Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

All right. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us for today's August 26, 2026 meeting of the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. We will now call the meeting to order. The first item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance. Please join us.

We will now review and make any necessary changes to the agenda.

Are there? Move approval of the agenda as presented.

It's been moved and seconded. Further discussion? Seeing none, Commissioner DeBone? Yes. Commissioner Adair? Yes. And Chair votes yes. Okay. At this time, we'll move to citizen input. I have one blue form from Sean Snyder. If there's anyone else in the room who would like to provide public comment, please fill out one of these blue forms and bring it up to Debra over there. And if there's anyone online who would like to provide public comment, please raise your virtual hand. Sean, would you like to join us?

Mr. Schneider, if I could ask you a question or two. Absolutely, Ken. Smith Rock State Park is a state... It's a state property. It's a state asset. Phil's Trail, Deschutes National Forests, federal asset. We do not hold any authority in either of those places. So... I'm just curious what, what you think are.

So I guess I'd like to ask you who you would like us to contact. So again, these are not our...

Okay um it is there any additional citizen input. Seeing none in the room or online. We will move on to Commissioner announcements.

Just acknowledging County College, we have 26 residents of Deschutes County enjoying and learning about, committing to learning about Deschutes County, the different departments and the policy choices and decision making and budget. So it's really exciting to see the engaged citizens in our County College program.

And as I mentioned last night, regarding the loss of Dolly Parton, it's amazing she reached across all people in America. And the fact that on the news last night, they acknowledged that over almost 9,000 families in central Oregon have been recipients. Their kids have been recipients of books through Dolly's program, over 200 million books. We all know how important reading is, and hopefully someone will step up and continue her tradition because it's really to be commended. Her music was fabulous, but her reading was probably even bigger.

I'll just let you know that tomorrow the Deschutes Basin Border Control, the Irrigation District Association is organizing an agricultural water infrastructure tour for the upper Deschutes Basin, and I'll be in attendance.

I believe that Commissioner-Elect Rick Russell is also going to be in attendance. Okay. If there are no further Commissioner announcements, we can move on to our consent agenda.

Second. It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? I'll just say that there are some great grant applications that are among our consent agenda items that I hope we have great success in pursuing. With that, we'll call for the vote. Commissioner Adair? Yes. Commissioner Dubon? Yes. And chair votes yes. all right moving on to action items in our agenda item number six uh a public hearing and consideration of order 2026-034 approving an annexation to ben park and recreation district morning commissioners i'm going to handle this real quickly

Okay. Are there any questions or comments from commissioners before we open a public hearing on this item? All right. Okay, well, at this time, we can open a public hearing on order 2026 approving an annexation to the Bend Park and Recreation District. And I'll just dive right in and we'll see if there's anyone in the room who would like to comment during this public hearing process. And for people online, if you're interested in providing input during this public hearing, please raise your virtual hand. Okay, seeing none, we can now close the public hearing and move on to consideration of thi

I will move approval of order number 2026-034, approving an annexation to the Bend Park and Recreation District.

It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion?

Just acknowledge this is a couple of parcels at the edge of the city on the other side of Knott Road in the south side of Bend. And, you know, we did, I think, do a rezone on this one parcel and this will be future housing. So it's good to be in the park district.

Very good. With that, we can call for the vote. Commissioner DeBone? Commissioner Adair? Yes. And Chair votes yes.

Thank you Dave. So next we have another annexation action item. Item number seven public hearings and consideration of orders 2026-032 and 2026-033 approving annexations to the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District number two.

Any questions or thoughts before we open the public hearing? So Dave, should we do a separate public hearing for each or should we do just separate motions for each?

Okay, so at this time we will open a public hearing on order 2026 approving an annexation to the Deschutes County Borough Fire Protection District number two. Is there anyone in the room who would like to provide input during this hearing? And Eric, is there anyone online with their hand raised? Seeing none, we can close the public hearing for Order 2026-032 and consider a motion.

So move approval of Order No. 2026-032, approving an annexation to the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District No. 2.

