Local News

The Board of Commissioners continued its effort to remove outdated ordinances from the Josephine County Code during its business session on Wednesday. Following four brief public hearings, the Board voted unanimously to repeal rules pertaining to the payment of attorney fees, utility consumer choice, sanitary landfills and the designation of county property for sanitary landfills. The second readings and approvals of the new ordinances are scheduled for September 4th. Assistant County Legal Counsel Leah Harper testified all of the existing rules are outdated and need to be removed from the County Code. She said attorney fees were never paid to witnesses who cooperated with the District Attorney, the case against Pacific Power's Smart Meters was settled and the former Marlsan Landfill has been closed for many years. Under Administrative Actions, the Board also voted unanimously to approve an order outlining general fund appropriations in various county departments. Scott Blower of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest presented the Board with a certificate of appreciation for the efforts of Josephine County Public Works in the Bear Camp Road Project. The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce opened the meeting with a presentation on the recent Lemonade Day event.

 

The Grants Pass City Council took several more steps to alleviate the local housing crunch during its regular business session on Wednesday night. The Council approved a resolution awarding a Housing Opportunity Fund grant of $238,152 to PANO, LLC, and InkBuilt for the development of 15 to 20 affordable homeownership units as part of the Allenwood Drive mixed-income housing development. An additional resolution was approved for the Nebraska Trail Apartments at the intersection of Ramsey and Nebraska Avenues in the amount of $241,227. The plan is for 50 or more apartments. Those apartments are to serve households at or below 80% of the average median income. A third resolution awarded an American Rescue Plan Act grant of $800,000 to the Mid Rogue Foundation for Hillcrest Veteran's Village, a proposed development of up to 36 rental units located at 948 NE Hillcrest Drive. The grant is to defer the public infrastructure cost. A resolution approving the purchase of property owned by Asante fronting on NW Midland Avenue, Washington Boulevard and 6th Street for $2 million was also passed.

 

The Oregon Department of Transportation is partnering with the cities of Grants Pass and Rogue River as well as Josephine and Jackson counties to develop a Grants Pass-to-Rogue River Multimodal Plan. This plan will identify a continuous trail linking Grants Pass to the City of Rogue River and filling a gap in the larger regional trail network. The goal of the network is to connect Grants Pass and Rogue River to the Bear Creek Greenway that runs all the way to Ashland. The project team wants to hear from you. The team is hosting an open house this evening from 5 to 8 p.m. at The Hiive in downtown Grants Pass. Stop in at your convenience and provide feedback on your vision for the Rogue River Greenway and the potential trail alignments. The Hiive is located at 164 SE G Street in Grants Pass.

 

Zone changes allowing a proposed R.V. Park, a code amendment allowing public infrastructure on private streets were approved by the Grants Pass City Council while an amendment making it against to the law to feed feral cats failed. Councilors approved a request for two land use changes on approximately 5.22 acres located at the intersection of Northeast Agness and ‘F’ Street. The request was to change the zoning from Industrial to General Commercial to facilitate the development of a proposed R.V. Park. The Urban Area Planning Commission recommended the denial. The hearing pointed out the UAPC did not receive significant information to make the decision. The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development had expressed concern that the reduction of industrial land wasn’t supported by the City’s Comprehensive Plan The Council unanimously approved the 2nd reading of a development code amendment allowing public water, sewer, and storm drainage facilities in privately maintained streets with an easement for maintenance. An uptick in applications, combined with expected increases in demand for development on private streets and recent requests by the Home Builders Association resulted in the Public Works Department to propose the code change. The Council dismissed an amendment to the City Code making it unlawful for any person to feed or care for feral cats. In 2023 the Council authorized a contract with JoCo Spay and Neuter for a trap-neuter-release services, shelter, and feeding community cats in Baker Park and that contract remains in place. The Council convened as the Urban Renewal Agency to award two grants. The first grant was a matching Urban Renewal Agency grant for a property at 1038 Northwest 6th Street for Cynthia’s Home Sweet Home. This award is for up to 50% of allowable expenses. Approximately $10,678 for this project.

