On this day, November 22, 1992, A Washington Post story 1st revealed claims by several women that Sen. Bob Packwood, liberal Oregon Republican, had accosted them with unwanted touching and kisses.
TriMet is now adjusting service on 10 bus lines this fall as they reduce service levels based on available workforce. This comes amid the largest operator shortage in their agency's history. Most of the affected lines currently see low ridership anyways.
TriMet is now saying that they took an approach with an eye on preserving service in areas with high concentrations of people with low-incomes and communities of color.
This additional reduced service will take affect starting on September 18, 2022. TriMet hopes to begin adding back the service hours in 2023 if they can get the operator ranks to increase.
“We would much rather be expanding our transit service. But by reducing our service levels, we increase our schedule reliability so riders experience fewer canceled or late buses,†said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue, Jr. “While rebounding from this historic operator shortage will take some time, TriMet is committed to hiring scores of new operators to meet the needs of our community.â€
Beginning with the fall service change in September, TriMet will shift, reduce or cancel some service, with a focus on low ridership lines and times.
Cancel two bus lines: 50-Cedar Mill and 92-South Beaverton Express
Reduce service hours on three low-ridership bus lines to only run buses during peak travel time for high school students: 1-Vermont, 18-Hillside and 26-Thurman/NW 18th
Weekend service will be canceled on 26-Thurman/NW 82nd Ave
Cancel extra weekday rush-hour trips on three bus lines as peak ridership trends have changed: 8-Jackson Park/NE 15th, 9-Powell Boulevard and 72-Killingsworth/82nd Ave
Cancel extra trips added during the pandemic for physical distancing on one bus line: 81-Kane/257th
Reduce frequency on one low-ridership bus line to hourly service: 82-South Gresham
TriMet will also be making some slight adjustments with the TriMet FX (Frequent Express) bus service launching on Sept. 18. The new service along Division Street will supposedly give riders a faster and more convenient way to travel between Gresham and Downtown Portland.
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Buses on the FX 2-Division line will run every 12 minutes for the majority of the day with only a couple of buses added during commuting hours. The Line 2 is being replaced by the FX 2-Division and the Line 10-Harold St route will still change.
TriMet says they will not be able to add buses during the weekdays as they had once planned.
TriMet released the following statement:
"The trickle-down effects of our operator shortage can cause frustration despite our best efforts. In short: it’s been a challenge to hire and train enough operators to replace those lost to retirement and attrition. And we’re not alone. Because our operator shortage is part of a larger trend affecting transit agencies and industries nationwide, we’ve taken unprecedented actions to recruit and retain the talented workforce on which our riders rely. We’ve bumped up the starting pay to $25.24, boosted our hiring bonus to $7,500 and begun looking outside state lines to bring in new operators. When we do grow our operator ranks and start adding back service, we want to make sure we are serving the needs of our community. With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the way people travel, TriMet has launched Forward Together, a comprehensive service analysis and community engagement effort to determine a better bus system."
Child care reimbursement rates are increasing for providers caring for children of families who receive support with child care expenses through the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS).
ODHS pays child care providers for child care provided to families receiving child care assistance through the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs.
The new child care reimbursement rates are effective June 1, 2022 and increasing due to the passage of House Bill 4005 of the 2022 Oregon State Legislative Session.
HB 4005 was passed at the request of Representative Karin Power, a Democrat from Portland. It passed through the super-majority Democrat legislature in Oregon by declaration of an emergency.
Representative Power has since said that she will not run again for her position at the state legislature, citing too low of pay.
The average monthly reimbursement rates for full-time care are increasing by:
18% for family, friend and neighbor care
Between 6 and 20% for child care centers
Between 11 and 25% for licensed home-based care
“For many families the cost of child care can be a barrier to meeting their goals and entering and staying in the workforce,†said Claire Seguin, deputy director of the ODHS Self-Sufficiency Programs. “These reimbursement rate increases will ensure families have equal access to quality child care.â€
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“As our child care system continues to struggle with staffing shortages and lack of child care supply, this is an important first step to ensure our child care providers are paid a fair wage,†said Oregon Early Learning System Director Alyssa Chatterjee. “I appreciate the Legislature’s investment in our system.â€
Actual child care reimbursement rates vary depending on provider type, child age and what community the provider is in.
