Jackson County Board of Commissioners Staff Meeting Notes for 03/31/2022

I observe public meetings of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners (BoC) on a regular basis and make the notes I take during the proceedings (which are neither quotes nor a transcript) available to others.  I do this as an individual, believing in open government and the public’s right and need to know.  I declare that, although I try to be as accurate and objective as possible, errors may occur; therefore, readers should verify any information I report that is of interest to them by listening to the meeting audio  themselves.  The recordings are made available on the Jackson County website sometime after the meeting, usually the same day.

Jackson County BoC Staff Meeting Notes for 03/31/2022.  In attendance: Dave Dotterer, Commissioner and Chair of BoC, Colleen Roberts, Commissioner, Rick Dyer, Commissioner, Joel Benton, County Counsel, and Danny Jordan, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

1.  Input from County Counsel – None.

2.  Input from County Administrator

               a.  Review Agenda Items for the April 6, 2022, BoC Regular Meeting.

               — Jordan:  Employee of the Month; Consent Calendar; Deliberation – Two items both relating to the airport.  The FAA advised that in connection with the expansion of the airport, there is no need for a full EIS (Environmental Impact Study) and that they should prepare a Categorical Exclusion instead.  This relates to the expansion of the apron and the hanger.  One contract is for $147,743 and the other is $$164,305.

               — Dyer:  Why?  Benton:   We have done this so many times that do not need EIS.  Dyer:  Is it different for timber?  Benton:  No, they are both ruled by essentially same thing but the FAA advises that we qualify for a Categorical Exclusion.  Dotterer:  Looked at the Airport Master Plan and says he was surprised by how many environmental issues are there to deal with.

               b.  Order Increasing 4.00 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Positions in the Health and Human Services Department.  Order No. 54-22

               — Jordan:  Relates to a state program that the county performs the work on.  HR Department classified 3 of the FTE positions as Project Service:  One in Health Equity; One in working with Community Based Organizations; One Planning Coordinator and One in  Vaccinations.  One Community Outreach Educator to prepare for all types of communicable disease outbreaks.  This is new funding and is approved through 2024.

               — Approved unanimously by BoC.

3.  Liaison Committee Reports

               — Dyer:  Forgot to bring his notebook with his notes.  Will report next week.

               — Roberts:  City of Rogue River – There was a Council Advisory Committee report about Alert Wildfire.  The way she heard the report, it sounded to her like they think the county isn’t doing what they should be.  There isn’t county land surrounding the city and she tried to correct the understanding.  In addition, she sent the information to Tyle McCarty at ODF and asked him to send information about Alert Wildfire to correct their understanding.  Tyler is working with RVCOG on Alert Wildfire.  Tyler asked for a letter of support a $3 million request for a clean burning incinerator.  Since he needed it immediately and there was no time to get it on a BoC agenda, she sent her own letter of support.

               — AOC Lands Committee:  [Editor: This is the committee that they have discussed repeatedly and sent questions about how AOC accounts for the money.  See prior notes for more details.]  Roberts says she received insufficient answers to her questions regarding the budget.  She had to keep asking Gina Nichol but these are some of the responses:  Why is there no interest posted for the money that had been sitting there for a long time – No answer, don’t know; Why were benefits for support staff paid out of the Lands Committee budget in the amount of $23k one year and then it dropped down to $1700 or $1800 in subsequent years?  No answer; Is there a written agreement or contract for the employee’s salary to be allocated to the Lands Committee budget for 7% – Don’t know.  Will have to look at QuickBooks.

               — Dyer:  This sounds similar to the answers we got when inquiring about the Roads fund.  Sloppy accounting.

               — Jordan says when he looked at QuickBooks (unclear if he meant for Road’s fund or Land Committee budget) he found answers in 10 minutes.  We can’t deliberate about this now but it looks like they have taken money and not accounted for it.

               — Dyer:  Other counties should also be alarmed at what is going on but don’t seem to be.

               — Jordan:  We should discuss this in Executive Session.

               — Roberts:  Has another meeting today and wants issue placed on Tuesday’s Work Session agenda.

