On this day, April 28, 2006, the federal government adopted a federal advisory council's recommendations for deep cuts to the 2006 salmon season for California and Oregon.
1-5:30, $25 adm. Speakers include Phil Izon from Alaska Ranked-Choice voting Education Association, Mark Cook from Colorado IT witness on Tim Sipple case, and Dr. Frank on how to use data to approach clerks. Washington County will give a report on finding dead voters. And others to give information on how to approach counties for in-person voting.
Celebrated on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when in the wake of the American Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas.
Editor's note: Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project equips voters with information on how candidates stand on issues through a questionnaire process featured in comparison guides.
Three major issues to Oregon voters are the economy, safety and education. Schouten voted to increase taxes and fees including cap and trade, corporate gross receipts tax, and reduce the kicker. She was a sponsor to prohibit hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas exploration and production. Nelson indicates she would vote no on these issues and is for “government reduction of taxes, red rape, regulations, and overly restrictive land us laws nearly always increases the availability of jobs and affordable homes.â€
Schouten signed a letter to US Attorney General William Barr demanding “immediate withdrawal of federal operatives from the City of Portland.†She helped sponsor the bill that nullified Measure 88 passed by voters allowing undocumented driver’s license and she helped sponsor a bill that requires no proof of citizenship to obtain a driver’s license. Voted to require employers to notify employees of ICE investigations, and prevent courts from asking immigration status and notifying ICE. Nelson would vote no and support voters, and would not vote to reduce the effectiveness of ICE for protection.
In the area of education, Schouten voted to include in all curriculum’s contributions from every minority group such as immigrants, LGBTQ, disabled and women. She voted to require mandated vaccination with no exceptions and ban those from schools that don’t comply. Nelson does not endorse a curriculum that mandates minority groups contribute nor mandated vaccinations.
The plan is to transform it into a publicly owned research forest
Named for the state's first state forester Francis Elliott, the Elliott State Forest is a state forest in the coast range regions of Coos and Douglas counties, between Coos Bay and Reedsport. The Department of State Lands and Oregon State University are working on a plan to transform the Elliott State Forest into a publicly owned research forest.
The Elliott State Forest is overseen by the three-member Oregon State Land Board, which consists of the Governor, the State Treasurer and the Secretary of State. In 2018, the State Land Board asked the Department of State Lands to look into the possibility of working with Oregon State University to make the Elliott State Forest a publicly owned research forest. Key elements of a research forest proposal have now been drafted with the help of advisory committees, Tribes, state and local governments, stakeholders, and the public. Interested persons can participate in the process by sharing thoughts on how this forest can best serve the varied needs of our state while fulfilling our constitutional obligations.
Several years ago, under heavy environmental regulations, the Elliott State Forest at one point generated negative revenue, as it cost more to maintain than it was generating in timber sales. Environmentalist backed Democrats in the state legislature have been working to "sell" the forest back to the state and to place the forest into some sort of conservation status. The research plan is widely seen as part of that process.
Article VIII, Section 2 of the Oregon Constitution says that
(1) The sources of the Common School Fund are:
. . .
(a) The proceeds of all lands granted to this state for educational purposes, except the lands granted to aid in the establishment of institutions of higher education under the Acts of February 14, 1859 and July 2, 1862
. . .
(2) All revenues derived from the sources mentioned in subsection (1) of this section shall become a part of the Common School Fund.
There will be two remote presentation and Q&A sessions about the draft plan with Department of State Lands and Oregon State University on October 26th and November 5th, as well as informal drop-in Zoom sessions that will occur on October 27th, 29th, November 4th and 6th. All of these sessions are open to the public.
Department of State Lands has created a website where you can find details for the draft proposal, information on the remote sessions, and ways to provide feedback. The Department asks that feedback be provided by November 13th in order to prepare for the State Land Board meeting on December 8th, where we will make a determination on next steps for this forest.
Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry - Elliott State Forest
Do-it-yourself may be your kids’ best chance to get a good education
The number of homeschoolers is rising in nearly every district in Oregon. Oregon Department of Education shows more than 22,000 students registered being homeschooled. Survey shows that 40 percent of families are more likely to homeschool when lockdown restrictions lift. Statistics are easy to keep, as one of the requirements for homeschooling is that the parents need to notify the school district that they live in that they will be homeschooling.