I will second it. Moved and seconded. Any further discussion?

Just acknowledging for all these items, these three items, this has been reviewed and approved by the Fire Protection District, Community Development, Clerk's Office. So there's quite a process before it even gets to us.

I'll just say that I am really glad that people are taking, you know, availing themselves of the fire protection that is, you know, that they have access to based on where they live and annexing into this, into the RFPD number two. Okay. Commissioner Dare, you made the motion.

Commissioner Dubon? Yes. And Chair votes yes. Okay. Now we can proceed to the public hearing for Order 2026-033, Approving Annexations to the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District No. 2.

And Dave, has the legislature been discussing that specifically for fire district annexations or just for any annexation?

Yeah, but looking towards the next legislative session when money will be scarce, people might be looking for, you know, legislators might be looking for something to do that doesn't cost anything and that actually, you know, you can make the argument that this approves our efficiency if we don't have to hear it at the Board of Commissioners and saves the people of Deschutes County a little bit of money. So, okay. So... Do we have any questions or comments before we open up the public hearing? Alright, then at this time we will open the public hearing for order 2026-033 approving annexation to

Move approval of order number 2026-033, approving the annexation of the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District number two.

It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? Seeing none, Commissioner DeBone? Yes. Commissioner Adair? Yes. And Chair votes yes.

Thank you, Dave. Okay. We have a few more public hearings. Item number eight, public hearing for Dickey Road LLC comprehensive plan amendment and zone change for 51.86 acres from exclusive farm use to multiple use agriculture. Okay. Okay. Dan, should I jump right into the scripted structure, or do you have any comments to provide in advance?

Okay. All right. This is the time and place set for a hearing regarding file number 245-25-000727-PA. and 247-25-00728-ZC. This is a hearing on a Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Zone Change Request. Staff will outline the hearing procedures that will be followed.

Does any commissioner have, so at this time we should check in to see if any commissioners have any ex-party contacts, prior hearing observations, biases or conflicts of interest. Does any commissioner have anything to disclose and if so, please state the nature of same and whether you can proceed.

And I have no conflicts and I can proceed.

I have no conflicts and I can proceed. Okay. Now we'll check to see if anyone else wants to challenge any commissioners. Does any party wish to challenge any commissioner, a member of this hearings body, based on ex-party contacts, biases, or conflicts of interest? As no challenges are presented, prior to opening the hearing, does anyone have any procedural objections to the public hearing? Okay, seeing none, the hearing is now open. Staff will proceed with a brief staff report.

Dan, could you go back a slide real quick and just explain the OAR 660? Sure.

So it is the Goal 3 topic. So I was just making sure I understood what the OAR reference was. Yep, Goal 3.

At this point, we can open the public hearing and begin to take testimony. So Typically the way this flows is we will hear from the applicants, persons in support, then persons in opposition. The applicant will then have some time for rebuttal and staff will provide closing comments. And okay. At this time, I've got two blue forms. If there's anyone else in the room who would like to provide input during this public hearing, please look for a blue form over there and fill it out and bring it up to Deborah. If there's anyone online, we will be looking for a raised hands when we get past the app

Got a question. Tell me about that condition. Is it in the, was it referenced in the hearings officer or is that coming in after the fact? So, you know, I'm just kind of getting focused on where we're at here.

Well, that proposed condition is just out there for us to accept as a possible decision in a decision of the board.

It's on the last page of their letter. It's on the backside of their letter.

But I was just acknowledging that, yeah, that's, it's on the table for us to accept or, you know, to include in a decision. Exactly.

So you made a strong argument that this is not agricultural land, that even nearby agricultural land isn't really being farmed. If the agricultural opportunities and potential of this land are so low, why are you pursuing MUA zoning, multiple-use agricultural? So, I mean, why not just go to a rural residential tent?

Well, I think that the label of the MUA zoning implies that, you know, you're still entertaining some potential agricultural use of the property. And it just seems inconsistent with the description of the property that you've just given us.

