Oregon Trails

An Occasional Newsletter

from

The Association of Oregon Counties

Legislative Days of Winter     

Back up and running    

January 28, 2014

Dispensaries

In 2013, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3460, which authorizes medical marijuana dispensaries.  All sides now agree the bill itself has many significant deficiencies.  The AOC Legislative Committee has directed staff to work on fixing those deficiencies, as well as securing a local opt out for counties and cities.

Legalization

There are currently three initiative petitions filed with the Oregon Secretary of State that would place the question of legalizing adult recreational use of marijuana on the November 2014 ballot.  The sponsors of those petitions have told the legislature they will stand down, and not circulate the petitions, if the February 2014 legislative session refers its own legalization measure to Oregon voters in November of 2014.  The AOC Legislative Committee has given staff direction on the issues of concern to counties, as well as taken a position against any legalization measure.  Meanwhile, the legislature has recently conducted a series of informational hearings on the issue, the most recent on January 17, 2014, and featuring a presentation by Kevin Sabet, PhD, of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

U of O Capstone

AOC is actively working with University of Oregon graduate students, as part of the MPA Capstone Project, in order to obtain research regarding public policy issues surrounding marijuana dispensaries and legalization, especially in light of the recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington.

AOC position

At its meetings on December 9, 2013, and January 13, 2014, the Legislative Committee of the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has taken the following positions:

Legalization

• AOC opposes any legislation that would legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.
• With regard to any possible legislation to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana, AOC supports:
• Strong regulatory controls, including, but not limited to, satisfying the eight federal harms of concern.
• A provision that allows the governing body of local jurisdictions to opt out of having marijuana businesses.
• Substantial revenue sharing with local government, including counties.
• Specific acknowledgement and reservation of employer rights to not be required to tolerate the use of marijuana by any employee, whether on or off the job, or whether impaired by such use or not.
• No preemption of local taxation or licensing authority.

 (NOTE: AOC will still remain opposed to any such legislation, even if all five of the above conditions are met) 

• AOC supports legislation to allow the governing bodies of local jurisdictions to opt out of having marijuana businesses.
• AOC supports fixing the many problems with the Oregon medical marijuana dispensary law and program, including, but not limited to, inadequate program staffing and the need for licensing and regulation of dispensers, testers, and growers. 

Wasco County field trip: AOC Veterans Committee

You're Invited!  Host: Wasco County Commissioner Rod Runyon

The Dalles, Oregon

Friday, February 7, 2014

10 a.m.  - 2 p.m.

Highlights/Visits Include:

•      Oregon Veterans' Home**
•      Community Based Outpatient Clinic ("CBOC", a VA funded local health clinic for veterans)
•      County Veterans Service Office (supported by extensive volunteer program)
•      Group Lunch
•      Visit to Local Veterans Memorial

Please RSVP to Andy Smith, AOC staff

[email protected]

971-322-8512

**Opened in the fall of 1997, the Oregon Veterans' Home can care for as many as 151 residents who need long-term care in a care facility that provides skilled nursing, Alzheimer's and dementia-related care, and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitative care to veterans, their spouses and parents who have lost a child to war-time service. In 2012, US News & Word Reports rated the Home as one of Oregon's "Best Nursing Homes" -- a 5-Star facility.  It's also earned a Step II Award for Quality Achievement, one of only two state veterans' homes out of 170 to achieve this level of recognition. 

Multnomah County Community Covenant 

Oregon's top veterans official says that it will take a broad community effort to meet the needs of four generations of military veterans who've served in five major wars. On Thursday, Nov. 14, Multnomah County pledged to lead the way.

Commissioner Diane McKeel

The county signed a historic  "Community Covenant with Veterans and Military Families" along with the cities of Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village. The pledge took place at a formal signing with Commissioner Diane McKeel and Cameron Smith, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs. It came in the closing moments of a "Hiring our Heroes'' job fair at Veterans Memorial Coliseum where more than 440 unemployed veterans had come looking for work.