A complete list of reimbursement rates can be found online.
ERDC helps eligible families pay for work-related child care expenses, including registration and enrollment fees. ERDC is a subsidy program, which means some families, depending on their income, may be required to pay a copay.
Oregon’s Governor Brown released a statement on the Western States
Scientific Safety Review Workgroup’s unanimous decision to affirm the
federal process that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid vaccines are supposedly safe
and effective for children as young as 6 months old.
Governor Brown stated, “This is a long-awaited moment for so many
families. With today’s review by leading doctors, pediatricians, and
health experts, Oregon parents and children can be confident in the
safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines
for children as young as 6 months old. It is completely normal for
parents and kids to have questions about vaccines––I urge you to reach
out to your family doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist and get
your questions answered today.â€
On Friday, June 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
authorized the use of the Moderna two-dose vaccine series and the
Pfizer three-dose vaccine series are now available to children as young
as 6 months old, and the CDC affirmed that decision on Saturday. The
Workgroup reviewed safety and efficacy data for the vaccines and
affirmed the federal decisions also on Saturday.
The Oregon Health Authority will inform health care providers that
vaccinations for children as young as 6 months old can begin in Oregon
as soon as Monday.
The Workgroup concluded that the benefits of completing either
vaccine series outweigh any known or likely risks.
Immunization can be expected to reduce the numbers of COVID-19-
related serious illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths in young children
while facilitating their participation in normal educational, social and
recreational activities.
The Workgroup provided its confirmation to the Governors of
California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, who assembled the panel
of experts passed off as scientists. Expert opinion, while it may be
useful, is what philosophers call “appeal to authority,†and not "appeal to science".
Indeed, when controversial policy decisions are at stake, hand-picked
experts may be assembled to achieve the desired result. That process is
politics, not science.
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The science that they want shoved under the rug is in plain sight for
those looking. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
data for 5- to 11-year-olds indicates that 117 kids were killed as a result
of taking the covid vaccine.
CDC says the COVID-19 vaccine is “safe and effective,†and that “severe
reactions are rare.†Is that actually true?
One of the world’s top pathologists
and chief pathologist at the University of Heidelberg, Dr. Peter
Schirmacher, performed autopsies on 40 people who died within two weeks of
receiving the vaccine. Risking his reputation and threats on his family,
he reported that a minimum of 30% to 40% died from the vaccine.
German scientists have verified his study with an even higher percentage.
The FDA approved the vaccine anyway, even after Pfizer reports that
trials were stopped because the animals kept dying. It certainly should give
parents pause before enlisting their children to a trial vaccine.
La Nina may weaken this summer but continue through the year
Oregon Department of Forestry Lead Meteorologist Pete Parsons has released the current Seasonal Climate Forecast which documents the El Niño Southern Oscillation and its impacts on Oregon.
The March – May 2022 Oceanic Niño Index cooled slightly, to -1.1°C, which keeps it in the moderate La Niña range.
The ONI is a 3-month running mean and lags real-time sea surface temperatures, which have warmed slightly but still show La Niña.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center thinks La Niña may weaken this summer but continue through the year, which would make three consecutive fall/winters with La Niña (last occurrence 1998-2001).
Parsons notes that this forecast is not associated with NOAA’s CPC nor the official CPC “Three-Month Outlooks.â€
The analogs (1955, 1971, & 1975) are unchanged from last month and are continuing to track current SST patterns well. However, they are
rather aged (47-67 years ago) and generated inconsistent weather patterns, which lowers forecast confidence.