I mean, I think there's a very fine line between a hobby farm on MUA 10 and a EFU zone property that someone is farming but is depending on the other income earner in the household to go into town and earn income in order to subsidize the continuing agricultural activity on that EFU zone property. I mean, there's If we applied the criteria of profitability to real farms, many of the real farms in Deschutes County, I think you would find that a lot of them failed the profitability criteria. I have significant problems with that factor being considered. Moving on to a couple of other questions,

Can you remind me how close this property is to the urban growth boundary?

Yeah. I mean, as we have seen, when the city arrives, when the urban growth boundary arrives in built-out rural residential zoned areas, it is actually, it inhibits the expansion of the city into those areas. The areas that are left inside the city city of Ben's urban growth boundary that are, um, that are RR10 or MUA10 zoned are the ones that the city is having the most difficult time adding to the city and urbanizing. And, you know, adding, you know, you have a 10-acre lot with RR10 or MUA10 zoning, you could put one house there. And with urban zoning inside a city, you could do... You could

I agree. I understand what we have done about cluster development, and I don't like it, but basically that's what we're working with for the time being. Frankly, I think... I would like us to be able to do cluster developments, especially near into our urban centers, and I would like the potential lot size to be smaller. Because if you could take 50 acres and put five units in a little corner of that property, then that would leave 40-something acres for future urbanization as a blank slate, which would be a really great thing to have 20 or 30 years from now, again, when the city comes knockin

Thank you. I appreciate that there is the law that we currently have. I mean, at this point in time, by this point in time, given how long ago I was proposing the idea of some kind of an overlay that would accomplish urban reserve type issues, you know, type possibilities. We could have had that by now. And, you know, I'm as disappointed as anyone else that we don't. But, yeah, I mean, it is unfortunate that we are considering this application under current law. And, you know, I'm just left with the concern that This application under current law and the development that would be allowed would

Mr. Hayek, I have not had much of a chance to review the examples, the small farm examples that you shared with us. Can you speak a little bit about those? Just kind of general characterization or key lessons learned about how a small acreage with only a certain amount of decent soils can be a viable farm.

Thank you. Going along my earlier line of thought about senior water rights, do you have any observations for me about which irrigation districts these farms are in?

yeah i recollection well swally swally and cod have these very senior water rights and kind of bear out this i i mean i i i feel like there is a lot of agriculture that is happening um because senior water rights were established at first um because you know logically if you were to go back in time and lay out irrigation districts and, you know, give priority, we would have given North Unit priority first. But, you know, it's probably the best soils in the DeBasin, in the Upper Deschutes Basin, and has the least senior water rights. So... there's gonna have to be some alignment of these things

Any further questions or thoughts? Thank you very much. Appreciate you. Okay. At this time, applicant rebuttal.

And the other thing is that accordingly, I've been told that 45% of COID is flood irrigating. Now, if those are small parcels, it makes sense. It could be efficient, but, you know, that's still really huge. And then when you drive...

Well, if you see on page seven of the Lenwatch letter today, they do question whether applying for a condition of approval is permissible. Well, you're saying from Mackenzie Meadows that we did do that. Not the same condition. Right. No, but I mean, unapplicable. We did it there.

I did find it fascinating that they said 2.3 pairs. Well, no. You can't have a third of a cow and a calf. But anyway, interesting. Yeah. Like, really? No, I think it's two or it's three. I would agree. It doesn't work.

Okay. If there's no further questions. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kobach. Okay. At this time, closing arguments from staff or closing comments from staff.

I mean, I would, on this question of imposing conditions as part of a quasi-judicial decision, I'd be curious whether CDD staff or county legal has any thoughts on whether that can or can't be done.

um i guess to kind of further you know for this further explore this idea you know my issue with with this is that we are trying to uh decide whether a condition is allowable or not that i um at the policy level i disagree with right i actually want us to be able to do clustering uh you know and and you know Yeah, put five units in a little corner of this property and keep the rest blank slate for future urbanization. Are there ways to draft these kinds of conditions that preserve opportunities to adjust to future clustering policy if that kind of policy is created?

