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.
08.19.2025 Tues PM BOCC
Meeting Highlights:
Land Trust seeks areas of collaboration with county, discusses, zoning, reduced grant funds, conservation easements through purchase or donation, could orchestrate reclamation of contaminated areas; Comm’r Hover floats possibility of closing of fairgrounds, in view of budget status health needs of county take precedence over “paying people for their properties”
Public Hearing held on installation of new HVAC system in Ringhoffer Building
Commissioners Hover and Neal initially refuse to sign letter of support for aid request to complete update and review written into Growth Management Act,saying some towns and counties can legally opt out; Planning director persuades them to appease Dept. of Ecology by signing since compliance would only concern critical areas; Ecology worked up over re-roofing of house in flood plain
WSU Extension Director leaving to lead state 4H
Fair Advisory Committee members describe conflict over scheduling of rodeo,races at upcoming fair; participant numbers doubled from last year
Emergency manager seeks $9,000/year evacuation mapping app, lamentslosing big chunk of budget
7,000 fair entries registered so far, last year: 5,200; grounds being prepped