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.
09.23.2025 Tues PM BOCC
Meeting Highlights:
Commissioners say budget picture “not very pretty” in light of rising wages and prices, ask departments to imagine cutting budgets up to 20% in order to close $2.4M spending gap; this won’t apply to most essential services like sheriff’s office– crime rate has “flown through the roof”
Secure Rural Schools funding this year fell to $82,000 from $750,000; nothing promised for next year
Pipe bomb found on trail in Tonasket; specialists called in from Spokane to deal with it.
Health Director reports rise in respiratory illness, recent Covid outbreak with one death among vulnerable population, urges people not to work if they’re sick
Planning to ramp up enforcement on cannabis grows; new interactive features on zoning map; enforcement infractions going from misdemeanors to civil infractions
Fairgrounds director plagued with leaky irrigation valves and fittings, hopes for grant to build pump house with underground vault; Commissioner Hover deems fair non-essential while Commissioner Timm defends it as deterrent to delinquency down the road
Juvenile services working on peer-to-peer mentorship program with U of W, prevention and diversion project with tribes
New prosecuting attorney Rachel Hong surprised at low level of court funding, will take this up at state level; Prosecutor Linn wary of budget challenges, lawsuits; warns people to “be careful what we say to the media”