And I mean, speculating about future policymaking, if we bring back the idea of an urbanization overlay that was kicked around a few years ago, going a half mile or a mile out from the city and an urban growth boundary and saying, you know, we... we would allow development of RR10 or MUA10 in a clustered way, that would similarly not conflict with this condition or the condition could be written to accommodate that if we say pass that in February 2027.

Okay. Thank you for walking me through that. I don't have any further questions. Right. Well, if there are no further questions from commissioners, then we can proceed to the discussion of whether we want to continue the hearing to a date and time certain, close the oral portion of the hearing and leave the written record open to a date and time certain, close the hearing and schedule deliberations for a date and time to be determined, or close the hearing and commence deliberations. I guess one question for staff before we get into that. How are we looking in terms of calendar and shot clock

So with what we've heard today, I could see closing the record and scheduling deliberations as a starting point here. So there has been a request for leaving the written record open so we could discuss that, but possibly closing the record and scheduling deliberations.

So if we close it, we're still allowed then to review the letter from Landwatch, correct?

I was proposing that, I mean, it's on file. We can do a little bit more homework by closing the record and reading what's on the file, you know, in reference to what we heard today. Or if we leave the written record open, it'll go 7-7-7.

I would still be interested in hearing about... augmenting the information that's already, that was just submitted by LandWatch with information about irrigation districts and the seniority of rights in the examples that are provided. So I think to receive that and to be able to consider that, we would need to leave the written record open. So that's my preference, but this is a majority decision.

Well, it would definitely make the different tax odds. It would add information. We could do that.

So there's potentially support for option two, close the oral portion of the hearing and leave the written record open to a date and time certain. What kind of a calendar would we assign to that? Mr. Brown, if I could get my slides pulled back up.

Well, if there's no further questions or comments from commissioners, we can wrap this up then. That's the timeline. Thank you very much, Dan.

We'll see you all in a few weeks. Okay. At this time, we'll move on to item number nine, a public hearing related to revisions to Deschutes County Code Chapter 8.30, Deschutes County Ambulance Service Area and 8.30.100 Appendix A, the Ambulance Service Area Plan.

Are there questions or thoughts before we jump into the public hearing?

I'll just acknowledge I took that item for the work session on Monday, and so I didn't bring it back down here. But we did study it in depth on Monday, and I was flipping through it and prepared. So I just don't have those papers in my hand today. Yeah, as I said, I had it with Monday's packet. That's what I did.

No, that's amazing when you said 27 years. Well, I'm glad they finally – they're bringing it back up again.

Wow. And tightening it up. I mean, there's a lot of changes in here, you know, for this incredibly rapidly evolving, you know, area of public services that I'm sure there's a lot of things that we need to think about now that, you know, we couldn't have even imagined 27 years ago. So with that, are you all ready to go to a public hearing?

Okay. At this time, we will open a public hearing on revisions to Deschutes County Code Chapter 8.30, Deschutes County Ambulance Service Area and 8.30.100, Appendix A, the Ambulance Service Area Plan. Is there anyone in the room who would like to provide comment or testimony during this hearing. And Eric, is there anyone online with their virtual hand raised? Okay. Seeing none, we can close the public hearing and proceed to deliberations.

So I'll acknowledge we have had kind of enforcement questions in the past. So there's history here. But also, you know, we want to thank all those ambulance service area providers, the local jurisdictions, the fire agencies with ambulance service that do take care of the calls for service in our community. One of the dynamics here is the cost of doing business. It's like, you know, here's congratulations, you're the ASA and here's your footprint. But the cost is going way up, too. And this happened. We have multiple. kind of five-year operating levies on top of each other in the Lapine Souther

And as I mentioned on Monday, the four to five calls that are going to the fire stations for urgent care questions, hopefully that urgent care facility will have life and accommodate some of those issues so that the ambulances, well, they're there and they're ready to go.

