Enhanced Law Enforcement Service District Citizens' Advisory Committee of the Clackamas Co. Sheriff (Part One of ...)

2008-03-06 Enhanced Law Enforcement Service District Citizens' Advisory Committee of the Clackamas Co. Sheriff (Part One of Two)

Opened 18:40 on 3/06 at the Public Safety Training Center by John E. Bartley, Vice-Chair, a tech writer @ Intel who lives on Oatfield Hill above Oak Grove. Absent: Chair Ralph Radmer


1. Introductions

Bill Andrews, lives by Rex Putnam HS
Kristen Buren, Customer Service Rep for Laminations in Wilsonville
Paul Ellison, Bank of the West, Webster & Clackamas
Ron Hinson, Customer Service Mgr for the Estacada branch of BOTW, lives by Clackamas HS
Trish Jorgenson, retired nurse, Maple Lane
Charlie Paul, USAF (Ret.), Miramonte Point
Shelly Radmer, Investigator, lives near 152nd/Sunnyside
Nancy Whitley, retired teacher from Oak Grove

Ex-officio members
Kathleen Stewart, CCSO Administration for 6 yrs & Main staff to committee
Patrol Captain Dave O'Shaugnessey

Brief discussion of roles of chair & vice chair by Kathleen. Chair sets tone of meeting, plans agenda, can assemble letters & speak for the committee. Vice-chair fills in for chair when chair absent.



2. Discussion of 2008 Sheriff's goals


2.1 (Captain Dave O'Shaugnessey) Interviewed for all 14 unfilled patrol officer positions; six or seven are in background checks (six weeks to several months), rest awaiting other requirements or have start dates. 171.5 FTEs allocated including ELED and levy positions. No college requirement for an officer; last week eight interviews were conducted; four had degrees, and three about to graduate from college. Nancy asked about diversity of applicants; Capt. O'S. replied they have; Spanish speakers, Asian, other diverse members.


2.2 Increasing training opportunities for all staff.

Certification agency requires only 84 hrs every 3 years; the CCSO dept std is 40 hrs/yr. All supervisors are trained in crisis intervention including dealing with the mentally ill, and 40 of the deputies also trained. Also sharing training w/ other agencies to share costs.


2.3 Five-year strategic plan; collecting all-employee input before new plan written.


2.4 Work hard to consolidate all staff into one building, very cramped and spread across multiple sites. Want to consolidate all in soon-to-vacate Sunnybrook building (ETA EOY) but civil (required to be in the courthouse), property and special investigations not be consolidated. Will keep the dollar-a-year Shaver building below the County Public Services Complex which was donated by the Feds. County administration not yet approved. Old co. fin plan counted on selling Sunnybrook Building for 5M$ to pay for new Development Services Building, and the county is working on alternatives.


2.5 Open remaining closed jail beds ASAP; 44 remaining just opened. 500 early releases/mo now, this will reduce. New jail needed to eliminate it. Bill commented on War On Drugs as a bad joke.


2.6 Implement inmate work crews as per levy, but will limit to low risk criminals.


2.7 Beginning new design jail construction at current site of Dog Control, ASAP. New podular design will have 880 beds and will staff w/ current jail employees (which only serves less than 500.) Still planning, project management assigned to Capt. Howard.


2.8 Expand CCITF interagency task force, does ton of work on middle- and upper- level criminals, but expect increase in crime in September 2009 when Tri-Met opens Green Line at Town Center. (Ed. note: Tri-Met is unhelpful in addressing concerns.)


2.9 How to use better new staffing from levy; Patrol? Detectives? A full-time crime analyst position was created to watch for crime changes. The department is interviewing the top six candidates within two weeks, with a hire following soon thereafter.


2.10 Relationship between Community Corrections (Parole & Probation, Work Release) now supervised by Co. Administrator) & the CCSO. Decisions of Community Corrections affect what can be done w/ jail resources. Consultant studying now.


2.11 Identify & plan for long term funding; several other counties went to dedicated funding assessment. The CCSO budget was $62M last year, $40M from county general revenue funds, but timber monies are shrinking, which makes more counties shift to general fund sources and consider a dedicated tax assessment just for law enforcement.


Capt. O'Shaugnessy was in a work session w/ Commission last week on creating a county Justice Court (not Community Court, which is similar to a diversion program). Nineteen Oregon counties have 32 Justice Courts for traffic violations, evictions and other landlord-tenant matters, and perhaps code violations. It would increase the county's share of revenue from fines levied, an important financial improvement.

Justice Courts were consolidated into District Courts in the 50s, and in the 90s, District Courts were absorbed into Circuit Courts. Commissioners have authority to establish it, but presiding judge expressed unidentified concerns and then cd not attend the workshop, but judge in Lane Co. (which has a Justice Court) had excellent info. Next step is a month out. Last time it went to commission, one commissioner wanted public input, so all the county's Community Planning Organizations were consulted and all like it.

Now, Commissioner Peterson is new to the commission and needs to be brought up to speed.

Each motor officer writes about 2,000 citations/yr, resulting in 5,000 court appearances with at least 2 hrs off patrol per hearing. A Justice Court would reduce the time motor officers are off patrol and increase service to the public, another of the many advantages of a Justice Court.


3. Surveys: A packet to provide info to the public within the ELED only as well as ask the public their concerns. Dick Jones of the Oak Grove CC did pick some up & had at their 2/20 meeting. Many returns have come back & are ready to compile. (Chair Ralph Radmer arrived). Trish volunteered to compile them and John volunteered to help her with preparing a form to automate the compilation.

4. Patrol: Oregon City plans to annex 166 acres which would remove it from the ELED and Lake Oswego has several single lots to annex as well. Both would remove those properties from the tax base of the ELED. The Commission will consider these annexations at their April 16 public hearing.


A list of categorized calls for service and reported crimes from 1/1/2008 to 10AM today (3/06/200) was distributed. In that period, there were over 9,000 calls for service, resulting in 1,095 reports written.


(Ed. Note: Those reports will be scanned and posted on Clackablog later.)


The new Green Line MAX is due to open in the fall of 2009. The CCSO is concerned more crime at end of the line and the stop preceding is likely, and the department prepares an aggressive plan to discourage crime from the beginning. TriMet says TriMet crime happens on TriMet property, but that excludes crime which led from their property. Gresham, Portland and Hillsboro track crime near TriMet stops, and several years of statistics will help the CCSO understand any changes caused by TriMet-delivered criminals.


(Ed. Note: Sadly, TriMet is not directly responsible to the people, insulated as it is from the electorate by its appointed board.)


Annual incident reports were also provided. Kristin asked for definitions of categories; Capt. O'Shaugnessy noted ORS chapter 160 explains the crime categories. The demarcation between the 99E and 82nd areas is Webster Rd, and 205/Schumacher is the boundary for the Clackamas area.


(Ed. Note: Those reports will also be scanned and posted on Clackablog later.)


5. A revenue forecast was not yet ready for the ELED CAC to consider. Nancy asked what the tax rate is; John noted the original tax rate is reduced by millage caps, a percentage reduction which changes with every change in all assessments as per caps imposted by ballot measures.


6. Election of Chair & Vice Chair for CY2008.


Ralph and John were elected unanimously to serve another term, with no competition or dissent.


7. A free-ranging discussion of possible priorities for the ELED followed, and the perceptions, and misperceptions, of the public. The recurring myth that the ELED does not get what they paid for was dissected, and John explained the cause.

When the ELED was created, a specific goal of (35?) more road deputies was prominent in the original campaign. However, since then, the tax rate caps mandated by statewide ballot measures reduce every tax assessment to fit under the cap, including the ELED tax rate. The people of the ELED are not allowed to pay as much as we need to collect enough to reach that original goal, but the ELED does get what we pay for.



The committee adjourned at 20:10, with the next mtng planned for 18:30 on Thursday 1 May, also in the PTSC unless announced otherwise.

ELED History + Sheriff's Services to cities

Here's a map of the District (requires Adobe Reader; it's 2MB, a long download on dial-up).

The District was approved by voters in the November 1994 general election and became effective July 1, 1995. Its purpose is to increase the level of sheriff's patrols to meet the increased demand of urban Clackamas County. It serves approximately 85,000 residents in the unincorporated areas of Clackamas County within the Urban Growth Boundary, and the city of Johnson City. - From a county press release.

Scroll down to Other Counties in Oregon in this report from Multnomah County for an auditor's perspective on the ELED.

In Clackamas County, cities were invited to join unincorporated areas within the urban growth boundary in the establishment of an Enhanced Law Enforcement District (ELED) with a tax base which supports an additional .5 officers per thousand in addition to the rural level of .5 per thousand. Johnson City and Happy Valley joined the ELED, but Wilsonville chose to continue its contract with the Sheriff.

