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Columbia Gorge News
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Forest parking fees considered
HOOD RIVER — The
Hood River County Board of
Commissioners is consider-
ing an ordinance to establish
a parking permit program
for Post Canyon. If adopted,
designated fee parking zones
on county forest land would
be identified with the goal of
managing recreational use
in the county’s tree farm,
according to a press release
from the county.
A public hearing on the
proposed resolution is sched-
uled for the Oct. 18 meeting
of the Hood River County
Board of Drectors.
Fee parking zones would
be added to properties in
county forestlands near
popular recreation areas
including Post Flats, Seven
Streams, Family Man, Binns
Hill, Kingsley Reservoir and
Pinemont.
Zones would be clearly
established by signs and
information. Revenue from
the program would be dedi-
cated to support the County
Tree Farm recreational use
and maintenance of the trail
system.
Annual or daily parking
permits would be purchased
for $30 or $5 respective-
ly, valid for all county fee
parking zones between dawn
and dusk. It is expected that
permits would be available
for purchase online as well
as with one or two vendors
in town. A kiosk to purchase
daily permits may also be
considered.
Permits would be required
year-round for all hours that
the zones are open for all
licensed vehicles, including
motorcycles or motorbikes.
Parking validation
numbers or permits would
need to be clearly displayed
through vehicle windshields
or on vehicles without
windshields.
Failure to comply with
parking fees would be subject
to warning or citation. The
County would operate,
manage and provide oversite
of the program, including
investigating observed or
reported violations, issuing
warnings or citations and
general enforcement of the
program.
Daily and annual fees will
be established within the
county fee schedule, which is
reviewed as necessary by the
Board of Commissioners.
A fee parking program has
been discussed by the county
with input from recreation-
al trail and forest advisory
committees over the past
year. A first reading of the or-
dinance occurred at the Sept.
20 board of commissioners
meeting.
A second reading and
public hearing will occur at
the Oct. 18 meeting which
begins at 6 p.m. A decision is
expected to be made by the
board this fall and the pro-
gram could begin in spring
of 2022.
For more information, visit
hoodrivercounty.gov.
Parking fees have been proposed for popular trails in Hood River County forestlands. The second of
two public hearings on the proposal is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 18.
Bingen City Council
enacts water
payment plan
Jacob Bertram
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
them past due bills, and two
options they make take to
satisfy the fees, according to
Bingen Deputy City Clerk
Bingen water customers
may be eligible for a payment Dena Riggleman.
Customers can either
plan on late water bills.
contact Bingen City Hall to
Under an ordinance
enroll in the payment plan
approved by Bingen City
program or contact WAGAP
Councilors at their Oct. 5
to enroll in a similar program,
meeting, water customers
who are 30 days past due on according to the letter sent
out to city utility customers.
water bills with a minimum
Under a WAGAP-Bingen
charge of $300 may request
partnership program, cus-
a payment plan if they meet
the following criteria: If they tomers behind on water and
are on a fixed income and
sewer payments since the
receiving all applicable city
start of the COVID-19 pan-
discounts; if they incurred
demic may enroll in a CARES
severe financial hardship due Act-funded program to fund
to the COVID-19 pandem-
their water and sewer debts.
Customers do not have
ic, water leak, or medical
to demonstrate hardship
emergency/condition; or if
their water cannot be shut-off to receive funds under the
due to the health conditions Bingen-WAGAP partnership,
nor to determine eligibility
of the persons living on the
premises, or due to the age of under the new payment plan
program, Riggleman said.
the occupants.
The ordinance was en-
Customers who meet the
criteria will be receiving a
acted in conjunction with
letter from the city notifying
a statewide moratorium on
utility late fees and shutoffs
that expired Sept. 30, said
Riggleman.
“For the past 18 months,
the city was not charging
late fees or implementing
water shut offs for past due
utility accounts. However,
the monthly base fees
and water usage fees were
assessed to the account
each month,” the letter
said. “These balances will
continue to compound if
payments are not made on
the account.”
The basic terms of the
payment plan, accord-
ing to the ordinance, will
require customers entering
the payment plan to fully
pay off their outstanding
balance within one year;
if a balance is outstanding
past one year of the plan,
minimum monthly payments
will increase to $100 until the
balance is paid off.
