BOCC update for Dec. 8, 2025, Agenda for week of Dec. 15, 2025
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 10:26 am
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The email contains links to the complete notes for all the meetings we cover.
• Commissioner Neal says he’s heard from Robert Weidner, a lobbyist working on public land issues, that the House will vote on the SRS (Secure Rural Schools) funding on Wednesday. (Public Works has been expecting $750,000 for 2024 and 2025 in SRS funds, but had not received much of it because Congress hadn’t passed the legislation.) Neal mentions that Dan Newhouse, Member of Congress for Washington’s 4th district) did not attend the meeting where the decision to bring SRS up for a vote was made. (More information about the vote here.)
• During public comments, Pete Hone, Shelter Manager of the Okanogan Community Homeless Shelter, introduces himself. The shelter offers showers, laundry facilities, meals and 32 beds. The address is 505 4th Ave, Okanogan. He calls his organization “the best kept secret in the county” and hopes it becomes better known.
• Commissioners discuss the Noxious Weed assessment portion of the property tax. The Weed Board isn’t asking for a bigger assessment, but they may do so in the future. The commissioners would be reluctant to grant it, even if the result were more noxious weeds.
• Commissioners, Josh Thomson and Gary George from Public Works, Mike Worden and three people from the city of Omak, discuss the cost of improving the infrastructure on a parcel of land owned by the county. A non-profit animal shelter could be sited there, but not if adding a water line was too costly.
• Meeting adjourned at 12:21.
Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 PM and Tuesday, Dec. 9, AM and PM
County Watch was unable to cover the Monday's afternoon session, and Tuesday's sessions. To watch recordings of those days, go to OkanoganCounty.org. Click on Government, click on Commissioners and finally click on Live Meetings. Choose the day you'd like to see.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 Board of Health
• Final Board meeting for 2025.
• Approval of 2 resolutions: Resolution 2025-4 Office Remodel, Resolution 2025-12 Public Health Inventory update.
• Hired 2 Okanogan High School student interns – working very well.
• Reports from Environmental Health Director and Community Health Director. Update from Public Health Officer.
• Discussion of homeless services – working with community partners on this and opioid related deaths.
• Meeting adjourned at 2:23 pm.
AGENDA for the week of December 15, 2025
Monday, December 15, 2025
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 285 047 974 181 4Passcode: WJ7JV6E6
9:00 AM Review Commissioners Agenda and Consent Agenda
9:05 AM Briefing Amongst Commissioners, Discuss Individual Weekly Meetings & Schedules
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Commissioners' Staff Meeting
10:30 AM Public Hearing Budget supplemental Appropriation-Juvenile/CE
10:35 AM Discussion Opioid One WA MOU & Exhibit G-Mike Beaver
11:30 AM Discussion-CCT Sewer Plan Project-Matthew Pleasants
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 285 047 974 181 4Passcode: WJ7JV6E6
9:00 AM Review Meeting Minutes
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Quarterly Update-OBHC-David McClay
10:00 AM Finance Committee Meeting - Treasurer Pam Johnson
11:00 AM Update Public Works-Engineer Josh Thomson
1:30 PM Continued Public Hearing 2026 Okanogan County Budget -Commissioners
3:00 PM Discussion Okanogan PUD-Ron Gadeberg, Janet Funston
3:35 PM Approve Commissioner Proceedings December 8 & 9, 2025
3:40 PM Approve Consent Agenda
1. Resolution 174-2025 Requesting Cancellation of Westlaw Contract
2. Resolution 175-2025 Amend Resolution 155-2025 Certain Exempt Employees
3:45 PM Commissioners to set Wednesday’s Agenda
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 285 047 974 181 4Passcode: WJ7JV6E6
Executive Sessions RCW 42.30.110.(1)(g) Performance of a Public Employee
9:00 AM Employee Evaluations – Nick Bates
9:30 AM Employee Evaluations – Lanie Johns
10:00 AM Employee Evaluations – Josh Thomson
10:30 AM Employee Evaluations – Dan Higbee
11:00 AM Employee Evaluations – Karen Beatty
11:30 AM Employee Evaluations – Stan Meyers
12:00 PM Employee Evaluations – Maurice Goodall
12:30 PM Employee Evaluations – Tim Meadows
1:00 PM Employee Evaluations – Pete Palmer
1:30 PM Employee Evaluations – Shelley Keitzman
State, Community and Other Meetings or Notices
(Meetings in this section may not be opened to the public, however a Commissioner may attend one or all of these meetings. Meetings that more than one Commissioner attend will be noted above. Location of meeting will follow meeting name.)
