Last update:  05/22/2013

  1.  Invitation - Healthy Forests Presentation May 30, 2013

  2.   Redistricting completed - Stevens County Commissioner districts

  3.   County purchases Avista property 

  4.   Volunteers Opportunities - Stevens County Advisory Boards

  5.   County receives emergency grant for bridge replacement

  6.   COLVILLE - Crossroads on the Columbia project gets underway – Volunteers wanted

  7.   Re-dedication Ceremony of the Stevens County Courthouse & Fountain

  8.   Stevens County Adopts Dog Control Resolution No. 101-2007   ENFORCEMENT SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY

  9.  Stevens County Public Works Department  Winter Maintenance Summary 

 10.  County’s Paper of Record

 11.  Code of the West Adopted by County Commissioners in PDF format

Invitation - Health Forest Presentation in pdf

 Resolution 9-2012 in pdf

The Stevens County Commissioners have accepted the Avista Corporation’s offer to sell their old business location on Oak Street adjacent to the County Courthouse.  The purchase price of $600,000 included the office building (approximately 8,000 square feet), a separate equipment building and an additional half block of undeveloped commercial property.  The courts have been overflowing into the commissioners hearing room which has delayed court proceedings and scheduling.  Immediate plans are to first meet the needs of the courts and second to evaluate the other outlying county offices for possibly moving them closer to the courthouse.

Funding for the purchase of this property is from the County’s Capital Projects Fund.  This fund receives excise tax on the sale of real property within the county and can only be used for financing capital projects.  These funds cannot be used for the county’s current operational expenses or salaries.

 Purchasing this property has been a goal of the county for many years and the Commissioners would like to thank Avista for giving them the first option to purchase this prime real estate.  Avista’s representatives have worked closely with County Officials to facilitate this transaction in a way that allowed the County to make the purchase with the least financial burden over multiple years.

Citizen advisory boards and committees help shape Stevens County's future by providing valuable, first-line input on a range of issues important to county residents.  Although appointments vary, many new terms begin in January.  Please visit the Citizen Participation Page on the Stevens County website at www.co.stevens.wa.us  for more information.  Currently, terms are set to expire on the Rural Library District Board of Trustees, the Planning Commission and openings exist on the Deer Lake Management District Citizens’ Steering Committee 

If you're interested in serving on a committee or board, please send a letter of interest to Polly Coleman in the Stevens County Commissioners' Office; 215 South Oak St., Room #214; Colville, WA  99114 or commissioners@co.stevens.wa.us  Please indicate the committee or board you are interested in.

If you have any questions about this press release, feel free to call the Stevens County Commissioners’ Office 509-684-3751.

Stevens County Commissioners Announce Receipt of Emergency Bridge Replacement Grant:  The Stevens County Commissioners (BOCC) are delighted to announce that Stevens County has secured a grant, in the amount of $650,000, for replacement of the Arden Bridge located near Arden in Stevens County.  The grant was obtained from the Washington State County Road Administration Board at their regularly scheduled meeting held in Olympia, Washington on July 28, 2011.  It will be used to fund replacement of the existing structure which was lost to flood waters earlier this spring.  Flooding of the Little Pend’Oreille River this spring undermined the bridge’s foundation leaving it unstable.  To ensure public safety and prevent a bridge collapse under traffic the BOCC declared an emergency and the bridge was closed immediately.   It will need to remain closed until the new structure is built to replace it.  Preliminary engineering for this structure has already been initiated by county Public  Works staff.  At this time, the BOCC anticipates engineering and environmental  permitting will take 3 to 6-months to complete.  Construction will be fast-tracked and should follow immediately thereafter with the new structure open to traffic, barring unforeseen ground conditions or construction delays, by fall 2012.   During the construction period a comprehensive detour will be maintained.  Modern signage and clear directions will aid motorists in negotiating the detour efficiently and safely.   If you have specific questions about the project please contact Jim Whitbread, County Engineer at 684-4548.

On Monday, July 13th, approximately 40 people attended the re-dedication ceremony of the Stevens County Courthouse and Fountain. Current and former Commissioners, elected officials and people who remember trout in fountain gathered during a brief cloud-break to hear about the revitalization project that included window replacement and refurbishment of the historic window frames, cleaning the outside of the Courthouse and re-pointing the brick, refurbishing the fountain and entry doors and adding automatic door openers to provide greater accessibility to those with a handicap.