Also of interest:

The Clackamas County Sheriff has contracts with Estacada and Wilsonville to provide patrol services. The Sheriff's Office reports that no patrol services are provided to these cities free of charge. The cities pay an hourly rate for patrol services which the Sheriff's Office claims is fully costed, including both departmental and County overhead. The current hourly rate for a deputy is $51.84, and for a lieutenant $60.50.

Writing to the County Commissioners

This link, bcc@co.clackamas.or.us sends an e-mail to all three, using the default e-mail client of your computer. The Commissioner's office may also be reached at phone: 503-655-8581 or by fax at 503-742-5919.

To send a message to only Commissioner Martha Schrader or Commission Vice-Chair Bill Kennemer, put 'Dear Commissioner Schrader' or 'Dear Commission Vice-Chair Kennemer' in the subject line, as per the Commissioner's office with whom I just spoke.


Chair Lynn Peterson has her own posted e-mail address lynnpet@co.clackamas.or.us, but uses the same phone and fax numbers.

Casa de Tamales

The current lunch/dinner menu for Casa de Tamales may be found at tinyurl.com/yub5au. Dinner there last week found their asparagas tamales, the same as these folks have served at the Farmer's Market for years, to still be very fine.

HELP: How do you pick a feline cardiologist?

3 y.o. DSH/Scottish Fold ('straight fold'), 5.5 kilos, energetic and outgoing.


Fast Eddie was taken to vet for bolting his kibble (behavioural issue; why, well, you'd have to ask him, as he is Top Cat in the household, dominant over a 10 y.o. Scottish Fold and a 3 y.o. Flame Point Siamese longhaired tub-o'-lard).

Vet observed a heart murmor, rated slighly over 3 on a scale of 1 to 6. Radiographs and bloodwork due back tomorrow, cardiomyopathy or hyperthyroid likely causes.

So, how do you pick a feline cardiologist? The closest vet schools are OSU in Corvallis, WSU in Pullman and UC Davis, but Portland Magazine does not profile vets like they do MDs.

Open for comments, via K7AAY ayt ARRL daht NET

Biodiesel B99 and E85 Ethanol get state tax credits

Beginning 1 Oct 2007, Oregonians get a 24 cents per gallon income tax credit for B99 biodiesel, which we use in the Jeep, as per Oregon House Bill 2210.

If we had an E85-capable car, that same income tax credit would apply to it, and there's also a five cents per gallon credit for biodiesel used in home heating systems. (Biodiesel can be used in just about any home oil furnace, although it's a good solvent and will knock loose a lot of crud which may cause problems... and it doesn't smell like dead dinosaurs when you heat your house. Kewl.)

There's a cap of $200 per taxpayer for the credit, which I will surely reach in a full year's time. Figure 20 gallons a week, 52 weeks in a year and $3.37/gallon right now for B99 at Jay's Garage or Bluesky Fuel vs an effective $3.13/gallon after the rebate, and I'd see a $250 rebate if not capped.

20 GAL/WK * 52 WK/YR * $0.24/GAL = $249.60

Hmm. Better buy a logging program for the smartphone, and a backup paper logbook.

Calendar of Public Meetings, July 2007

Calendar of Public Meetings
July 2007
(Meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.)


Every Sunday
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM Milwaukie Sunday Farmers’ Market in downtown Milwaukie.

Tuesday the 3rd
11:15 AM I-205 Light Rail Ground Breaking at Clackamas Town Center.

Wednesday the 4th
Happy 4th of July. Go read the Bill of Rights!

Thursday the 5th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing @ SSC/Sunnybrook Service Center, 9101 SE Sunnybrook Blvd.
No Board of Commissioner Hearing.
3:00 PM Code Compliance Hearing at SSC.

Monday the 9th
6:30 PM Planning Commission meeting at SSC (possible).

Tuesday the 10th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.

Wednesday the 11th
7:00 PM CIA meeting at Rose Villa 13505 SE River Rd.
Discussion of Transit and Transportation as a Community Value.

Thursday the 12th
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at Public Service Building, Kaen Road, Oregon City.
7:00 PM North Clackamas School Board meets in Board offices.
7:00 PM Historic Review Board meets at SSC.

Tuesday the 17th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Water District Board meeting at District offices on River Road.
7:00 PM County Committee for Citizen Involvement meets at PSB.

Wednesday the 18th
6:30 PM CCSD#1 Wastewater study committee meets at SSC.

Thursday the 19th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
No Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.

Monday the 23rd
6:30 PM Planning Commission meeting at SSC.
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.

Tuesday the 24th
8:00 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
5:30 PM NCCWC meets at plant on Clackamas River Dr.
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks and Rec District Advisory Board meets with the BCC in a joint meeting at Happy Valley Park.
7:00 PM Jennings Lodge CPO meets at Homewoods Heights.

Wednesday the 25th
4:00 PM North Clackamas Park Stewardship Committee meets at the Milwaukie Center.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Community Council meets at OLSD offices.

Thursday the 26th
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.

Monday the 30th
2:00 PM BCC Planning meeting on Historic Preservation PSB Room 255.

Tuesday the 31st
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Agenda, Oak Lodge Community Council meeting tonight

Oak Lodge Community Council
AGENDA
June 27, 2007
Oak Lodge Sanitary office

Oak Grove, Oregon


7:00 PM -- Call to Order: Dick Jones, Chairperson


ROLL CALL: Roland Atkinson, Bill Bader, Catherine Blosser, Bill Brown, Wilma Brown, Frank Budwill, Jane Civiletti, Sue Conachan, Edith Coulter, Rosemary Crites, George Dietz, Lynn Fisher, Jerry Foy, Bryn Gillem, Chuck Gode, Mike Grant, Milo Haas, Thelma Haggenmiller, Eleanore Hunter, David Jelinek, Dick Jones, Jim Knapp, Alan Koch, Gloria Koch, Elinor Kuhns, Bill Neels, Elaine Neels, Chuck Petersen, Margaret Pritchard, Paul Savas, Henry Schmidt, George Schneider, Eugene Schoenheit, Eric Shawn, Susan Shawn, Kent Squires, Julie Stanley, Blair Stephens, Charlie Stephens, Dr. Elton Storment, Bob Waldt, Leonard Waldemar, Joanne Weaver, Roy Wikman and Doug Woods.


7:02 PM – Introduction of Attendees


Name, area of residence and position in the Oak Lodge Community Council, if applicable.


7:05 PM – Council Reports

Treasurer’s Report – Sue Conachan


Minutes from May 23, 2007 for approval


7:10 PM Sheriff’s Report – Lt. Chuck Slaney


7:15 PM – Special Presentation – South Corridor Light Rail


7:50 PM - District Reports:


Bill Stewart, Urban Livability and Crime


Clackamas County Fire District #1 – Scott Weninger


Oak Lodge Water District – Jim Knapp


Oak Lodge Sanitary District – Kent Squires


Clackamas County Service District CAC – Jim Knapp


Page 2


8:10 PM – Land Use Issues for Voting


Introduction of procedures by Chairperson. Eligibility for Voting, Time Limits, presentations by those in favor, the Council’s on-site review and those opposed.


Z0373-07, Z0374-07-Z This is an 8-lot subdivision request and a zone change request from R-10 to R-8.5. It contains 2.0 acres and is located at 3201 SE Westview Ave. The area is zoned R-10.


Z0406-07, Z0407-07-V This is a request to partition a property into three parcels with an existing house on one parcel. It is .85 acres at 3823 Aldercrest Rd. It is zoned R10. Additionally the applicant requests a variance for the front setback from 20 feet to 16 feet.


Z0416-07 This is request partition into two parcels a lot containing two existing dwellings. The parcel is .7 acres and is zoned R-8.5 at 3845 SE Spaulding Ave.


Update on Land Use Applications:


Z1024-05 This was a request by the applicant for the Hearings officer to make a decision on a five lot subdivision. This is located at 4610 Whipple Ave. This site contains .84 acres and is zoned R-7. The staff recommended denial because of possible landslide issues. The applicant has two weeks to demonstrate the property is not landslide prone. Other issues continue to be problems as well include sidewalks and stormwater issues.


Update on the Bike/Ped proposal.


8:40 PM General Matters for Discussion


Sexual Predator update: See the attached sheets outlining two new offenders.


Trolley Trail update- Thelma Haggenmiller


FUTURE PUBLIC MEETINGS


Council meetings:

July 25, 2007 August 22, 2007 September 26, 2007

OLCC/CIA at Rose Villa unless otherwise noted.


July 11, 2007 August 8, 2007 September 12, 2007


Special meetings, if required to vote on land use issues, will be held in conjunction with the monthly CIA meeting normally on the second Wednesday of each month.


9:00 PM – Meeting Adjourned meeting tonight

Oak Lodge Community Council on Wednesday

Wednesday June 27th is the Oak Lodge Community Council meeting. It will meet at 7:00 PM, in the regular location, the Administration Building of the Oak Lodge Sanitary District at 14611 SE River Road.

