Inform Hood River

09/26/2025

This is an update to a previous note about a land use appeal with the County's Planning Commission.

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The Hood River Planning Commission hearing to consider the Packer Farm Stand appeal has been re-scheduled until Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Commissioner’s Conference Room (1st Floor) of the County Business Administration Building – 601 State Street, Hood River, Oregon.

The formal comment period for the appeal has also been extended to Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 5:00pm. Comments received by this date will be incorporated into the staff report to the Planning Commission. However, written or oral comments may also be provided up to and at the hearing itself. (12 copies for written comments submitted the night of the hearing. Time allotted for oral testimony will also be limited so written comments in advance are encouraged.)

To submit comments or to ask questions, please contact Eric Walker, County Planning Director, at (541) 387-6840 or by email at [email protected]. The application and supporting documents are still available for review at the County Planning Department at no cost or online at https://hrccd.hoodrivercounty.gov/departments/planning-commission/meetings/.
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Only posting a SINGLE page from the documents provided. The document on the County Planning Commission website has almost 500 pages of comments, emails for and against, legal arguments, photos, and more. My apologies - but I just can't post them all. However, please note the county is still accepting comments up until October 8.

09/25/2025

The Port of Hood River Foundation continues to look for new members to join the board of directors.

When first formed in October 2024, the board consisted solely of the existing Port commissioners. They realized this year that having a more independent board might lead to stronger ideas, so this is your chance to apply.

Please note: You do NOT have to live in Hood River County to be a board member (i.e. applicants from White Salmon, Bingen, Lyle, etc are welcome to apply). Interest in the Hood River waterfront or the Ken Jernstedt airfield are primary, along with strengths that would let you make this Foundation a workable entity.

Note: The 3 applications received so far are all from people interested in the Airfield... so waterfront interest and knowledge is definitely needed.

Note 2: You'd have a chance to weigh in on the license plate scheme as well!

Application form and more details here: https://www.portofhoodriver.com/the-port-of-hood-river-foundation-seeks-dedicated-community-leaders

09/25/2025

Hood River White Salmon Bridge Authority: September 22 meeting

There’s a lot of positive energy as the team moves into the Phase 1B (design) portion of the project. Knowing that these design steps set the stage for construction means a lot of work in a tight timeframe (probably 21 months).

Video provided of different brief portions of the meeting.

- Coming up: Design and decision discussions about critical aspects of the new bridge, including:
o What kind of seismic criteria to be used for the bridge? And what’s the interplay between that and bridge strikes? More Discussion and decision coming next month
o Utility locations on the bridge: need to finalize
o North shore access: for construction - this will be tricky
o Permits – critical for progress (and almost 50 needed)

Arthur Babitz asked about “pool height adjustments” but didn’t explain further. That term relates to the ways in which the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) adjusts the Bonneville Dam pool elevation to balance multiple requirements, including hydropower generation, navigation, flood control, and fish passage. The pool is managed within a normal operating range, with specific adjustments often triggered by seasonal conditions or biological needs. The HNTB team & Kiewit (I think) will work with the USACE on this.

Grants and Agreements
- INFRA grant: The $8 million portion added on to the INFRA grant (called Congressional Directed Spending) may be able to be released to the HRWSBA separately from the balance. That would add more $ to the funds available.
- While the HRWSBA team was in WA DC, they were told that the bridge project cleared the hurdles involved in new executive orders and meets the current administration’s goals set forth for federal funding.

Monitoring the Existing Bridge:
- Installation of the different monitors on the new bridge (to show temperature, water levels, bridge movement, wind speeds, etc) will begin this weekend, beginning with prisms and moving on to different sensors.
- Kiewit will maintain and monitor the sensors during design.
- HRWSBA will use the data, and share it with the public. The Port of HR will have access as well.

Land Swap (6F) for the Property Needed for South Access Bridge
- Appraisals continue (see prior presentations to Port of Hood River & County).

Geotech Issues
- The plan is to drill one hole for each pier site – but additional holes will be drilled depending on what is found. These are done to determine the characteristics of the riverbed by using a 2” diameter boring rod, in preparation for placement for the 9’ diameter (I think that’s it) drilled shafts.
- These are 2” boring (or sampling holes) that are done to evaluate where they will be eventually pouring the concrete for the piers.