"No one organization can meet all the needs of our military and veteran population,'' said Smith, a former Marine who served three tours in Iraq. "Stronger collaboration across military, government and community partners is essential if service members, veterans and their families are to thrive in Oregon. It is all hands on deck," Smith said.

There are nearly 40,000 veterans of all ages living in Multnomah County, according to the state, including those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the troops are being withdrawn from Afghanistan, federal spending to support returning soldiers is expected to end, as well. In response to that looming gap, Commissioner McKeel organized a steering committee to create "a road map" for local governments to help vets find local, state and federal paths to jobs, healthcare, and other benefits.

It is expected to be an example for all Oregon counties as they develop their own approach. "This covenant is our commitment, as a community, to serve those who have sacrificed for our country,'' said McKeel. "This is a commitment to offer a hand up to those who are struggling with homelessness, unemployment, or mental health issues. It is an investment in our veterans who are using their leadership and work ethic to enhance our local businesses, schools, and community organizations. Above all,'' she said, "this is our community's pledge that we each have a role and responsibility to help improve the lives of our veterans and military families."

Smith thanked McKeel, as members of the steering committee, veterans and advocates began signing the promise.

Mike Morris, Commander of the American Legion in Oregon, said "this is wonderful."

"It's about helping people find a home, get a job, it's all about the American dream."

Public Safety Summit held in Curry County

Gold Beach - More than 80 elected county commissioners, county judges, sheriffs, district attorneys along with representatives of several state agencies and departments and the governor's office, the Oregon Attorney General and local citizens gathered in the Docia Sweet Hall on the Curry County Fairgrounds for the Curry County Public Safety Summit January 24th and 25th.

Participants in the summit began the daunting task of beginning to firmly define adequate levels of public safety, how to provide it and how to fund it.  The summit was facilitated by Steve Kent of the Results Group, LTD. 

Among the conclusions of the summit:

• Information from the event will be shared with county commissioners, sheriffs and district attorneys across the state
• The discussion will be expanded to include Oregon cities
• Meaningful discussions will be held on a regional level on how to improve law enforcement
• The relationship between law enforcement and county commissioners will be strengthened so that there is one voice on public safety issues
• There will be a follow up meeting, perhaps in as little as 90 days, involving the participants of the summit and other interested persons and groups

AOC along with the Oregon State Sheriffs Association and the Association of Oregon District Attorneys sponsored the event.  Grants from the Ford Family Foundation and the Gordon Elwood Foundation helped underwrite the summit. 

If you would like more information about the summit or the materials Mr. Kent produced for and from the summit, please contact Eric Schmidt at AOC. 

Curry County Public Safety Summit at the Curry County Fairgrounds in Gold Beach

LC 61: Rob Libke Scholarship Act

AOC led efforts to introduce a bill dedicated to fallen Oregon City Reserve Police Officer Rob Libke.  The bill would add police/sheriff reserves and volunteer firefighters to the Deceased or Disabled Public Safety Officer Grant program administered by the Oregon Student Access Commission.

AOC's Public Safety Policy Manager Patrick Sieng, a reserve officer with the Portland Police Bureau, attended academy with Libke.  During the legislative committee days, Sieng gathered 70 sponsors for the bill.  There are also 12 statewide organizations supporting the bill, including the cities, sheriffs, police & fire chiefs, volunteer firefighters, reserve police officers, and union police officers.

The bill was unanimously approved in AOC's Public Safety and Legislative Committees.

Alternative fuel vehicle revolving fund

Recently, the Oregon Department of Energy held a tax credit auction to generate loan funding for a new Alternative Fuel Vehicle Revolving Fund. This fund offers a competitive loan resource for public bodies and Oregon's federally recognized tribes.  Borrowers can use loan proceeds to: 

• Purchase new alternative fuel vehicles
• Convert existing gasoline or diesel vehicles to alternative fuels.

For more details see the ODOE announcement for an explanation and loan application. 

