NCPHD Reports Healthcare System in Crisis, MCACC Selected for Pilot Program, Youth Get Criminal Records Wiped Clean
Meet the Wasco County Commissioners LEFT TO RIGHT: Steve Kramer, Scott Hege, Kathy Schwartz
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The Wasco County Commissioners held their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on Jan. 19th, 2022. The board meeting encompassed a variety of topics including the current state of the healthcare system, MCCAC being awarded a spot in a legislative concept for a Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot Program, the Expunction of Juvenile Records, Maupin and Dufur Land Purchases, and a new Wasco County Transit Development Plan.
Watch the meeting: Watch the recorded Livestream here.
Read More: January 19th, 2022 Agenda.
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Agenda Highlights
Healthcare System in Crisis
Wasco County Public Transit Development Plan to Move Forward
Expunction of Juvenile Records Funding Approved
MCCAC Included in Legislative Concept for Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot Program
Letter to Pacific Source from the County and Mid-Columbia Center for Living
Youth Think Update
Budget Committee Appointment
Maupin Surplus Land Purchase
5-Acre Bargain Sale & Deed to City of Dufur
Fee Schedule Hearing
Planning Commission Decision Appeal
Recycling and Hazardous Waste Search App
Strategic Investment Program Community Service Fee
Healthcare System in Crisis
COVID Update from North Central Public Health District
Video Time: 0:00
COVID cases have spiked across the Nation, in Oregon and in the Wasco County. Covid case counts are so high that NCPHD can no longer keep up with investigating individual cases. NCPHD is now only tracking outbreaks.
Update on Outbreaks
All major long-term care facilities in Wasco County are currently experiencing outbreaks.
There are 43 people from The Dalles High School and 31 people from Dry Hollow that are currently in quarantine.
Update on COVID Test Shortage
A statewide and local shortage of COVID tests has lead NCPHD to pass out at-home test kits. Households can also order up to 4 at home test kits (total of 8 tests) from the U.S. Federal Government here.
“There are not enough tests,” said Martha McInnis, Registered Nurse and Clinical Program Supervisor at NCPHD
“If you're sick, don’t worry about getting a test, just assume you're positive,” said McInnis. “And stay home for five days, which is the current recommendation and then wear a well fitting mask everywhere you go for the following five days.”
Update on Vaccines and Boosters
“As far as vaccines and boosters, we have quite a lot of capacity and ability to provide boosters…The public isn’t coming in to get boosted. Only 37% of eligible people (in Wasco County) have gotten their booster shots,” said McInnis.
Commissioner Scott Hege asked McInnis about booster side effects.
“It’s a couple of days of discomfort, and potentially, feeling under the weather, but it means that your immune system is really working to build up immunity, and it will keep you out of the hospital,” said McInnis.
Update on the Omicron Variant
“Omicron is so transmissible..The number of people that get Omicron is so exponentially higher…it’s going to overwhelm the hospitals,” said McInnis.
“Our healthcare system truly is in crisis. And it’s not just here in Wasco County, it’s nationally,” said McInnis “Everyone is short staffed. The healthcare staff are tired. They are so tired. And we need to support them and try to stay out of the hospital as much as possible. “
Update on Masks
N-95 masks are still the recommended masks for most people. The federal government will begin dispensing N-95 masks for free at pharmacies soon.
The NCPHD Homeless Quarantine Tent
Shelly Campbell, Director of NCPHD, gave an update on the quarantine tent for those experiencing houselessness that have tested positive for COVID-19. NCPHD has closed the tent due to short staffing, lack of a good location to put the tent, the high cost of insurance, the high cost of operating the generator, and a lack of capacity to provide necessary staff training on mental and behavioral health issues.
“Ultimately we asked the State to come and remove the tent entirely,” said Campbell.
“We are working with the shelter and the Shilo Inn to continue to house individuals that are houseless. So, that is our quarantine and isolation process right now, and we will continue to work with our community partners on a long-term solution.”
Wasco County Public Transit Development Plan to Move Forward
Video Time: 52:08
Kate Drennen from Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) gave a presentation on a new Transit plan for Wasco County.
Proposed opportunities included service enhancements, expanded operating hours, adding stops to increase accessibility, and adding new bus routes from The Dalles to Maupin and Madras.
It would also create a new bus route connecting Warm Springs Reservation, Madras, Shaniko and Antelope.
The added stops and extended hours would significantly impact the operating cost of Wasco County public transportation. Commissioners raised questions about costs.
The Gorge Pass costs $40 a year and gives pass holders unlimited rides on public transit through the Gorge. The low cost allows for public transit to be accessible to low income families and individuals in the Gorge.