Unusually cool and damp conditions from April through early June slowed the annual melt-off of maintain mountain snowpacks and
brought some improvement to the drought conditions.
The July – September period should be markedly cooler than last year with near or above-average precipitation. However, since this is typically the driest time of year, don’t expect much additional improvement in drought conditions.
Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives along with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies served a search warrant on a marijuana grow site in rural Eagle Point at 6:45 on Thursday, June 16. The property, located on the 1500 block of Old Dry Creek Road in Eagle Point, contained approximately 12,287 illegal cannabis plants in 32 greenhouses, and 3,000 lbs. of processed black-market marijuana. On the property seven workers were detained, interviewed, and released.
This case was the result of a month-long investigation of an illegal/black market marijuana grow site. There was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing at this location.
The primary suspect has been identified. Investigators from the Oregon State Police Southwest Region Drug Enforcement Section team, Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) from Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, and Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) assisted with the operation.
In addition to the criminal investigation, Jackson County Code Enforcement and Oregon Water Resources Department District 13 Watermasters responded to the scene to conduct independent investigations.
Each agency identified multiple violations that will be addressed by enforcing penalties and fines.
Code Enforcement issued citations totaling $67,000 for unapproved greenhouse structures, unapproved marijuana production, and unpermitted electrical installations.
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Watermasters observed a complex array of water infrastructure. While the property does have water rights conveyed through the Medford Irrigation District canal, well water use for the irrigation of a commercial crop was observed. The well use is not part of the water right.
The unauthorized use of water from the well is subject to both civil and criminal penalties.
While regulatory agencies investigate permitted cannabis operations, IMET is focusing on the black-market marijuana trade in the Rogue Valley. IMET is a multi-agency task force funded by a grant from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. The task force includes personnel from JCSO, Medford Police Department, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigations are open and ongoing with detectives working additional leads. No further information is currently available for release.
For additional nitrate violations in Eastern Oregon
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued a revised penalty to the Port of Morrow for additional violations involving overapplication of wastewater containing nitrogen to agricultural fields in the Lower Umatilla Basin, an area with longstanding groundwater contamination. DEQ issued the original penalty in January. The additional violations increase the fine by $800,000, from $1.3 million to $2.1 million.
The Port of Morrow is one of many sources contributing to nitrate contamination in northern Morrow and Umatilla counties—an area known as the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. The primary source of contamination in the area (about 70%) is from fertilizer use on irrigated farmland, according to the LUBGWMA Action Plan. Additional contributors are dairy and cattle farms (about 20%), food processing facilities like the Port of Morrow that reuse wastewater to irrigate fields (about 5%), and residential septic systems and other sources (about 5%).
The Port of Morrow collects wastewater from food processors, storage facilities and data centers in its industrial park outside Boardman. The port has a DEQ water quality permit that allows it to use the nitrogen-rich wastewater for irrigation on nearby farms, but the permit includes limits on how much nitrogen can be applied to the farmland and how much nitrate and moisture can be present in soil prior to applications.
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The amended notice cites the port for additional occurrences of applying wastewater containing nitrogen to fields that already had too much existing nitrate or moisture in the soil. Having too much nitrate or moisture in the soil when applying wastewater increases the likelihood of nitrates flowing down into the groundwater rather than remaining in the soil for crops to use.
The port documented additional violations to DEQ in its annual report and in email and phone reports of non-compliance. The additional violations occurred between November 2020 to February 2021 and November 2021 to February 2022.
Includes museums, governments, cemeteries, archaeology, archives, historic trails, and other heritage-related interests
As part of its mission, the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office in partnership with the public and their partners has created a statewide historic preservation plan to identify what is special about Oregon and how best to preserve it for future generations. The plan addresses identifying and preserving historic places, collections, and traditional practices, educating the public about the State’s history, and building support for the organizations that curate our state’s cultural legacy.