A half hour discussion of the Light Rail issue from Clackamas County’s Transportation group, with Metro and TriMet personnel, is planned, plus a number of Land Use applications.

Oak Grove | Calendar of Public Meetings | June 2007

Calendar of Public Meetings
June 2007

Sundays
9:30 AM - 2:30 PM Milwaukie Farmers’ Market in downtown Milwaukie.


Monday the 4th
6:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.
6:30 PM Planning Commission meeting at the Sunnybrook Service Center to discuss changes to the Essential Ped. Network.

Tuesday the 5th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Wednesday the 6th
7:00 PM Traffic Safety Commission meets at SSC.

Thursday the 7th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
1:30 PM Homeless Planning PSB..
6:45 PM C-4 meets at SSC.

Monday the 11th
6:00 PM Harmony Rd. Project Advisory Committee meets at OIT.

Tuesday the 12th
7:30 AM County’s Green Ribbon Committee meets at SSC.
9:00 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.

Wednesday the 13th
7:00 PM CIA meets at Rose Villa 13505 SE River Rd. Discussion of Hamlets and Villages with Christine Roth.

Thursday the 14th
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks and Rec District Advisory Board meets at Happy Valley City Hall.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.
7:00 PM Historic Review Board meets at SSC.


Monday the 18th
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.

Tuesday the 19th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Water District Board meeting at District offices.
7:00 PM Committee for Citizen Involvement meets at the PSB.

Wednesday the 20th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioner’s Land Use Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB. This Hearing will hear actions on the Essential Ped. Network from the Planning Commission of June 4th.
6:30 PM CCSD#1 Wastewater study committee meets at SSC.

Thursday the 21st
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Monday the 25th
6:00 PM Harmony Rd. Project-Community Workshop at OIT.
6:30 PM Planning Commission meets at SSC.

Tuesday the 26th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
1:30 PM County’s Long-term Visioning meets at PSB room 255.
7:00 PM Jennings Lodge CPO meets at Homewoods Heights.

Wednesday the 27th
9:00 AM Green Ribbon Draft Report meeting in BCC offices.
4:00 PM North Clackamas Park Stewardship Committee meets at the Milwaukie Center.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Community Council meets at OLSD offices.

Thursday the 28th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.

Friday the 29th
8:30 AM C-4 Summer Retreat at Museum of the Oregon Territory.


Note meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.

VOTE by 8PM today

Voting closes for the special election at 8PM today. Make sure to turn in your ballot at the Oak Grove library or another authorized location; call the elections office at 503 655 6510 if you can't find your ballot.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it - George Santayana

Robert A. Heinlein died 19 years ago today... this blog entry honors him and his quest for passing on the torch of freedom.

He created honor for all of us, everywhere he went, with everything he wrote. A stellar example is this book, written when television did not dominate politics, and political parties really mattered.

Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good - Thomas Sowell

Reading this non-fiction book opened my eyes to the virtues, yes, virtues, of partisan politics, when the enormous power of the damned noisy box did not lead us astray into discarding partisan politics, replacing it with the hollow shell of the Demopublican and Republicrat parties today.

And, partisan politics still works today, on the local level. I've been asked, as a consequence of my service on the county sheriff's Enhanced Law Enforcement District Advisory Committee, to comment on a proposal to expand and revamp the county commission. In my response, I advocated the preservation of a partisan vote for the commission, instead of making it non-partisan.

Partisan politics *assures* competition on nearly every issue, and raises the bar of discourse and thought in civic affairs, for the greatest peril of a democracy is apathy. When citizens, the ultimate judges of truth and right, can no longer be bothered to vote, an oligargic elite can rule a placid, uncaring populace of sheeple.

And, in Oregon, our vote-by-mail system provides us with high turnout, low fraud and very high accuracy, a blessing when fighting voter apathy, for when it's easy to rig the system (see Diebold's vote editing machines as one small example), apathy increases, so I hope you Oregonians will continue to support vote-by-mail.

Last month, Tim Russert gave some worthy insight in a Bill Moyers PBS special (downloadable here) program on media blindness to bad intelligence. Russert emphasized the bipartisan system, especially when the press is lazy or has limited resources, is very important to revealing errors in government.

Even when I am one of those partisans, I appreciate the advantage of an honest critic, and when Clackamas County doesn't have an aggressive watchdog press, we need partisan opposition to assure the best government possible.

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again - Maya Angelou

We can learn from history, and I have learned that the ability of concerned, earnest Americans is increasingly irrelvant because of 'non-partisan' politics; for, all politics have partisans, and the 'non-partisan' lie merely makes it easier to mask the true interests of those invisible partisans.

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain - John Adams

It is time, now more than ever, to study politics and war. Heinlein explained first principles of what served us well through two centuries of social progress in Take Back Your Government, and he's well worth reading if you ever want to be an agent of liberty.

Fatherland Security, There You Go Again

The agency that can't protect the identity data of its own employees has another ill-conceived scheme, the REAL ID system. Never mind that if one security document is all that's needed, criminals will learn how to forge it and cops/security folks will be lulled into accepting it.

Read up on it, and then TODAY, NOW, send this to DHS, who obviously is far too busy doing a miserable job of rebuilding New Orleans to consider how many ways this violates Federal Law, the intent of the Congress and the spirit of the Constitutiuon (especially the Ninth Amendment).

May 8, 2007


Fax: 1 (866) 466-5370
oscomments@dhs.gov

Department of Homeland Security
Attn: NAC 1-12037
Washington, D.C. 20538

RE: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking DHS-2006-0030

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

Because the Department of Homeland Security is creating an illegal national identification system, I write to urge the agency to withdraw the regulations and seek repeal of the REAL ID Act. The attempt to create rules for the establishment of a national identification system is unlawful for the following reasons:

1. The law that created the Department of Homeland Security prohibited a national identification system. By trying to implement REAL ID, the Department of Homeland Security is breaking the law and violating the public trust.
2. The plan will create a massive national identification system without adequate privacy and security safeguards. It will also make it more difficult for people to get driver's licenses. And it will make it too easy for identity thieves, stalkers, and corrupt government officials to get access to such personal information as a home address, age, and Social Security number.
3. The regulations endanger the privacy of domestic violence survivors' personal information, exposing them to stalkers in all 50 states.
4. If the regulations are not withdrawn, then the Department of Homeland Security must FULLY APPLY all provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 to this REAL ID system, including the right to limit the use of personal information collected by the federal government, access the data collected about them; correct any mistakes in the data; and turn to the court system to apply for redress.

We the people were unable to speak during the rushed passage of REAL ID. We are speaking now and we are demanding that the Department of Homeland Security reject this illegal national identification system.

Respectfully submitted,

Oak Grove Citizens Informed and Aware May meeting

May 9, 2007, 7:00 p.m.

The Oak Lodge Community Council monthly CIA (Citizens, Informed and Aware) meeting will be held at 7 PM Wednesday May 9, 2007 at Rose Villa, 13505 SE River Rd. We will be in the Fellowship Hall. Please do not park Rose Villa’s campus; either park on River Rd. or in the lot at Torbank.

Our topic is “Community Values”. Community Values include trees, paths and sidewalks, housing, libraries, jobs, Urban Renewal Districts, transit and surface water. Our values are a collection of each of our values. Please join us.

This a great topic because Clackamas County’s Community Congress V will occur this Saturday May 12th. You can still register for the Congress online at www.co.clackamas.or.us/community.

If you have questions call 503.730.6401 or E-mail Dick Jones' e-mail address.

Low Pork Diet

Oregon, it seems, is on a low pork diet. Only five cents per person of federal cash spent here (totalling $177,160) was obtained by the congressional chicanery known as 'earmarks.'

Who's Number One? Why the District of Columbia, at $1.19 per resident.

Four Dead In O Hi O

Not the first time the US Military turned on innocent Americans.
Not the last, either.
Hope we learned something, though.
Some of us.

Internet Radio Equality Act

Call the offices of The. Hon. Representative Darlene Hooley at 202-225-5711 and let her know that you want her to sponsor HR 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act, which:
1. Cancels the Copyright Royalty Board decision which would make web radio stations pay as much as 30 times more for the same music satellite radio gets, for much less. The bill sets royalty rates at 7.5% of revenues – the same rate that satellite radio pays – for 2006-2010; and
2. Change the rate-setting standard currently used by the CRB to determine Internet radio royalties, and substitute the standard that applies to most other statutory licenses, including satellite radio, jukeboxes and sound recording.

It's only fair, and without some equity, Internet Radio will crash and burn. I know I sure can't find Cape Breton folk music on the road, any other way, and I'm sure you can think of moments where the right music was a balm unto your soul.

More details here.