“It’s certainly not a moneymaker,” said Drennan. “It’s about giving people accessibility, reducing congestion, all the good things associated with public transit. ”
Commissioners thanked Drennan for MCEDD’s forward thinking work and planning to meet public transit needs for the next twenty years.
The schedule says the project plan is scheduled to be adopted by the Spring of 2022. The plan is to implement and complete the project over the next twenty years.
Expunction of Juvenile Records Funding Approved
Video Time: 1:40:39 and 1:56:59
Wasco County Commissioners approved intergovernmental agreement 1480 between the Oregon Youth Authority and Wasco County. The agreement, pursuant of ORS 190.110 and ORS 420A.010(6) will allow the State to provide the County with compensation for costs associated with the expunction or erasing of juvenile records.
According to Commissioner Steve Kramer, approximately 174 juveniles are seeking expunctions, and each expunction costs $206.15, bringing the total cost of expunctions to about $35,870.
Background Information
Senate Bill 819, which went into affect on January 1st, 2022, allows for an automatic expunction of criminal records for youth who have turned eighteen and are on diversion or status offenses.
About Oregon Youth Authority
The mission of the Oregon Youth Authority (“OYA”) is to protect the public and reduce crime by holding youth accountable and providing opportunities for reformation in safe environments. Youth are committed to state custody as a result of criminal acts in Oregon’s 36 counties. Youth may remain in OYA custody until a maximum age of 25 years. OYA provides a continuum of services and sanctions including: parole and probation services, residential and foster care services, individualized treatment and support, juvenile crime prevention programs, and secure close-custody facilities for youth who represent an unacceptable risk to the public. OYA currently serves approximately 600 youth in state owned and operated close-custody facilities and an additional 900 youth on parole or probation.
MCCAC Included in Legislative Concept for Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot Program
Video Time: 2:08:18
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC), homeless response system has been selected as one of six pilot programs to be included in a draft of upcoming legislative concept 218. The legislation would award $1 million to MCCAC, ($500,000 a year over two years) Hood River, Wasco, Sherman Counties and the cities of The Dalles and Hood River to build a strategic plan for homeless response system and developing a coordinating office.
“So if this legislation passes it will bring one million dollars to Columbia Community Action Council to do coordination for the homeless services system,” said Kenny LaPoint, Executive Director at MCCAC. “I want to be clear. This does not mean we get anything, yet. We still have legislation that needs to pass… But we were selected to be included.”
“We are kind of unique because we asked for some things in our letter that were a little bit different than the way they had originally articulated the concept, so they adjusted the concept to adjust that…” said LaPoint. “Other communities that are included in LC 218 are one city and one county collaborating together. We’re better than that because we’ve got three counties and two cities that are collaborating together because that is the region that Mid-Columbia Community Action Council serves.”
MCCAC has asked for several amendments to the concept, such as allowing for the funds to be used from implementation as long as they already had a strategic plan and a coordinating office developed.
“We’re a little bit ahead of the game,” said LaPoint. “We do not need money to develop the strategic plan because we’re already doing that. So, we are going to use those dollars for implementation.”
“The potential resources made available in this pilot could go a long way to helping the Mid-Columbia region solidify an ongoing coordination structure while also helping us achieve some of the goals to be be laid out in our strategic plan,” said LaPoint, in his letter to the AOC/LOC City-County Coordinated Homeless Response Pilot.
MCCAC has stepped into the leadership role of directing homeless response in the Mid-Columbia and had been very successful in bringing money into the region to address homelessness.
“I think we’ve brought in somewhere around $7 million dollars,” said LaPoint. “Which is more than double MCCAC’s budget.”
LaPoint said that MCCAC had also made significant progress on their Navigation Center development project. MCCAC will present an update on the project to the Board in February.
Next week MCCAC will begin a Point in Time Count to survey folks in Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam Counties to get a better understanding of how many people are experiencing houselessness and the reason (eviction, healthcare issues, economic hardship, etc.) for their current status as a person experiencing houselessness.
Letter to Pacific Source from the County and Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL)
Video Time: 2:02:06
Wasco County Commissioners approved a letter thanking PacificSource Insurance for their recent decision to provide a stability payment to MCCFL.
Background Information
MCCFL and PacificSource have been meeting since the summer of 2021 to update the contract and payment terms. The original deadline for finalizing the contract was January 1st, 2022 however that deadline has come and gone.
“We are watching the contract negotiation very closely as the health of our communities hangs in the balance,” reads the letter.
“Now is the time for investment in behavioral health.” it states.
