Local News

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved three Administrative Action items during its weekly business session this morning.

Board Chair Andreas Blech was absent, so Vice-Chair Chris Barnett ran the 30-minute meeting that was held today instead of its traditional Wednesday timeslot.

The Commissioners first approved an order assigning transfer authority to the Recreation Director for moving money from the Fairgrounds Permanent Fund to the Recreation-Fair Fund. The permanent fund contains proceeds from the sale of The Flying Lark and the Fairgrounds is permitted to spend the interest on projects.

The Board also approved an order that establishes a Josephine County Veterans' Camping Program. Recreation Director Tamra Martin testified that this is a "pilot program" based on the success of free annual passes provided to local veterans for access to county parks. Between 400 and 500 passes are distributed each year.

Martin explained that the new program will provide free three-day camping passes to local veterans for recreational vehicle, tent or yurt camping in county parks. She said this does not include group sites or holiday weekends and it will be based on availability. At the end of the year, the program will be evaluated for continuation.

In other business, the Board approved an amendment to an intergovernmental agreement with the ODOT Middle Rogue Metropolitan Planning Organization. Transit Director Scott Chancey testified the amendment codifies and extends the current agreement, with no money coming from the county's General Fund.

The public comment period included a woman who praised the dismantling of the US Department of Education by the Trump administration, a woman who opposed the "pornification problem" with books in public schools and a man who requested the Board stop using religious invocations at the beginning of its public meetings.