Oak Lodge Community Council: Tonight's Meeting Agenda

AGENDA
March 28, 2007
Oak Lodge Sanitary office
Oak Grove, Oregon

7:00 PM -- Call to Order: Dick Jones, Chairperson

ROLL CALL: Roland Atkinson, Bill Bader, Catherine Blosser, Bill Brown, Wilma Brown, Frank Budwill, Sue Conachan, Edith Coulter, Rosemary Crites, George Dietz, Lynn Fisher, Jerry Foy, Bryn Gillem, Chuck Gode, Milo Haas, Thelma Haggenmiller, Eleanore Hunter, David Jelinek, Dick Jones, Jim Knapp, Alan Koch, Gloria Koch, Elinor Kuhns, Bill Neels, Elaine Neels, Chuck Petersen, Margaret Pritchard, Paul Savas, Henry Schmidt, George Schneider, Eugene Schoenheit, Eric Shawn, Susan Shawn, Kent Squires, Julie Stanley, Blair Stephens, Charlie Stephens, Dr. Elton Storment, Bob Waldt, Leonard Waldemar, Joanne Weaver, Roy Wikman and Doug Woods.

7:02 PM – Introduction of Attendees

Name, area of residence and position in the Oak Lodge Community Council, if applicable.

7:05 PM – Council Reports
Treasurer’s Report – Sue Conachan

7:10 PM Sheriff’s Report – Lt. Chuck Slaney

7:15 PM – Special Presentation – Lynn Peterson, Clackamas County Commissioner

7:55 PM - District Reports:

Bill Stewart, Urban Livability and Crime

New Urban High School-Tim King

Clackamas County Fire District #1 – Scott Weninger

Oak Lodge Water District – Jim Knapp

Oak Lodge Sanitary District – Kent Squires

Clackamas County Service District CAC – Jim Knapp

Page 2

8:20 PM – Land Use Issues for Voting

Introduction of procedures by Chairperson. Eligibility for Voting, Time Limits, presentations by those in favor, the Council’s on-site review and those opposed.

Z0404-05 This is a partition into two parcels with an existing house on one parcel. This is located at 15710 Hanwood Ln It contains .61 acres and is zoned R-10.

Z0089-07 This is a partition of a .75-acre parcel into three parcels, each at 10,000 or more sq.ft. with an existing house one parcel. It is located at 4711 SE Lake Rd. The area is zoned R-10.

Z0092-07 This a 18 unit subdivision request off Ruscliff Rd between the LDS church and the Alder Creek Middle School. It is proposed that the OLCC allow the North Clackamas Planning Assoc. to represent CPOs’ as this application asigned to them by the planning department. This group has invested a lot of time in this application.

Update on Land Use Applications:

None

8:40 PM General Matters for Discussion

Sexual Predator update: No new information

Trolley Trail update- Thelma

FUTURE PUBLIC MEETINGS

Council meetings:
April 25, 2007 May 23, 2007 June 27, 2007

OLCC/CIA at Rose Villa unless otherwise noted.

April 11, 2007 May 9, 2007 June 13, 2007

Special meetings, if required to vote on land use issues, will be held in conjunction with the monthly CIA meeting normally on the second Wednesday of each month.

9:00 PM – Meeting Adjourned

OpenCongress.Org

Here's an exceptionally spiffy idea; Open Congress, a web page dedicated to transparency in the United States Congress. A little digging shows who's travelling to Oregon thanks to the benificence of corporate interests; Mark Prater, JD 1984 Willamette U., and chief tax counsel of the Senate Committee on Finance, seems to lead the list.

Stumbled across them thanks to WNYC's On The Media, which KOPB runs Monday evening, and which also available by podcast, MP3 download or on-line transcript. Here's the rundown on the interview which lead me to Open Congress.

Sure would be nice if some public-minded Oregon corporation's foundation funded something similar to help us understand where the rubber meets the road in Salem. {/hint}

No Special Oak Lodge Community Council meeting

Dick 'Bulldog' Jones reports:

Good news!! I have found a way to wait til our next regular meeting to cover land use applications. I am sorry if I caused Valentine’s day problems.

We will cancel the special meeting planned for this Wednesday.

Have a nice week and great Valentine’s day,

Dick J

Want a free WiFi router?

I can think of no better Urban Renewal method than to connect a thousand free WiFi access points all over Milwaukie.

Get a free WiFi router from http://www.fon.com/1yearold if you agree to have your name in their directory of hotpots, and leave a public connection to the net through it (it permits your private connection to be encrypted), and to give the router to someone else if you don't want to do that any more.

Kim Search Report Finds Fault with Southern Oregon Agencies

C|Net reports:

The official search for James Kim and his family in the Oregon backwoods was plagued by squabbling among police agencies, confusion, indifference and mistakes, a government report released Thursday says.

The OSSA entire report is worth reading. Ask your state representatives what they will do to make sure existing, adequate and competent basics are followed when this happens again.

NY Times: Stay in school, live longer

The one social factor that researchers agree is consistently linked to longer lives in every country where it has been studied is education. It is more important than race; it obliterates any effects of income. Year after year, in study after study, says Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, education “keeps coming up.” And, health economists say, those factors that are popularly believed to be crucial — money and health insurance, for example, pale in comparison.

Dr. James Smith, a health economist at the RAND Corporation, explains: “Giving people more Social Security income, or less for that matter, will not really affect people’s health. It is a good thing to do for other reasons but not for health.” Health insurance, too, he says, “is vastly overrated in the policy debate.” Instead, Dr. Smith and others say, what may make the biggest difference is keeping young people in school. A few extra years of school is associated with extra years of life and vastly improved health decades later, in old age.

Here's the link to the full article.

Calendar of meetings affecting the Oak Lodge area in January 07

Calendar of Public Meetings
January 2007

Wednesday the 3rd
10:00 AM BCC Work Process discussion in Board offices.

Thursday the 4th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC) 9101 Sunnybrook Blvd.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Monday the 8th
5:00 PM Annual Planning Commission BCC meeting at SSC.

Tuesday the 9th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.
7:00 PM North Clackamas Planning Assoc. meets at Bilquist school.

Wednesday the 10th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
7:00 PM Citizens Informed and Aware meets at Rose Villa Fellowship Hall, 13505 River Rd. with Bill Stewart from DA’s office on crime issues in Oak Grove.

Thursday the 11th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.
5:30 PM OLSD Storm Water Advisory Committee meets in Board offices.
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks & Rec Dist Advisory Bd meets in WES offices at SSC.
7:00 PM C-4 meets at PSB.

Monday the 15th, MLK Holiday

Tuesday the 16th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
6:00 PM Oak Lodge Water District work session followed at 7 PM by monthly Board meeting in District offices.

Thursday the 18th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Saturday the 20th
9:00 AM 3 Creeks tree planting event meet at Aquatic Center parking lot.

Monday the 22nd
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.

Tuesday the 23rd
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Jennings Lodge CPO meets at Homewoods Heights.
5:30 PM NCCWC meets at plant on Clackamas River Dr.

Wednesday the 24th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
11:30 AM State of Cities in North Clackams County Lunch at OIT sponsored by North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce.
4:00 PM North Clackamas Park Stewardship Committee meets at the Milwaukie Center.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Community Council meets at OLSD offices.

Thursday the 25th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.

Tuesday the 30th
8:00 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Wednesday the 31st
9:30 AM Board of Commissioner’s Land Use Hearing in Board Hearing room PSB.


Note meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.

No Internet, three days

Last week's storm not only took out power for two hours here on Oatfield Hill, it also took out the ISP which Mrs. Clackablog and I use, for three days. Our DSL connection was fine; but, the ISP was down.

Appears that some ISPs don't take seriously the implications of storm damage where their data center is. Contained in the link above is a list for ALL the ISPs which serve DSL in Oregon and Washington customers, and the next one we choose will have multiple data centers at different locations, and multiple connections to the Internet.

Fortunately, we were able to cable from one of our cellphones to a PC and share that 82 Kbps data connection to our computers, so e-mail worked, but web browsing with modern, Javascript-laden web pages was verrrrrrrrrry slooooooooooooow and updates here impossible.

Special Oak Lodge Community Council meeting

A message from the chair of the Oak Lodge Community Council:

We need a special meeting to consider several items. A tentative agenda is below. The time and place is: 7 PM Wednesday December 20th at Oak Lodge Fire Station.
Thanks and have a nice week,
Dick J

Special meeting
December 20, 2006
7 PM Oak Lodge Fire Station
Agenda: Land Use issues for action

Z0695-04 Applicant requests a one year extension to complete the work required to file the completion of this 3-lot partition. It is located at 14420 Upper Aldercrest Dr.

Z0933-06 A request for a temporary permit to allow an otherwise prohibited use in an MR-1 zone. The temporary permit would allow continued use of a single family dwelling. This is at 14014 Linden Ln.

Z0935-06 This is 7-lot minor subdivision at 5215 Roethe Rd. It is on 1.52 acres and has both R8.5 and R10 zoning.

