2012 County Hort Meeting
Centennial Year - 1905-2005 January 26, 2012 • Volume 107, No. 04
See page B1-B4
The official paper of Oroville, Tonasket & Okanogan County, Washington
Bob and Jane Thompson are Tonasket Chamber ‘Citizens of the Year’
Single Copy 75¢
Oroville asked to annex Balmes Road properties Council approves moratorium on pot dispensaries, grow ops By Gary A. DeVon Managing Editor
Photos by Brent Baker
Staff and board members who were present at Thursday’s Tonasket Chamber of Commerce banquet proudly display their Business of the Year plaque.
BANQUET TIME TVBRC is ‘Organization of the Year’ By Brent Baker Staff Writer TONASKET — The Tonasket Chamber of Commerce installed its new officers and bestowed its annual slate of honors Thursday, Jan. 19, at its yearly banquet at the Tonasket Community Cultural Center. The most anticipated portion of the evening was the naming of the annual award-winners, presented as chamber members and guests feasted on Lola Orr’s buffet. Selected by the chamber to serve as Grand Marshals of the Tonasket Founders Day Parade were George and Patti Hill. “This is very humbling,” said the soft-spoken George Hill. “I see all you people out there that deserve this too. Thank you.” Mayor and outgoing chamber vice president Patrick Plumb, not nearly so soft-spoken, told how the selection committee reached its unanimous verdict. “After I nominated George for the planning commission,
Jane and Bob Thompson, shown receiving an award at the Armed Forces Legacy Project in November, were named Citizens of the Year by the Tonasket Chamber of Commerce at the 2012 annual fundraising banquet. someone on the city council asked me, ‘Why George?’ I said, anyone who can be involved in both FFA and Green Okanogan at the same time and bringing our community together like that, and Patti allowing him to do so with all that time commitment … what a tribute to folks. And Patti puts a lot of ours in at the hospital making sure we stay out of trouble, too.” Bob and Jane Thompson were named Citizens of the Year. The
Hippies on Vacation provided entertainment at last Thursday’s Tonasket Chamber of Commerce banquet, including (l-r) guitarist John Jones and bassist Quill Hyde. Reed Engel and Tim Alley make up the other half of the band.
award was presented by past winner Dave Kester. “They could probably be the Citizens of the Decade or two,” Kester said. “I could speak over an hour about their contributions. “We thank this couple who have worked so hard and so well together that we could not award this to just one person.” The Thompsons were out of town, but had spoken to Terry Mills shortly before the award was announced. “They were flabbergasted,” Mills said, adding that they hadn’t believed they’d won the award when first told. “They’ve been just outstanding community members with all the involvements they have. They thank you very much.” Kester also took the stage as the recipient, accepting the Organization of the Year award on behalf of the Tonasket Visitor and Business Resource Center. “They’ve been doing a great job,” he said. “There’s been a lot of activity there all year. Linda Black has headed this up, but has brought in a lot of volunteers. They’re so driven.” North Valley Hospital, which had about 20 employees and board members in attendance, was named Business of the Year. “They’ve done a lot of hard work on paying down their warrants,” said incoming board VP Julie Alley. “Their customer service has been great, and bringing in the VA clinic has been a great service to our community as well. “On a personal basis we have worked with the crew there (as part of her business at Tonasket Interiors) and they’ve been great to work with. My daughter was in the hospital in the last year or two, and, well, she wants to go back again.” NVH District Board of Com-
OROVILLE – The Oroville City Council received a Letter of Intent to annex properties along Balmes Road, just north of the city limits and across the Okanogan River. The request was made by the Thiesans who purchased the old Weitrick property which includes two residences. The property owners were represented at the council meeting by Stan Porter, owner of Sun Lakes Realty in Oroville. “They want city water and services,” said Porter. “He would like to annex a triangle-shaped property into the city and is planning on doing a four lot short plat and each lot would have a view of the river.” Chris Branch, director of Planning and Economic Development, said there were 11 properties within an area the city would like to see come into the annexation. These included the Christensen properties which includes the old Valentine Blacksmith shop, now a second-hand store, and a rental house; as well as the Cumbo and Clark properties. Ted Christensen had approached the council in the past about possibly coming in on a previous annexation. The Clarks and Cumbos indicated they didn’t want to be annexed during past discussions, according to Branch. The proponent of the annexation will be asked to gather names of others who would like to come into the annexation. For the city to annex property it requires signatures of the owners of 60 percent of the valuation of the property. “The council has received the Letter of Intent prior to the circulation of a petition for annexing parties to meet with the council,” Branch said. “The staff recommends the inclusion of three other parcels, the Christensen property, the city property across from Christensen property and the city park piece near Tonasket Creek.” Branch said the property was currently zoned for single-family residential and that the second hand store would likely stay commercial given it’s location next to the Chesaw Road. He added that the nearby Oroville Housing Authority property, already in the city limits, was zoned R2 for multifamily residential, as was the Clark property. “All are in the shoreline, but not in the 100 year floodplain,” he said. Branch said the current assessed valuation of the three properties being recommended for annexation by city staff was $340,100 and that the