Permits: 48+ permits needed for project during this phase
- Refreshing the “Navigation Impact Report” – last done in 2019; survey boat operators on the river provide information on the kind of vessels expected. Survey to go out end of September.
o That will inform design for the opening over the navigation channel
o US Coast Guard doesn’t expect design changes, particularly given the expansion of the opening from its current 246’ width to 450’.
- Washington will issue its State Environmnetal Policy Act about the plans for the bridge.

Washington DC Trip Report
- Congressional leaders supportive of bridge project; all glad to hear that OR and WA have provided requested funding
- Also met with officials at DOT, White House, etc.
- Met with agency officials who review the Bridge Investment Program, but those officials give little info on what the status of the grant is at this time. This is a highly-competitive grant.
o The HRWSBA DC team emphasized that the project is on the schedule now and ready to move to construction relatively quickly if funding is awarded

Other Items
- The Communications Committee will provide diagrams and info on various parts of the bridge (piers, decks, superstructure, drill shafts, etc) to help all of us non-engineers understand bridge elements
- Public feedback will be requested for bridge elements again as design moves along
- Information on how construction will affect river and vehicle traffic (including how the roundabout on the north exit will affect traffic) will be shared
- 90% of the construction won’t affect drivers; buoys to redirect some boat traffic may be placed.

09/23/2025

Election Time: Farmers Irrigation District has 2 spots on its Board of Directors with terms that expire in 2025.

If you live in District 1 or District 4 and want to make a splash into public service, you could consider a run for office.

Maps attached show where the FID division areas are.

To get onto the ballot:

- You need to reside in the division you want to represent.

- Pick up a nomination form at the FID office at 1985 Country Club Road.

- You’ll need 10 signatures from qualified electors that also reside in the respective district. Note: From my experience gathering signatures, get more than you need. Some folks will think that they’re a “registered elector” but won’t be; others may live just outside a division boundary. If you get 15 or 20 signatures, you’ll stand a better chance of not needing to go out and get more.

- Form has to be received by 4pm, October 8, at the District Office. Office is open 7:30am to 4pm, Monday through Thursday, and closed from noon to 1pm.

09/22/2025

The September 15th meeting of the Hood River County Board heard an ambitious proposal from the Hood River Watershed Group, Columbia Land Trust, and County Public Works Director Cory Weissner about habitat restoration and floodplain improvements that will happen if the decommissioned (and vandalized) Powerdale building is removed.

This was an excellent presentation with a lot of info. To make it easier to view (in case you want to skip past any parts), here is a guide:

The presentation (and the possibility proposed to the county) is that the Powerdale building be removed, and an extensive project to remove riprack, extend the floodplain, and provide for habitat restoration for fish etc take place. HR Watershed, Interfluve, tribes, etc are onboard ... HR Watershed has access to some funding and more grants could be applied for.

The time stamps are for your use- the presentations from the work session plus the debate among the commissioners in the regular session are both included, and take about 80 minutes. https://youtu.be/Olmhkhn3LHQ

History: From start to about 17:00

18:00 to about 27:00 == Info on what the restoration can do

27:-00 to about 42:00 - conceptual designs, biological info, etc; access/railroad/recreation

42:16: Info on how the funding could work and next steps

51:16 Arthur Babitz's concerns about the historic value of the Powerdale building

58:13: Kate Conley mentions this is a habitat project and they will still be working on recreational access & historical/educational parts. The conceptual design now is to accomplish 1/3 of the goals but still has work.

1:00:34 ... Commissioners debate next steps (Spoiler ... they say to go ahead with the plan that would approve the demolition of the Powerdale building, but they must consider the recreational access and memorializing the historical significance of the Powerdale bldg)

A presentation on how the decommissioned & vandalized Powerdale building adjacent to the Hood River could be removed and a full habitat and floodplain restor...

09/22/2025

The River-White Salmon Bridge Authority meets Monday, September 22 from 2pm to 4pm. ZOOM Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83473763179

Topics will include an update on the trip to Washington DC to push for support for the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) application, etc.