Calendar of Public Meetings (just received) December 2006

Thursday the 7th
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks and Rec District Advisory Board meets at the Milwaukie Center.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Tuesday the 12th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
5:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary work session relative to plant upgrade.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.

Wednesday the 13th
No Citizens, Informed and Aware meeting.

Thursday the 14th
10:00 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.

Monday the 18th
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.

Tuesday the 19th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Water district monthly Board meeting in District offices.

Wednesday the 20th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.

Thursday the 21st
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Tuesday the 26th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Thursday the 28th
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.

Note meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.

Tonight's Oak Lodge Community Council Meeting Agenda

AGENDA
December 6, 2006
Oak Lodge Sanitary office
Oak Grove, Oregon

7:00 PM -- Call to Order: Dick Jones, Chairperson

ROLL CALL: Bill Bader, Bill Brown, Wilma Brown, Frank Budwill, Sue Conachan, Edith Coulter, Rosemary Crites, George Dietz, Lynn Fisher, Jerry Foy, Bryn Gillem, Chuck Gode, Milo Haas, Thelma Haggenmiller, Eleanore Hunter, David Jelinek, Dick Jones, Jim Knapp, Alan Koch, Gloria Koch, Elinor Kuhns, Bill Neels, Elaine Neels, Chuck Petersen, Margaret Pritchard, Paul Savas, Henry Schmidt, George Schneider, Eugene Schoenheit, Eric Shawn, Susan Shawn, Kent Squires, Julie Stanley, Blair Stephens, Charlie Stephens, Dr. Elton Storment, Bob Waldt, Leonard Waldemar, Don Wake, Suzanne Wake, Roy Wikman and Doug Woods.

7:02 PM – Introduction of Attendees

Name, area of residence and position in the Oak Lodge Community Council, if applicable.

7:05 PM – Council Reports
Minutes of the October 25th meeting are not available.
Treasurer’s Report – Sue Conachan

7:10 PM – Sheriff’s Report – Lt. Chuck Slaney

7:15 PM – Special Presentation – Possible Changes to the Essential Pedestrian Network, Karen Buehrig, Clackamas County Planning

7:50 PM – District Reports

New Urban High School-Tim King

Clackamas County Fire District #1 – Scott Weninger

Oak Lodge Water District – Jim Knapp

Oak Lodge Sanitary District – Kent Squires

Clackamas County Service District CAC – Jim Knapp

Page 2

8:10 PM Report of the Nominating Committee (See packet)

8:15 PM – Land Use Issues for Voting

Introduction of procedures by Chairperson. Eligibility for Voting, Time Limits, presentations by those in favor, the Council’s on-site review and those opposed.

Z0874-06 This is an application partition of a .51 acre parcel into 2 parcels. One parcel has an existing single family house and parcel 2 would be a flag lot parcel for another dwelling It is located at 15222 Linden Ln. It is zoned R-7.

Z0885-06 This is an application partition of a .52 acre (22,000 sq.ft.) parcel into 2 parcels. One parcel has an existing single family house and parcel 2 would be a flag lot parcel for another dwelling with access from a shared driveway at 14615 Vista Ln It is located at 14611Vista Ln. It is zoned R-10.

Z0908-06 This is an application is a minor subdivision of 4-lots, one lot with an existing dwelling. All the dwellings with have access to Hill Road from an existing private street (Haze Ct.) It is located at 4003 Hill Rd. It is zoned R-10.

Z0914-06 This is a request for a side setback variance from 15 feet to 11 feet in addition to the 20-foot access drive width. This is located at 4025 View Acres Rd.

Update on Land Use Applications:

None

8:40 PM General Matters for Discussion

Authorize annual giving to Charities

Sexual Predator update: No new information

Trolley Trail update- Thelma

FUTURE PUBLIC MEETINGS

Council meetings:
January 24, 2007, February 21, 2007

OLCC/CIA at Rose Villa unless otherwise noted
December 13, 2006, January 10, 2007, February 7, 2007

Special meetings, if required to vote on land use issues, will be held in conjunction with the monthly CIA meeting normally on the second Wednesday of each month.

9:00 PM – Meeting Adjourned

Oak Lodge Community Council meeting Wednesday

A message from Dick Jones, chair of this CPO:

This reminder that the Oak Lodge Community Council will hold our combined November December meeting on the first Wednesday in December.

We will meet as usual at Oak Lodge Sanitary office Wednesday December 6th 7PM. We will have our regular land use issues, district reports and Karen Buehrig as a special speaker from Clackamas County Planning. She will discuss proposed changes to the Essential Pedestrian Network.

I look forward to seeing everyone and have a nice week,

Dick J

Everybody hates their cellphone company, right?

Want out, because reception's become awful, or because only company "X" has that nifty new mobile phone you want?

New websites, including

Cellswapper
CelltradeUSA
Resellular and
Wirecracker

now help customers get out of contracts with cellular companies without paying the (excessive) termination fee designed to lock you in to their company. Contracts loophole let folks escape those contracts if another person will assume, take over, the contract, and a credit check induces the the wireless operator to approve the new subscriber. There's a fee (said to be $15-$50 as per today's Wall Street Journal), but it's a lot less than what the cellular carrier charges.

That story also noted

47% of cell customers would switch or consider switching cellphone companies if early-termination fees were abolished, according to a July 2005 survey by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. However, because of the fee, only 3% of customers go ahead with terminating the contract, the survey found.

Biodiesel finder

NearBio.com is a new service which shows you your closest biodiesel pump, with hours of operation, payment terms and address. It's even accessible from cellphones as long as text messaging is enabled. Here's today's list of pumps within 25 miles of the 97222 zipcode (apologies for the ham-handed map mashup, thanks to Google for Google Maps); right-click to save the map on your computer so you can see it in greater detail. I'm printing this out to keep in my Jeep Liberty Diesel, as bio burns cleaner and lubricates the engine better than dino-diesel.

Prepared for Financial Disaster?

What would you do if every ATM in town stopped working? Here's a few good suggestions:

http://www.experiglot.com/2006/10/03/financial-checklist-for-disaster-preparedness/

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/FinRecovery/FinPlan/

[National] They Just Don't Get It

"In Bob Sherwood's seat [in Pennsylvania] that would have been overwhelmingly ours if his mistress hadn't whined about being throttled," said Mr Norquist. Were there any lessons from the campaign? "Yes. The lesson should be don't throttle mistresses."

Throttling. As in attempted murder by choking. Yah, that's the kinda guy the GOP should send to the Congress.

Now, Mr. Norquist does not speak for the GOP directly, but he surely is a Fellow Traveller with those who do hold the reins. It's folks like him who have me wondering; should I become a Blue Dog or a Progressive?

[National] The Never-Ending Orwellian Emergency

Remember, remember, the fifth of November...

So you feel that the United States is in the same state of 'national emergency' that it was in a few weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks? Is today's national and global atmosphere of such similarity to those dark days that legislative and executive branch contingencies designed to deal with imminent violence should continue unquestioned? The President would have you believe so.

However, some problems are real, and other 'problems' are convenient to those who would lead the sheeple.

Haven't the actions persons who 'commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism' always been a threat to the United States? So, what's new? They have been, they continue to be, and will always be a threat, and while not wanting to diminish the seriousness of such threats, I wonder what other possible reasons for branding them with the title of "National Emergency" might be in play.

The powers of a President during a period of declared emergency are incredible, and can include the suspension of rights such as habeus corpus, which protects against unlawful imprisonment, and the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids the use of the military against U.S. citizens. Other possible powers which can fall under the umbrella of 'national emergency' include the declaration of martial law and the seizure of property and possessions. The introduction of a 1973 U.S. Senate report on emergency powers stated the following about the powers of a President during a time of declared emergency:

"This vast range of powers, taken together, confer enough authority to rule the country without reference to normal constitutional processes. Under the powers delegated by these statutes, the President may: seize property; organize and control the means of production; seize commodities; assign military forces abroad; institute martial law; seize and control all transportation and communication; regulate the operation of private enterprise; restrict travel; and, in a plethora of particular ways, control the lives of all American citizens."

November Oak Lodge area community meetings

Many thanks to Dick Davis for this November 2006 Calendar of Public Meetings.
Note: Meeting times and places may change, so data should be confirmed in advance.


Wednesday the 1st
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
7:00 PM Traffic Safety Commission meets at SSC.

Thursday the 2nd
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC), 9101 Sunnybrook Blvd.
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting at PSB.
6:45 PM C-4 meets at PSB.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Saturday the 4th
10:00 AM The County Elections Division at 825 Portland Ave. in Gladstone will be open until 2:00 pm for voters who wish to pick up or drop off ballots, have questions answered, etc.

