State of Emergency declared after floods

DAVENPORT — Lincoln County commissioners discussed declaring a state of emergency due to recent weather-related issues and approved various county measures during their latest meeting.

Commissioner Rob Coffman was absent while attending a conference in Washington, D.C., with other commissioners from across the state.

“We have 12 days from the time of an emergency to declare an emergency, and then we will keep that in place for the road closures,” Commissioner Scott Hutsell said. “If by chance, the governor would then declare some counties as disaster areas, that triggers us to be eligible for trickle-down FEMA money. Last time we got it was the big ice storm back in 2009.”

The county continues to repair flood-damaged roads.

“We lost a lot of material. It is a disaster,” a Public Works representative said. “We are going to need a lot of material, time and guys—it comes with the territory. We are requesting the disaster declaration. We are documenting time, labor and materials right now. We need lots and lots of gravel.”

Local Programs have been notified, but some roads remain closed until conditions improve.

Public Works is working south to north, though restrictions may remain in place due to weather concerns.

At the peak of flooding, nine roads were closed, and at least 100 roads sustained damage.

In other news, officials identified 74 gravel pits in the county, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requests $185,000 in fees.

The county typically pays annual fees for two pits exceeding seven acres—Stack Pit and the Wilbur Airport Pit.

However, officials are concerned that new regulations may require fees for all pits, including those on private property.

Commissioners approved hiring a part-time, temporary cook janitor while the current employee is on maternity leave.

Commissioners also received a request to allow the public health director to hire an illicit substance use prevention coordinator.

Margie Hall reported that the county received $19,000 in Internet Service Provider (ISP) funds in February, a record amount.

Additionally, Avista provided a work-ready schedule for Sprague, with an estimated completion time of three weeks.

For Wilbur, 180 customers were identified as needing internet service. Hall reviewed approximately 480 addresses that an engineer identified as potential sites for multi-port system connections. That list was sent to ISPs to determine connectivity options. Some residents hesitate to switch from CenturyLink due to concerns over retaining their phone service.

Hall noted that multiple ISPs allow residents to keep their phone numbers using voice-over technology.

Author Bio

Olivia Harnack, Managing Editor

Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.