Wasco County Commissioners Approve Lifesaving EMS Policy Changes and Draft of $4.5 million Grant for Resolution Center
By Cole Goodwin
Wasco County Commissioners discussed a variety of matters at the April 19th, 2023 regular board meeting held in The Dalles, OR including a request for waivers from Dufur Ambulance Service Area, and a draft of an agreement for $4.5 million in funding from the State of Oregon Lottery to benefit the Columbia Gorge Resolution Center.
Wasco County Emergency Services Manager, Sheridan McClellan and Dufur EMS Chief, Sarah Smith, presented the Dufur Ambulance Service Area Waiver Requests to commissioners.
The waiver requests will allow for faster volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technicians response time on calls.
The requests were:
To allow volunteers to respond to the scene as long as they know other volunteers are meeting them at the scene. (The prior policy required Dufur fire and EMT’s to meet all together in one place prior to leaving to respond to a call.)
To allow Dufur volunteers to respond with a driver, and a single EMT or a paramedic. (The current policy required two EMT or paramedics and a driver to be present in order to respond to a call.)
Smith noted that many volunteers are spread out throughout the Dufur area. While some volunteers may live only a mile from the scene, under the current policy, they would have to drive several miles out of the way to the meeting point, causing the entire team to have to wait for them to arrive and slowing down the emergency response time.
Chair Steve Kramer shared that he had himself experienced the troubles the prior policy had caused during his time as a volunteer.
Wasco County Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of granting the requests.
Commissioners also approved a draft of the State of Oregon Lottery Bonds Agreement to secure funding for the Columbia Gorge Resolution Center which must be submitted by April 21st, 2023. If secured, the agreement could bring as much as $4.5 million in funding for the mental, behavioral, and addiction health service center in The Dalles, OR. The total project budget for the Resolution Center currently totals over $7.2 million.
In addition commissioners reviewed the Board of Property Tax Appeals report. The appeals season began in November of 2022 when tax statements were mailed and concluded April 2023 when the summary of actions was sent to the Department of Revenue. The BOPTA Report showed that the net impact of assessed property values was a reduction of over $1.4 million.
Also approved was the submission of the County Assessment Function Funding Assistance (CAFFA) Grant, an annual funding program from the Oregon Department of Revenue that provides Counties with financial assistance to carry out their duties and to administer the property tax program.
Commissioners discussed the Road Vacation Petition submitted by Arthur Smith. All agreed it seemd very straightforward and approved the vacation and remapping.
Mark VanVoast and Kylee Ruby presented updates on Building Codes. They discussed changes that needed to be made and how they would impact the community.
Finally commissioners also approved a letter from the County which supports North Wasco County School District 21’s efforts to implement energy efficiency measures in three district schools.
The Commissioners then shared updates and adjourned the meeting.
Click here to be redirected to the County site containing the agenda, minutes, and a recording of the meeting.
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