Commissioner Bob Johnson to retire

POMEROY-A few changes have been made in the committee assignments for the commissioners, as a preliminary planned adjustment to Commissioner Bob Johnson obligations who has decided to retire at the end of his term in 2020.

Chairman Justin Dixon will serve on the following committees: Washington Counties Risk Pool (first alternate Johnson, second alternate Commissioner Wynne McCabe), Blues Intergovernmental Council, Work Force Development Board, Snake River Salmon Recovery Board, Blue Mountain Action Council, Public Health District Board Chairman, Southeast Washington Economic Development Association (SEWEDA) and Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) Boards, and Noxious Weed Board.

Commissioner Johnson will serve on the following committees: Garfield County Fair Board, Legislative Steering Committee (first alternate Dixon, second alternate McCabe), Washington Association of Counties (first alternate Dixon, second alternate McCabe), Council of Governments (COG) Aging and Long Term Care (first alternate Dixon, second alternate McCabe), and the Greater Columbia Behavioral Health Organization (first alternate Dixon, second alternate McCabe).

Commissioner Wynne McCabe will serve on the following committees: Blue Mountain Community Foundation, Washington Counties Insurance Fund (first alternate Johnson, second alternate Dixon), and the Puget Sound Energy Blue Mountain Mitigation Board.

A quote from Bruce Crossfield, operating as B.C. Painting, was received for painting the front of the Human Services Building on Main Street, which is occupied by Quality Behavioral Health. The quote includes the cost for scraping, sanding, washing, priming and painting, for $2,000. The quote was approved.

A refund was issued to the County by the Association of Washington Counties Workers' Compensation Retro Program for 2016 in the amount of $14,544.78. The program is a pool through Labor and Industry that helps reduce the County's Workers' Comp expense, and has a Safety Incentive Program that offers refunds of premiums as a reward for maintaining a safe work environment.

The commissioners discussed the proposed agreement with the Port of Garfield for broadband services which has been on hold since the fall of 2019. The County has already contributed $100,000 to the project, and was considering a request of an additional $40,000 to ensure that the first phase of the construction would include the Fairgrounds. However, according to Port Director Diana Ruchert, that was contingent on successfully obtaining an additional grant from the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB). The Port did not receive the grant. Dixon stated that he would like to invite one of the Port Commissioners to the January 21, 2020, County Commissioners meeting to discuss the proposed agreement further.

Two resolutions were unanimously passed: Resolution 2020-02, effective January 1, 2020, set new rock prices due to the rise in rock crushing costs and Resolution 2020-03 also effective January 1, 2020, set new equipment rental rates, based on a 2019 Equipment Rental Rate Analysis.