Wasco County Commissioners met yesterday with quite a few people in attendance.
Sheriff Lane Magill made a change request for grant money from a Homeland Security Grant Program. It was originally for a Drone, but that was denied by Homeland Security, so he requested the money to go to a mobile 911 center. That was approved by Homeland Security and the Commissioners.
Public Works Director Arthur Smith asked for signing approval for a Business Oregon Forgivable Loan to investigate the process of decommissioning four 30-year-old underground storage tanks that the County owns. They want to install four over the ground tanks. Commissioners granted Smith permission to get engineering and the required environmental assessment studies going. That ask was granted.
And the item of the meeting was the 2nd Hearing- Wasco County Endowment & Resiliency Fund. It started with a bit of history on the County budget from the perspective of Sheriff Magill who was with the County during some really lean years.
Kelly Howsley-Glover gave the County presentation and Commissioners heard from many County Department heads who all are in favor of the Endowment Fund. Many residents gave public comment where most were for the idea, but with maybe a couple of changes to the Ordinance.
One resident suggested the County form a Citizens Advisory Committee and several residents said they were hearing about this in the last couple of days and would like Commissioners to educate them more on the subject.
The Commissioners decided to hold the hearing over to their next meeting which will be September 16th.
If you are interested in watching the Wasco County Endowment & Resiliency Fund hearing, it starts about 28 minutes into the meeting.