               — Dotterer:  Attended AOC Veterans Affairs meeting.  Discussed Veterans’ Housing Coordinator.  Lane County estimated that it would cost $150k (salary and benefits) for a coordinator and they’d be willing to pay $25K as their portion.  Putting together a menu of items the coordinator would do and participation in using the coordinator and paying for the position is voluntary.  Lane has a lot of homeless vets.

               — Jordan:  The reason they have so many homeless vets is they have the Coast Guard base but no veterans’ services.

               — Dotterer:  This would not be a lobbyist position.  It is a staff person to help work on the issue of homelessness.  Feels it is not a bad concept as long as it is voluntary

               — Jordan:  Pointed out that in similar situations, positions started out voluntary and JaCo didn’t pay for the services.  But then AOC decided to roll the costs into the basic dues and feels this is likely to happen again.

               — Dotterer:  Attended Rogue Workforce Partnership Board of Director meeting.  From their perspective federal government is not providing proper coordination. For example, they received $7.2 million for Zone Captains but nothing has really happened with that program and now they have to send the money back.  There were 8 different tranches of money but can’t coordinate well.  Not able to use it all.  We have an upside-down labor market.  The federal programs don’t match our issues.

               — Dyer:  A lot of kids dropped out of high school.  Could use the $7.2 million to find them and get them into the training programs and do something productive.  We have a lot of kids who could benefit.

               — Dotterer:  Kids dropping out of school aren’t displaced workers and can’t use the money for that.  It’s a big job to manage all of this. [Editor: I agree with Dyer.  Seems to me that if someone would discuss this with the feds, maybe there would be a way to include it and avoid these kids becoming part of the long term unemployed.]

               — Dotterer:  Are filling open Board positions.  The newly hired President of SOU will join the Board. Also suggesting Terry Fairbanks of (didn’t hear the name but it is an environmental organization of some sort.)  He isn’t sure about this person and wants to put it on the agenda to discuss.  Dyer pointed out that there are many Board seats and they each have specific requirements re who/what type of affiliated person will fill them.  This is the Natural Resources position.

               — Dotterer:  Tuesday he was invited by City of Phoenix to tour the new Oakridge Mobile Home Park – previously the Bear Lake Mobile Home Park.  Joe Slaughter and Eric were there.  The new manufactured homes will be 28×56 (1,568 sq. feet) and cost $135k before installation costs that are an additional $20K.  The old units cost about $85k, so clearly prices have gone up.  Eric pointed at a piece of vacant land near the park and said that approx. 100 affordable housing units will be going in.  Jordan pointed out that they are NOT low income.  Dotterer agreed.

               — Dotterer continued:  Oakridge – the old park was only 55+ and now Oakridge is going to market to younger people as a step toward homeownership after living in an apartment.  Will get a mortgage.

               — Jordan:  But the units are not appreciable.

               — Dotterer:  Well, the Oakridge people said they have 15,000 units and are finding that in many parks units are holding their value.  In Seattle, they are increasing in value.  Roberts expressed concern that the City of Phoenix was now the owner.  Dotterer corrected her impression.  This is a private company.  There is a club house that is very nice.  Has kitchen, meeting room, fitness center and are planning on a dog park. 

               — Dyer:  Still wonders what they will charge.  It is likely cheaper than stick built homes.

               — Dotterer:  The business model is lower cost on the house and higher cost on the lease.  Another way to do it is higher cost for house and lower cost for lease, but they want the buyers to get a mortgage. 

               — Jordan:  Noted that Phoenix at first was unhappy at how long things were taking to rebuild, but now are happy with the fact all was cleaned up so quickly and expedited permits.  Pointed out that the units are taxed as personal property and will be depreciated on the tax rolls.  They may, however, hold their market value.

               — Dotterer:  Compared to before the fire, have to build a raised foundation to sit on and is more secured to site to withstand wind sheer and other disasters.  Were ultimately able to rebuild in the flood plain.  Also, all the utilities were destroyed in the fire. Had to dig them all up and put in new.  Looking to have the manager on site by end of April.

               — Dyer:  With a $150k manufactured home, can’t get a conventional mortgage.  Dotterer asked about that and was assured that purchaser will be able to get a mortgage.

They moved on to calendars and I signed off.

Joyce Puccini Chapman

Illegitimi non corborundum
No longer accepting the things I’m told I cannot change.
Now working to change the things I cannot accept.