Other items will include info from the Federal Highway Administration about a legal review of the INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant (awarded in January 2024, $ still pending), other funding reviews, etc.

09/22/2025

Hood River City Council: September 22 meeting at 6pm
On the agenda?

Wait for it ... the Police Department space needs analysis update makes a return visit to the City Council along with a new department proposal & cost estimate.

For those who haven’t been following the “Will They Ever Get a New Police Station in Hood Rver” series, you can find the history on the Police Department’s city page, charting the beginning history from 1996, through the 2018 City Council prioritization of a new police station, the 2019 contract award for [the last] space needs analysis, the 2020 discussion with the County about a shared facility (a really bad meeting), and the 2021 decision to stop work.

In January 2021, the City Council stepped back from all those years of planning work for a new police facility, although one council member (who sits on the current city council) was willing to let the police replace an outdated couch in the interview room. https://youtu.be/QYk6JV5R1E4

City police saga link here: https://cityofhoodriver.gov/police/police-facility-planning/

The summary of the 2020 meetings and the January 2021 recommendation is here (produced by Inform Hood River under a different social media group : https://youtu.be/QYk6JV5R1E4

You can also hear Chief Holste talking to the council about the problems of processing fentanyl where police officers also have to eat: https://youtu.be/wpZKHQEt3rc?si=5Fsf-VMvT5pFdVMW

Proposal for the new facility and costs ($8.6 million; likely it would have been less in 2021?) to be presented.

Other items up:
 Proposal to appoint Mike Kitts and Matt Pope to the Planning Commission (update on the September 8 Planning Commission discussion still coming...)
 Utility Fund Financing: City needs to borrow up to $7.5 million to pay for updates to water, stormwater, and sewer, including removing and replacing lead jointed pipes in the City’s Heights Urban Renewal District.
 Changes to Oregon’s law regarding the provision of food etc to city officials, employees, etc means the city will need to make those snacks part of the official compensation package. Depending on various council members interest in running again in 2026, they’ll have to refrain from voting on some items. This may provide some comic relief on Monday.
 TNC fees if Uber/Lyft/etc ever set up here. $1,000 for the corporate applicant; $100 for drivers.
 Planning for a General Bond Measure in 2026
 Development Code Update (update on city’s website too: https://cityofhoodriver.gov/planning/development-code-audit-and-update/). Watch for where high-density housing may be permitted in the future.
 Discussion on ICE actions and “how the City can best reassure residents that local law enforcement does not coordinate or support ICE, except as required by a judicial order. “

- Agenda & packet 1:https://cityofhoodriver.gov/wp-content/uploads/Meetings/09-22-2025-City-Council-Meeting-Packet.pdf

- Packet 2: Employee Handbook (https://cityofhoodriver.gov/wp-content/uploads/Meetings/09-22-2025-CC-Packet-No.-2-City-of-Hood-River-Employee-Handbook.pdf)

- Packet 3: Development code with suggested changes (https://cityofhoodriver.gov/wp-content/uploads/Meetings/09-22-2025-CC-Packet-No.-3-CodeUpModule3clean-draft.pdf)

In January 2021, after several years of planning, the City Council backed away from plans to build a new purpose-built station for local police. Concerns ci...

09/22/2025

Hood River County Meeting: September 15, 2025

I’m starting with the final discussion item in the 4-hour session.

This involved the challenges of the county’s unsustainable budget, and concerns about how Public Safety portion of the budget has taken funds from other parts of county services.

Public Safety (which reports to the elected sheriff) is one of the biggest cost centers in the county’s budget.

BOC Chair Jennifer Euwer suggested that more controls beyond a quarterly report were needed, with perhaps monthly reports and commissioner control and review of all hiring.

The Board of Commissioners sets the budget and can require review and approval of hiring or the filling of any vacancies, but Commissioners were concerned that the County Administrator (Allison Williams) may not have statutory control to enforce those hiring reviews for the Sheriff’s Office.

The result of the structural issues with a budget whose revenues are not keeping pace with expenses is that a budget emergency is highly likely to emerge by the next budget year or sooner.

