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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2018)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, October 24, 2018 A9 County marijuana regulations adopted by court County considers paid deputy district attorney position Pro tem justices of the peace selected Carpenter proposal addresses grant funding loss By Richard Hanners By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant County Court approved amendments to the Grant County Land Devel- opment Code at their Oct. 17 meeting to implement rules and regulations for marijuana businesses. Fifty-three per- cent of Grant County voters supported overturning a ban on recreational marijuana businesses in the May elec- tion. A hearing on the amend- ments was continued from a previous court meeting. Grant County Planning Di- rector Hilary McNary said all references to federal reg- ulations had been removed, and changes were made to proposed ventilation regula- tions to accommodate grow- ers who open up greenhouses to ambient environment and growers in isolated rural ar- eas. A producer who had grown medical marijuana for a number of years in a rural area near Kimberly had ob- jected to the proposed reg- ulations, saying she faced financial burdens in order to conform with the proposed ventilation rules. McNary said she would waive the application fee for a nonconforming use permit so the grower could contin- ue in business. The court thanked McNary for address- ing these concerns and get- ting the amendments drafted. In other court news: • Following a department update by Grant County Justice of the Peace Kathy Stinnett, the court agreed to appoint three justices of the peace from nearby counties as justice of the peace pro tem for Grant County: Rob- in Ordway, Wheeler Coun- ty; Vicky Clemens, Harney County; and Cris Patnode, Gilliam County. Stinnett said she had been without a justice of the peace pro tem for 30 days. With three nephews in law en- forcement in Grant County, Stinnett said conflicts of in- terest occasionally arise. She estimated that, on average, she needs a pro tem justice of the peace for about half a day per month. Grant County Justice Court handled 1,350 charges over the past year, includ- ing about 150 misdemeanor charges and 150 small claims cases, Stinnett said. In addi- tion to fish and game cases, Eagle photos/Richard Hanners Grant County Justice of the Peace Kathy Stinnett explains her request for a pro tem justice of the peace during the county court’s Oct. 17 meeting. Grant County Roadmaster Alan Hickerson updated the county court about the department’s projects at the Oct. 17 court meeting. the court handles trespassing, shoplifting and other misde- meanor cases. Small claims cases typ- ically range from $2,500- 10,000, Stinnett said. The justice court’s new part-time assistant began working Oct. 15, allowing the court to be open half-day on Fridays, Stinnett said. • Grant County Roadmas- ter Alan Hickerson updated the court on his department’s work over the past year. Brush clearing along county roads took place through the winter, and 20 miles of the Lake Magone Road was chip sealed, along with several roads in Long Creek. Flash floods hit Mt. Ver- non once and the Izee area twice, Hickerson said. The events are short-lived, and the damage was relatively easy to address, he said. His crews also handled a lot of patchwork around the county. Cooperative exchanges of crews and machinery with the Oregon Department of Transportation were com- monplace, Hickerson said, with both sides benefiting. The county road department also assisted John Day with its Canton Street cul-de-sac project. He noted that Long Creek and Granite also ben- efited from county coopera- tion with road projects. • Commissioner Rob Ra- schio raised the matter of reestablishing a water com- mittee to advise the court. Commissioner Jim Hamsher said he’d like to see a list of qualifications accompany applications, but Judge Scott Myers noted that volunteers for other committees were not asked to provide qualifi- cations. The court should be careful with such a request, Myers said. Raschio said the court should welcome people with special interests or experi- ence, while Hamsher noted that the county should be aware of individuals who had “an ax to grind.” The court agreed to tweak the com- mittee’s mission and bring it back at a future meeting. • The court reappointed Clair Kehrberg and Robert Quinton to the Grant County Board of Property Tax Ap- peal. Myers will remain on the board as the court repre- sentative. • The court’s next regular- ly scheduled meeting is Oct. 24. With the anticipated re- tirement of Grant County Counsel Ron Yockim co- inciding with the loss of The Eagle/Richard Hanners federal grant funding that supported a deputy district Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter exchanges attorney position, District comments with the county court during their Oct. 17 Attorney Jim Carpenter pre- meeting. sented the county court with work on county counsel tasks, a combined proposal aimed at special investigator. addressing both issues. Grant County had received including keeping records, The proposal, estimated to the grant funding for four con- drafting correspondence and cost about $50,000 for the re- secutive cycles, and