I want to express appreciation for all of the franchisees who provide ambulance service in our community as well. And also express concern. Commissioner DeBone raised funding constraints. Most of our fire districts don't collect any tax monies to provide ambulance service. They are pretty much entirely dependent on insurance coverage or patient pays type model in order to provide ambulance service. And there's a lot of discussion these days about the $1 billion of Medicaid funding that is going to evaporate for the state of Oregon. One billion dollars per year that's going to evaporate startin

Move approval of first reading of ordinance number 2026-016 by title only.

It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? Commissioner Adair? Yes. Commissioner Dubon? Yes. Chair votes yes. And so we can proceed to a first reading now? Do we need an additional motion for the first reading or that's?

Okay. Okay. So, first reading. Before the Board of County Commissioners of Deschutes County, Oregon, an ordinance amending Chapter 8.30, Ambulance Service Area, of the Deschutes County Code and amending Appendix A to Chapter 8.30, the Ambulance Service Area Plan for Deschutes County, Ordinance No. 2026-016. All right. We'll see you in a couple of weeks for second reading.

Tom, thank you for your leadership. I know you've been behind this since I've been here. So thank you so much.

And it's wrapping up at the end of the summer.

Well, yeah. Thanks to you, Tom. Thanks to all the members of the committee for doing the very heavy lift on overhauling a very old plan and freshening that up for us, modernizing it so that we can move forward.

Okay. Moving to item number 10, letter of support for Bend Urban Renewal grant application.

Chris, one question I'd like to ask is that this connection has shown up in TSPs or other plans for a number of years. Can you just talk about the way that it has showed up and the way we've discussed it in past plans?

For clarity, there is an existing right-of-way? It's an undeveloped right-of-way? Is that what it is?

Yep. So the city owns an easement and is the easement for more than just the water and sewer lines or, you know, does that easement cover a road?

Maybe that's a question for the city to answer. Here we go. Thanks for joining us.

But it's implied that that may be about the location of a future road. Right.

And that'll be, I'm sure that'll be part of what is studied or analyzed is acquisition of adequate right-of-way or Eastman.

Okay. And then, so this, it's called a forgivable loan. What are the terms? And it would be a full responsibility of the Urban Renewal Agency? Right.

Yeah, so completion of the analysis is the qualifying factor. Yep.

And Jonathan, do you, you may or may not know this, I mean, would the city envision completing this whole segment all the way to Deschutes Market Road in one fell swoop? Or would there be like a piece, you know, so that you could better serve Juniper Ridge and then another piece later on?

Yes, an act of Congress. Who could have thought?

Is that little band of untreated land, is that the easement that we're talking about?

This is just the analysis, though, because, I mean, there'll be implications of doing this. Looks like some private property in there also.

Yeah, no, and there'll need to be a lot of thought about how you connect in... uh, you know, a major road into just, you know, into shoots market road, which is, was not, at least it's not currently engineered to accommodate on, you know, a huge amount of traffic coming in off of Cooley road in, in that spot. So we, um, it's good to do the planning and the analysis. Um, yeah. Any further questions?

I move to authorize the board signature on a letter of support for the ISFL grant on behalf of the Burb Bend Urban Renewal Agency to evaluate the extension of Coulee Road to Deschutes Market Road.

It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? I guess one big picture thing I would say is that, you know, Juniper Ridge was a long time ago, it was county property that was, you know, that turned over to the city to facilitate expansion and economic growth and development. And it's exciting to see that, you know, it's exciting to see the work in Juniper Ridge proceed and, and, You know, here we are back again, however many decades later, talking about, you know, working together to facilitate urban growth and economic development in that area. So celebrating the ongoing partnership wi

Right on to item number 11. ARPA funds re categorization and allocation authorization.

I support the flexibility that we're looking for here.

I'm really excited to see that on-farm efficiency work happen. So I hope that the Deschutes River Conservancy is able to get a lot of that work completed before the deadline. But having an excellent kind of backup use for those funds is a good thing.

I'll move to recategorize revenue replacement funds of $607,391 back to original categories.