Tuesday the 7th
7:00 AM Elections Division at 825 Portland Ave. in Gladstone will be open until 8:00 pm. Sixteen other alternate ballot drop locations are shown here.
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Wednesday the 8th
6:00 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary Master Plan Advisory Committee meets at OLSD.
no Citizens, Informed and Aware meeting.

Thursday the 9th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioner Hearing at PSB.
10:15 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks and Rec District Advisory Board meets in WES offices at SSC.
6:30 PM Bike/Ped Committee Open House addressing the Pedestrian Network at SSC.

Monday the 13th
6:30 PM Planning Commission meets at SSC.

Tuesday the 14th
no Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
5:00 PM MTIP Listening Post discussion of transit projects at the Pioneer Center in Oregon City. See more about MTIP here.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.
7:00 PM North Clackamas Planning Assoc. meets at Bilquist School.

Thursday the 16th
No Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Monday the 20th
11:30 AM Public Safety Appreciation Lunch at New Hope Church sponsored by N. Clackamas Co. Chamber of Commerce.
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Fire Station Six.

Tuesday the 21st
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Water district monthly Board meeting in District offices.

Wednesday the 22nd
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.

Tuesday the 28th
8:00 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Jennings Lodge CPO meets at Homewoods Heights.

Wednesday the 29th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioner’s Land Use Hearing in Board Hearing room PSB.

Thursday the 30th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC).
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
1:00 PM Board of Commissioners Planning meeting location TBA.

Note December 1st is the last day for Letters of Support for MTIP funding to complete the Trolley Trail. See more about MTIP here.

Oak Lodge Sanitary's Master Plan information presented at the Open House is available on the web.

[National] Energy Dependence

A recent New Yorker article notes a puzzling stance by the Bush Administration against energy independence, more than once. For the wonks among you, here's an explanation of the original issue:

A distribution transformer, much, say, like an elevator, is easy to ignore until it malfunctions. Its unromantic job, in most cases, is to take the high-voltage current transmitted over the grid and convert it—or step it down—to the lower-voltage current that emerges from a wall socket. There are an estimated three million distribution transformers in operation in the United States, and virtually all the electricity produced in the country—some four trillion kilowatt hours per year—passes through at least one of them en route from the plant where it was generated to the heating element in your toaster. Along the way, some energy is inevitably lost, and even though proportionately these losses are small, when you’re talking about four trillion kilowatt hours they quickly add up.

Last month, more than fourteen years after Congress mandated transformer standards, the Bush Administration finally got around to proposing them. (The original deadline was missed during the Clinton Administration.) To prepare the proposal, the Department of Energy assessed six possible levels of efficiency, ranging from the highest, known in bureaucratese as Trial Standard Level 6, to the lowest, Trial Standard Level 1. According to the department’s figures, the ideal balance between the up-front costs and the long-term gains was achieved at Level 4. Nevertheless, the department turned around and recommended a much lower transformer standard, Level 2. The decision obviously makes no sense on environmental grounds—in effect, the department is proposing to squander some twelve billion kilowatt hours per year, or roughly enough electricity to power all the households in Iowa—and also no sense on financial ones: the D.O.E.’s own analysis shows that the net cost of the lower standard will actually be higher over the life of the average transformer, which is estimated to be thirty years. The proposal leaves "billions in savings just sitting on the table," is how Steven Nadel, the executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, put it to the Christian Science Monitor.

Energy dependence seems to be a priority, where it shouldn't.

500 page report shows Cleveland voting problems

Ohio, once again, is a key state in federal elections. And, once again, the integrity of the voting system there is in doubt, says this WIRED article. I am soo glad we Vote By Mail in Oregon, a Diebold-free state.

How to steal an election by hacking the vote

This ArsTechnica article shows why Oregon's vote-by-mail system is the only way to assure that elections are not a fraudulent exercise (can any say, 'Ohio?')

Our national election infrastructure is now largely an information technology infrastructure, so the problem of keeping our elections free of vote fraud is now an information security problem. If you've been keeping track of the news in the past few years, with its weekly litany of high-profile breeches in public- and private-sector networks, then you know how well we're (not) doing on the infosec front.

Over the course of almost eight years of reporting for Ars Technica, I've followed the merging of the areas of election security and information security, a merging that was accelerated much too rapidly in the wake of the 2000 presidential election. In all this time, I've yet to find a good way to convey to the non-technical public how well and truly screwed up we presently are, six years after the Florida recount. So now it's time to hit the panic button: In this article, I'm going to show you how to steal an election.

Read the whole darned thing. Now.

Oak Lodge Community Planning Organization agenda

AGENDA
October 25, 2006
Oak Lodge Sanitary office
Oak Grove, Oregon

7:00 PM -- Call to Order: Dick Jones, Chairperson

ROLL CALL: Bill Bader, Bill Brown, Wilma Brown, Frank Budwill, Sue Conachan, Edith Coulter, Rosemary Crites, George Dietz, Jerry Foy, Bryn Gillem, Chuck Gode, Milo Haas, Thelma Haggenmiller, Eleanore Hunter, David Jelinek, Dick Jones, Jim Knapp, Alan Koch, Gloria Koch, Elinor Kuhns, Bill Neels, Elaine Neels, Chuck Petersen, Margaret Pritchard, Paul Savas, Henry Schmidt, George Schneider, Eugene Schoenheit, Eric Shawn, Susan Shawn, Kent Squires, Julie Stanley, Blair Stephens, Charlie Stephens, Dr. Elton Storment, Bob Waldt, Leonard Waldemar, Don Wake, Suzanne Wake, Roy Wikman and Doug Woods.

7:02 PM – Introduction of Attendees

Name, area of residence and position in the Oak Lodge Community Council, if applicable.

7:05 PM – Council Reports

Approve minutes of the September 27th meeting.

Treasurer’s Report – Sue Conachan

7:10 PM – Sheriff’s Report – Lt. Chuck Slaney

7:15 PM – Special Presentation – Public Safety Levy 3-246 - Lt. Chuck Slaney

7:50 PM – District Reports

New Urban High School-Tim King

Clackamas County Fire District #1 – Oak Lodge Engine Crew

Oak Lodge Water District – Jim Knapp

Oak Lodge Sanitary District – Kent Squires

Clackamas County Service District CAC – Jim Knapp
Page 2

8:15 PM – Land Use Issues for Voting

Introduction of procedures by Chairperson. Eligibility for Voting, Time Limits, presentations by those in favor, the Council’s on-site review and those opposed.

Z0710-06 This is request for an interpretation of section 1206 regarding Nonconforming use provisions of the ZDO. One parcel where this may affect is at 14702 Rupert.

Z0783-06 This is a request to allow a two-lot partition. One lot will be about 9,000 s.f. and the other parcel containing an existing house of 17,000 sf. This is located at 17246 Oatfield Rd The area is .5 acres and zoned R-8.5.

Z0805-06-Z0807-06 This is an application partition a .94 acre parcel into 2 parcels. One parcel will be a single family house and the other 3 multifamily structures containing 14 living units. These dwelling were built in 1972. This activity will not result in any increase in density. It is located at 15512 East Av. And is zoned MR-1.

Z0810-06 This is a request for a temporary permit for a modular office at Cranston Machine (2251 Oak Grove Blvd).

Update on Land Use Applications:

The County is proposing to modify C-3 (General Commercial District).

8:40 PM General Matters for Discussion

Review letter to the BCC relative to CCSD#1 CAC report.

Sexual Predator update: No new information

Trolley Trail update- Thelma

FUTURE PUBLIC MEETINGS

Council meetings:
October 25, 2006
December 6, 2006
January 24, 2007

OLCC/CIA at Rose Villa unless otherwise noted
December 13, 2006
January 10, 2007

Special meetings, if required to vote on land use issues, will be held in conjunction with the monthly CIA meeting normally on the second Wednesday of each month.

9:00 PM – Meeting Adjourned

DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE !

Tomorrow, Tuesday 17th, is the deadline to register to vote. It's too late to mail it in, but you can print this form, complete and sign it, and hand carry it to the Elections Office from 8:30 AM to 5 PM at 925 Portland Ave in Gladstone, which is about a five minute walk off either the 32 or 33 bus lines. Here's the FAQ on registration.

Voting systems are not perfect, so call the elections office at 503.655.8510 if you want to confirm you're registered.

And, if you're curious, here's the map for our ten districts and their precincts.

Community events this week

Several events of importance to us occur in the week ahead. On Tuesday 17th 7 PM is Oak Lodge Sanitary’s Open House where they will share their Master Plan. The Open House will be held at the New Urban High School 1905 SE Oak Grove Blvd. You should have received a flyer advertising this event. When things are going to happen each of us needs get involved.

On Wednesday the 18th 6 PM at Oak Grove School on Torbank will be the Trolley Trail Design Open House. This will give us the opportunity to review survey maps, aerial photos, the 2004 Master Plan and learn about the next steps in trail design needed before construction can occur.