remain- pleadings and tracking ap- maining half of the fiscal year, ing grant funds could last un- pointments. Carpenter said he calls for Carpenter taking on til next March, Carpenter told didn’t anticipate any conflicts the role of county counsel and the court at the time. The court preventing him from handling the county paying for a deputy approved Carpenter’s request the county counsel position. Carpenter also requested district attorney rather than re- to contract with local attor- lying on grant funding. ney Riccola Voigt to resolve that $5,000 be made available in the current fiscal year as a The court tabled a vote on Houck’s remaining cases. Carpenter’s proposal Oct. 17 Commissioner Rob Ra- match for any future grant ap- until a job description can be schio told the court Oct. 17 he plication, with $10,000 made drafted for the deputy district believed the district attorney’s available in subsequent fiscal attorney position and more victim assistance program year budgets. The money will information can be presented should be funded with grants not be used unless a grant is about how nearby counties but not the deputy district at- awarded, he noted. Raschio took issue with fund their district attorney’s torney position. He noted that Harney, Baker and Malheur Carpenter’s suggested salary office. counties pay for their deputy for the deputy district attorney Grant loss position. Raschio noted that district attorneys. Carpenter learned about Carpenter said it was un- the position was prized by law the loss of $167,000 per year likely the deputy district attor- school graduates on a career in federal Violence Against ney position could be funded track and didn’t need to be Women Act grant funding on with grants once Grant Coun- paid at the scale proposed by Sept. 10. Two days later, he ty made it a regular paid po- Carpenter. On the other hand, Grant warned the court he may need sition. County could benefit from to triage cases with the loss DA’s proposal having a skilled attorney at the of a deputy district attorney. According to Carpenter’s deputy district attorney po- If he had to choose between prosecuting a trespass case proposal, he would take on sition, Raschio said. He sug- or a domestic violence case, the duties of county counsel gested offering the pay scale he would choose the latter, he in advising county officers, in Carpenter’s proposal de- addressing legal questions pendent on experience. Car- told the court. Deputy District Attorney of a civil nature, prosecuting penter agreed with Raschio’s Mara Houck, who left for a violations of county law and suggestion. When Judge Scott My- position with the Deschutes representing the county in County District Attorney’s litigation to the extent possi- ers questioned how long the Office, had prosecuted all ble. Outside counsel would county could sustain the cost cases involving sex abuse, be needed if the workload ex- of the new position, Carpenter child abuse and domestic ceeded his resources, Carpen- noted that all county employ- ees face the same condition — violence. The VAWA fund- ter said. ing also supported a victim One of his current legal as- if funding dries up, their jobs intervention specialist and sistants would be designated to could end. Fighting the YOU CAN OPIOID CRISIS STOP THE CYCLE GREG IS LEADING A BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO COMBAT OUR OPIOID CRISIS. The bills that he helped pass give law enforcement more tools to fight this epidemic and provide our local communities with resources to help design and implement better treatment and recovery programs. Greg took the input he collected at home -- from discussions with local law enforcement officials, physicians, parents, recovering addicts, and treatment providers -- and put it to work in Washington. Using their experience and ideas, he helped write and pass the most significant effort by Congress against any drug crisis in history. “Walden helped craft & advance nearly 60 opioid-related bills” (6/8/18) O CTOBER 2018 Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention Are pou or someone pou know the victim of phpsical or emotional abuse? Do pou find pourself being abusive toward pour partner? GET HELP TODAY AND C OMMIT TO A B ETTER L IFE FOR Y OURSELF AND Y OUR C HILDREN . N ATIONAL D OMESTIC V IOLENCE H OTLINE H EART OF G RANT C OUNTY 6 521-620-1322 G RANT C OUNTY V ICTIM A SSISTANCE P ROGRAM 6 521-575-2026 C ALL NOW OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER FOR THE HELP YOU NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE . ThisprojectwassupportedbyGrantNo.2015-WR-AX-0008awardedbytheOfficeonViolenceAgainstWomen,U.S.Departmentof Justice.Theopinions,findings,conclusions,andrecommendationsexpressedinthispublication/program/exhibitionarethoseofthe author(s)anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheDepartmentofJustice,OfficeonViolenceAgainstWomen. TheUSDOJandGrantCountyVictimAssistanceProgramareprohibitedfromdiscriminatingonthebasisofrace,color,national origin,disability,religion,sex,orage. “ Everybody is touched by the opioid issue, but I haven’t seen anybody else get out there and fight for it like Greg Walden. He is fighting for all of us. That’s the kind of person I want to represent me.” PAID FOR BY WALDEN FOR CONGRESS, INC. — Winnie, mother from Grants Pass