This summer and fall the Oregon SHPO is asking Oregonians how Oregon’s heritage is special to them in a series of 90-minute virtual public meetings. Meetings will focus on a region or topic, but all are welcome to attend one or more of the events. At the regional meetings participants will identify what issues matter most, how to best preserve the state’s history, and what government agencies, cultural institutions, and each Oregonian can do.
Topic-based meetings will discuss how the heritage community can better address diversity, equity, and inclusion in cultural resource programs, disaster preparedness and response, and planning for cultural resources in development and infrastructure projects. The meetings will be held Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:00pm, June through September by Zoom video and teleconference. Meeting details will be published on the project website. The information from the meetings will be used to create the 2024-2029 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan that will be published in early 2024.
Meeting dates are:
June 29th, Greater Portland Metro Area
July 6th, Greater Willamette Valley
July 20th, Central and Southeast Oregon
August 3rd, Rogue Valley and South Oregon Coast
August 17th, I-84 Corridor and Northeast Oregon
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August 31st, Northwest and Central Oregon Coast
September 7th, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in the Oregon Preservation Plan
September 14th, Disaster Preparation and Response for Cultural Resources
September 21st, Community Planning for Cultural Resources
Those interested in or associated with local historic preservation efforts, museums, governments, cemeteries, archaeology, archives, historic trails, and other heritage-related interests are encouraged to attend.
Oregon Heritage, a Division of Oregon State Parks, includes the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. The Oregon SHPO locally administers National Park Service programs created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, including the identification and designation of historic properties and archaeological sites; tax and grant programs; and the Certified Local Government Program, a partnership program between local jurisdictions and the state and federal government. The SHPO office is funded in part through a grant from NPS. The SHPO also coordinates closely with Oregon Heritage programs, including the Oregon Heritage Commission and Main Street program, Cemetery Commission, and various grant and technical assistance programs. See the current 2018-2023 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan.
DOGAMI’s mission is to provide regulation to make Oregon safe and prosperous.
Calico Resources USA Corporation is proposing to construct an underground gold mine and an indoor processing facility on a site in Malheur County about 22 miles south-southeast of Vale. The site includes both private and public lands managed by the US Bureau of Land Management.
Oregon's Chemical Mining Rules apply to this project because cyanide is proposed for processing the gold. The processed tailings will be placed in a tailings disposal facility. This facility must be lined, capped and designed to avoid any discharge to groundwater or surface waters. The impoundment will be capped and sealed upon completion. The overall project is being designed to avoid any discharge to surface or ground waters.
Under state law, The Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, under the direction of Dr. Ruarri Day-Stirrat, manages the consolidated application process for chemical mining permits. DOGAMI mission is to provide earth science information and regulation to make Oregon safe and prosperous.
Permitting agencies involved in the consolidated application process include DOGAMI, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Water Resources Department. Depending on specific details related to mine construction and operation, permits from the Department of State Lands or the Oregon Health Authority may also be required. Other federal, state, or local regulations are also required, including local land use permitting.
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Oregon law provides environmental performance standards that guide agencies' reviews. The intent is to minimize environmental damage through use of best available, practicable, and necessary technology and provide protection measures that are consistent with polices of the permitting agencies.
A wildlife protection plan will be required to ensure no overall loss of wildlife habitat and to meet the State requirement of an objective of zero wildlife mortality.
If the application is considered complete by the reviewing agencies, DOGAMI will issue a Notice to Proceed, beginning the State permitting process. State agencies will then prepare draft permits for public input, followed by the development of final permits.
The permitting process provides multiple opportunities for the public and interested stakeholders to participate in reviewing and commenting on Calico's application and the consolidated permit requirements.
The Technical Review Team -- composed of various state agencies -- will meet by teleconference on Thursday June 30, 2022 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST. The public and media can listen to the meetings by joining the Zoom Meeting online, or by phone. For further information, contact the DOGAMI Albany office at (541) 967-2083 or email: information.grassymtn@dogami.oregon.gov.
