[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6276374,"mediaKeyId","2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8","parentId",2660514,"title","Board approves application to seek tax exemption for county fiber link; chair authorized to sign","audioSeconds",146,"startMs",2019000,"endMs",2165000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8&start=2019&end=2165","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8/thumbnail_2019000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6276374/Columbia-County/Oregon/Board-approves-application-to-seek-tax-exemption-for-county-fiber-link-chair-authorized-to-sign","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276374-789faac5c3bb614f137a90b975448deb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770810254&Signature=YqNQlkJXBQn5tLbrFh6Txp7l6PdEt4z4px8yVz3r8Sdn~C7ddwI47DvV5lNKJ2rN8RFI~1gbJ0zNPLEPN~thz7QvBftopRZB8c2TO9XPeCFG7vRz~cmcq3QnPjHe1KkbwM-BbCvfnWFRCqmEGi3MugL-CUXwtSRJ~KlQ7X9ysmH669sR7QTosejUjFUHN9Y86Sihn6eDESEOnE2bm3hDdpXMdskWO10Se2oGpLpBVhTkVFhi4xQ1VXR3IC-9Jhmcd1sN~SUqJvg4kl1yUHFXj~nMZOmZeYY1uy3sMXjuykHptPJ3io58cfxW-YyNXhYwJAe1T60ibZM31NKkFIfiaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","OR / Columbia County ","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","Columbia County commissioners on Feb. 19 approved moving forward with an application for a real and personal property tax exemption for fiber optic cable leased to the county and authorized the chair to sign the application.

Patrick (County Counsel) told the board the county arranged for fiber optic cable between the courthouse and a county facility referred to in the packet as John Gump, and onward to the sheriff's office, emergency management and public works. \"That fiber optic is subject to personal property taxes in Oregon and under our agreement with the provider which is FATB, we're responsible for paying those taxes,\" Patrick said. He said Oregon offers a program allowing property under lease to government to be exempted from personal and real property taxes and the county seeks to use that program.

Staff told commissioners they were still working with the assessor on the correct property description because the fiber is not at a single address. They asked the board to authorize submitting the exemption application and to authorize the chair to sign. The motion passed on a voice vote and staff said they will finalize the property description with the assessor and proceed with the application.

The briefing did not include an estimate of the tax amount because the fiber had not yet been assessed, and staff said they would provide numbers as they become available.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Columbia County Board of County Commissioners Meeting February 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commissioners authorized staff to proceed with an application seeking real and personal property tax exemption for county-leased fiber optic infrastructure installed between the courthouse and county facilities and authorized the chair to sign the application form.","taxTitle","Columbia County, Oregon","taxId",52787,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276379,"Commissioners approve promotion of assistant planner Jack Niedenmeier to associate planner",174,491000,665000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8&start=491&end=665","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8/thumbnail_491000.jpg","/articles/6276379/Columbia-County/Oregon/Commissioners-approve-promotion-of-assistant-planner-Jack-Niedenmeier-to-associate-planner","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276379-98d77197eb7a8d64a149e789eae66d3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770810254&Signature=Ndz5ASzWmv8WA73-5m25mnAsv9v-ZsR5F8~YIZkCR-b-32t4fJR55m6de4iFX1rnwtDwQlIm9JbFJ6HgGt4veP1wt8t0a6SJErNcVZzNyZsWJJ~L1xNVymVDVQBX8YDvv6xmW~ZGKFpXx3zK9yqdog7f6V5CH5hvOnnhFbSUVn6t46XYCJPIdZFu0tRYgyCgB6FrWQ7qw6GWKqlniXLAWRiRr-uEB8tE-kjzoNJwT988-tesCn9KChugksU3uBGG8OH0fa~TB9LD0omPrAaxW2ImPP60jbkNvhOZ-hTbO2LnfDGuOtDQD77zc7BLdpsHNNd9ABx3AogQPmU8DZlIYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved reclassifying assistant planner Jack Niedenmeier to the associate planner position at the Feb. 19 meeting, with an effective start date of March 1.

Susie Dahl, who presented the item, said she had recently completed a performance evaluation and concluded that Niedenmeier \"has been doing the work of an associate planner\" while serving as an assistant planner. Dahl told commissioners that funding is available in the current fiscal year because of a vacant position and a recent resignation.

Dahl said the county is recruiting for a planning manager and expects to fill a different vacancy next fiscal year rather than hire an additional planner this year. The board voted to approve the reclassification during the meeting; staff asked that the change be effective March 1 so the promoted employee could move to the higher step immediately.

The action was recorded on the meeting and will be reflected in payroll and classification records; commissioners voiced approval during the meeting and staff thanked Niedenmeier for his work.","The Board approved an immediate reclassification of assistant planner Jack Niedenmeier to the associate planner position effective March 1 after a staff performance evaluation and confirmation of available budgeted funds.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276384,"ODOT to use Apry Road as summer detour for Highway 47 culvert work; county told to authorize agreement",444,633000,1077000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8&start=633&end=1077","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8/thumbnail_633000.jpg","/articles/6276384/Columbia-County/Oregon/ODOT-to-use-Apry-Road-as-summer-detour-for-Highway-47-culvert-work-county-told-to-authorize-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276384-f576cde14202d2858f6ef06ac6e09254/orig.mp4?Expires=1770810254&Signature=NPEdJbQyRW4tz2Hb7NxYS9szMhYoJoKbO6Jis76X7q18G0jOOV18OwkqvVuCrxo~OBPMUivN2YfGAhj9LEJP00A0hBl0X4MrQ5HPCs-aajmfdhxlJDwZQq~qWyWT9YNi2A4v7dlK1KpDaua5qF7hmlvfh7tSOIFG-V9DbX1Gx9l9MU4FRIobH7sLpENSy5AS0SwzGk-4xGKd9AlhUHfTOCWZNVt6Kn~7xOJFLI1pHTQ2Rwqhhhk4edcthvznv~VbieGI-bN01DFYf1Us3MEoNlHDdql4C11x4PxBZRK3CkQDB2UN75Fc8palm-ByiUHXXKsUQYey13rmmrKO4uM6kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Columbia County public-works staff told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 19 that the Oregon Department of Transportation plans to use Apry Road as a detour this summer while ODOT replaces a culvert on Highway 47 near Mist.