Covid & ARPA funds are gone. Those funds allowed the county to retain experienced personnel it couldn’t afford, but the basic structural funding problems remain and the budget is still unsustainable.

The video provided here is an EDITED portion (21 minutes) of PART of the discussion, which ran for almost an hour. Next steps mentioned to maintain control of the budget included:

§ Quarterly reports on the state of the county’s budget – though those were recognized as insufficient on their own. Monthly review required, including the Sheriff’s office.
§ County Administrator will bring in an outside organizational assessment to look at all county operations. The goal is to consider areas that could be restructured for better operation and to reduce inefficiencies, with all stakeholders participating.
§ Sheriff Matt English will be asked to participate in that review as well. It was unclear as of Monday’s discussion if he would agree.

Once Chair Euwer laid out her suggestions, Commissioner Babitz spoke out to say that the problem she was trying to solve (which seemed to be requiring monthly reviews of the budget) wasn’t the one he thinks requires solving.

Babitz said that he’s looking for a sustainable path to a budget that doesn’t require significant layoffs next year. He praised county department leaders for the spending and organizational efficiencies they’ve found, but said that every dollar they’ve saved has gone into the public safety budget.

The result of those decisions is that the County spends significantly more of its budget on public safety now than it did years ago, in terms of the percentage allocated to public safety.

Babitz blamed that change on a county structure that requires that all departments except Public Safety to become more efficient.

Babitz also expressed concern that the County Administrator may not have the right to implement controls over the department run by the Sheriff, who is an elected official, although the elected Board of Commissioners sets the budget for that department. The County Charter, Administrative Code, and union labor contracts all have sections describing hiring controls. How those mesh isn’t entirely clear & no legal counsel was present on Monday.

Babitz thinks the County should not continue finding ways to save money in every other department only to spend it on the Public Safety departments. Chair Euwer continued to focus on the upcoming presentation from the Sheriff in November, so the debate continued. Babitz said he struggled to see where the County Administrator position stands in terms of her role as policy implementor.

Williams reiterated her expectation that an outside organizational analysis of the entire County operations – including Public Safety – would provide an independent set of recommendations for moving forward. She also shared Sheriff English’s belief that conversations between elected officials was part of the necessary discussions on process and reiterated her commitment to keeping all county departments informed about the need for change.

Commissioner Muenzer asked about the Board’s ability to alter the Sheriff’s budget, but Babitz confirmed that as financial circumstances changed the Board needed to have a process to make changes to react to reduced resources. How that works in the Sheriff’s department was unclear, and there was no legal counsel present on Monday to weigh in.

Commissioners were united behind the need for the County Administrator to be able to work with all departments on addressing budget issues now in advance of a potential emergency situation next year.

Full video of the entire county meeting is on the Inform Hood River channel. Link here: https://youtu.be/NGSPcKDU6yU

The 1 hour budget emergency discussion/hiring freeze/Public Safety discussion begins where the link here starts: https://youtu.be/NGSPcKDU6yU?si=_1RM48Eijw9jIvOQ&t=11405

�Other items discussed Monday:

- Removal of Powerdale building and restoration of habitat – moving ahead, pending funding with partners! Excellent presentation posted separately on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Olmhkhn3LHQ

- Successful achievement of a grant from USDA (Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership). HR County was one of 5 counties in the US to win the grant, valued at $2.1 million.

The Mt. Hood Wildfire & Watershed Resilience project will implement fuels reduction work at a landscape scale across private and public lands. The targeted suite of restoration and hazardous fuels reduction treatments will include thinning, w**d removal, road improvement and vegetation management, mastication, and prescribed burning. Partners in the project are Hood River Forest collaborative, Hood River Soil & Water Conservation District, Oregon State University Extension Fire Program, Hood River Forest Collaborative, Green Diamond Resource Company, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry, Hood River County Forestry.

- Various commissioner reports; new signage in the County building to direct people, with signs in English and Spanish.