New rules in Oregon that go into effect on July 1st will mandate health care providers reimbursed with public funds to work with credentialed health care interpreters qualified or certified by Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
The rules drafted by OHA reflect changes in the requirement for health care interpreting services in Oregon that were made by the state Legislature’s passage of HB 2359 during the 2021 session.
HB 2359 was chiefly sponsored by Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego), Representative Ricki Ruiz (D-Portland), and Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland).
These new rules mandate that people for whom English is a second language (those with limited English proficiency) or who use sign language can access more health care.
In addition to requiring publicly reimbursed health care providers to work with a qualified or certified health care interpreter listed on OHA’s 900-plus-member central registry, the law outlines recordkeeping requirements for health care providers and interpreting service companies when they work with a health care interpreter. Among the requirements are that they document the interpreter’s name, central registry number and language interpreted.
The law also requires health care providers to supply appropriate personal protective equipment, or PPE, at no cost to a health care interpreter for onsite interpreting services. And it directs OHA to develop policies and processes to improve the quality, consistency, availability and affordability of training, and qualification and certification standards, for health care interpreters, as well as accuracy and usability of the OHA central registry.
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In addition, OHA – and state boards that license and certify health care professionals – must develop rules to enforce the new requirements for health care interpreting services.
“We are pleased we received participation and input from community partners and pleased that this legislation strengthens and supports language interpretation services in Oregon,†said Leann Johnson, director of the Equity and Inclusion Division at OHA.
One of the organizations OHA is partnering with to eliminate barriers that prevent access to health care interpreter services is Pueblo Unido PDX. The Portland-based nonprofit connects individuals with a vulnerable immigration status in the Pacific Northwest with legal, social and Indigenous language interpretation services.
“Pueblo Unido PDX and the Collective of Indigenous Interpreters of Oregon (CIIO) are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with OHA to identify and address barriers to healthcare interpreter credentialing for Indigenous language interpreters,†said Cam Coval, executive director of Pueblo Unido PDX.
He said OHA’s Equity and Inclusion Division staff actively listened to feedback from Pueblo Unido and CIIO and “did not hesitate to implement our suggested changes, including eliminating the background check requirement and creating an exception to the GED or educational equivalency requirement for health care interpreters.â€
House Bill 2359 allows some exceptions for health care providers in working with a health care interpreter, including that:
The health care provider is proficient in the preferred language of the person with limited English proficiency.
The person with limited English proficiency has an interpreter they prefer to work with who is not on the central registry.
The health care provider tried to find an interpreter using the central registry, but no interpreters were available.
The City is not immune from inflation-driven cost increases
The Corvallis City Council has now voted to approve an annual budget totaling $242,677,700 for Fiscal Year 2023. Council’s action was the final step in the City’s annual budget process, which began in May with a series of Budget Commission meetings and included deliberations, analysis, and public input.
The new budget goes into effect on July 1, when the City of Corvallis begins its new fiscal year.
The new budget takes a cautious approach to City finances, following a tumultuous year that saw the COVID-19 restrictions lead to inflation concerns and supply shortages that impacted all sectors of the economy. As a full-service municipality, the City is not immune from inflation-driven cost increases.
The FY 2023 budget includes relatively few new full-time employees across the organization. Four new positions were created in the Public Works Department to expand infrastructure maintenance, and one existing position at the Library was augmented to create a new Spanish Outreach Coordinator position.
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Requests from various departments to fund seven (7) additional staff positions were not approved due to concerns about ongoing personnel costs.
“We’re entering a new fiscal year with more uncertainty on the horizon,†said City Manager Mark Shepard. “As careful stewards of community resources, it is our obligation to adopt a balanced budget that keeps costs contained as much as possible. As always, we will continually strive to find new resources to continue delivering the many high-quality services that the Corvallis community expects.â€
Guidance for tolling if the state decides to use it for more revenue
The public is invited to review a draft amendment to the Oregon Highway Plan that will guide the state in using tolling as a way to raise funds for transportation system improvements. The comment period is open until August 1st.
