Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
Klickitat County Commissioners met yesterday, and one of the big topics was the budget. County Auditor Heather Jobe said the preliminary figures indicate a potential shortfall of $2.5 million, half of the shortfall at the beginning of the budget cycle last year.
Chair Ron Ihrig said that this was a major improvement over the previous year, but there were still some expenses likely to go up.
“I just really appreciate all the departments trying to hold the line. I mean, you can’t help it, like, when juveniles contract went up 6% with NORCOR, you gotta include. You know. And our insurance… We’re estimating 20%, and if it ends up 25% from the risk pool, and the departments don’t have any control over that. And how we’re going to manage it all, I’m not sure.”
In the afternoon session, commissioners approved a six-month extension to the current Battery Energy Storage Systems moratorium in the county. Several local people testified in favor of the extension and no one was opposed.
Commissioners also approved a road haul contract for Bluebird Solar Power, LLC. Back in January, the company received permits for a 670 acre solar farm in a footprint of 1700 acres on leased property 26 miles east of Goldendale.
County Public Works Director Jeff Hunter said this was a necessary safeguard to protect the county.
“Any big industrial project, not just green energy, but any, has to go through a road haul agreement with the county to use our roads. Because years ago, before this took place, they damaged some of our roads pretty badly.”
Auditor Heather Jobe was back in the afternoon session, asking for permission to spend $61,000 remaining from a government grant before she had to return the balance. Here’s what she told commissioners.
“One of the things we’d like to spend it on are these little GPS trackers that go inside the ballot boxes, and then also put them in our ballot collection bags. The ones in the boxes will notify me. Anytime that the door to the ballot box is opened, I will get an alert that says, ‘Hey, y’know, something’s funny.’ It also senses temperature, so if there’s a significant change in temperature, it will give me an alert that says, ‘Your box is on fire.'”
Let’s hope none of those precautions will actually be needed.
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