Monday, December 15, 2025
6:00 PM Special Meeting - Planning Commission Drone Rules – CMRS Hearing Room
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
8:30 AM TRANGO MEETING - 303 2nd Ave S Ste A, Okanogan
6:00 PM Cancelled Hearing Examiner Meeting – CMRS Hearing Room
Thursday, December 18, 2025
8:30 AM Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts – Yadi Godina - CMRS Hearing Room
11:00 AM Civil Service meeting – CMRS Conference Room
5:30 PM Reserved-Republic Party Central Committee-Stacy Storm
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Dec 22 Public Hearing Budget Supplemental Appropriation-Capital Expense Bond Fund 171
Dec 22 Cancelled Planning Commission Meeting
Dec 23 Department Head Quarterly Meeting
Dec 24 Economic Alliance Meeting – TBD
Dec 24 Noxious Weed Board Meeting - PW Building - 1234 2nd Ave S, Okanogan
Dec 25 Closed for the Christmas Holiday
Dec 26 Closed for the Christmas Holiday
Dec 31 Commissioners’ Office Closed Early at Noon
Jan 15 Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts – Yadi Godina - CMRS Hearing Room
Note: All times are estimates to assist in scheduling and may be changed subject to the business of the day at the board’s discretion. The board may add and/or delete and take any action on any item not included in the above agenda. The board may act upon any subject placed on the agenda regardless of how the matter is stated. All matters listed within the consent agenda have been distributed to each member of the board to read and study. The items are considered routine and will be enacted on by one motion by the commissioners with no separate discussion. If separate discussion is desired, then that item may be removed from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda by request. Items discussed during Citizen Comment Period shall be limited only for issues not otherwise on the agenda or scheduled discussion topics.
The email contains links to the complete notes for all the meetings we cover.
• Commissioner Neal says he’s heard from Robert Weidner, a lobbyist working on public land issues, that the House will vote on the SRS (Secure Rural Schools) funding on Wednesday. (Public Works has been expecting $750,000 for 2024 and 2025 in SRS funds, but had not received much of it because Congress hadn’t passed the legislation.) Neal mentions that Dan Newhouse, Member of Congress for Washington’s 4th district) did not attend the meeting where the decision to bring SRS up for a vote was made. (More information about the vote here.)
• During public comments, Pete Hone, Shelter Manager of the Okanogan Community Homeless Shelter, introduces himself. The shelter offers showers, laundry facilities, meals and 32 beds. The address is 505 4th Ave, Okanogan. He calls his organization “the best kept secret in the county” and hopes it becomes better known.
• Commissioners discuss the Noxious Weed assessment portion of the property tax. The Weed Board isn’t asking for a bigger assessment, but they may do so in the future. The commissioners would be reluctant to grant it, even if the result were more noxious weeds.
• Commissioners, Josh Thomson and Gary George from Public Works, Mike Worden and three people from the city of Omak, discuss the cost of improving the infrastructure on a parcel of land owned by the county. A non-profit animal shelter could be sited there, but not if adding a water line was too costly.
• Meeting adjourned at 12:21.
Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 PM and Tuesday, Dec. 9, AM and PM
County Watch was unable to cover the Monday's afternoon session, and Tuesday's sessions. To watch recordings of those days, go to OkanoganCounty.org. Click on Government, click on Commissioners and finally click on Live Meetings. Choose the day you'd like to see.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025 Board of Health
• Final Board meeting for 2025.
• Approval of 2 resolutions: Resolution 2025-4 Office Remodel, Resolution 2025-12 Public Health Inventory update.
• Hired 2 Okanogan High School student interns – working very well.
• Reports from Environmental Health Director and Community Health Director. Update from Public Health Officer.
• Discussion of homeless services – working with community partners on this and opioid related deaths.