An informational webinar about the draft amendment is scheduled for June 30, and a public hearing will be held on July 20 at 1 p.m. Information on how to access these events will be posted on the website when details are available.
What is it?
The Oregon Highway Plan has an existing policy section on tolling. This draft policy amendment proposes an update to that section, which is "Goal No. 6: Tolling." The draft amendment is intended to modernize the state’s pricing and tolling policy. It defines terms, such as congestion pricing, and it offers guidance for the use of revenue and setting rates (but it does not set rates). It also provides the Oregon Transportation Commission with clearer direction for decision making. There are 15 policies in the draft amendment, each with actions to guide implementing the policy.
Note: This amendment is not about whether or not the state should toll roads; instead, it provides guidance for doing so if the state decides to use tolling.
Public input will inform potential revisions to the plan amendment. ODOT says that their goal is to have a final version ready for adoption later this year. If you would like to comment, please review the draft amendment. You may also want to attend the webinar and hearing scheduled for later.
The Oregon Highway Plan is the state’s primary highway guide, establishing a 20-year vision and strategic framework for Oregon’s road system. The current plan was approved by the commission in 1999 and has been modified numerous times, including in 2012 to add the current section on tolling.
Washington County Oregon has begun a multi-year process for re-envisioning the county’s program of Community Participation Organizations (CPOs) and the Committee for Community Involvement (CCI). The process received direction from the Board of County Commissioners in December 2021.
“We hear loud and clear the desire for greater programmatic support from the volunteers serving within the CPOs and CCI. We also know that the traditional pathways for the community to engage with their county government can feel more like obstacles. Our ongoing equity work involves building truly accessible platforms and pathways so that we include all voices in our community engagement programs, especially those who have been the least included over time,†said Chief Officer of Equity and Inclusion Latricia Tillman.
The county quotes a Boston University study published in 2018 found that civic engagement structures have historically amplified the voices of those who are “older, male, longtime residents, voters in local elections, and homeowners†and may bias policy discussions in favor of an unrepresentative group of individuals. Washington County has now indicated that they would consider racial equity policies in order to intentionally change this.
“This re-envisioning process will help us align the Community Engagement program with Washington County’s growing and diverse population. By working with the community to establish the foundation and shape of this process now, we can make the current Community Engagement Program even more welcoming to everyone in our Washington County community. We also seek to better align the Community Engagement program with the work to revise the organization’s decades-old community strategic plan,†said Board of County Commissioners Chair Kathryn Harrington.
In presenting the proposed scope of re-envisioning work for the Community Engagement program, county staff identified four work areas:
Community Strategic Planning Process – A re-examination of Washington County’s original community strategic plan, first adopted in the late 1980s, is planned to begin in 2022. The county says they should align the CPO re-envisioning to the process – centered on racial equity – to support the board’s strategy.
CPO Structure – Most local governments use a different structure for complying with Goal 1 of the statewide land use planning system. The county recommends looking at other models throughout Oregon and what these different approaches toward community engagement could mean with respect to organization, budgeting and processes.
Resolution and Order – The foundational document establishing the county’s community engagement program, Resolution and Order 86-56, has not been revised since it was adopted by the board in 1986. The county says it now wants to update the document to codify the outcomes of the re-envisioning project. The county now is saying that the program should better support equity, diversity and inclusion in community engagement.
According to Washington County, the next steps for the process will include developing a project team that consists of internal and external partners, conducting further demographic analysis of current CPO boundaries and creating a project plan and timeline for the process.
More information will be available soon. In the meantime, a brief overview of the process for re-envisioning can be found on the Washington County webpage.
Oregon law provides environmental performance standards that guide agencies' reviews. The intent is to minimize environmental damage through use of best available, practicable, and necessary technology and provide protection measures that are consistent with polices of the permitting agencies.
