BOCC update for Jan. 26, 2026, Agenda for week of Feb. 2, 2026
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2026 11:47 am
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The weekly update has links to the complete notes for each meeting we cover.
Summary of last week's BOCC meeting:
Monday, Jan. 26, 2026
The BOCC did not meet on Monday.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 AM
• The commissioners discuss bills introduced in the legislature. They worry about the state being unfriendly to business and about a proposed millionaires’ income tax that they fear will morph into an income tax for all levels of income.
• Lanie Johns, Clerk of the Board, attending remotely, and Emily Sisson remark on how the sound quality on TEAMS is terrible, and that it’s nearly impossible to hear what is being said. Sound quality has been an issue for at least three or four weeks. Central Services will look into the issue.
• The Finance Committee, including Pam Johnson, County Treasurer, Lisa Schreckengost, Finance Manager and Cari Hall, County Auditor, discuss the new accounting system that began this month. They support monthly round table discussions with all the elected officials and department heads attending to discuss the necessary budget cuts in the 2027 budget.
• The commissioners discuss holding a round table discussion with Public Health, Okanogan Behavioral Health Care, Juvenile Services, and the Okanogan County Community Action Council to try to come up with a solution to homelessness/drug dependency funded by the county’s opioid fund.
• Kent Kovalenko, Solid Waste Management and Josh Thomson, Count Engineer, update the commissions on their departments.
• Meeting recessed for lunch at 11:36.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 PM
County Watch was unable to take notes for this meeting. You can watch the AV Capture of that meeting by pasting this url into your brower: https://www.okanogancounty.gov/449/Live-Streaming-of-Meetings
Use the clock on the far wall of the Commissioners’ meeting room to help find the particular agenda item that interests you. You may have to expand the recording to full screen to be able to read the clock.
• 1:30 Title 19 discussion. Director of Planning Pete Palmer.
• Meeting adjourned at 2:45.
AGENDA for the week of Feb. 2, 2026
Monday, February 02, 2026
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 266 945 779 797 96 Passcode: vB7E8j5u
Dial in by phone +1 469 998 7466 Phone ID: 762 003 408#
9:00 AM Review Commissioners Agenda and Consent Agenda
9:05 AM Discuss Individual Weekly Meetings & Schedules
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Commissioners' Staff Meeting
10:30 AM Discussion DFW (Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife) Ringhoffer Lease Renewal Jessie Russell
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 266 945 779 797 96 Passcode: vB7E8j5u
Dial in by phone +1 469 998 7466 Phone ID: 762 003 408#
9:00 AM Review Commissioners Consent Agenda and Minutes
9:05 AM Briefing Amongst Commissioners
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Legislative Update-County Lobbyist-Zac Kennedy
10:00 AM Round Table Finance Discussion
10:30 AM Update and Approve Sheriff/Corner Completion Project-Communications/Dispatch-Mike Worden
11:00 AM Update Public Works-Engineer Josh Thomson
1:30 PM Continued Public Hearing CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Gen. Purpose Grant Fire Dist. #10 Loomis-Roni Holder Diefenbach
2:00 PM Update Human Resources/ Risk Management - Shelley Keitzman
2:30 PM Approve Commissioner Proceedings January 27, 2026
2:35 PM Approve Consent Agenda
1. Agreement – CRP 9480-10 Right of Way – Ralph and Jennifer Fitzthum
2. Facility Use Agreement – Range & Training Room Fee – Omak Police Department
3. Professional Service Agreement – Public Defense – Reid Legal Office PLLC
4. Purchase Authorization – Traffic Stripping Material – Potters Industries, LLC
5. Resolution 11-2026 – Setting the Ad Valorem Taxes for 2026
6. Resolution 12-2026 – Setting Okanogan County Public Works ER&R Equipment Rates for 2026
2:40 PM Commissioners to set Wednesday’s Agenda
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 266 945 779 797 96 Passcode: vB7E8j5u
Dial in by phone +1 469 998 7466 Phone ID: 762 003 408#
No Meeting Scheduled
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, February 02, 2026
4:00 PM Solid Waste Advisory Committee- Public Works Conference Rm - 1234 A 2nd Ave S, Okanogan
6:00 PM Snow Grooming Advisory Board - Public Works Conference Rm - 1234 A 2nd Ave S, Okanogan
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
6:00 PM FAC (Fair Advisory Committee) Meeting - Commissioners' Hearing Room - 1st Tuesday of each Month
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
2:00 PM Okanogan County Water Conservancy Board Meeting – Via Zoom - Lisa de Vera 509-860-7466
6:00 PM Cancelled Hearing Examiner Meeting
Thursday, February 05, 2026
10:00 AM Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts - Commissioners Hearing Room
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Feb 9 Discussion Draft OCC Title 19 - Planning Director Pete Palmer
Feb 9 OCOG/RTPO (Okanogan Coalition of Governments/Regional Transportation Planning Organization) Meeting 303 2nd Ave S Okanogan
Feb 10 Presentation-WSLCB (Washington State Liquor Control Board) Expanded Alcohol Services-WSLCB
Feb 10 Board of Health-1234 S. 2nd Ave, Okanogan
Feb 12 Alta Vista Irrigation Meeting – CMRS Hearing Room
Feb 16 Holiday - Presidents Day
Feb 17 Finance Committee Meeting - Treasurer Pam Johnson
Feb 18 TRANGO MEETING - 303 2nd Ave S Ste A, Okanogan
Feb 19 Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts - Commissioners 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 a 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 the Citizen Comment Period shall be limited only to issues not otherwise on the agenda or scheduled discussion topics.