The Governor’s Healthy Schools Reopening Council met to review the steps Oregon will need to take to return more students to in-person instruction in schools. While new nationwide data on schools reopening for in-person instruction has become available, the increasing community spread of COVID-19 in counties across Oregon presents a major obstacle to returning more students to the classroom.
"Returning to in-person instruction safely is key to ensuring Oregon’s students are receiving a high-quality education that prepares them for lifelong success," said Governor Kate Brown. "But our schools and our educators do so much more than teach and inspire students. Our schools provide warm and nutritious meals to students who are hungry. They are health centers. They provide for students’ mental health and well-being. And, at the center of it all, are the teachers, nurses, counselors, librarians, and support professionals who, every day, build the personal, individual connections with students that are so crucial to their lifelong success.â€
As of this week, only two counties currently meet Oregon’s metrics for in-person instruction for all grades, however, Oregon as a whole is exceeding the statewide 5% positivity rate maximum allowed for schools to move forward with reopening. Seven counties currently meet the metrics for some in-person instruction for K-3 students. (Before case counts increased, as many as 20 counties were eligible to resume in-person instruction for K-3 students). According to the Oregon Department of Education, approximately 45,000 students currently receive at least some in-person instruction in Oregon schools. Updating Oregon’s metrics without addressing the rising COVID-19 case rates in counties across the state, though, would leave most students in Oregon in comprehensive distance learning.
Governor Brown stated, “Distance learning is exponentially more difficult for parents who can’t stay home, because they work in essential sectors like the service industry, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture. Not every home in every county has reliable access to broadband or learning devices for all children. And, unfortunately, too many students do not have a stable place to call home. These are the kids who need in-person instruction the most. The kids for whom a smile in the classroom or a helping hand in the lunchroom means everything.â€
The Northwest Observer interviewed a frustrated father whose son is struggling with the amount and level of technology required to do his lessons and the lack of support. He receives instruction over zoom two days a week and the other three days is expected to be self-disciplined to complete the lesson. Parents facing this amount of commitment to help their student in an ineffective program are looking elsewhere for a better more proven method of schooling.
Parents who are considering home schooling their children can review the legal requirements which are a part of the Oregon Department of Education's administrative rules.
Portland, Seattle and New York are upset at loss of federal funds
"In an act offensive to both the Constitution and common sense, President Trump has called on the Attorney General to formally identify certain American cities as 'anarchist jurisdictions' -- an oxymoronic designation without precedent in American jurisprudence -- and has activated the entire federal bureaucracy to preclude such jurisdictions from receiving federal funds."
Thus begins a complaint filed in the US District Court of Western Washington State in Seattle against the President of the United States and the federal bureaucracy. The cities of Seattle, Portland and New York have filed this suit against President Donald Trump this week.
The complaint references a memo from the President issued on September 2nd of this year, identifying the three cities as jurisdictions that permit "anarchy, violence and destruction." The memo describes the situation in these cities, as well as the disposition of the local government toward law enforcement.
It is the policy and purpose of the United States Government to protect the lives and property of all people in the United States from unlawful acts of violence and destruction. Without law and order, democracy cannot function. Americans cannot exercise their rights, including their rights to peaceful expression, assembly, and protest. Property is destroyed, and innocent citizens are injured or killed.
Unfortunately, anarchy has recently beset some of our States and cities. For the past few months, several State and local governments have contributed to the violence and destruction in their jurisdictions by failing to enforce the law, disempowering and significantly defunding their police departments, and refusing to accept offers of Federal law enforcement assistance. As a result of these State and local government policies, persistent and outrageous acts of violence and destruction have continued unabated in many of America’s cities, such as Portland, Seattle, and New York.
Section three of the memo very specifically outlines the criteria to be identified:
(b) In identifying anarchist jurisdictions, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of OMB, shall consider, as appropriate:
(i) whether a jurisdiction forbids the police force from intervening to restore order amid widespread or sustained violence or destruction;
(ii) whether a jurisdiction has withdrawn law enforcement protection from a geographical area or structure that law enforcement officers are lawfully entitled to access but have been officially prevented from accessing or permitted to access only in exceptional circumstances, except when law enforcement officers are briefly withheld as a tactical decision intended to resolve safely and expeditiously a specific and ongoing unlawful incident posing an imminent threat to the safety of individuals or law enforcement officers;
(iii) whether a jurisdiction disempowers or defunds police departments;
(iv) whether a jurisdiction unreasonably refuses to accept offers of law enforcement assistance from the Federal Government;
At issue is the restriction of federal funds to such jurisdictions. "The Director of OMB shall issue guidance to the heads of agencies on restricting eligibility of or otherwise disfavoring, to the maximum extent permitted by law, anarchist jurisdictions in the receipt of Federal grants that the agency has sufficient lawful discretion to restrict or otherwise disfavor anarchist jurisdictions from receiving."