- Adoption of County Ordinance with new FEMA Floodplain regulations around measures to better protect 16 endangered fish species, including salmon and steelhead. This does NOT change FEMA flood maps. https://youtu.be/NGSPcKDU6yU?si=wBj5d2plAto8B-Ot&t=10411

- A report on Mid-Columbia Community Action: Update on social service facilities in The Dalles (Gloria Center, The Annex) which also serve HR county residents; https://youtu.be/NGSPcKDU6yU?si=ZUYdagrVDIA46qHG&t=573

09/20/2025

Mark your calendar for bridge delays.

This work will require intermittent single lane closures September 29 – October 3 (approx. 2–4 hours each day), between 7am and 3pm.

In addition, the bridge will be fully closed to all traffic on Thursday, October 2, from 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. for preventative maintenance work.

🚨TRAFFIC ALERT: Bridge Lane Closures & Nighttime Closure🚨
As part of the Bridge Replacement Project, the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority will install monitoring equipment and solar panels on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. This work will require intermittent single-lane closures Sept. 29–Oct. 3, between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (approx. 2–4 hrs/day).

The bridge will also be fully closed Thurs., Oct. 2, from 11:30 p.m.–3:30 a.m. for preventative maintenance, including wire rope lubrication and greasing of mechanical components.

If needed, additional single-lane closures may occur Oct. 6–10 to complete solar panel installation.

We appreciate the public’s patience as this work is completed ahead of the rainy season. Travelers can check the Bridge Live Cam on the Port’s website for real-time traffic conditions.

09/17/2025

Port of Hood River: Bridge Safety Reports -September 16, 2025

Tuesday’s meeting included a 50-minute presentation on a variety of bridge issues: how to understand the inspection reports, emergency management, mechanical, etc.

The embedded video here covers questions people had about the effect of traffic stalled on the bridge in the Rowena Fire, bridge bumps and strikes, etc.

However, the full presentation was pretty long so I broke it into segments and posted each to YouTube. For the full presentation, see the Port’s video - link here starts you up at the beginning of the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/live/HxsEioJYah8?si=mrklATg-pkl8K_7K&t=3101

If you’d like your bridge info in smaller doses, see below for summaries and links. You do NOT have to watch in any particular order.

Video 1 (14 minutes – Link https://youtu.be/J_kN2PBtSM8): Mikal Mitchell, senior bridge engineer with HDR (contract with the Port for structural engineering support). He gave an overview of the bridge inspection report including (time stamps within the video provided)�
· Types and timing of reports (structural, underwater, etc)
· Bridge SUFFICIENCY Rating(1:34): This is mainly used to make funding decisions – is a bridge eligible for funding based on structural adequacy and safety; serviceability/functional obsolescence; how essential it is for public use
· HR Bridge is rated a “7” out of 100
· CONDITION rating (5:36): This is the rating that is more about the bridge’s physical structural conditions & what those mean
· LOAD rating(10:00): Based on the condition of bridge elements and their capacity, engineers determine the safe load carrying capacity of the bridge. Engineers reiterated that bridges are designed to manage a full load of static vehicles (i.e. when traffic backs up onto a bridge).
· Maintenance Recommendations (12:27): Continue routine welding on 12-month cycle, clean and paint steel truss members


Video 2 (6:36 minutes – Link https://youtu.be/x8PFCiGsvjk)
Paul Bandlow: Mechanical and Electrical Engineering - provided a review of how the mechanical and electrical systems on the bridge are inspected and maintained. This is about the safety and working condition of the bridge’s lift span.

§ Findings: Bridge electrical and mechanical systems are in generally good condition, though systems are date. Some winches and gear boxes are in poor condition and need replacing.

