📰 Crisis Line Needs, Fire Recovery, and Road Updates – Aug 12 & 19 Klickitat BOCC Recaps

August 12, 2025 – Routine Business & Health Initiatives

Commissioners held a regular session in Goldendale focused on infrastructure housekeeping, health services, and board appointments.

• Public Works Updates - Department staff reported on ongoing road projects and funding agreements, including a supplement to the Curve Warning Signs & Guide Posts project (CRP 381).
• Facilities & Building Maintenance - The Board approved final acceptance and retainage release for the County Services Building HVAC repair project ($1,798).
• Public Health Contract - Approved a new professional services agreement with Leah Becknell, continuing work from the Sequential Intercept Mapping workshop to strengthen community-wide strategies on substance use and expand 988 crisis line promotion.
• Road Vacation Hearing Set 0 Commissioners scheduled a hearing to vacate excess right-of-way on Old Mountain Road, Courtney Road, Old Hwy 8, and Sundale Road following recent reconstruction projects.
• Probation Finance - Closure of the Adult Probation petty cash fund was authorized.
• Appointments - The Board appointed Mark Flaming of White Salmon to the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority, filling a director seat through January 2028.

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August 19, 2025 - Planning, Health, and Fire Annexation

The August 19 meeting centered on planning and health reports, opioid awareness outreach, and a fire district annexation petition.

• Public Works & Planning Updates - Departments provided updates on road maintenance and planning projects.
• Public Health/Board of Health -
  • Reviewed outreach around the 988 crisis line campaign, including materials for Suicide Prevention & Awareness Month.

The Board of Health’s behavioral health report pointed to several pressing gaps in rural Klickitat communities: too few licensed providers in east-county towns, inconsistent availability of mobile crisis response outside Goldendale and White Salmon, and transportation barriers that keep residents from reaching in-person treatment.

Even when crisis care is delivered, follow-up and long-term counseling are often fragmented due to staff shortages, leaving people without continuity of care. Youth and families also face a shortage of adolescent mental health providers, making early intervention difficult. Commissioners linked these challenges to their ongoing efforts to expand 988 crisis line outreach and build stronger partnerships with regional behavioral health agencies.

The Board then discussed membership requirements for the Board of Health and adopted clearer public access rules.

• Required Representation – State law (updated in 2021) requires that if a county chooses to expand its board beyond commissioners, membership must include a balance of:
  • Public health professionals (e.g., nurses, doctors, or people with public health expertise)
  • Consumers of public health (e.g., community members representing populations who use public health services)
  • Community stakeholders (e.g., nonprofit or faith leaders, tribal representatives, business or education representatives)
• Local Implementation - Klickitat’s Board of Health discussed ensuring that these requirements are met if new members are added and confirmed their intent to maintain clear rules for public access, ensuring residents know when and how they can comment during meetings.
• Opioid Awareness Week - Approved a Courthouse Lawn Agreement with Community Prevention and Awareness of Klickitat County (CPAKC), allowing a public installation for Overdose Awareness Week (Aug. 24–31) with fee waivers.
• Fire District Annexation Petition - Commissioners received a petition from property owners requesting annexation into Klickitat County Fire District No. 7, to improve emergency service access.

🗣️ Public Comment -

• Behavioral Health Access - Several residents voiced concerns about the difficulty of accessing mental health and substance use services in Klickitat County, especially in rural areas. They urged the county to expand partnerships and funding to close gaps in crisis care and follow-up treatment.

"Families are driving hours just to find a counselor or treatment bed. By then it’s too late—people give up or relapse. We need services in our own communities."

• Fire Recovery Challenges - A community member referenced ongoing hardships after the Burdoin Fire, noting that families displaced by the fire continue to struggle with housing stability, rebuilding delays, and navigating insurance and assistance programs. They asked the county to push for clearer communication and more direct support for survivors.
  • Recognition of Hardship - The Board expressed understanding that many families are still in limbo with housing, insurance, and rebuilding, and they thanked residents for bringing those concerns forward. Commissioners pointed to ongoing work with the Columbia River Gorge Commission on streamlining Scenic Area permits for fire survivors, noting this is one of the bottlenecks they are trying to address.
  • Resource Coordination - They highlighted the role of the county’s Emergency Management Department and the newly established Disaster Assistance Center (opened August 6) as the main points of contact for recovery help, directing residents there for case management and referrals.
  • Commitment to Advocacy - Commissioners said they would continue pushing state and regional partners to prioritize Klickitat fire victims, especially in relation to funding and housing stability programs.

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📂 Meeting Materials & Next Steps
📝 Full meeting packets and documents available here.

🗓 Next BOCC Meeting:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 – 9:30 AM
Klickitat County Services Building, Room 201, Goldendale

💻 Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/586587651
📞 Call-in: 1 (669) 900-6833 | Meeting ID: 586 587 651
📬 Submit written comments: bocc@klickitatcounty.org (due by noon the day before).