Marjorie Thelen, chair of the Harney County Democratic Central Committee, attended the regular meeting of the Harney County Court on Sept. 19 to discuss a resolution that the committee passed regarding environmental protection, global warming, and climate change.

“We want to make our public officials aware of our concern about what is happening to our climate and our resources,” Thelen stated. “In Harney County, we are concerned about water, which at present use is not sustainable, and we support the community-based planning groups. We are also concerned about our recycle center, which is in financial difficulty.”

Harney County Judge Pete Runnels noted that Becki Cunningham of Rimrock Recycling secured grant funding from Training and Employment Consortium to pay partial employee wages for about 3.5 months.

“My intent is to match that,” Runnels said. “It’s a Band-Aid to the next step. I think what we need to do is get around the next budget season and try to work something into the budget on a more sustainable platform.”

Noting that the court requested a business plan from Rimrock, Harney County Commissioner Mark Owens said, “I support recycling, but I support recycling knowing what it’s going to cost our county.”

Regarding Community-Based Water Planning, Thelen said she’d “like to see some action items.”

Owens replied that four subcommittees are currently working through the five-step process that was set out by the state. The groundwater study will end in 2019, and the Rules Advisory Committee will convene in 2020.

“I anticipate that [sometime] in 2020-2021 we’re going to have a list of projects that are worthy to support,” he said.

Laurie O’Connor asked about the court’s role in reviewing water use requests, and Owens explained that they’re under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD).

“We do not approve any extensions, transfers, permits, or applications, period. We can protest one, just like the general public, if we so choose,” he said, noting that Public Notices of Water Use Requests are issued every Tuesday, and anyone can request to receive them.

“You can review them with us, and you can decide whether you want to protest, or you can make a recommendation that we protest,” Owens said. “Our comments would not be given any more weight, Laurie, than yours.”

O’Connor asked to be added to the list of recipients and said she will encourage others to do the same.

Later in the meeting, O’Connor asked, “Do you feel as county court representatives that there might be a legal obligation to the whole population of the county to start being a little more aware and vigilant of water issues here?”

Runnels replied that the court is involved in multiple efforts, and Owens provides input on water use requests during every county court meeting. However, O’Connor asserted that Owens has “a major conflict of interest” regarding water use.

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The court discussed the process for vacating abandoned or undeveloped town plats. A private landowner requested that the county vacate the undeveloped town of Wellington, which is located off of OO Road. The undeveloped town is organized into numbered blocks with named streets and alleys that don’t exist on the ground.

If vacated, the land set aside for streets and alleys would be divided and given to adjacent landowners. However, Harney County Assessor/Tax Collector Ted Tiller said the process isn’t as simple as it sounds because the roads and alleys aren’t square. A surveyor would have to determine the acreage and provide new legal descriptions for each lot. Land within the undeveloped town is owned by the state, county, and multiple private individuals, and many lots are just slivers.

Harney County Commissioner Patty Dorroh asked whether the county would bear some of the survey costs. Runnels said it would, and he’ll follow up with Harney County Counsel Tim Colahan to determine whether some of the cost should be borne by the requester. Harney County Roads Supervisor Eric Drushella suggested that the county only survey and vacate the portion of the town that it owns, but Tiller said he’s unsure whether a platted town site can legally be vacated in portions.

Dorroh asked how vacating Wellington would benefit the landowner, and Drushella replied that it would prevent the public from driving through the middle of their property.

Discussion regarding the proposed vacation will continue.

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In other business, the court:

• upon recommendation by Weed Control Supervisor Jim Campbell, appointed Jesse Barnes and Grant Nikkel to the Harney County Weed Board. Campbell also suggested changing the name of the board;

• approved Resolution 2018-18 in the matter of transferring $4,000 from Treasurer’s Revolving Fund 618 to General Fund 101.Runnels explained that the Treasurer’s Revolving Fund is a pass-through fund, which is intended to hold funds until they can be dispersed to the taxing districts;

• approved Kurt and Rachel Beaubien’s application to install an approach on their property to the county road;

• appointed Runnels, Dorroh, Owens, and Hilda Allison as members of the chairpersons pool for the Harney County Board of Property Tax Appeals. The court also appointed Allison and Mardy Stewart to the non-office-holding pool;

• acknowledged that Dorroh (Harney County Court), Wayne Smith (livestock producer), Ken Bentz (livestock producer), Kerry Boggs (local business representative), Dr. Masie Custis (local business representative), Suzanne Settle (wolf conservation), and Paul Gray (wolf conservation) were appointed to the Harney County Wolf Advisory Committee;

• learned from George Heinz that the Forest Service plans to implement the Harney County Restoration Collaborative’s recommendations regarding prescribed and managed fire;

• was addressed by  Mary Ausmus regarding the status of the emergency declaration for the wind storm that occurred on May 25. Runnels said the court is waiting to hear back from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management and Gov. Kate Brown.

Ausmus also asked about the broadband survey that she received in the mail. Runnels explained that the county received a grant to conduct a broadband feasibility study. The court awarded the grant to Vantage Point, which sent out the questionnaire;

• held an executive session at 11:30 a.m. to consult with counsel. No decisions were made;

• held a supplemental budget hearing at 1:30 p.m. regarding Harney County Fair Fat Stock Sale Fund 254. Runnels explained that 4 percent of 4-H and FFA auction sales (an estimated $20,000) will be put into the fund, which will be controlled by the Harney County Fair Board and used to sustain local youth livestock programs.

The next meeting of the Harney County Court will be held Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. in Runnels’ office at the courthouse.