It's been moved and seconded. Any further discussion? Seeing none, Commissioner DeBone? Yes. Commissioner Adair? And Chair votes yes. I believe there was another possible motion.

Yes, I'll move to authorize up to $330,000 of ARPA funds to allocate towards community violence intervention projects from other categories as needed to the expenditure deadline.

And I will second it. Moved and seconded. Any further discussion?

Thanks for being so proactive to be able to dial this in. I mean, these are options at this point, but it'll provide clarity for making sure we're not sending dollars back.

But isn't that amazing how long it's taken? Didn't we do this in like 21, like in October of 21? Honestly. And, you know, some things really could have really done a lot of good. And it's, isn't it five years later?

Yeah, well, this on-farm efficiency work was basically piggybacked on the Smith Rock to Kingsway canal piping for the Pyle Butte Canal. So they basically were all teed up and ready to go as soon as that was finished. But that took a lot longer than anticipated. So it's... It's the right way to do on-farm efficiency is to come in behind a canal piping project when you now have access to pressurized water. But they just had to wait until that piece was done. So it's unfortunate. Yeah. And so on this second motion, this is contingent. The funds would go to that secondary purpose, contingent on th

You guys did hear, I think I looked it up from 2019, inflation has gone up over 30% since 2019. I mean, I know that's why so many people are having such a horrible time with affordability, having that huge of inflation in a really short period of time. Incredible. I mean, we lived with inflation in the 70s. It was horrible. The interest rate was like 14% on your house mortgage. But the houses were, what, $54,000. So, you know, it's really that impact. All that money being spent.

We're ready to call for the vote. Commissioner DeBone?

Yes. You made the motion. The second one.

You made the second motion? Yes, I did. Okay, I'm sorry. Commissioner Adair? Yes. Commissioner DeBone? Yes. Chair votes yes. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Nice to see you guys. Nice to see you.

Item number 12, FY2027 membership in the Eastern Oregon Counties Association.

So Commissioner Chang, last night you said that the sheriff asked to have an agenda item a couple of years ago during homeless discussions and 60 people showed up. You didn't know about it. I was probably the chair at the time and you felt like there was You know, funny business going on, riling up the people to come in and be upset about something.

Oh, no. What I was concerned about was that it was a premeditated effort to have impromptu public hearing, and it wasn't noticed on the agenda at the time that the agenda was released. And then it was... suddenly appeared on our agenda at the very end of the week.

I would just acknowledge that that was a very acute issue. Southern Bend, the China Hat area, people are, you know, shots and fires and very aggressive behavior in people's backyards. There was people that are very upset about that.

So that was managing a situation. I am not questioning the validity of the concerns of the people. I am, you know, The question that was asked to us at County College was about how chair, the chair position was decided. And you made accusations to me that you did not feel supported or safe with me serving as chair. So I felt it necessary to point out that the chair position had been used against me

uh... yeah inappropriate ways though uh... i apologize and i think your perception is going way beyond the intention of whatever i've been doing as as a chair in the past so then you're on you know sisters individual sister indivisible sisters calling out the large rural land counties, livestock that are not like us. They wanted to move the Oregon border. Maybe we shouldn't be part of the Eastern Oregon Counties Association because we're not like them. Talk about not wanting to bring people together and serve the people of Oregon. I mean, you're going to be in a pretty powerful position here,

I'm just saying that you're asking people to come here.

Maybe we should get people at this meeting. I mean, that's exactly the kind of stuff you're doing.

Yeah, but by dropping it out there like that, that's exactly the intention. You should be upset because Commissioner Chang thinks that other commissioners aren't doing what's reasonable.

I share with people every week items of interest on the agenda, and I give a little bit of commentary.

What they choose to do with that is they're... You're actively doing something you're accusing me of. They are actively doing it, and you're accusing me of it.

No. That's what it looks like from my point of view. That sheriff's item, that was added to our agenda. Yeah, I can apologize for that because that was not actively trying to... What people can do... People are allowed to come during public comment and talk about whatever they want.

