Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
Wasco County Commissioners met yesterday. The agenda included budget hearings for the library district, extension district and the county itself. All of which sailed through without any of the public offering testimony.
Commissioners did approve a new interagency agreement between the county, City of The Dalles and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue for a needed upgrade in the 911 dispatch system, which is operated by the county. Wasco County Chief Deputy Scott Williams put it this way:
“The systems we have are very antiquated, and, you know, there’s so much more technology out there that can help in so many different ways.”
And building permits are going to go up. Chief building official Mark VanVoast told commissioners,
“Most of these fees, though they’ve been adjusted slightly in the past, they haven’t kept up with costs and inflationary changes. I’ve been here 25 years, and we’ve never done a structural increase.”
That’s why the structural fee is going up 36 to 38 percent. Others will rise smaller amounts. That won’t happen for several weeks, though. Yesterday was the first of two public hearings on the rate increase, and no members of the public testified. The next hearing, which will result in a decision, will be held at the next commission meeting on June 18.