Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, October 08, 2015

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TONASKET INVITATIONAL

Oroville Booster Club

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Annual Auction, Live & Silent, American Legion Hall, Saturday, Oct. 9 starting at 5 p.m.

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Oroville to increase park camping fees

TIGER HOMECOMING

Council looking at new animal ordinance vegetation management. “An ordinance this broad is likely to create some misunderstanding... like OROVILLE – The company that pro- where it talks about animals for vegetavides reservation services for Oroville’s tion control as temporary. Animals ‘such Osoyoos Lake Veterans Memorial Park as goats,’ I don’t know what that means, a is increasing rates and that will be passed horse is an animal,” said Naillon. Chris Branch, who presented the draft along in the form of higher camping fees. “Camis will be raising their reserva- ordinance, said animal ordinances can tion fees. Staff recommends increases to be controversial, especially concerning the camping fees,” said City Clerk JoAnn things like chickens. “I didn’t find the ordinance overly Denney at the city council’s last meeting restrictive in any way,” where she presented said Naillon. “Just the a draft resolution to definition of animal as update park fees. An ordinance this it relates to the definiIn addition, Denney broad is likely to cre- tion of temporary. asked to discuss the you’ll boat launch fees. ate some misunder- end“Otherwise up with peoCurrently the annual standing... like where ple telling you ‘I’ve permit fee for those these cows here living within the 98844 it talks about animals got because I’ve got a real zip code is $25 and for those outside the zip for vegetation control grass problem.” asked that code it is $40. She sugas temporary. Animals theNaillon ordinance clargested the fee be set at $25 annual, no matter ‘such as goats,’ I don’t ify temporary use and what type were where the permit purknow what that means, allowed before it be chaser lived. The council agreed a horse is an animal,” approved. In addition, he with the increases Ed Naillon, Councilman questioned issues for the camping fees City of Oroville relating to the feedand at the Riverside ing of wild animals. Retreat at Veterans Branch said that could Memorial, as well as the one rate for everyone for the boat be addressed as a separate issue. Branch also gave an update on the launches at the city’s Veterans Memorial franchise agreement for the Eastlake and Deep Bay parks. Rod Noel, head of the city’s parks Sewer System which serves people livdepartment, said the city has also ing along Eastlake Road and was conreceived several requests for wi-fi and structed by the county using a Public cable television to be installed at the Trust Fund low interest loan. He told the city’s Riverside Retreat. The retreat is two council that he had contacted the county rental properties the city owns that used regarding the fact that although the city to house staff when Veterans Memorial operates the sewer line and it and wastewas a state park. The city transformed water is treated at the city’s treatment them into vacation rentals - wi-fi and plant, the city does not own the sewer line. Therefore, he told the county, the cable will be installed for next summer The council was also presented with franchise agreement would not apply to a draft animal ordinance. Councilman the city. He said the county agreed that Ed Naillon asked that a couple issues be the creation of an interlocal agreement clarified, especially concerning the tem- regarding the sewer line would be more porary use of animals such as goats for appropriate. BY GARY A. DE VON

EDITOR@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

Katie Teachout/staff photos

Above, Tonasket’s 2015 Homecoming Royalty included (left to right) Laura Escatel, Freshman Princess, Hayley Larson, Sophomore Princess, Serenity Poletti, Junior Princess, Alyssa Montenegro, Senior Princess and Janelle Catone, Homecoming Queen. Left, the senior class claimed the trophy for Homecoming week activities. Pictured left to right are Rachel Silverthorn, Alyssa Montenegro, Corrina Karrer, Jordan Hughes, Shayane Lewis, Kyra Whiting, Janelle Catone, Rose Walts, Kasey Nelson and the Tiger Mascot.