Any variation of the terms
of the arrangement must by
the new rules have made it
more difficult for officers to
intervene, and instead of an
Officers risk
officer responding, she say
it may be a social worker or
decertification
fire and EMT services who is
Continued from page 1 approach a person during a
crisis. That an unarmed first
standard,” Mosbrucker wrote responder is the responsible
in the Sept. 20 essay.
party, she said, is putting
Mosbrucker said the more them in harm’s way.
stringent standard creates
“Some (law enforcement
uncertainty when an officer
officers) will respond but
can respond to a situation.
they’re risking decertifi-
That uncertainty, she said,
cation,” Mosbrucker said.
has led to situations where
“They’re trying to be there
officers will wait “around the even though there’s not a
corner” during a call for a
crime.”
mental health crisis. While
Mosbrucker admitted
before the changes it was law the Republican Party in
enforcement’s responsibil-
Washington does currently
not have the political power
ity to respond to such calls,
to call a special session —
which would require two-
thirds of legislature’s votes,
or the governor’s signature
to proceed; however, her
party is working on a suite
of legislation to submit for
consideration during next
year’s regular session. One
priority for Mosbrucker is to
see the reasonable suspicion
standard back to practice; as
well, she said she hopes to
see more training options,
more de-escalation tactics,
and a return of community
policing — “in which officers
get out of their patrol cars
every shift, engage with the
public, and show how they
are people who truly care
about others.”
REFORM
Contributed photo
Mid-Columbia Medical Center
names new board trustee
THE DALLES —
Healthcare executive
Anthony Masciotra, Jr.,
MBA, CPA, has been
elected to the board of
trustees of Mid-Columbia
Medical Center, effective
immediately.
“I am so pleased to wel-
come Anthony to the board
of trustees,” said MCMC
CEO Dennis Knox. “He
brings a wealth of knowl-
edge and perspective to our
board and will be an incred-
ible asset as we continue
our work ensuring MCMC
is meeting our community’s
growing health and wellness
needs — now and in the
future.”
Masciotra is the chief ex-
ecutive officer of the Oregon
Health & Science University
Practice Plan, a 2,100-mem-
ber group of physicians,
nurse practitioners,
physician assistants and
other licensed independent
providers
who are
integral to
all aspects of
clinical care
at OHSU. He
also serves
as chief am-
Anthony
bulatory and
professional Masciotra, Jr.
practice
officer at OHSU Health and
is a member of the School of
Medicine senior leadership
team.
Prior to joining OHSU in
2016, he was CEO of UNM
Medical Group, Inc., the
faculty practice plan sup-
porting the clinical providers
and employees within the
University of New Mexico’s
School of Medicine. Prior to
that he served chief finan-
cial officer at UNM Cancer
Center and has also for
Lovelace Health Systems,
Cigna Healthcare, Baystate
Health Systems and Ernst &
Young.
Masciotra is a member of
the Academic Medical Group
Leadership Roundtable
and the Group on Faculty
Practice of the Association of
American Medical Colleges
and is a member of several
professional organizations
including the American
Institute of Certified Public
Accountants, Medical Group
Management Association
and Healthcare Financial
Management Association.
He earned a Master in
Business Administration
from the University of New
Mexico Anderson School
of Management and a
bachelor’s degree from the
University of Connecticut.
Founded in 1901, Mid-
Columbia Medical Center
is a nationally recognized
hospital dedicated to serving
residents of The Dalles and
its surrounding communities.
CANDIDATE FORUMS
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Oct 13, 2021 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Trout Lake School Board
2021 Candidate’s Forum
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://nixongwiltlaw.zoom.us/j/94907263905
Or One tap mobile :
US: +13017158592,,94907263905# or +13126266799,,94907263905#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 205 6099
or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 949 0726 3905
International numbers available:
https://nixongwiltlaw.zoom.us/u/abYEmEpCna
Breathe Healthier
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
Live Better
'
What s your reason to quit smoking
?
TALK TO YOUR HEALTH CARE TEAM
A TOBACCO CESSATION SPECIALIST IS READY TO HELP!
ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH: HR 541-386-6380
ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH: TD 541-296-4610
MCMC: 541-506-5819
When: Oct 14, 2021 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Topic: White Salmon School Board
2021 Candidate’s Forum
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://nixongwiltlaw.zoom.us/j/93097905804
Or One tap mobile :
US: +12532158782,,93097905804# or +13462487799,,93097905804#
Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833
or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 930 9790 5804
International numbers available:
https://nixongwiltlaw.zoom.us/u/abFfyQvwBh
This is an important race—and we want you the readers to participate. We want
all local candidates to join the forum so voters have the information they need to
cast their votes. Please join these ZOOM sessions to help choose your candidate!
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