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.
08.26.2024 Mon AM/PM
Meeting Highlights:
Pete Palmer, Planning Director, asks the commissioners for a raise for her administrative secretary. She also reminds the commissioners about the discussion in the afternoon about the letter to FEMA about the levees in Oroville and Omak.
Because of the small number of herbicide applicators in the county, Larry Hudson of the Noxious Weed Board would like to buy spraying equipment for landowners to check out to spray their own land. Hudson would also need a new technician to administer the program. Ferry County has a similar program. The commissioners tell Hudson to check with the attorney and bring the proposal back to them.
The commissioners convene as the Oroville EMS district, and then the Tonasket EMS district and review the 2025 budgets. Because the Tonasket district missed the deadline to put the levy on the ballot in 2024, the soonest a new levy can be voted on is February 2025, and it would begin in January 2026. Tonasket can use its reserve budget to operate in 2025. They have a long discussion about the possibility of the two EMS districts merging in 2025.
Commissioners and others discuss signing the FEMA letter saying that Oroville and Omak have levees built to FEMA standards. If they don’t sign, property owners who want to build or repair existing buildings using federal money will not be eligible to buy FEMA flood insurance. FEMA also plans to change its floodplain maps. After a long discussion, the commissioners sign the letter.
Meeting adjourned at 4:55.