In a breathless summary, the complaint summarizes, "failing to anchor his decision in any provision of federal law, the Attorney General based his decision, made via a press release, on an arbitrary and capricious list of misleading and cherry-picked bullet-points about each City that in no way supports the assertion that the Cities have chosen to abandon their jurisdictions to lawlessness and violence."
Revealing the real issue, the complaint says that "The Cities rely on billions of dollars in federal funding to provide a range of vital services, including housing, public transportation, and emergency relief. The funding threat could not come at a worse time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged municipal finances, draining reserves and forcing painful budget cuts. The Defendants’ express plan to defund 'anarchist jurisdictions,' if permitted, would be devastating to the Cities."
The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that the state does not have a fiduciary responsibility to protect the environment.
The majority court opinion denied the claims of ​Kelsey Juliana and Ollie Chernaik​, two young Oregonians who filed suit in 2011 against the state of Oregon for failing in it's public trust duty to protect essential natural resources including water, wildlife, and the atmosphere -- from ongoing impacts of the climate crisis. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit were seeking a ruling through the lawsuit that would have made it illegal to use any natural resources in Oregon, unless government approved.
Writing for the majority, Justice Lynn R. Nakamoto affirmed the reality of climate change, but did not agree that the state has a responsibility to protect the environment:
"On review, the parties continue to dispute the scope of natural resources subject to the public trust doctrine and the state’s obligations with respect to natural resources subject to the doctrine. Urging an expansion of the public trust doctrine, plaintiffs contend that the state has, and breached, fiduciary obligations to prevent impairments due to climate change with respect to a range of natural resources in Oregon. Although the state agrees that the natural resources in Oregon that plaintiffs describe have suffered some adverse effects of climate change brought on, in part, by carbon dioxide emissions, the state contends that the Court of Appeals correctly determined that the state does not have the obligations that plaintiffs claim..."
Former Chief Justice Thomas Balmer explained in a dissenting opinion that in reaching its decision the majority had reframed the plaintiffs’ case to reach the adverse result. In the ​divided ruling​, the Court agreed with the youth that navigable waters are subject to the public trust doctrine, but said the state has no affirmative duty to take care of its resources.
Kate Brown decided she need to weigh into the decision by the Oregon Supreme court, and she takes the opportunity to further advocate for her radical climate change agenda, which is set on suppressing industry and commerce in Oregon. Brown is know to use Emergency Clauses and Executive Orders to get her way, when others don't agree with her.
“As I have said throughout this legal process, I agree with the plaintiffs, and other young people across Oregon and the world, when they say there is an urgent need for climate action.
“The unprecedented wildfires that raged across the West this year should have been a wake-up call for everyone: we need to be taking impactful steps immediately to address climate change. That’s why I took executive action in the spring to reduce Oregon’s carbon emissions, after Republican legislators walked out two years in a row to block climate action legislation. At every turn, the industries that are dependent on polluting the climate have tried to delay action—placing the health and economic burdens of climate change onto Oregon’s youth.
“To all of Oregon’s young people: If you’re frustrated by the speed at which your government is addressing the most urgent crisis of this generation and the next, know that I am too. There is a place where Oregonians can make their voices heard––the ballot box. If you care about climate change, if you care about the future of this planet, if you want future generations to have clean air and clean water, then please, vote.â€
On Thursday Jackson Count Sheriff's dispatch received a report of an assault with a weapon at 8005 Gladstone Ave., White City, Oregon. Deputies found the victim deceased at the scene and learned the suspect had fled on foot.
The investigation has determined that the victim was stabbed with a knife by a male who frequented the address. The victim was a resident at the house.
The victim is identified as Amanda Gail Berthelot, 63 years old, of White City, Oregon.