�Video 3 (2:15 minutes; Link - https://youtu.be/KEYF4WHc9mY)
Mikal Mitchell gives a fast update on projects involving bridge maintenance, 2022-2026

Video 4 (7:23 minutes; link https://youtu.be/pjs9O913Zfo) Mikal Mitchell
§ Review of Rowena Fire & Bridge Strikes & Bumps – effect on bridge
§ Bridge Foundations: Explains the 1923 original bridge foundations and construction, and why the bridge isn’t in bedrock
o Review of current soil/bedrock/and foundation issues
§ Not all current foundations are in bedrock
§ Cross-section of the bridge piers and the location of bedrock provided (but difficult to see: see page 53 in the packet – link here https://www.portofhoodriver.com/files/ea3d2b661/2025.09.16.Packet.RegularSession.Reduced.pdf)

§ The lack of embedding into bedrock is NOT a concern for everyday driving - it IS a risk if there is a seismic event.
· In a seismic event, the soil could liquify and the bridge could settle.
· 1923 bridge construction did not understand how seismic events affected soils so bridges from that era are vulnerable
· New bridge will be seismically resilient

Video 5 (12:42, link https://youtu.be/58ScS908EyI) This section covers Emergency Management Planning & Commissioner questions
Charles Young, County Emergency Manager
§ Describes problems & future emergency management involving the bridge along with multiple agencies

Ryan Klapprich, Port Facilities Manager
§ Describes port employee responsibilities when there is an emergency (flagging) or during bridge lifts; managing incidents across multiple agencies, etc.

Port Commissioners’ questions:
§ Tor Bieker: What would trigger an update to the load rating? Answer: Significant change in the condition of the bridge that affects capacity

§ Kristi Chapman: Can people do anything to “help” with the bridge or is it just controlling speed? Why is a slower speed for heavy trucks important? Answer: When a truck drives over a rough surface, it bounces with each bump and creates a larger load as it comes down.

§ Ben Sheppard: People ask “Is the bridge safe to drive on?” and Ben answers that now he knows it is safe to drive on. “What are the next things for significant maintenance over next 12 years?” Answer: They are reviewing coatings and paintings to ensure it doesn’t affect the capacity of the bridge.

(Separate posting on other issues covered coming later)

09/16/2025

Farmers Irrigation District

1) The Board meeting takes place on Wednesday, September 17 @ noon. You can attend in person at 1985 Country Club Road, or attend by Zoom. ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81214037574?pwd=qSjVK5V5UBmk97FYPAqWWkFBN8Wty i.1 ZOOM passcode: 781268

Topics include Water Rights, preparation for system shutdown, drought restrictions, and a discussion about a mail-in vote. We will ask for the full packet to get more details and will try to post a video (no promises!).

In mid-August, FID presented a general information session to provide an overview about operations. Guest Contributor Bernie Yoo has provided a write-up, which is posted here. Slides are courtesy of Alexis Vaivoda and Megan Sauders, both of FID. This is a good way to get familiar with ongoing operations; a 2nd posting will provide FID history.

09/16/2025

Port of Hood River, Tuesday, September 16 meeting @ 5pm

Items of interest in the meeting will include:
• Presentation on current bridge safety, evaluations, traffic planning, etc. Presenters w ill include
o 1) Mikal Mitchell, structural engineer, HDR
o 2. Paul Bandlow, mechanical and electrical engineer, WJE
o 3. Charles Young, emergency management, Hood River County
o 4. Ryan Klapprich, facilities manager, Port of Hood River
o 5. Kevin Greenwood, executive director, Port of Hood River

Inform HR will post the excerpt from the presentation (or a link to where it starts). You can watch live on Tuesday evening but unknown when that will begin.

• Watch the Foundation meeting (after the regular meeting). There were so FEW applications to join the Port Foundation board that applications remain open until October 17.

• Discussion of potential replacement properties for the land being taken for use in the southern portion of the new HRWS bridge (previous postings/video from the HRWS Bridge Authority have the same presentation; land appraisals now not expected until October)

• Discussion of how to move forward in handling requests for food carts, mobile saunas, and tour boats at the commercial docks. This includes dividing the waterfront into zones and a plan for how to manage requests in each area, particularly in light of the work to put in the roundabout.

• Confused about paying for parking at the Port? Megan Channell, the Waterfront Coordinator will discuss the FLowbird app, Passport app, etc. If you have comments, this is a good time for public comments.

• Work on the roundabout continues (looks like some funding remains from the “Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds” (yikes).

• 2025 Fall Planning Session happens on November 18: 1:30 to 3:30pm

Full agenda here:https://www.portofhoodriver.com/files/ea3d2b661/2025.09.16.Packet.RegularSession.Reduced.pdf