 

The Grants Pass City Council took several steps to alleviate the local housing crunch Wednesday night during their regular Business Session The Council approved a resolution awarding a Housing Opportunity Fund grant of $238,152 to PANO L.L.C. and InkBuilt for the development of 15 to 20 affordable homeownership units as part of the Allenwood Drive mixed income housing development. The funds come from the City’s construction excise tax. An additional resolution was approved for the Nebraska Trail Apartments at the intersection of Ramsey and Nebraska Avenues in the amount of $241,227. The plan is for 50 or more apartments. Those apartments are to serve households at or below 80% of the average median income. These funds also come from the City’s construction excise tax. A third resolution awarded an American Rescue Plan Act grant of $800,000 to the Mid Rogue Foundation for Hillcrest Veteran’s Village, a proposed development of up to 36 rental units located at 948 Hillcrest Drive. The grant is to defer the total public infrastructure cost.

 

The Board of Commissioners continued its effort to remove outdated ordinances from the Josephine County Code during its weekly business session this morning. Following four brief public hearings, the Board voted unanimously to repeal rules pertaining to the payment of attorney fees, utility consumer choice, sanitary landfills and the designation of county property for sanitary landfills. The second readings and approvals of the new ordinances are scheduled for September 4th. Assistant County Legal Counsel Leah Harper testified all of the existing rules are outdated and need to be removed from the County Code. She said attorney fees were never paid to witnesses who cooperated with the District Attorney, the case against Pacific Power's Smart Meters was settled and the former Marlsan Landfill has been closed for many years. There was no public testimony in the hearings. Under Administrative Actions, the Board also voted unanimously to approve an order outlining general fund appropriations in various county departments. The department heads are expected to watch both their spending appropriations and revenues in the same manner as departments not paid for by the general fund. Scott Blower of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest presented the Board with a certificate of appreciation for the efforts of Josephine County Public Works in the Bear Camp Road Project. The Commissioners reminded citizens of the Fire Hazard Map Meeting scheduled for Monday afternoon in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. The Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce opened the meeting with a presentation on the recent Lemonade Day event. New Chamber CEO Terry Hopkins said around 300 local children participated in the program with more than 80 lemonade stands in Grants Pass and Cave Junction. Young entrepreneur Reese Tappan said she donated $50 from her stand to the Rogue Valley Humane Society.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman who allegedly threatened her boyfriend with a knife outside a downtown business yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a reported disturbance near an unnamed business on SE H Street on Tuesday at 2:35 p.m.. Police said a 61-year-old female subject and her boyfriend got into an argument while parked at the incident location. They said she admitted to taking out a knife and stabbing the seat next to her boyfriend, stating that she would cut him. No one was hurt and no physical contact occurred. According to the report, the woman drove away in a maroon Buick sedan while screaming. Officers searched the area, located her at 11th and I streets, and placed her into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Menacing. She was being held without bail. Josephine County Animal Control was called in to take possession of a cat that was inside the suspect vehicle. It was taken to the Animal Shelter.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a total of nine out-of-county warrants at a home on the west side of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were assisting Jackson County Corrections when they located the 31-year-old male subject in the 900-block of SW Bridge Street on Tuesday around 11 a.m.. Police said the subject was wanted on two Jackson County Circuit Court warrants for failing to appear in court for Reckless Endangering, Criminal Mischief and other alleged crimes. They said he was also wanted on a Klamath County Corrections warrant for failing to appear in court for 4th-Degree Assault and two Clackamas County warrant for failing to appear in court on unspecified charges. Officers said the man identified as "Tyler Alexander Hopkins" was cooperative and came out of the house at the request of law enforcement. Hopkins was initially lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the outstanding warrants, but he has since been transferred to the Jackson County Jail in Medford.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for multiple crimes after he entered Walmart and began drinking alcohol and eating food early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a trespassing complaint at the store on NE Terry Lane on Tuesday at 9:31 a.m.. Police said a 30-year-old male subject they identified as "Jacob Levi Reeder" entered Walmart after being previously trespassed from the store on May 5th. They said loss prevention observed him drinking alcohol and eating food that was valued at about $16. They confronted him and he fled the store on foot. A Walmart manager advised they wanted to pursue both theft and trespass charges against the subject. He was located near Taco Bell and placed into custody. Reeder was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and Criminal Trespass plus the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held without bail. Jail records show Reeder has been arrested six times for violating his parole since March 2023.