Mike Russell, Columbia County public works director, said the detour work will likely last four to five months and that ODOT will perform pavement repairs, ditching, signage upgrades and other work to bring the detour route closer to highway standards before heavier truck traffic begins. \"They will be replacing [a] culvert that got washed out a couple years ago'and in order to do that, they want to close Highway 47 and use Apry Road as their detour route,\" Russell said.

Russell compared the plan to a prior ODOT arrangement on Colvin Road that lasted several months; ODOT performed upgrades and routine maintenance during the detour and county staff said that arrangement produced lasting improvements. County staff said ODOT will conduct outreach to landowners and that Columbia County will also use its social media channels to warn residents about increased traffic and truck volumes on Apry Road.

Commissioners asked about detour length and travel-time impact. County staff estimated a route change could add roughly 20 minutes for some trips (for example, Birkenfeld to Clatskanie routes) but said exact mileage and time depend on origin and destination. Staff said the county will present the intergovernmental agreement for approval and chair signature on the consent calendar at a future meeting.

The briefing did not include a formal vote; staff said they will add the agreement to next week's consent agenda for the chair to sign and will notify adjacent landowners and the public as ODOT finalizes timelines.","The Oregon Department of Transportation plans a multi-month detour over Apry Road for Highway 47 culvert replacement; county public-works staff briefed commissioners and will place the intergovernmental agreement on the next consent calendar for the chair to sign.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6276389,"Columbia County to authorize haulers under Oregon's recycling modernization law; county seeks limited direct funding",1018,1010000,2028000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8&start=1010&end=2028","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2660514-9b6d4600f4ae647a2b2ce78d3491f4e8/thumbnail_1010000.jpg","/articles/6276389/Columbia-County/Oregon/Columbia-County-to-authorize-haulers-under-Oregons-recycling-modernization-law-county-seeks-limited-direct-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6276389-f56080b492e2ed0a589c648f55f549b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770810254&Signature=hJQ0cYqGHHNUwdzxqqXzAwjDnhmLpDlaG6lirtYOIq-hXFCqS74hQmh6pZ6sNZNUKXqN7iDt8HWzocaLOGUtU6C-h-PctneHsbimnID6hhGXxk0yoy4i7sOdr20WlTjJMQlgMoFnFNgSlvHTKtkQC8mgn19eEHQUdMKu1ClHXoXtrqL0K3Y9RPPIR5ga2HWipmGhKe1sySgoKIiGC2NvrArq0xyRKffhqWu95nzak99uY9zGiJGy4Boc1wzRxa4mR44HI6e2MBZgtDQZyXk9GEh89-dDSRE5qZ9CQk8Rb9HqX9LEmb49RTrkwMwBxg-H4gaJ4fX4rBkiCG7d4T7uhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Columbia County solid waste and public-works staff briefed the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 19 about implementation steps under Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act and recommended authorizing local haulers to receive most Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) funds directly.

The recommendation from Jake Anderson, Columbia County solid waste coordinator, and Mike Russell, Columbia County public works director, would give the county's two primary haulers full authorization for four funding categories (transportation, contamination evaluation, recycling-service expansion and post-consumer recycled content in collection containers) while reserving county-level authorization to receive contamination-reduction funds that support outreach and education.

County staff said the state-designated PRO for Oregon is the Circular Action Alliance, acting under Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rules, and that the county must file an authorization form by March 31. \"We have 3 options we can give our haulers in the county. We can give them full authorization, partial authorization, or no authorization,\" Anderson said during the briefing.

Why it matters: the RMA shifts more of the cost of recycling from local governments and residents to manufacturers through an EPR (extended producer responsibility) model. County staff argued giving haulers majority authorization would reduce Columbia County's administrative burden while allowing the county to use contamination-reduction funding for county-level education and targeted programs (examples cited included school outreach and fair booths).

During discussion commissioners asked about estimated funding amounts and future contract costs. Anderson said that contamination-reduction funding is roughly $3 per capita for whichever entity receives and administers those activities, but he did not provide a countywide total. Mike Russell noted the county is about to reissue its transfer-station operations request for proposals, which could raise operating costs independent of RMA funds.

County staff recommended the board approve the authorization approach and place the authorization form on the consent calendar for the chair to sign by the March 31 deadline. Commissioners indicated general agreement and staff said they would add the item to next week's consent agenda.

Looking ahead: staff said the authorization choice can be revisited annually and that as the PRO's programs and needs assessments unfold the county may seek direct PRO funds for specific projects such as rural recycling depots or other service expansions.","County staff recommended giving local haulers full authorization for most Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) funding categories under Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act while retaining some funding for county-run contamination-reduction outreach; board to place forms on next week's consent agenda for the chair to sign.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves application to seek tax exemption for county fiber link; chair authorized to sign

Commissioners approve promotion of assistant planner Jack Niedenmeier to associate planner

ODOT to use Apry Road as summer detour for Highway 47 culvert work; county told to authorize agreement

Columbia County to authorize haulers under Oregon's recycling modernization law; county seeks limited direct funding