Commissioner Marc Straub updates Bridgeport City Council

BRIDGEPORT – Douglas County Commissioner Marc Straub spoke before the Bridgeport City Council last Wednesday, Oct. 20, to update members on several county issues including fire-damaged guardrails, aging and adult care, solar power, animal control, homelessness, and county code enforcement.
Straub said the county recently appointed a new code enforcement officer and in a related matter that work is underway to update the county code relative to animal control.
“The goal has been to put more teeth into the language,” said Straub acknowledging the council’s concerns over animal control on Bridgeport Bar and response of the Douglas County Sheriff’s office to calls for enforcement.
Straub said the commissioners are opposed to a large solar farm that wants to locate in rural Douglas County.
“The large company is kind of side stepping the local permitting process and going directly to the state,” said Straub. “Our hope is that the recent code language that we put in place by way of interlocal controls will give some sideboards that the state agencies will give some respect to, but that remains to be seen.”
Bridgeport Hill, Pearl Hill, and Highland Orchard guardrail replacement is underway now,” said Straub. “It’s been a frustrating, red-tape delay.”
Straub said the project should be completed by mid-November.
Straub said he sits on the Aging and Adult Care Board which serves six counties and includes an advisory committee for each county served.
“Douglas County has five appointees,” said Straub, “and we are missing four of the five.”
Straub said an appointee puts in about 12 hours a month on the committee and the board is looking for prospects willing to serve on that committee.
Straub said the Chelan-Douglas Homeless Task Force on which Bridgeport Mayor Janet Conklin serves has redirected more resources to allow Chelan Valley Hope to devote more outreach to the upper Douglas County including Orondo, Mansfield, and Bridgeport. Straub credited Conklin’s involvement as a factor in that shift of resources.