Whenever... We're opening up every meeting at the very beginning to let public comment happen on all kinds of issues these days. Given that they're on the agenda, we're trying to do the people's business.

That's right. Riling people up, trying to get them in here. I am not riling people up. I am notifying people about what is on our agenda.

and providing them with... And trying to explain how... Yeah, no, that's fine. I'm just pointing out.

There's a huge difference between... There's a huge difference between... The way you do it and the way I do it. Between people... The right way and the wrong way. Between people exercising their rights to provide public comments... And adding something to our agenda at the last minute.

Did you just hold on to that for all these years? I've never heard that. I'm not holding on to the fact that, uh-oh, I might have offended somebody by dealing with that tense situation. Yeah.

Well, I have a whole lot of examples of ways. You've been just making a list of them?

Maybe we should communicate more openly here in the front of the people on the board meeting.

In the meantime, these these issues came up. These issues came up.

So I'm pointing out that he's picking a fight with Eastern. These issues shouldn't be part of this group because they're not like us.

Let's finish the discussion of the chair situation and then we can move on to the EOCA. You were the one who started the discussion of the of the chair position.

OK, so I know it was a good question last night. Yeah. Okay, so now...

Multiple times, multiple times during our deliberations on who was going to serve as chair in the last few years, I have brought up the way that there are items that are being added to the agenda at the last minute. I have brought up that the chair role was being wielded to silence me So don't tell me that I have never brought these issues up with you before. You just didn't want to hear them.

As the chair of the meeting, you have the authority to start the meeting, move through the agendas, and end the meeting. I sat there patiently and very respectfully listening to anything and everything you had to say. Yes, there's layers of politics to all we do. But you're holding on to a whole bunch of energy.

And the chair role has been used to block items from coming on our agenda, to put other items on at the last minute. talking to make it to make me to make me raise things during other items that should have been that should have been discussed, which is your in open session that publicly noticed. OK, so that's if if if you want to if you want to leave it at that with the chair discussion, I continue to assert that the chair role has been used inappropriately to stifle discussion of items of concern to the community.

Well, I've been honored to serve doing the core business of Deschutes County Services. And yes, you do bring up items that, you know, aren't in the domain that I have seen in the past. And I'd say I'm patiently willing to listen and communicate with you.

And I would say that that is patently untrue. So back to that. You perceive it like that. That's a real shame. I have raised that on multiple occasions in the past. It's a shame that you have never, ever heard that, even though it has been stated to you very clearly in the past. So on to the Eastern Oregon Counties Association. My point, what I was conveying to people, to constituents who are interested in what's on our agenda, actually encouraging citizen engagement in the business of Deschutes County, letting people know what is on our agenda, and what we are deliberating about.

My point... Oregon counties that might want to go to Idaho. We should look out for these guys.

Yeah, my point was the membership of the Eastern Oregon Counties Association is by and large different than us. We are a very large population county. We have a mix of urban and rural issues. And the... primary focus of the Eastern Oregon Counties Association are things that are pretty irrelevant to us. Given that, I question whether it is appropriate to be sending them $12,500 of Deschutes County taxpayer money. to work on issues that are only of peripheral interest to Deschutes County. And I will say that again, and you all can vote to contribute to the EOCA again, and we'll have another dis

And I think it's really important that we all actually work together. Going through COVID, I saw all the funding going to Portland. Being on the letter with the EOCA, this PILT funding, they're a big proponent of PILT funding. And I think being a part of this group is actually, it's a positive thing. People in today's world, if we would work together more instead of being so, what is the word, uncompassionate. I think we could use a lot more compassion. And I believe that this is an excellent group to belong to. They care about all of Oregon.

If you want to thank a group for advocating for PILT funding for us, you can thank NACO. I do not see any significant value that EOCA is adding.

They actually made trips to D.C. They make trips there. I've been in the meetings with them.

They encourage people to attend. They encourage people to attend the NACO-organized PILT fly-ins.