The suspect was originally contacted approximately 90 minutes after the stabbing in the 2600 block of Falcon St in White City. He was detained on a Parole Violation on an Original charge of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and lodged at Jackson County Jail.
The suspect is identified as Hector Cruz Orozco, birthdate 08/24/1996 who has multiple listed addresses in White City.
On friday, additional charges were added on Orozco. He is now charged with Murder, Animal Abuse I and Tampering With Evidence. The animal abuse stems from an earlier incident involving the suspect killing a dog.
The suspect is lodged at Jackson County Jail. The case will be reviewed by the Jackson County Grand Jury.
The Major Assault Death Investigation Unit was activated and JCSO investigators were assisted by members of the Oregon State Police, the OSP Crime Lab, Medford PD, Central Point PD, Ashland PD and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
This is a closed event with limited capacity. There will be dancing in three ballrooms in a 17,000 square-foot facility, with an outdoor area for mingling in the frosty air! The event features country line & partner dancing, Salsa & 80s Disco!
Let's countdown at midnight.
This event is a fundraiser put on by volunteers to support the business that is currently shut down in the fitness sector.
You must pre-register for entrance by calling: 971-998-5120 no later than December 30th.
Someone has to be the physical distancing monitor. No, really.
Effective immediately and over the objection of the Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Governor Kate Brown has issued an executive order regulating temporary worker housing in the agriculture industry saying, “It is by now very clear that this virus has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color. We have also seen outbreaks spread quickly in crowded housing, and in settings where workers live together and work in close quarters.â€
The order contains several provisions.
Housing operators must identify one or more individuals who will be responsible for identifying appropriate physical distancing and sanitation measures and ensuring that such measures are implemented, including planning and implementing housing operation activities so that unrelated occupants will not need to be within 6 feet of each other.
The order claims that having a limited number of toilet facilities can encourage crowding, which in turn promotes the spread of COVID-19. Because of this, portable toilets or chemical toilets must be sanitized three times a day, and plumbed common-use toilet facilities must be sanitized at least twice a day, or more often, if necessary.
Each sleeping room without double bunk beds must have at least 50 square feet of floor space per occupant. Where there are double bunk beds for related individuals, provide 40 square feet per occupant. Do not use triple bunks, and do not allow the use of double bunk beds by unrelated individuals. Beds and cots must be spaced at least six feet apart between frames in all directions and arranged so that occupants sleep head to toe, or beds and cots must be separated by a bed length, floor to near ceiling temporary non-permeable barrier.
Housing operators must clean the facilities' high-contact areas and equipment before each occupancy. They must also ensure that high-touch or high-contact surfaces and areas in common use facilities are sanitized at least two times daily.
This Executive Order remains in effect until April 30, 2021.
Shortly after the Governor issued the executive order, the Oregon Farm Bureau expressed dismay at the Governor’s decision to release a last-minute Executive Order extending the rules for employer-provided agricultural housing and shocked that the Governor would add criminal penalties to the enforcement of these rules.
Adoption of the original temporary COVID-19 rules for agriculture allowed no meaningful public input and resulted from an activist petition, not from any public health or scientific experts.
The Farm Bureau points out that there has not been an identified “outbreak†of COVID-19 in agricultural housing since the beginning of the pandemic, even before the temporary rules were adopted. OR-OSHA’s data shows that of the 11,617 complaints made to the agency, and subsequent violations found, agriculture represents only 33. Almost all of these cases were minor, such as not having enough posters displayed. The Oregon Health Authority has made it clear that social gatherings off-site are the major driver of continued spread of COVID-19, not on-farm employment and housing.
They note that outbreaks are actively occurring off-site in community-based and other housing. Because of bed-spacing, prohibition of bunk beds, and other technical requirements, the temporary rules reduced the amount of safe on-farm housing and pushed employees out into unregulated environments. Farmworker advocates acknowledge that community-based and off-site housing doesn’t require social distancing, yet this housing has not been the subject of increased regulation, scrutiny, or criminal penalties. The Oregon Farm Bureau says that it agrees with the need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in housing, but believes there is a way to protect employees without displacing them.
They also say that lack of public comment on the order also subverts the requirements of the Oregon Administrative Procedures Act.
