan County Horticultural Association, and both orchardists, ask the commissioners to write a letter declaring a county disaster due to freezing weather on the night of April 16. They think 90% of the cherry crop between Oroville and Monse was destroyed, along with much of the apples and pears, too. They hope that with such a letter, growers will be eligible for loans deferrals by the Farm Service Agency and perhaps other benefits the USDA as well.
· Sheilah Delfeld, President of the Okanogan County Farm Bureau, wants the commissioners to know that the Bureau is very much in favor of holding the County Fair even if the fairgrounds are not maintained at the current level. She also thinks that the county should adopt a strategic plan for maintaining the fairgrounds, and gives the commissioners the plan that the Farm Bureau has written. She also urges the commissioners to remove the levy lid lift from the ballot.
· Meeting adjourned at 11:23.