DEQ onsite septic budget note workgroup report

At AOC's urging the Government Efficiency Task Force analyzed DEQ's onsite septic system program in 2012. The task force produced two bills for the 2013 session addressing the issues discussed during the meetings. It was determined that these bills were written too broadly so a budget note was inserted in the the DEQ budget directing DEQ and AOC to work together to find effective and cost efficient opportunities. The DEQ Onsite Septic Budget Note Workgroup met several times between July and November 2013 and included a number of county representatives. The Legislature asked DEQ and AOC to report back to them during 2014 and it would be helpful if commissioners and judges could read the report and weigh in on the fifteen recommendations put forth. This issue will be discussed during one of the Energy, Environment and Land Use steering committee meetings in February. If you have any questions regarding the report or the recommendations, please contact AOC staff Mark Nystrom.

NACo 2014 Green Government Initiative Forum

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Salud Carbajal invites you to attend NACo's Powering County Resilience: Renewable Energy Solutions Forum, March 20-22 in Santa Barbara. This one-and-a-half day forum will bring together county leaders and industry experts to share how they have implemented sustainable energy solutions, including geothermal heating and cooling and landfill-to-gas conversion. Through presentations, panel discussions and site visits, participants will learn new ways to help their counties reduce environmental impacts while cutting energy costs.

If you have any questions, contact Rob Pressly at NACo, 202-942-4224. Or, you can go here to register.

USDA assistance for safe, sanitary rural waste disposal

Rural communities and service providers seeking to address environmental, health and safety issues with their current waste management systems, and those looking to add service capacity to meet the needs of a growing community, should take a look at financing options through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

WEP offers loans to public bodies, Native American tribes, and nonprofits serving rural communities and small towns of less than 10,000. If a system serves both rural and urban areas, WEP assistance may be provided for expenses related to serving the program-eligible portion of the service area.

For low-income communities, WEP loans may be supplemented with grant assistance, as determined on a case-by-case basis.

To learn more about the program, visit the WEP website or contact the USDA Community Programs Director for Oregon, Sam Goldstein at (503) 414-3362.

Department of Forestry reports on the State's federal forest activities

The House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee heard State Forester Doug Decker report on activities of the Board of Forestry to increase the pace and scale of federal forest harvesting in dry side (eastern Oregon) forests. The Department of Forestry had been appropriated $2.885 million by the 2013 Legislature to engage in this by supporting successful collaboratives, boosting scientific findings, shaping a new federal business model, and streamlining current environmental processes. The Board appointed a subcommittee-released findings in December on how to accomplish these goals.

The subcommittee identified four critical issues: 1) single focus federal legislation impedes holistic ecosystem conservation; 2) infrastructure and workforce need to be sustained; 3) discordant environmental and management laws create barriers for implementation; and 4) the traditional federal appropriations process does not reflect current land management needs. All four of these issues are very familiar to rural county officials.

Actions that the subcommittee recommends on each issue include:

1. Amend the National Forest Management Act to require management at an ecosystem scale and engage directly in the Blue Mountains Plan Revision to advocate for balanced conservation and timber supply approach.
2. Define and implement a streamlined level of environmental analysis for project-level management activities.
3. Coordinate with the Federal Forestland Advisory Committee Implementation Work Group (of which AOC is a member) and local collaboratives to identify potential administrative policy changes that reward the role and input of collaboration and increase the pace and scale of forest restoration.
4. Make explicit to Congress the amount of forest restoration and management reasonably expected at proposed funding levels, identifying the gap from "needed" and "funded."

AOC has been and will continue to be directly engaged in all these activities.

It is with heavy hearts that we must inform you of the passing of former Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker who passed away on January 17. Walker served as a county commissioner for 16 years. Details on his funeral mass, scheduled for Friday, January 31, can be found in the Medford Mail Tribune. 

NACo has launched a significant upgrade to the NACo Grants Clearinghouse which offers almost ten times as many grant opportunities for counties. For information on the upgrade and what it can mean for your county, please see this NACo release.