On Thursday the 19th the Three Bridges on the Springwater Trail will be dedicated. This will take place at SE 19th and Ochoco at 10:30 AM.

One last item John Bartley has posted on his web site: http://clackablog.blogspot.com/ the following. We as OLCC members should help him in this great endeavor.

Companies build stores with them. The USN uses them (modified with lights, ventilation) to house crew on ships. You can buy them outfitted as bunkhouses and as offices. Architects study how to use them for housing, which is increasingly common. Washington schools use them to house disaster supplies. I could go on about how they're becoming ubiquitious.

They're popping up all over the county, as we heard at the last Oak Lodge CPO meeting. And, the county has no ordinance or regulation about where they can be used in residential neighborhoods.

They're intermodal shipping containers, a system fifty years old, and we're going to see a lot more of them around home.

E-Mail me your pictures of shipping containers you find in the county, along with the time and location you took the picture. I'll make them a Flikr stream, put them all on a Google map, and once assembled, suggest the county consider looking at the issue of where they can be placed and how they can be used.

John’s E-mail address is (at the top of this web page).

Have a nice day,
Dick J

Forum: County Commission Candidates, Ballot Measures

The Citizens Informed and Aware group of the Oak Lodge Community Council is hosting a Forum for County Commissioners Candidates and County/Regional Ballot Measures.

The Discussion is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 11, 2006
at the Rose Villa Retirement Center Fellowship Hall.
The location is 13505 SE River Road in Oak Grove OR.
(Parking is available on the East side of River Road or along the curb on the West side of River Road. Please do not park on Rose Villa’s property West of River Road.)

The first hour will be for the three County Commissioner Candidates. The second hour will be presentations for four ballot measures.

For residents of the unincorporated parts of the County the County Commissioners are our governing board. It is important to know what their positions are and they know our views on the many subjects they will be deciding.

More on Shipping Containers in Residential Neighborhoods

Companies build stores with them. The USN uses them (modified with lights, ventilation) to house crew on ships. You can buy them outfitted as bunkhouses and as offices. Architects study how to use them for housing, which is increasingly common. Washington schools use them to house disaster supplies. I could go on about how they're becoming ubiquitious.

They're popping up all over the county, as we heard at the last Oak Lodge CPO meeting. And, the county has no ordinance or regulation about where they can be used in residential neighborhoods.

They're intermodal shipping containers, a system fifty years old, and we're going to see a lot more of them around home.

E-Mail me your pictures of shipping containers you find in the county, along with the time and location you took the picture. I'll make them a Flikr stream, put them all on a Google map, and once assembled, suggest the county consider looking at the issue of where they can be placed and how they can be used.

[Ballot Measures] Blue Oregon misses the mark, again

The bald assertion at the head of this Blue Oregon article slamming Measure 48 misses the boat. The very purpose of this is to create a Rainy Day Fund with which to deal with such disasters.

Now, that being said, it is *especially* important to be ready to deal with the first 96 hours *yourself* as *no* relief effort is worth much in the first day, and the next three days are *so* much easier to deal with if you have your own basics. At least, that's been my observation, from personal experience on the inside of Donna, Betsy, Frederic and Hugo, plus many less memorable disasters.

Be proud of your city. Competent, realistic planning and frequent practice is a Portland hallmark. The TICOFF exercise last week demonstrated the city's committment to doing a decent job in the event of a disaster, and although I am not an official, I can say the exercise showed much forethought without the 'fairy dust' commonly seen in similar exercises elsewhere. But, they can't do everything, and self-preparedness is YOUR key to a highly less sucky result when the inevitable disaster occurs.

*Please* do not forget a solution to care for your pets, as Federal law prohibits pets (not working animals, but pets) in federally funded shelters, as per the WSJ. We have a folding cart which not only carries our water (gallon a day a person), tent, Coleman stove, pot, rations, TP, meds, books and other necessities, but also cat carriers, with a pack of kibble, dishes, litter, harnesses and leashes, litterbox and a roll of chicken wire to make a pen for our four-footed bosses. We have also chipped them so if they freak and run, we may find them again.

And, if you're concerned about the issue, the Oregon Trail Chapter provides free disaster relief training to their volunteers, including free First Aid/CPR/AED. The Portland Office of Emergency Management has free and useful courses in the NET/CERT program of light duty rescue relief. Helping people recover from disaster is addictive, and a cheap hobby in which you benefit the community while assuring the safety and well being of folks you care about.

Calendar of Public Meetings, October 2006

Calendar of Public Meetings
October 2006

Monday the 2nd
6:00 PM Dedication of Alder Creek Middle School Park at Alder Creek Middle School.

Tuesday the 3rd
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Wednesday the 4th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
7:00 PM Traffic Safety Commission meets at SSC.

Thursday the 5th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at Sunnybrook Service Center (SSC) 9101 Sunnybrook Blvd.
No Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary Master Plan Advisory Committee meets at OLSD.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Tuesday the 10th
No Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
6:30 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary monthly Board meeting at Board offices.
7:00 PM North Clackamas Planning Assoc. meets at Bilquist School.

Wednesday the 11th
7:00 PM Oak Lodge CIA (Citizens, Informed and Aware) Candidates Forum for County Commissioner Candidates and Local Ballot measures at Rose Villa.

Thursday the 12th
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM North Clackamas Parks and Rec District Advisory Board meets at the Aquatic Park.

Monday the 16th
6:30 PM CCSD#1 Wastewater study committee Open House at SSC.
7:00 PM Fire District No. 1 Board meets at Mt. Scott Fire Station.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Water district monthly Board meeting in District offices.

Tuesday the 17th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Sanitary Master Plan Open House at the New Urban High School, 1905 SE Oak Grove Blvd.

Wednesday the 18th
9:00 AM Board of Commissioner’s M37 Hearing in Board Hearing room at PSB.
6:00 PM Trolley Trail Design Open House at Oak Grove school.

Thursday the 19th
9:00 AM Land Use Hearing at SSC.
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting.
6:00 PM Clackamas Co. Fire District #1 offers CPR training for $25. For questions or to make a reservation, contact the Training Division at 503-742-2682.
7:00 PM NC12 School board meets in Board offices.

Saturday the 21st
9:00 AM Clackamas Co. Fire District #1 offers First Aid training for $40. For questions or to make a reservation, contact the Training Division at 503-742-2682.

Monday the 23rd
6:30 PM Planning Commission meets at SSC.

Tuesday the 24th
8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.
5:30 PM NCCWC Board meets at the Plant on the Clackamas.
7:00 PM Jennings Lodge CPO meets at Homewoods Heights.

Wednesday the 25th
9:30 AM Board of Commissioner’s Land Use Hearing in Board Hearing room PSB.
7:00 PM Oak Lodge Community Council meets at OLSD office.

Thursday the 26th
10:00 AM Clackamas County Commissioners weekly Board meeting including CCSD#1 Hearing.
1:30 PM Sunnyside Road Phase II dedication, location TBA.

Monday the 30th, 6:30 PM CPO’s Chairs meeting at PSB.

Tuesday the 31st, 8:30 AM Board of Commissioners Study session at Board offices.

Note meeting times and places may change so data should be confirmed in advance.

Milwaukie’s Sunday Farmers' Market from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM across from City Hall.

Oregon City’s Saturday Farmers' Market from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM at the PSB parking lot.

[National] Haiku du jour

The Constitution
Was cast aside by Congress.
Hideous corpus!

Oak Lodge Community Council Notes 3 of 3

8PM - Discussion continues

Jim Knapp is the new treasurer of the water board, and Dick Jones now chairs the water board. Jim noted McLoughlin down by Vinyard and the Big Five store will be resurfaced next year, may do pipeline work then.

The district has a big snow pack, much water available, much better than other districts who must promote conservation. Water not sold for revenue goes down the river, and sinc ewe're the 2d to last outfall, no one else takes it today. Tigard, last inlet, will likely take more in the future. We have a program to use when we are in drought condition.

Dick - moving land from irrigated ag to residences reduces water use. The Clackamas River is spring-fed, well above the minimum flow and of great quality. Can coordinate with PGE for their TImothy Lake hydro reservoir if needed.

Ken Squires: Sanitary sewer master planning method working towards a conclusing, Adv cmte meet here next Thiursday to rehearse for New Urban HS openhouse 7-9PM on October 19th. Encourage community at large to participate and give feedback to the 17 member CAC regarding goals values and how to implement long tewrm start in best way possible.

Construction is underway on Park Ave from River Rd to near McLoughlin, work funded in coop with Clackamas Co and with a Community Development Block Grant; only cost $190,000, instead of 290,000 without cooperation and outside funding.

Awarded Cedar Ave and River Rd crossing projects. Bids higher than anticipated (change from 5-6 yrs norm of $60/' to about $85/'). Have not yet started a project to study (the artificial) Riverforce Lake and storm drainage under Clean Water Act requirements into the Willammette. Studies take through winter into next summer, will then know how lake functions and how it affects storm water management.
Bush Admin requirement that wetland be attached to ocean or stream will ikel be challenged in court. Note: A fill permit required if > 50 cu yds.