Yes, and they go to... Did they organize those flights? No, they're there, and they've taken money from their counties that are incredibly more financially on a tight budget, and they actually take money, and they go there, and they fly there for it, and I think we have to... commend them and be thankful that they understand it. And to be part of that, I think it's incredibly important to use Dolly Parton's example of how she lived her life. You know, we can do this and we can make a positive difference for our Oregon community.

On that front, I'd be much happier using our $12,500 to send commissioners to Washington, D.C. to advocate for PILT during the NACO PILT fly-in than sending money to ELCA.

So there's another vision here, though. In Oregon, in our state land use system, urban growth boundary is very important, very sacred. And one of the things that I had come to years ago is that wouldn't it be wonderful if we could load balance this state? Some of these small incorporated communities, being able to have them thrive and be vibrant. High speed internet, home delivery, new construction, low cost of energy. We have got an opportunity to be able to load balance across eastern Oregon with the existing urban growth boundaries even. So there's huge opportunities to enjoy and celebrate

Yeah. So Commissioner DeBone, you often advocate for letting the free market drive housing development. I think what I'm hearing you saying is we need some market distortion in order to drive development to some of these small counties that people have voted with their feet to leave. that investment has voted with their feet to leave. So that is a radically different tune. That is a radically different tune than...

at home delivery, you get the buzz going in one of these little places, and all of a sudden, the free market drives there.

You have data centers at some of these. Why is there no broadband in these places? Because the free market has determined that there is not a customer base to develop there, okay? So you are basically saying, out of one side of your mouth, that you want the free market to decide where housing is, and at the other side... Other side of your mouth that you want the free market not to decide.

Why do you need to take moments to tell me how wrong I am? It's just sharing a vision, just a simple vision.

Because we are arguing about whether we want to... It's a simple vision. A simple vision in support of investing in the EOCA. Yeah, I'm saying that that is not a... appropriate argument for why we should invest in the EOCA. So you're telling me I'm wrong? Well, I'm pointing out the inconsistency in policy principles that you repeatedly raise during our meetings. So you're telling me I'm wrong? Well, I'm telling you that if that's your argument for why we should invest in the EOCA, then I must be wrong. That it is a flawed and inconsistent... What words can you use to say, okay, I will make a m

Commissioner Adair, hopefully that's not too shocking for you. As I say, I've really enjoyed my partnership with Union County, Crook, Jefferson, Mollier, Klamath, Harney, Wallowa, Sherman, Gilliam, getting to know the commissioners all up and down, knowing that there's camaraderie in the high desert on the east side of the Cascades, and looking for those opportunities to help each one of those counties thrive and look for a positive future. But with this transition of a board, I don't feel comfortable writing this check and walking out the door.

And all of that camaraderie and interconnection and relationships with commissioners from across the state can continue to happen at AOC? Okay, if that's your position, then... That was a motion.

Not participating in the AOC, not, you know, sending a check this year.

I will second that motion. Is there any further discussion? Seeing none, we can call for the vote. Commissioner DeBone? Yes, I'm not participating. Commissioner Adair?

And Chair votes yes. Thank you for that discussion.

I mean, I had figured that out before I came here, knowing that, you know, I won't be here. There'll be a new board in a few months. And, you know, the offer will still be out there. But that'll have to be relationships by the next board of commissioners. And obviously, Commissioner Chang, you have your positions.

Yeah, and one of my suggestions, we could take up as this board, or you can hold those $12,500 available for the next board to evaluate. One of my recommendations would be that Deschutes County join the Community Renewable Energy Association. They have demonstrated tremendous value to us in the last few months in evaluating the proposals for SIPs or pursuing rural renewable energy development zone pathways for large renewable energy projects that are coming forward in Deschutes County. Is this under other items?

No, I'm just saying that that would be my suggestion on what we could do with these $12,500 instead. If you would like to discuss that at a future meeting, we could put it on the agenda. Otherwise, we can wait for the future board. All right, so now we can move on to other items. Are there any other items? Seeing none, we can move on to executive sessions.

We have a placeholder on our agenda, but we have no executive sessions today. So at this time, we can adjourn the meeting. Thank you.