The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE
GRANT COUNTY FAIR
INSIDE
151st Year • No. 34 • 18 Pages • $1.50
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
MyEagleNews.com
Sheriff Glenn Palmer announces departure
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County
Sheriff Glenn
Palmer
In an unexpected announcement that
surprised the Grant County Court and
everyone in the meeting room Aug. 14,
Sheriff Glenn Palmer said he plans to
resign his position in a few months.
Palmer said he will help the court
transition to the next person who takes
over as sheriff. His current term of
office terminates at the end of next year,
and he would have faced a primary race
in May.
Commissioner Sam Palmer, who
met with his brother just before the
start of the regular court meeting in the
administrative assistant’s office to talk to
him about another item on the agenda,
told the Eagle he had no idea his brother
planned to make that announcement.
Commissioner Jim Hamsher, who
serves as the court’s liaison with the
sheriff’s office, told the Eagle he was
totally surprised by the announcement.
Judge Scott Myers told the Eagle all
he knew was that the sheriff unexpect-
edly asked to speak to the court. The
sheriff was not on the agenda, and Myers
joked ahead of time that he would give
him a little time.
Palmer did not give a reason why
he planned to resign his office in a few
months, but he was heard to utter under
his breath that he’d had enough.
Palmer, who was first elected sheriff
in 2000, previously served as a John Day
Police Officer. He won re-election over
challenger Richard Gray in Novem-
ber 2012 by 2,236-1,477. He narrowly
defeated Todd McKinley in the Novem-
ber 2016 election by 2,208-2,065.
The earliest candidates can file for
election next year is Sept. 12.
County pays more than
$18,000 for five-month
administrative leave
Officials decline
to discuss sheriff’s
deputy situation
off, she was placed on paid
administrative leave March
18 and has remained on it
through July, the last time
card available.
By Sean Hart
From mid-March through
Blue Mountain Eagle
July, Grant County has
paid her $16,416 in wages.
A Grant County employee During that time, she also
has been getting paid not to accrued 10 hours of vacation
go to work for five months and eight hours of sick leave
now.
per month, costing an addi-
Grant County Sheriff’s tional $1,768.
Office Dep-
Each addi-
uty
Abigail FIGURES ONLY tional month
Mobley is still
she is on
INCLUDE
employed and
administrative
being paid by
will cost
WAGES AND leave
the county, but
county
tax-
payers about
her last day in
ACCRUALS,
$4,200.
the office was
NOT OTHER
These fig-
Feb. 4, accord-
ing to records
ures
only
BENEFITS
obtained
by
include wages
the Eagle.
and accruals,
SUCH AS
From Feb. 5
not other ben-
through March HEALTH CARE. efits such as
15, she used
health care.
a combination of vacation,
Her husband, Undersher-
sick and comp hours she had iff Zach Mobley, was also
placed on paid administra-
accrued.
After two scheduled days tive leave March 18 after
two scheduled days off.
His March time card
shows six days of adminis-
trative leave until the time
card ends March 25.
On his April time card,
however, nothing is filled
in indicating whether the
time was actually worked or
administrative leave.
According to Dominic
Carollo, an attorney repre-
senting Grant County and the
sheriff’s office in response to
a public records request by the
Blue Mountain Eagle, Zach
Mobley was back “actively
employed” as of April 25,
though Carollo refused to
provide the actual dates Zach
Mobley was on leave.
Zach Mobley earns a sal-
ary of $5,123 per month, so
each day of leave cost about
$170.
See Leave, Page A18
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Commissioner Sam Palmer joins Judge Scott Myers and Commissioner Jim Hamsher in signing an ordinance invoking
coordination during the county court’s Aug. 14 meeting.
County court approves
coordination ordinance
Natural resource advisory
committee discussion
added to next agenda
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Opinions for, against or neu-
tral were mixed during a second
public hearing on an ordinance
that invokes coordination between
Grant County and state or federal
land planning agencies.
Following about an hour of
comments and discussion, the
Grant County Court unanimously
approved the ordinance and signed
it Aug. 14. The ordinance will go
into effect 90 days after approval.
Judge Scott Myers said the ordi-
nance was written by other people
but was reviewed by Jim Carpen-
ter, the county counsel. He sug-
gested the coordination issue could
have been addressed by resolution,
which was the advice of county
counsel in the past, and he wasn’t
sure if it was necessary at all.
Commissioner Jim Hamsher
noted that Carpenter approved the
See Ordinance, Page A18
“I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CLARIFY WHAT ROLE THIS COMMITTEE
WILL PLAY, SINCE FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO
COORDINATE THEIR LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS WITH COUNTY
PLANS, NOT PUBLIC COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY ADVISORY
COMMITTEES — EVEN COUNTY ADVISORY COMMITTEES.”
Mark Webb, a former Grant County judge and executive director of the Blue Mountains Forest Partners