Let’s Play: Hold the Lane County Board of Commissioners accountable!

UPATE: The agenda AND materials are posted on the Board of Commissioners’ website several days before the next meeting. Woohoo! Looks like they want to change their regular meeting day to Tuesday, rather than Wednesday. 

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Whether for or against coal trains, no one was happy that the conservative majority on the Board of Lane County Commissioners was planning to vote on the issue last week (oh, sorry, vote on the Coos Bay Bulk Terminal the coal trains would be heading to) without giving anyone advance notice to make public comment.

EW found the brief mention of the vote on the county agenda, and after we asked some questions, we found out that a coal train vote was scheduled.

Then after the public began to voice dismay about the vote, the commission rescheduled it.

Then yesterday, they decided not to vote at all. Oops. Well you can still weigh in on coal at the Oct. 22 City Council meeting.

So let’s keep the county government accountable. Agendas are sent out in advance of meetings. Sometimes the week before, sometimes only a couple days before. Agenda materials (the stuff explaining the items listed, which are sometimes a little vague) get posted at various times. Sometimes, as in the case of the coal trains resolution, only 24 hours before a scheduled vote.  Below is this week’s agenda. Per usual, it doesn’t spell out items under “Commissioners Business” or in some other places, but it gives you the general idea of what’s going to be discussed.

For next week, I’m curious about the item  under County Administation where there are plans to change the day of the week the commissioners meet. The current schedule is meeting Wednesdays with Tuesdays also a possibility (scroll down to section 3.005). Alas the agenda doesn’t say what the new option is, or why the change — hopefully because they are trying to make it easier to get information about meetings and votes to the public. Thoughts?

AGENDA                                                                                   LANE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

                                                Public Service Building, 125 East 8th Avenue, Eugene, OR  97401

                                                                  Phone (541) 682-4203    Web site: www.lanecounty.org

Legend                                                                     the meeting location is wheelchair-accessible.  Anyone needing

PM-Previous Material                                           special accommodations (hearing impaired, language translation,

NBA – Notice of Board Action                             chemical sensitivity needs, and large print copies of agenda),

# – Sign-Up Sheets Available at Entrance            please make your request at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Find out about more Lane County events at www.lanecounty.org/Calendar                                                                                                                                          www.twitter.com@LCBoard

*Note: Complete Copy of Agenda Packet Material is available for review in the Commissioners’ Office*

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24,  2012 – REGULAR MEETING

(9:00 a.m.)                              (Board of Commissioners’ Conference Room)

1.     COUNTY ADMINISTRATION

A.     PUBLIC HEARING – ORDER 12-10-24-01/ In the Matter of Adopting the FY 12-13 Supplemental Budget #1, Making, Reducing, and Transferring Appropriations. (Christine Moody, Budget Manager) (estimated 10 minutes) (9:00 a.m. TIME CERTAIN)

2.     ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA

 3.     #PUBLIC COMMENTS 

Expected maximum time 20 minutes:  Speakers will be taken in the order in which they sign up and will be limited to 3-minutes.  If the number wishing to testify exceeds 7 speakers, then additional speakers may be allowed if the chair determines that time permits or each speaker’s time may be reduced to fit within 20 min.)

4.     COMMISSIONERS’ RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND/OR OTHER ISSUES AND REMONSTRANCE (2 min. limit)

5.     EMERGENCY BUSINESS

6.     CONSENT CALENDAR

(All items listed here are considered to be routine by the Board of Commissioners and will be enacted by one motion in the form listed below.  There will be no separate discussion of these items.  If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the Consent Calendar and will be considered separately.)

BEGINNING OF CONSENT CALENDAR * * * * (estimated 2 minutes)

A.     County Administration

1)     ORDER 12-10-24-02/ In the Matter of Approving Minor West Eugene Enterprise Zone (WEEZ) Boundary Amendment to Allow Investments by Local Businesses (Oakshire Brewing and Hop Valley) to Utilize the Program. (Glenda Poling, Manager, Lane County Community & Economic Development Division)

2)     ORDER 12-10-24-03/ In the Matter of Appointing Two Pools of Board Members Who May be Selected by the County Clerk to Sit on the Board of Property Tax Appeals. (Cheryl Betschart, County Clerk)

B.     Public Safety

1)     ORDER 12-10-24-04/ In the Matter of Amending Chapter 3 of Lane Manual to Transfer Weighmaster Staff and Responsibilities from Sheriff to Public Works. (Chief Deputy Hooley)

C.     Public Works

1)     ORDER 12-10-24-05/ In The Matter Of Accepting Deeds For Land To Be Used For County Road Purposes For Jasper Lowell Road AKA Pioneer Street (County Road Number 360 & 1065)  (19-01-14) (Mike Jackson, County Surveyor)

2)     ORDER 12-10-24-06/ In The Matter Of Accepting Deeds For Strips Of Land To Be Used For County Road Purposes For Meadowview Road (County Road Numbers 889 & 898)  (16-04-30 & 16-05-25) (Mike Jackson, County Surveyor)

3)     ORDER 12-10-24-07/ In The Matter Of Accepting Deeds For A Strip Of Land To Be Used For County Road Purposes For Sutton Lake Road (County Road Number 730)  (17-12-35) (Mike Jackson, County Surveyor)

4)     ORDER 12-10-24-08/ In the Matter of Authorizing the Sale of Surplus County Owned Real Property to Molly Jo Simmons, Former Owner of Record, for $17,190 (Map No. 18-03-06-41-01600, 135 E. 24th Place, Eugene) (Jeff Turk, Property Management Officer 2)

5)     ORDER 12-10-24-09/ In the Matter of Authorizing the Sale of Surplus County Owned Real Property to Molly Jo Simmons, Former Owner of Record, for $50,376 (Map No. 18-03-04-32 Tax Lots 5601 And 5602, 2790 Central Blvd., Eugene) (Jeff Turk, Property Management Officer 2)

END OF CONSENT CALENDAR * * * *

7.     COUNTY ADMINISTRATION

A.     Announcements

(updated order numbers from this point on)

B.     ORDER 12-10-24-10/ In the Matter of Amending Lane Manual to Revise the Regular Meeting Day of the Lane County Board of Commissioners (LM 3.005). Effective December 1, 2012. (David Suchart, Acting County Administrator) (estimated 10 minutes)

8.     COUNTY COUNSEL

A.     Announcements

9.     COMMISSIONERS’ BUSINESS

A.     Announcements

10.  PUBLIC WORKS

A.     ORDER 12-10-24-11/ In the Matter of Prohibiting Alcohol Consumption at Whitely Landing. (Mike Russell, Parks Manager) (estimated 30 minutes)

B.     ORDER 12-10-24-12/ In the Matter of Approving the River Road – Santa Clara Storm Water Basin Master Plan. (Daniel Hurley, Senior Engineering Associate) (estimated 20 minutes)

11.  REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS

12.  EXECUTIVE SESSION as per ORS 192.660

            (Commissioners’ Conference Room)

13.  OTHER BUSINESS