The Oregon Health Authority has come out with a plan for distributing and administering the COVID-19 vaccine, once it is developed, approved and released. The plan, mostly a technical discussion of the nuts and bolts of distribution and cooperation with local health officials, begins with a strong statement on equity:
Oregon’s plan to allocate and distribute COVID-19 vaccine is grounded in a commitment to health equity, which requires an examination of how power and resources are distributed. With this foundation, the vaccine plan presented here represents a starting point for the iterative, responsive work of co-creating this strategy in partnership with communities most impacted by longstanding health inequities and disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. This introduction presents the framework for Oregon’s approach to co-creation and community collaboration.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn focus to the inequities many communities face. We have been presented an opportunity to put our values into action. This plan is intended to be a living document that represents just one step of many for Oregon as we work toward the goal of eliminating health inequities in our state by 2030.
The report alludes to a historical inequity in health care, but does not go into examples:
The inequitable burden of disease and other negative health conditions on communities of color and indigenous and American Indian/Alaska Native communities are not new. COVID-19 has simply highlighted this inequity at a time when more people are paying attention to illness, health and racial justice in the U.S.
The document refers to Governor Kate Brown's general policy framework for an equitable response to COVID-19, summarizing as follows:
Governor Kate Brown shared a framework for applying equity across the state’s response to the pandemic. This framework highlights three equity values that guide our work:
1. Prioritizing Equity: Prioritizing equity and addressing racial disparities as we work toward recovery from COVID-19.
2. Addressing Health and Economic Impacts: Address underlying systemic causes of health and wealth inequalities especially for those most impacted.
3. Ensuring an Inclusive and Welcoming Oregon: Commitment for Oregon to be an inclusive and welcoming state for all.
The document cites the following data to support the racial and ethnic impact of the disease, but in the case of COVID-19, race and/or ethnicity may be proxies for poverty and derivatively the type of living situation. Living environment -- most notably communal living -- has been a strong indicator of likelihood of contracting the disease. For instance, the disease has been prevalent in prisons, care centers and dorm-type living situations.
Race
Cases
% of total cases
Cases per 100,000
White
16,037
42.8%
448.4
Black
1,261
3.4%
1562.0
Asian
1,068
2.9%
589.7
American Indian/Alaska Native
920
2.5%
1887.6
Pacific Islander
627
1.7%
3774.4
Other
12,308
32.9%
n/a
More than 1 race
728
1.9%
362.2
Not available
4,518
12.1%
n/a
Total
37,467
100.0%
884.4
Ethnicity
Case count
% of total cases
Cases per 100,000
Hispanic
14,060
37.5%
2585.6
Non-Hispanic
18,865
50.4%
510.9
Not available
4,542
12.1%
n/a
Total
37,467
100.0%
884.4
Aside from equity considerations, vaccinations will start with healthcare and essential worker occupational health vaccination clinics.
One thing that the document doesn't discuss, is whether or not the vaccine will be mandatory, or what level of official encouragement people will get to have them receive the vaccine. Many people will want to get the vaccine. Some will resist.
A statue that has stood for 87 years in southeast Portland was torn down, being the latest atrocity amidst a series of Antifa and Black Lives Matter vandalism and rioting that has plagued Oregon's largest city for much of the year 2020. The statue of the former Oregonian newspaper editor had stood since 1933.
This is the seventh statue torn down in Oregon overall and the fifth one this year. It seems to be connected to the same rioting leftist group responsible for the other statue vandalism. The vandalism occurred on the so called "Day of Rage" this year, October 12th, also known as Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day.
The violence has continued with no authorities in the area including the Multnomah County District Attorney willing to arrest and convict some of the rioting persons. It is unclear if or when the Democrat leaders of the state and city will step in to protect the history of Oregon.
The McMinnville Chamber of Commerce hosted a virtual candidate forum on October 19. Participants were the current Mayor, Scott Hill and current City Councilors Kellie Menke from Ward 2, Adam Garvin from Ward 3 and his challenger Tynan Pierce. Lisa McCracken the challenger for Ward 1 had a conflict and could not participate. Other participants were challengers Heidi Parker for Mayor, Chris Chenoweth from Ward 1 and Brittany Ruiz from Ward 2 for City Council. The forum was hosted by McMinnville Chamber of Commerce Board Chair-elect Patrick George and Linfield professor Kevin Curry. Six questions were asked, and each candidate had two minutes to answer them.
Questions involved complaints often heard about city government and challenges facing the city.
Why are you running?
The incumbents stressed experience. The challengers emphasized a need to change.