The weekly update has links to the complete notes for each meeting we cover.
Summary of last week's BOCC meeting:
Monday, Jan. 26, 2026
The BOCC did not meet on Monday.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 AM
• The commissioners discuss bills introduced in the legislature. They worry about the state being unfriendly to business and about a proposed millionaires’ income tax that they fear will morph into an income tax for all levels of income.
• Lanie Johns, Clerk of the Board, attending remotely, and Emily Sisson remark on how the sound quality on TEAMS is terrible, and that it’s nearly impossible to hear what is being said. Sound quality has been an issue for at least three or four weeks. Central Services will look into the issue.
• The Finance Committee, including Pam Johnson, County Treasurer, Lisa Schreckengost, Finance Manager and Cari Hall, County Auditor, discuss the new accounting system that began this month. They support monthly round table discussions with all the elected officials and department heads attending to discuss the necessary budget cuts in the 2027 budget.
• The commissioners discuss holding a round table discussion with Public Health, Okanogan Behavioral Health Care, Juvenile Services, and the Okanogan County Community Action Council to try to come up with a solution to homelessness/drug dependency funded by the county’s opioid fund.
• Kent Kovalenko, Solid Waste Management and Josh Thomson, Count Engineer, update the commissions on their departments.
• Meeting recessed for lunch at 11:36.
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 PM
County Watch was unable to take notes for this meeting. You can watch the AV Capture of that meeting by pasting this url into your brower: https://www.okanogancounty.gov/449/Live-Streaming-of-Meetings
Use the clock on the far wall of the Commissioners’ meeting room to help find the particular agenda item that interests you. You may have to expand the recording to full screen to be able to read the clock.
• 1:30 Title 19 discussion. Director of Planning Pete Palmer.
• Meeting adjourned at 2:45.
AGENDA for the week of Feb. 2, 2026
Monday, February 02, 2026
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 266 945 779 797 96 Passcode: vB7E8j5u
Dial in by phone +1 469 998 7466 Phone ID: 762 003 408#
9:00 AM Review Commissioners Agenda and Consent Agenda
9:05 AM Discuss Individual Weekly Meetings & Schedules
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Commissioners' Staff Meeting
10:30 AM Discussion DFW (Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife) Ringhoffer Lease Renewal Jessie Russell
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 266 945 779 797 96 Passcode: vB7E8j5u
Dial in by phone +1 469 998 7466 Phone ID: 762 003 408#
9:00 AM Review Commissioners Consent Agenda and Minutes
9:05 AM Briefing Amongst Commissioners
9:15 AM Public Comment Period
9:30 AM Legislative Update-County Lobbyist-Zac Kennedy
10:00 AM Round Table Finance Discussion
10:30 AM Update and Approve Sheriff/Corner Completion Project-Communications/Dispatch-Mike Worden
11:00 AM Update Public Works-Engineer Josh Thomson
1:30 PM Continued Public Hearing CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Gen. Purpose Grant Fire Dist. #10 Loomis-Roni Holder Diefenbach
2:00 PM Update Human Resources/ Risk Management - Shelley Keitzman
2:30 PM Approve Commissioner Proceedings January 27, 2026
2:35 PM Approve Consent Agenda
1. Agreement – CRP 9480-10 Right of Way – Ralph and Jennifer Fitzthum
2. Facility Use Agreement – Range & Training Room Fee – Omak Police Department
3. Professional Service Agreement – Public Defense – Reid Legal Office PLLC
4. Purchase Authorization – Traffic Stripping Material – Potters Industries, LLC
5. Resolution 11-2026 – Setting the Ad Valorem Taxes for 2026
6. Resolution 12-2026 – Setting Okanogan County Public Works ER&R Equipment Rates for 2026
2:40 PM Commissioners to set Wednesday’s Agenda
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
Join Microsoft TEAMS Video Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 266 945 779 797 96 Passcode: vB7E8j5u
Dial in by phone +1 469 998 7466 Phone ID: 762 003 408#
No Meeting Scheduled
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, February 02, 2026
4:00 PM Solid Waste Advisory Committee- Public Works Conference Rm - 1234 A 2nd Ave S, Okanogan
6:00 PM Snow Grooming Advisory Board - Public Works Conference Rm - 1234 A 2nd Ave S, Okanogan
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
6:00 PM FAC (Fair Advisory Committee) Meeting - Commissioners' Hearing Room - 1st Tuesday of each Month
Wednesday, February 04, 2026
2:00 PM Okanogan County Water Conservancy Board Meeting – Via Zoom - Lisa de Vera 509-860-7466
6:00 PM Cancelled Hearing Examiner Meeting
Thursday, February 05, 2026
10:00 AM Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts - Commissioners Hearing Room
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Feb 9 Discussion Draft OCC Title 19 - Planning Director Pete Palmer
Feb 9 OCOG/RTPO (Okanogan Coalition of Governments/Regional Transportation Planning Organization) Meeting 303 2nd Ave S Okanogan
Feb 10 Presentation-WSLCB (Washington State Liquor Control Board) Expanded Alcohol Services-WSLCB
Feb 10 Board of Health-1234 S. 2nd Ave, Okanogan
Feb 12 Alta Vista Irrigation Meeting – CMRS Hearing Room
Feb 16 Holiday - Presidents Day
Feb 17 Finance Committee Meeting - Treasurer Pam Johnson
Feb 18 TRANGO MEETING - 303 2nd Ave S Ste A, Okanogan
Feb 19 Reserved Juvenile Family Therapeutic Courts - Commissioners 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 a 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 the Citizen Comment Period shall be limited only to issues not otherwise on the agenda or scheduled discussion topics.