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