1/14 Klickitat County Commissioners meeting

Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media

Klickitat County Commissioners inaugurated their new  Tuesday meeting schedule yesterday, holding a Zoomed workshop in the morning and the regular meeting in the afternoon. The other part of their new schedule began last Thursday with a workshop meeting that was open to the public but not Zoomed to the wider audience. 

When some people in the public comment period said they were concerned that not providing Zoom coverage of the Thursday workshop was restricting public access, commissioners emphasized that the Thursday workshops are open to the public, and Commissioner Todd Andrews explained the commissioner’s reasoning:

“So that department heads and employees could come, not be nervous as we’re brainstorming and talking some of those ideas, and then Tuesday mornings, you can sit there and listen to us hash out these ideas that we’ve gathered on Thursdays, and then have public comment, so that the public comment would be more informed, and further educate us on people’s beliefs, and then vote on it.”

Commissioners also shared that they plan to return to holding town hall meetings in different locations throughout the county.

Much of the regular session was answering questions from the two new commissioners about a huge consent agenda of 20 items. Several of the agenda items had sub-items appointing people to various boards and commissions and assigning commissioners to various committees.