Land Services Director Clay White was successful in securing a grant for this project and Chris Moore from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation was on hand to present the county with a check in the amount of $157,000.00.

Pictured from left: Commissioners Merrill Ott, Tony Delgado, O.G. Clem Clemons, Fran Bessermin, Jack Cogswell, Fred Lotze and Larry Guenther.

WINTER MAINTENANCE POLICY and PROCEDURES

(Condensed Version)

 It is Stevens County’s policy to provide winter maintenance service to the travelling public in Stevens County.  The goal of this policy is to provide for safe and efficient transportation within constraints of the County’s budgetary resources, in accordance with RCW 36.33.220. Winter maintenance activities encompass snow plowing, sanding and other necessary activities. Minimal quantities of salt (sodium chloride) are added to county sand piles.  The prime function of the salt is to keep sand piles from freezing solid in the winter.  With regular washing and maintenance of vehicles, significant corrosion is not generally observed.

 During plowing operations it is impossible to prevent plowed snow from entering driveways.  Stevens County acknowledges and regrets this inevitable consequence of our plowing activities.  On occasion, a snowplow may strike a mailbox.  In this case, Stevens County is committed to replacing the damaged or destroyed mailbox.  On the other hand, because it is an unavoidable circumstance, Stevens County will not replace mailboxes damaged or destroyed by snow ejected from the plow. Also, it is important that cars, trucks, trailers, garbage cans and other personal property be parked off the roadway to allow for plowing.  Public safety is of paramount importance to Stevens County.  Accordingly, it is important that the motoring public keep a safe distance from snow removal and sanding equipment.  In addition, we ask that the public slow down in the vicinity of our equipment and pass only when safe.

 WINTER MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

Communication

All calls regarding county road plowing and/or sanding, other than those associated with accidents or emergencies, should be directed to the Administrative Office of Public Works, including after hour calls, by calling (509) 684-4548.  Emergency calls should be directed to the Emergency Dispatch Center by calling 911.

Procedure and Priority

Primary Roads, including all paved roads and high traffic/heavily used gravel roads will receive priority winter maintenance service.  These roads normally require eight (8) to eleven (11) hours to be initially cleared of snow and sanded.  It is not possible, because of our limited resources, to completely sand Primary Roads on the first day following a storm event. A storm event is defined as a snow event yielding greater than two inches of snow, freezing rain causing hazardous driving conditions, or other like weather conditions.  Additional plowing and sanding of Primary Roads will occur on the second day following a storm event provided there is no storm recurrence.  Secondary Roads include all other gravel roads receiving winter maintenance that are not designated Primary Roads.  These roadways will generally receive service on the second or third day following a storm event, depending on the severity of the event.  It is not possible to clear snow and sand secondary roads until all primary roads have been cleared and sanded.  Non-Winter Maintenance Roads are gravel roads, which because of limited resources and infrequent use receive no regular winter maintenance.  These roads are marked with signage that states “No Winter Maintenance Beyond This Point”.  Non-Winter Maintenance Roads should not be confused with “Primitive Roads.”

 SERVICE OBJECTIVES

Routine/Daily Service

Winter maintenance activities following an over night storm occurring during the week will commence no later than 5:00 AM.  Winter maintenance activities for secondary roads will be accomplished following completion of primary road maintenance.  These activities will commence at 7:00 AM.

Weekend/Evening Service

Should an evening or weekend storm occur, a partial crew may be mobilized, if conditions warrant, to provide winter maintenance service on paved primary roads only.  Service to all other roadways will be accomplished during normal workweek time periods.

Accident or Emergency Service

At the request of a Law Enforcement Officer directly or through the Emergency Dispatch Center, a partial crew will be dispatched by the Public Works Department at any time to the scene of an accident in order to facilitate safe traffic flow on a county road.

NOTICE is hereby given that, through June 30, 2014, the official newspaper for advertising Stevens County's legal notices will be The Chewelah Independent; E. 309 Main Street; P.O. Box 5; Chewelah, WA 99109.