• Meeting adjourned at 2:23 pm.
AGENDA for the week of December 15, 2025
Monday, December 15, 2025
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 285 047 974 181 4Passcode: WJ7JV6E6
9:00 AM Review Commissioners Agenda and Consent Agenda
9:05 AM Briefing Amongst Commissioners, Discuss Individual Weekly Meetings & Schedules
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Commissioners' Staff Meeting
10:30 AM Public Hearing Budget supplemental Appropriation-Juvenile/CE
10:35 AM Discussion Opioid One WA MOU & Exhibit G-Mike Beaver
11:30 AM Discussion-CCT Sewer Plan Project-Matthew Pleasants
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 285 047 974 181 4Passcode: WJ7JV6E6
9:00 AM Review Meeting Minutes
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Quarterly Update-OBHC-David McClay
10:00 AM Finance Committee Meeting - Treasurer Pam Johnson
11:00 AM Update Public Works-Engineer Josh Thomson
1:30 PM Continued Public Hearing 2026 Okanogan County Budget -Commissioners
3:00 PM Discussion Okanogan PUD-Ron Gadeberg, Janet Funston
3:35 PM Approve Commissioner Proceedings December 8 & 9, 2025
3:40 PM Approve Consent Agenda
1. Resolution 174-2025 Requesting Cancellation of Westlaw Contract
2. Resolution 175-2025 Amend Resolution 155-2025 Certain Exempt Employees
3:45 PM Commissioners to set Wednesday’s Agenda
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 285 047 974 181 4Passcode: WJ7JV6E6
Executive Sessions RCW 42.30.110.(1)(g) Performance of a Public Employee
9:00 AM Employee Evaluations – Nick Bates
9:30 AM Employee Evaluations – Lanie Johns
10:00 AM Employee Evaluations – Josh Thomson
10:30 AM Employee Evaluations – Dan Higbee
11:00 AM Employee Evaluations – Karen Beatty
11:30 AM Employee Evaluations – Stan Meyers
12:00 PM Employee Evaluations – Maurice Goodall
12:30 PM Employee Evaluations – Tim Meadows
1:00 PM Employee Evaluations – Pete Palmer
1:30 PM Employee Evaluations – Shelley Keitzman
State, Community and Other Meetings or Notices
(Meetings in this section may not be opened to the public, however a Commissioner may attend one or all of these meetings. Meetings that more than one Commissioner attend will be noted above. Location of meeting will follow meeting name.)
Monday, December 15, 2025
6:00 PM Special Meeting - Planning Commission Drone Rules – CMRS Hearing Room
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
8:30 AM TRANGO MEETING - 303 2nd Ave S Ste A, Okanogan
6:00 PM Cancelled Hearing Examiner Meeting – CMRS Hearing Room
Thursday, December 18, 2025
8:30 AM Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts – Yadi Godina - CMRS Hearing Room
11:00 AM Civil Service meeting – CMRS Conference Room
5:30 PM Reserved-Republic Party Central Committee-Stacy Storm
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Dec 22 Public Hearing Budget Supplemental Appropriation-Capital Expense Bond Fund 171
Dec 22 Cancelled Planning Commission Meeting
Dec 23 Department Head Quarterly Meeting
Dec 24 Economic Alliance Meeting – TBD
Dec 24 Noxious Weed Board Meeting - PW Building - 1234 2nd Ave S, Okanogan
Dec 25 Closed for the Christmas Holiday
Dec 26 Closed for the Christmas Holiday
Dec 31 Commissioners’ Office Closed Early at Noon
Jan 15 Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts – Yadi Godina - CMRS Hearing Room
Note: All times are estimates to assist in scheduling and may be changed subject to the business of the day at the board’s discretion. The board may add and/or delete and take any action on any item not included in the above agenda. The board may act upon any subject placed on the agenda regardless of how the matter is stated. All matters listed within the consent agenda have been distributed to each member of the board to read and study. The items are considered routine and will be enacted on by one motion by the commissioners with no separate discussion. If separate discussion is desired, then that item may be removed from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda by request. Items discussed during Citizen Comment Period shall be limited only for issues not otherwise on the agenda or scheduled discussion topics.