Local News

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners held its first weekly business session of 2025 this morning.

As a first order of business, newly-appointed Commissioner Andreas Blech was voted in as Board Chair due to his past experience with the previous Board. Ron Smith agreed to step aside after being elected Board Chair last week.

Following a public hearing, the Board unanimously approved the annexation of a 6-acre property in Williams into the Josephine Community Library District.

Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners unanimously approved the sale of the 320-acre Clapboard Gulch property on Caves Camp Road by quitclaim deed to Ireland Investments. Property Manager Helene Lulich explained the property sold for $2,274,536, with proceeds going to the Josephine County Forestry fund.

The Board also authorized the Recreation Department to apply for a grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation agency to pay for improvements at Schroeder Park. Recreation Director Tamra Martin testified that the grant money would go toward bringing power and water to tent sites at the park.

As part of the Consent Calendar, the Commissioners set February 5th as the date for a public hearing on a revised fee schedule for the Recreation Department.

During the public comment period, a group of county employees spoke in favor of a union contract that will be voted on next week, a man requested the Commission enact an ordinance banning fireworks, another man voiced his concerns about the Statewide Wildfire Risk Map, two people opposed the Board tactic of revoking the library lease in order to spur renegotiations and another person spoke about what he called the "flawed process" in the appointment of a third Commissioner.