The next question involved a common complaint of a failure to show respect to testifiers at council meetings, a lack of proper notice of issues on the agenda and enough time to consider testimony before concluding an ordinance.
There were sharp differences of opinion on this between incumbents and challengers.
Name two important challenges to McMinnville.
Mayor Scott Hill named restructuring financing and equity/diversity/inclusion. Heidi Parker brought up safety and security and a tough love approach to homeless. Kellie Menke suggested expanding the Urban Growth Boundary and attracting businesses to create jobs. Brittany Ruiz pointed to access to services for all. Chris Chenoweth also wants to expand the UGB, as well as clear the roadblocks to businesses choosing McMinnville. Adam Garvin pointed to the need to keep the cost of living low and improve public safety. Tynan Pierce voiced climate/clean water, racial justice, and compassion for the “houselessâ€.
Are fees and fines excessive and applied capriciously?
The incumbents cited a holistic approach to financing, the challengers expressed a need to rethink spending priorities that lessen dependence on fees and fines.
How do we handle race and inclusion challenges?
Scott Hill suggested collaboration and the creation of a task force. Heidi Parker has seen bias from her bi-racial marriage. She says that equal treatment for all is the answer. Kellie Menke has Japanese aunt and lesbian sister. She thinks that training is needed and that we need to eliminate housing discrimination. Brittany Ruiz has Hispanic husband and is of scientology faith and says that minorities need equal access to services. Chris Chenoweth says that there is no place for bigotry and that equal enforcement of laws is a must. Adam Garvin suggests training for local solutions, not national solutions. Tynan Pierce says that Oregon was founded on systemic racism and that we need nationally funded solutions
How to fix homelessness?
Scott Hill thinks we need to bring groups before council to teach solutions and bring local partners together. Heidi Parker points out that mental health and addictions are the problem, and that we need to help those that want help and eliminate harm to businesses, even relocate those refusing help. Kellie Menke says that the issue is well addressed with new ordinances, but that lack of Block Grants hurts funding. Brittany Ruiz says that a task force is needed. The solution must show compassion. Chris Chenoweth points out that this is a complex problem and we can't just treat just the symptoms. We need to enforce the laws equally. Adam Garvin thinks we can learn from other communities and that funding can come from higher levels of government. Tynan Pierce thinks that McMinnville has done poorly and that we need more compassion and more funding, and less police.
The Department of Administrative Services and local governments can do more to ensure that expenditures under the CARES Act meet federal standards, according to a management letter issued today by Secretary of State Bev Clarno. The letter, addressed to DAS Director Katy Coba, outlines findings from a real-time Audits Division review of local government reimbursement requests.
The $2 trillion federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, signed into law in late March, provides financial assistance to individuals, businesses, community organizations, and state and local governments. Oregon is estimated to receive about $13 billion in total CARES Act funding.
Coronavirus Relief Funds must be used for non-budgeted COVID-related expenditures incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 30, 2020. At the direction of the Legislature, DAS is paying reimbursements for $200 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Fund money to help Oregon’s cities, counties and special districts respond to COVID-19. Auditors selected a sample of reimbursement requests from 32 jurisdictions totaling $21.7 million, or 47%, of the total amount requested in the first round. The requests primarily covered employee leave and local government payroll related to COVID-19. Auditors evaluated requests for adequacy of documentation and allowability under vague and frequently changing U.S. Treasury guidance.
Overall, auditors found three of the 35 reimbursement requests reviewed were at high risk for questioning by municipal or federal auditors. Twelve requests, including the three considered high risk, lacked clear documentation. Other issues identified included risky submission practices for payroll and leave costs, significant mathematical errors, and expenses reported in incorrect federal categories.
Auditors suggested six actions DAS can take to promote accuracy and help reduce the risk of expenses being questioned. The real-time aspect of this review allows DAS and local governments to address outstanding issues before the cutoff date of December 30, 2020, for Coronavirus Relief Fund expenditures.
“It is crucial this funding be used to help Oregon communities overcome the public health crisis,†Secretary Clarno said. “Local governments are working hard on this, but the state can do more to ensure accuracy, transparency, and adequate support for these funds.â€
Adoption of the original temporary COVID-19 rules for agriculture allowed no meaningful public input and resulted from an activist petition, not from any public health or scientific experts.
