Josephine County commissioners voted unanimously September 29 to remove six vacant Sheriff’s Office positions from the county’s budgeted staffing count, approved a contract to grow approximately 190,000 tree seedlings and advanced the purchase of two additional public-transit vehicles.
The staffing reduction removes two Patrol Deputy positions, two Corrections Deputy positions and two Major Crimes Detective positions. All six were unfilled. The board approved the adjustment after updated budget analysis and the completion of collective bargaining agreements.
Commissioners addressed the reduction again at their September 30 Weekly Business Session, where residents questioned funding for the Adult Jail and Juvenile Justice. Across four days of meetings, the board also considered county facilities, recreation improvements, land-use approvals and changes to public-records procedures and official social-media accounts.
The proposed Public Records Policy and Social Media Policy will come before the board for public consideration October 7. Commissioners reviewed both proposals during their October 1 Legal Counsel Update.
The records proposal would standardize how county departments receive and process requests and incorporate the planned rollout of JustFOIA, a public-records request system. Proposed social-media revisions cover the administration of official county accounts, retention of records, public comments and moderation standards.
Commissioners also adopted the Josephine County Strategic Communications Plan as a departmental policy under Information Technology. The plan establishes communication goals for emergency information, public-records compliance and county programs and services. It also addresses accessibility, translations, printed materials and in-person outreach, with provisions allowing county practices to adapt over time.
The Forestry Department secured unanimous approval September 29 for a $120,280 contract with Weyerhaeuser NR Company to grow approximately 190,000 seedlings. The county will use the planting stock to reforest county-owned lands following anticipated timber harvests.
Ordering ahead of those harvests gives Forestry time to obtain suitable planting stock and prepare for prompt replanting. The contract supports future work on county forestlands rather than a single planting project identified during the workshop.
At Whitehorse Park, commissioners conditionally approved a $146,883 modular restroom for the renovated upper camping loop. The county plans to pay for the project with available American Rescue Plan Act funding, subject to confirmation that the purchase and installation can meet applicable deadlines.
The board directed Parks to verify the funding and installation schedule before proceeding. That requirement must be satisfied before the department moves forward with the authorized purchase.
Commissioners cleared the next step in expanding the transit fleet by approving an amendment to an Oregon Department of Transportation grant for two additional vehicles. The amendment changes the grant language from replacement vehicles to expansion vehicles, allowing the county to proceed with its order.
The grant remains $288,000, with a $72,000 local match, for a combined $360,000. Neither funding amount changed with the amendment.
A processing facility at 2581 Dick George Road near Cave Junction received approval of its formal Findings of Fact and Decision. The written document records the board’s August 31 approval and the additional conditions governing the project.
Those conditions restrict water use in processing, require commercial traffic to enter from Dick George Road rather than Greenview Road and require carbon filtration to control odors. Commissioners’ September 29 vote completed the written decision associated with the earlier approval.
The board also approved the Consolidation Estates Subdivision plat map and examined the proposed Outstanding Resource Waters designation affecting Illinois Valley watersheds. Discussion covered potential effects on local communities, industrial property, federal-land management, wildfire mitigation, invasive-weed control and seasonal river conditions. Commissioners took no formal action on the designation.
During the same workshop, commissioners reviewed Animal Shelter staffing and recruitment for a part-time Board Administrative Secretary, a Law Library Assistant, a Corrections Deputy and a Fleet Program Supervisor. Temporary Road Worker positions also came before the board.
Facilities Director Ryan Johnson requested the open employment-related hearing held September 28. Commissioners and Johnson addressed departmental communication, long-range facilities and maintenance planning, emergency communications infrastructure, project priorities and security planning.
The hearing also examined the board’s expectations for information supplied by the department. It concluded without personnel findings, a disciplinary determination or other formal action.
Commissioners supported development of a standardized Human Resources procedure October 1 for personnel matters involving employees who report directly to the board. The procedure would establish a consistent process through changes in commissioners or Human Resources leadership. A future Personnel Policy Manual amendment is expected to reference it.
At the September 30 business session, residents brought concerns about student proficiency and education, manufactured-home park affordability, an emerging public-health issue and locally developed technology. Commissioners responded to the speakers and expressed interest in obtaining further information where appropriate.
The board also called attention to the County Clerk’s property-recording notification service, which sends email alerts when documents are recorded under a monitored name or property. The alerts may help residents identify potentially fraudulent filings. Commissioners reminded residents that fire precautions remained necessary as the season approached its conclusion.
Three executive sessions addressed legal and employment matters. On September 29, commissioners consulted with legal counsel about pending litigation. They returned to open session and reported receiving an update from their attorneys, with no motions or decisions.
An October 1 executive session addressed information exempt from public inspection. Commissioners returned to open session, reported receiving an update and took no formal action.
Following a separate employment-related executive session later October 1, the board made a majority selection between two candidates and directed Human Resources to continue the hiring process.