parcels in the initial petition had an assessed valuation of $157,000. The council voted to accept the Letter of Intent to annex and the process will continue at a future council meeting. Under new business the city is considering placing a moratorium on marijuana dispensaries and grow operations. “If adopted you have to have a public hearing within 60 days and be accountable,” said Branch. “We did the same thing when we were asked to allow a sexually orientated business and for the sign ordinance.” Branch told the council a moratorium was probably the safest thing for the city to do while it further studied the issue. “Several governors have petitioned the federal government to lower it from a Class 1 to a Class 2. An moratorium may be renewed for one or more periods, but a public hearing must be held for each subsequent 6-month renewal,” said Branch. Police Chief Clay Warnstaff told the council that Washington’s medical marijuana law was at odds with federal law. He added that dispensaries were not even allowed under state law, the governor having vetoed that portion of the legislation that allowed medical marijuana. “Does this include cardholders growing individual plants,” asked Councilman Ed Naillon. “It doesn’t look like it,” said Branch. “It is kind of a shell game as the law is written,” added Chief Warnstaff. “What we are looking at here is a movement to put a stop on collective gardens or dispensaries until further study of the ramifications of the law. As far as collective gardens go the closest city I’ve found that has them is Ellensburg. Councilman Naillon said there were a lot of valid factors for not allowing the collective gardens, such the potential for lowering property values, fire hazards and increased crime. “I see it as a safety issue and a property value issue. If someone has got a card this moratorium would not cut them off,” Naillon said. Warnstaff also cautioned that if the city was seen to encourage collective grows or dispensaries it might jeopardize it’s relationship with the federal government on grants and other funding opportunities. Councilman Tony Koepke made the motion to approve the moratorium and it was seconded by Councilwoman Neysa Roley and passed unanimously.
Study casts doubts on profitability of Enloe Dam hydro project PUD Commissioner says too early to predict final costs By Gary A. DeVon Managing Editor
OROVILLE – Several conservation groups are calling Okanogan County PUD’s attempts at restarting hydroelectric power generation at Enloe Dam a money losing proposition – now and in the future. However, Okanogan County PUD Commissioner Ernie Bolz said it was too soon to know what the actual costs of power generation will be as the final permit has Photo by Gary DeVon not been issued. The spillway at Enloe Dam as viewed from the west side of the On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, the river. The dam, originally built in the 1920s, has not produced Columbia Bioregional Education electric power since the late 1950’s. The Dam was constructed Project (CBEP), joined by several on top of a natural 18-foot falls. conservation groups, issued a new economic analysis of Okanogan tion we have made, not on the final permit. Until we Public Utility District’s (PUD) proposal to re-start have that they’re just blowing in the wind.” hydropower generation at Enloe Dam on the Okanogan County PUD has asked the Federal Similkameen River. The analysis, prepared by Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue Rocky Mountain Econometrics (RME) of Boise, a license to install turbines at the existing Enloe Idaho, concludes that it is not possible for the PUD Dam, which blocks the Similkameen River about to sell power from Enloe Dam at or above the cost four miles west of Oroville. Originally built in the of producing it, and that the PUD will lose $26 for early 1900’s, Enloe Dam has not generated hydroevery megawatt hour produced at the dam. power since 1958. The current license application, “Okanogan PUD ratepayers are going to take a pending with FERC since 2008, is the PUD’s fourth big hit for this expensive and unprofitable project,” attempt since the mid-1980’s to add power generasaid Jere Gillespie of CBEP. “We are calling on tion to the dam. Previous licensing efforts failed the Okanogan PUD to replace its out-of-date 2008 due to poor economics and fish passage issues. analysis and provide ratepayers with a realistic The Rocky Mountain Econometrics report reevaluation of Enloe Dam economics. We think viewed the economic data provided by the power such an update will show that the dam project is utilitiy as part of its August 2008 FERC license apnot a wise investment for ratepayers and should plication. The RME economic analysis concludes be dropped.” that: Commissioner Bolz agrees that the costs need Market conditions for power have changed drato be based on current information. matically since 2008. “We don’t have the license yet so we don’t know Construction costs for projects similar to Enloe what the actual mitigation requirements will be. have increased by 30% since 2008 We need that before we can compute the cost of Open market prices for electricity, which will construction on the realities of today, rather than dictate what the PUD can sell Enloe power for, have the application we made in 2008,” said CommisSee DAM on Page 3 See CHAMBER on Page 3 sioner Bolz. “The made their analisis on an applica-
INDEX
Okanogan Valley Life/Columnists .................................5
Sports.........................................................................8-9
Community ................................................................2-3
Obits..............................................................................6
Outdoors.........................................................................9
Letters & Opinions .......................................................4
Classifieds/Legals.........................................................7-8
Police Stats...................................................................10