Conservation District offers free services City grapples with abandoned RVs and barking dogs BY KATIE TEACHOUT KATHERINE@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM

TONASKET - Craig Nelson, District Manager of the Okanogan Conservation District (the District) appeared at the Tonasket City Council meeting Tuesday, Sept. 28 to offer assistance in helping landowners recover from the Okanogan Complex wildfires. Nelson said the District helped over 300 individual property owners in the Carlton Complex with things like grass seeding and repairing/replacing fencing after last year’s fires. The District also protected 14 homes from flash flooding by installing rock dikes, at a cost of about half a million dollars. Nelson said the District used funding from the Washington State Legislature and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (for the rock dikes) to complete the activities for the Carlton Complex fire. “We are using some of the residual funds from this account to fund this

year’s activities,” said Nelson. assistance of the District to monitor high The District also coordinated State levels of rainfall, as the National Weather Burned Area Emergency Response Service doesn’t reach the area. The tem(BAER) Teams, working with the Forest porary rain gauges will remain in place Service and Army Corps of Engineers for three to five years. to assess damage to The District has state and private lands requested the Federal and reporting on areas Natural Resources “Their analysis will help Conservation Services most severely burned to protect human life Watershed us all better under- Emergency and critical public Protection Program to infrastructure. The stand the post-fire risks come and do an evaluBAER teams have ation to identify homes and evaluate what been working since at risk of flooding. mid-September to “The fires this year steps we may need to assess severity of soil are a first, in that they take to protect lives, have areas burned burns on private and state lands burned in out up above waterhomes and crucial Okanogan Complex, sheds,” said Nelson. infrastructure.” Tunk Block and North “We’ll start evaluating Star fires. Kirsten Cook, Education Coordinator the burn areas around Okanogan Conservation District “Their analysis October 13. We don’t will help us all better look at just the burn understand the postarea, but areas downfire risks and evaluate what steps we stream as well.” may need to take to protect lives, homes Nelson said last year the Benson Creek and crucial infrastructure,” said Kirsten area had a 10-year rain event that resultCook, Okanogan Conservation District ed in a 1,000-year flood event. Education Coordinator. The District has received over 100 Nelson said last year the Washington requests for site visits for property ownDepartment of Ecology installed 14 ers affected by the Okanogan Complex. emergency rain gauges with guidance There are no charges for the site visits. from the National Weather Service and According to the District website, all dis-

OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 111 No. 41

trict services are provided free of charge without discrimination. The District is a local governmental entity formed as a sub-division of Washington State under RCW 89.08. It formed in April of 1940, the fourth one in the state of Washington. Tonasket Mayor Patrick Plumb said the conservation district originated in Loomis, and said Nelson’s visit to the city council meeting provided “the opportunity for us to mitigate to have the town join the conservation district.” Council member Scott Olson asked the District consider a different way of taxing landowners. Nelson said that will come up for renewal next year. As it stands now, landowners are taxed at $2.40 per parcel per year and four cents per acre per year, with low income senior citizens exempt. Nelson said the difficulty in structuring variance into the tax assessment was with the county’s software program; but that he would be discussing it with Okanogan County Assessor Scott Furman in the near future. “The beauty of the Okanogan Conservation District is we are made up of community members,” said Nelson. Anyone with fire losses is encouraged to contact the Red Cross at (509) 6633907, then contact a Room One Disaster Case Manager at (509) 997-2050. Next, contact the Okanogan Conservation

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District to report any natural resource and/or agricultural losses. The District will provide site visits to landowners to help evaluate options for recovery. For more information, visit www.okanogancd.org/fires. In other city council business, Resolution 2015-14, an emergency exemption for the use of recreational vehicles as dwellings for the next two years was discussed at length. It was determined in order to pass, the resolution would have to require RVs to be properly hooked up to water and sewer facilities, and the owners be paying customers of city utilities. The RVs would have to be sited in a location that would allow a house, or otherwise permitted as a stand-alone structure; rather than set up next to someone’s house. The RV owners would need validation they lost a home in the fire. Council member Jill Vugteveen asked why the city was considering the resolution, when no one within the city limits lost a home. “We don’t have empty lots in the city where people can hook up water and sewer, so this will make people think they can have their friends park an RV on their property,” said Tonasket Police

News A2-3 Cops/Courts/911 A4 Letters/Opinion A5

Community Sports Fair Results

A6-A7 B1-2 B3

Classifieds Real Estate Obits

B6-7 B7 B8


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