BOARD OF SKAMANIA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

MEETING for WEEK of JANUARY 20, 2003

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, no meeting was held on Monday, January 20, 2003. The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2003, with Commissioners Talent and Quinn present, opening with the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner McKee was absent due to attending a National Fire Plan Conference in Portland, OR.

Brent Holman, Public Works Director/County Engineer, reported on a meeting with the Engineer for Carson Hot Springs regarding storm water runoff from the golf course, a meeting regarding the Drano Lake Project, and a proposed meeting with Klickitat County regarding road maintenance issues in the National Scenic Area Management Plan. He also reported on snow levels throughout the County, debris cleanup, and stockpile usage.

Ole Helgerson, WSU Cooperative Extension Agent, reported on the 4-H Program, workshops and training, and gave an update on the Forest Success Program.

Receipt was acknowledged of a letter from Christina Brittain regarding Schoolhouse Creek issues.

Consent Agenda Items were approved as follows:

A. Minutes of January 13, 2003.

B. Liquor license renewal for Bungalow Bar & Grill.

C. Liquor license renewal for Eagle’s Cliff General Store.

D. Acknowledge receipt of Claim for Damages from Ed Powell and forward to Risk Manager.

The following contracts for 2003 were approved as follows:

§ Renewal with Daniel Ferber, M.D. to provide medication management to mental health clients in the amount of $65,000.00. This contract does not include mileage.

§ Renewal with Debra Belshee-Storlie, Ph.D. to provide mental health therapy in the amount of $26,500.00. This contract does not include mileage.

§ Renewal with Bryce McCollum Psy.D. to provide therapy and on-call services for mental health clients in the amount of $18,800.00. This contract does not include mileage.

§ Office of Community Development to provide funding through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in the amount of $98,214.00 for services to low and moderate-income persons within Skamania & Klickitat Counties.

§ Cynthia Williams & Karl Wilkie, monthly residential lease for Wind River Nursery house #1065.

§ Hugh Spitzer of Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC to prepare documents for formation of Wind River Nursery Public Development Authority in the amount of $3,500.00.

The meeting recessed at 10:55 a.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2003 and reconvened at 11:30 a.m. the same date, with Commissioners Talent and Quinn present.

Tony Meyer of the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group addressed the Board with a request for support for $100,000 in Title III funds to complete the Schoolhouse Creek Project for enhancement and restoration of salmon populations on Schoolhouse Creek in the Washougal watershed. No decision was made at this time.

The meeting recessed at 12:25 p.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2003 and reconvened at 1:30 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Talent and Quinn present.

Ken Cohen, Community Events & Recreation Director, reported on various issues regarding the swimming pool, including completion of a pool maintenance agreement with Buildings & Grounds, and gave updates on various programs, activities and projects.

The Auditor clarified the correct total for vouchers approved on January 16, 2003. Vouchers for the period ending January 16, 2003 were approved in the corrected amount of $528,375.34.

The meeting recessed at 2:20 p.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2003 and reconvened at 9:00 a.m., Thursday, January 23, 2003, with all Commissioners present.

The Board participated in a workshop with Karen Witherspoon, Planning and Community Development Director, and Walt Loehrke and Kathy Sheehan, Columbia River Gorge Commission members, to discuss position papers for 14 topics in the General Land Use Track of the Management Plan Review.

The meeting recessed at 9:50 a.m., Thursday, January 23, 2003 and reconvened at 10:00 a.m. the same date, with Commissioners Talent and Quinn present. Commissioner McKee was absent due to attending a Timber Counties meeting in Olympia, WA.

A public hearing was held to consider a request from Larry & Helen Baldwin for a variance to Skamania County Private Road Standards to upgrade Robson Road (private), required as a condition to the Baldwin Short Plat. Following public comment and discussion that included varied widths along Robson Road, expense to landowners and increased traffic and speeding if the road is widened, motion was approved to close the public hearing. A second motion was approved to schedule consideration of the variance request for 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 4, 2003 to allow a site visit to Robson Road (private) and to allow Commissioner McKee’s input in the decision.

Larry Mulcihy, Safety Committee Chairman, reported on accidents and incidents and the Safety Committee’s determinations.

Vouchers were approved for the periods ending December 31, 2002 in the amount of $17,836.21 and ending January 23, 2003 in the amount of $ 86,869.61.

The meeting recessed at 11:35 a.m., Thursday, January 23, 2003 and reconvened at 2:00 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Talent and Quinn present.

The Board met in executive session to discuss personnel from 2:00 p.m. until 2:25 p.m., with no action taken.

The meeting adjourned at 2:25 p.m., Thursday, January 23, 2003.