“We need to see this in advance of our post-pandemic recovery effort so that we can stabilize MCCFL and build capacity. The well-being of our communities across the region are quite literally at stake because without a strong safety net CMHP (Community Mental Health Programs) model that is financially stable, we cannot properly care for the residents//PacificSource members as we are charged to do so as the Local Mental Health and Local Public Health Authorities.”
Youth Think Update
Video Time: 45:17
Debby Jones of Youth Think updated the Wasco County Commissioners on their program. Youth Think is currently applying for gambling prevention and treatment, and opioid and overdose prevention grants from the Oregon Health Authority.
Budget Committee Appointment
Video Time: 1:29:31
Wasco County approved appointing DeOra Patton to the Wasco County Budget Committee.
Maupin Surplus Land Purchase
Video Time: 1:22:42
Wasco County approved the Sale and Purchase Agreement and Bargain Sale and Deed for surplus property parcel 5S 14E 6 500 to the City of Maupin for $22,329.22.
Background Information
The City of Maupin expressed a need for additional land March of 2021 for future capital improvements projects and possible affordable housing.
At that time, Wasco County had already prepared the list of properties to be auctioned off in June of 2021. A request to pause the sale of parcel 5S 14E 6 500 by Wasco County at auction was granted by the Board of County Commissioners shortly thereafter. In October 202, Maupin City Council approved the purchase of the parcel from Wasco County in an amount of property taxes forgone due to the foreclosure. The documents presented will complete the sale to a governmental entity as prescribed by ORS 271.310.
Bargain Sale & Deed to the City of Dufur
Video Time: 1:33:00
Wasco County approvde the Land Transfer Agreement and Statutory Bargain Sale and Deed conveying property to the City of Dufur for $3,000.
The County will retain County mining rights on the property.
Background on the Deed
Public Works Director Arthur Smith was approached by the City of Dufur in April 2021 to discuss Dufur acquiring a five-acre lot near Dufur By-pass Road that is owned by the County.
The lot is the site of an old rock pit that the county has owned since 1924. Some of the five-acre pit had been mined out, but Smith estimated that the site still contained at least 30,000 cubic yards of material for future use. Following Smith’s recommendation to deed the property to Dufur, The City of Dufur and Wasco County legal counsels wrote a Bargain and Sale Deed that conveys the property to the city, but allows the county to retain all mineral rights and ability to conduct mining operations on the property.
Fee Schedule Hearing
Video Time: 1:45:20
Wasco County Commissioners held the second of two hearings to update the Building Codes Fees and the Board moved to adopt the Amended Uniform Fee Schedule Ordinance.
Wasco County Commissioners are being asked to approve Ordinance 22-001 to amend Wasco County’s Uniform Fee Schedule for Various County Departments.
Planning Commission Decision Appeal
Video Time: 32:44
Due to the owner of the property being in recovery from surgery, the hearing has been rescheduled for February 2nd at 9:30 a.m.
At that time Wasco County will be asked to approve or deny a request to build a new dwelling and agricultural structures to support proposed farm use on a 20.59 acre lot between Huskey Road and Quartz Drive in the Rocky Prairie subdivision, which sits a half a mile south of Mosier.
The County Staff recommendation is to uphold the decision to approve the request, with some amended conditions as proposed by the Planning Commission.
Recycling and Hazardous Waste Search App
This agenda item has been rescheduled. The County will be asked to approve or deny a quote and purchase agreement for a ReCollect HHW & Recycling Search App for the annual price of $8,307.05
Background Information
Part of the Tri-County Hazardous Waste & Recycling Program’s mission is to provide recycling and education outreach, as well as contamination reduction of collected recyclables, in Wasco, Hood River and Sherman counties. As recycling rules have changed, providing clear information can be a challenging to understand, and many residents of the Tri-County area are looking for answers. One solution is to provide an app on the Tri-County homepage that allows users to search items they are unsure about and find out where they can be disposed of in the Tri-County area. The app, called the “Waste Wizard” is hosted by ReCollect and is widely used among various municipalities’ solid waste districts.
Using the app, gives residents of the Tri-County area the ability to search for ways to recycle or dispose of items based on their zip codes, allowing them to get answers specific to their location. Additionally, users could download the app onto their phone and stay updated with the Tri County Waste event calendar. Tri County can also track analytics on the app to get additional insights into the most common questions residents have about recycling and disposing of hazardous waste
Strategic Investment Program Community Service Fee
This agenda item has been rescheduled.
The County will be asked to approve the first Google Community Service Fee distribution to all taxing districts in the tax code area and approve a $750,000 loan to Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue (MCFR) to cover MCFR’s increased costs associated with their Emergency Response Plan to provide service to Google data centers while under construction. MCFR would pay back the loan over the course of 15 years.
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