Jim Knapp will present proposals from his CAC for Clackamas Co Service District sewage treatment options to commissioners tomorrow at 10AM, for their consideration. Despite many obstacles, the CAC is unanimous in its recommendations. One abstemption made explicit, on the basis of the report not having been made available for reading until five minutes ago. Passed 14-0-4.

LAND USE

Henry Schmidt, Leonard Walden and Dick Jones visited properties today.

Z689-06 4021 SE Risley; added to split property <20,000' in R-10 zone. County staff denied waiver. Hearings officer approved a subsequent appeal. A neighbor was concerned because sidewalk would take away from road space where it's needed for school bus load/unload safety; Dick Jones sent photos, along with code enforcement issues, as a safety concern. Approved, 15-0-2.

Z0678-06/Z0679-06 17393 SE Walta Vista. Regrade & repair a pathway, add a ramp on private property at private expense, within the Willamette Greenway. Riprap needed to hold back bank, path will allow tractor access to mitigate erosion and access to cut weeds; right now, it's a goat path. Approved, no dissent or abstention.

Z0654-06, 4025 SE View Acres, part R-8.5 & part R-10 with dwelling now there that's compliant w/ R-8.5 requirements. A sidewalk is proposed outside of the current paved road, although a sidewalk is not always required for new construction. Approved 17-0-1.

Z0715-06 15525 SE River Forest Dr. New deck over old structure of some kind, above hundred year flood plan. Prior issue when remodel desired. Some kind of deck already there, and since composite material is used, likely the requested deck has already been built. Approval with request to county to enforce any relevant fine provision, carried with two abstaining.

Z0718-06 15223 SE River Forest Dr. County approval is required before Corps of Engineers approval to build dock may be sought. Approved, one abstained.


LAST MEETING'S MINUTES Approved with no objection.

Milo Haas is out of St Vincent's after extended hospital stay.

Trolley Trail: Can now walk from the old boat to Oak Grove Blvd, with gravel added soon from the park district. Last section quite walkable. The semi-truck driver who parks there sometimes will be addressed later. Oak Grove School will host a design open house on Wed the 18th of October.

On October 11th, we will have a pre-election forum with three candidates for the county commission (David Dodd, Larry Sowa and Lynn Peterson) and discussion of four ballot measures (including 26-80 from Metro, 3-221 from the soil and water conservation district, 3-229 from North Clackamas Schools, and 3-246, the sheriff's public safety operating levy).

A LUBA appeal not filed on time regarding Dr. Anderson's property on Concord, but Dick Jones suspected a price adjustment was made.


ADJOURNED AT 8:59 pm.

Oak Lodge Community Council notes 2 of 3

John Borge, Principal Planner, Clackamas Co. Transportation and Development Dept., then spoke on Trees, Wetlands and Wildlife Protection.

Years ago, Happy Valley complained that county didn't have tree cutting ordinance; we speak of trees in development and can address them through design review, conditional use or other method. However, the absence of such an ordinance allows developers to cut before application as we have little way to enforce, (except for resource areas adjacent to wetlands, streams, corridors; they're an upper tier issue then).

A new ordinance for this would be expensive, time consuming and costly to adminster, especially given the present property rights movement. I would be very frightened if we started to propose one.

Section 1000 applies to commercial, industrial and multi-family uses, which requires us to take a land use application & notify the CPO. Other activities, such as single family residential and duplexes, are not included in requirement.

We have fixed some loopholes regarding withdrawing a application, cutting trees, refiling revised application. We worked closely with wildlife agencies who had inventories of things like breeding grounds, and then zoned sensitive bird habitat for known rookeries and other sensitive areas.

We have found those inventories were not complete. Location, Quality and Size are all required to address these issues under Oregon's Goal Five requirements, and sites not so described are very easy for developers to alter even if, say, a rookery is found.

If we find them before development, we amend the plan after evaluation against (our three known) rookeries & wetlands ,and assess the significance before legislating protection following local law and the OAR.

Developer's rights are based on what we known at the time of application, so contact Fish and Wildlife with details if you find wildlife needing protection. Note that property owners are often not pleased to have their property rights overlaid with restrictions, and such matters can be contentious.

See the county website development department, the natural resources chapter under comprehensive plan for maps of known wetland areas and rookeries, but not all wetlands may have been scanned yet. The state has equivalent maps for areas outside of the UGB.

Margaret Pritcherd noted peregrine falcons have recently been seen outside Rose Villa, even in the breezeway, and bald eagles with fledgelings nest near Oak Park.

Catherine Blosser: Who can lobby to protect urban wildlife?
John Borges: Need to do as overlay zone, preserving existing restrictions plus adding those required for preservation. Not easy to do, would be very contentious. Lake Oswego adopted a tree ordinance; six months later had to change it because the community could not live with the contention, and revision followed another six months later, with issues still not yet resolved.

John then showed the M37 map, with almost 18 thousand acres involved in filed appeals, all over the county. Over 500 have been filed, all outside the UGB, with 4 turned down; 3 died, one could not demonstate ownership. Averson Lumber, 900 acres outside Sandy is one large property, another large one outside Bull Run reservoir. One other case, within UGB, rejected on other grounds.

Two year statute of limitation not firm, and property owners who are rejected for land use applications can reopen the issue outside the two year window (December? March? Legal is still unsure of deadline.) Two full time staffers are dedicated to M37 issues plus support from other staffers.

CONCLUDES TOMORROW

Oak Lodge Community Council notes 1 of 3

(Arrived at 7:04 PM after meeting started, due to ARES radio testing network session at 7:00 PM.)

John Borge, Principal Planner from County Transportation and Development Planning Division, was discussing the new social trend of using shipping containers for uses other than shipping. He admits the county did not anticipate the proliferation of shipping containers (aka PODS). They are not built, not fastened to the ground, so to regulate their use, the county need to describe them and then list, in each section, whether containers are allowed or denied. Design review process will discuss type of materials and construction method, but rarely describes where materials may be stored. Containers are showing up in farmland for storage. We'll proably have to get after them at some point.

Bartley: Customized JMICs (Joint Modular Intermodal Containers) are used in USN experimental littoral ship designs as living space.

Jerry Foy: Containers are used all the time in commercial areas. Containers are specifically allowed in C-3 such as FM, Lowe's, Meyer and Frank, to store goods on property exterior of uilding. Have seen them unloaded. Stacking six units high is pretty obnoxious. Has no plumbing, ventilation, electric, sanitary, so should not allow living in them,

Dick: Are they included in allowed storage space in existing ordinance?

Margaret Pritcherd: Have seen containers parked for several days even in blue tag areas. They're using space dedicated for pulic parking. also seen one right up against property line in residential area.

John: Also a chronic problem with other businesses using mandated parking to store inventory.

Don't know if shipping containers can they be placed on private property and used for storage with no special requirement, and there is no clear answer to that. Depends as to whether or not you classify them as a structure. Seems structure standards for sheds, garages should be applied to objects as big as a shed. There is no permit, no proces at present, not in a position to regulate them. At some point will have to enforce something and end up in front of a hearing officer. If we are clever enough and have resources, will modify existing ordinance.

Chuck: Why?

John: If we add to ordinance, will have to enforce it. Many things not in ordinance we can enforce as well (permanently parked motor home used as residence). Residential uses are in top tier of enforcement. We deal in many grey areas, even though ordinances seem to be in black and white.

Catherine Blosser: This is starting to be an issue, why not be proactive? Why not get ahead of the issue?

John: We develop work plans yearly, contact CPOs and assemble wish list, including these types of things we should do to get ahead of these issues.. Wish list at present is 40+ items and goes back several years. M37 consumes staf ftime, all we can do to process 1100-1500 normal land use plus 500+ M37 apps.

Bartley: Could independent development funds, perhaps a grant, permit CPOs or other NGOs to develop and propose an ordinance, which would be researched to survive legal challenge, before submission, coordinating with zoning & development?
John: (In addition to legal and research expenses) it would cost 18-25 kilobucks to notify all who might be involved. Tremendously expensive to mail notices to all property owners of modification to property rights, required since 1998. That expense holds us back because we have finite resources. A grant would have to be very specific to show achievment and awkward to do it that way, don't think grants are a good solution.

Jerry Foy: BOMA, ICSE, and the Retail Task Force groups get involved to see how changes would affect them; if opposed, will spend against; if in favor, will spend in favor, Big, well funded groups and effective.

Thelma: Why are mobile home relocation issues moved from Item E under Development Standards, to prohibited and preexisting uses?
John - Moving to prohibited uses could make sense but I have not seen the change (until now). Have had in county comprehensive plan since the 80s.

TO BE CONTINUED