By Dispatch Squatch in Skamania County Board of Commissioners — 23 May 2025

📰 Skamania Dispatch: BOCC & Gorge Commission Meeting Highlights – May 2025

This week’s Skamania BOCC meeting tackled everything from bridge repairs to farm stand policies. Catch up on the latest —including progress on the Hegewald Center renovation, weed control staffing, and deep dive into how Gorge Commission rules are impacting rural businesses.

👋 Hi neighbors! Here’s what happened at the latest Board of County Commissioners meeting. From noxious weeds to scenic area policy, here’s what you need to know. The May monthly Gorge Commission Meeting recap follows.

Commissioners approved all 16 items on the consent agenda, including:

Reappointing Dr. Scott Yerrick to the Board of Health.
Extending a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Signing contracts with 14 musical acts to perform at the Columbia Gorge Blues & Brews Festival.
Approving a training software subscription (Relias) for Community Health staff.

💸 Financial Business

Commissioners approved:

Two sets of vouchers totaling nearly $200,000 in county spending.
Payroll for the first half of May.
A small additional AP voucher for routine expenses.

🌿 Weed Board Update: Field Season Off to a Strong Start

The county’s Noxious Weed Program shared that:

Seasonal staff are all hired and already making good progress.
Several crew members from past years returned, improving efficiency.
Fieldwork is ahead of schedule, aided by fall treatments and support from the Washington Conservation Corps.
A new full-time regional coordinator position is under consideration, with potential shared funding from partner counties.

🛠 Public Works: Bridges, Brush Clearing & Planning Work

Key updates:

Work is progressing on several bridge and slide stabilization projects, including Buck Creek, Washougal River, and Skye Road.
Crews are actively grading roads, removing brush, and prepping for bridge inspections.
Solid Waste services were disrupted by vandalism, with repairs underway.
The Planning Department is continuing updates to the addressing code and processing short plats, forest permits, and scenic area reviews.

🧱 Hegewald Center Renovation: On Track

Interior painting and floor work are underway, scheduled mostly on weekends and holidays to avoid office disruptions.
Completion is expected by the end of June.
Further expansion planning is dependent on state-level public health funding allocations expected later this summer.

🩺 County Health Insurance Workshop: Exploring Options

Acrisure’s Brent Russell walked the board through:

The pros and cons of the county’s current pooled insurance model versus direct or self-funded alternatives.
Limited access to Kaiser Permanente plans in Skamania County.
The potential long-term value of gaining claims transparency to better control future costs.
Strategies to realign contribution structures to encourage balanced enrollment and reduce overall risk.

This was an educational session only—no decisions were made.

🏞 Columbia River Gorge Commission: Economic Vitality & Friction Points

In an afternoon session, Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski and several Gorge Commissioners met with Skamania County officials to discuss:

A new economic vitality committee within the Gorge Commission focused on supporting small businesses and local agriculture within the National Scenic Area (NSA).
Frustration from county commissioners over slow or rigid permitting processes, particularly for home-based businesses and farm stand sales.
Ongoing questions about how the Commission balances its dual mandates of conservation and economic development.
Commissioners urged streamlining low-impact permit approvals and re-evaluating outdated policies—like restrictions on selling jams at a roadside farm stand—as potential barriers to rural income generation.
Discussion of how historic compensatory mechanisms like timber sales and federal rural payments have eroded over time, leaving counties like Skamania with fewer economic options and limited local control over land use.

Commissioners asked the Gorge Commission to return with specific data about economic outcomes and to consider revising land-use rules that disproportionately impact rural residents. Several also raised concerns that the Gorge’s land use model may inadvertently prioritize aesthetics over viability for working lands.

📬 Get Involved

🗓 The next Gorge Commission meeting will be held in person in Cascade Locks this July. Skamania residents can participate in public meetings in person or via Zoom.
To submit a written comment: publiccomments@co.skamania.wa.us

📎 Access full meeting materials here

📰 Columbia River Gorge Commission – Meeting Recap (May 13, 2025)

🧭 New Commissioner Welcomed

Lach Litwer, a Hood River resident and appointee of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, joined the Commission. He expressed gratitude and enthusiasm for helping steward the Gorge.

🌿 Investing in the Next Generation

Two undergraduate interns from Heritage University will work with the Gorge Commission this summer to support the Vital Sign Indicators (VSI) program, conducting environmental research and engaging with local communities.

🌱 Climate Stewards in Action

The Commission’s Climate Stewards course, run in partnership with Oregon State University Extension, is building regional climate resilience. Sessions have included:

Trauma-informed climate communication
Field trips focused on cold-water refuges, climate-resilient agriculture, and wildfire preparedness

🍽️ Tribal First Foods Project Funded

Despite a federal grant freeze, the Commission is funding a portion of a Yakama Nation First Foods gathering and preparation program. This on-the-ground project will connect elders and youth in the traditional harvesting of camas.

🌐 Vital Signs Portal Coming Soon

Staff are finalizing an online portal that will house updated VSI data, offering public insight into the ecological health of the Gorge. A formal rollout is expected in July.

💰 Budget Cuts & Paused Projects

Washington’s 25% funding cut means:

The final phase of the Commission’s permitting system is on hold
Funding for Klickitat County planning has been eliminated
A reshuffled workplan is in development, with reduced capacity through 2027

🧩 Rethinking Equity and Public Trust

The Avarna Group facilitated a two-hour public values workshop, inviting commissioners to examine:

How conservation and economic development are (or aren’t) balanced
The perception of the Commission as restrictive or inaccessible
New shared values to guide future work (e.g., equity, transparency, community resilience)

🔭 What’s Next

Commissioners requested future briefings on:

Fish tissue sampling near Bradford Island
Columbia River Treaty developments
Economic impacts of investment board loans

They also debated whether monthly meetings should continue. Most agreed they remain essential for transparency and progress.

✉️ Have thoughts or feedback for the Commission? You can send public comments to publiccomment@gorgecommission.org

🗓️ Meeting materials and recordings are available at gorgecommission.org

📅 Coming Up: Skamania County Board of Commissioners Meeting

🗓 Wednesday, May 28, 2025
🕤 9:30 AM
📍 Courthouse in Stevenson or online via Zoom
👉 Join via Zoom
✍️ Want to comment? Email sackos@co.skamania.wa.us by Tuesday at noon

These items are usually approved in one motion — no discussion unless someone speaks up. But they include some major community health items:

Naloxone Expansion: Agreement to provide more overdose-reversing medication and training, plus staff overtime.
Safe Syringe Disposal: Continued support for the sharps disposal program through Public Works.
Mental Health Services: Funding boosts for both psychiatric care and emergency crisis response.
Developmental Disabilities Support: Renewed funding through the state’s Department of Social & Health Services.

🗣️ These programs affect public health, emergency response, and vulnerable populations. They deserve attention — even if they’re hidden in the fine print.

🧾 Other Items Up for Discussion

🏗️ Construction contract amendment for change orders with Troffer Contracting.
🏠 266 Second Street Property: Ongoing property discussions in Stevenson.
💵 Voucher approval (routine spending approvals).

🗣 Reports & Workshop

10:00 AM: Department head updates
10:30 AM: Safety Committee Report
11:00 AM: County Finance Workshop — with elected officials and department heads

Stay informed. Speak up. Share with a neighbor.
📬 We’ll be back with a post-meeting recap soon.

✅ Consent Agenda: Festival Contracts, Reappointment, and More