Local News

The Board of Commissioners continued its effort to remove outdated ordinances from the Josephine County Code during its weekly business session this morning.

Following four brief public hearings, the Board voted unanimously to repeal rules pertaining to the payment of attorney fees, utility consumer choice, sanitary landfills and the designation of county property for sanitary landfills. The second readings and approvals of the new ordinances are scheduled for September 4th.

Assistant County Legal Counsel Leah Harper testified all of the existing rules are outdated and need to be removed from the County Code. She said attorney fees were never paid to witnesses who cooperated with the District Attorney, the case against Pacific Power's Smart Meters was settled and the former Marlsan Landfill has been closed for many years. There was no public testimony in the hearings.

Under Administrative Actions, the Board also voted unanimously to approve an order outlining general fund appropriations in various county departments. The department heads are expected to watch both their spending appropriations and revenues in the same manner as departments not paid for by the general fund.

Scott Blower of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest presented the Board with a certificate of appreciation for the efforts of Josephine County Public Works in the Bear Camp Road Project.

The Commissioners reminded citizens of the Fire Hazard Map Meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce opened the meeting with a presentation on the recent Lemonade Day event. New Chamber CEO Terry Hopkins said around 300 local children participated in the program with more than 80 lemonade stands in Grants Pass and Cave Junction. Young entrepreneur Reese Tappan said she donated $50 from her stand to the Rogue Valley Humane Society.