BCC/Council Meeting, Administration Workshop, Interview Scheduled for Tuesday

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will take part in KAJO's Tuesday Talk Show, meet with City Council members, and convene for a County Workshop Tuesday. Following the 9:30 a.m. radio interview, the board will meet with City Council at 11 a.m. in the BCC Conference Room. First on the agenda is the 6th and 7th Street Banner Approval Process, followed by collaboration for the 250th 4th of July Celebration. A general discussion regarding city and county properties will follow, then pending other subject matters, the meeting will adjourn. Later that day at 1:30 p.m., the board will reconvene in the conference room for their workshop, starting with the presentation of an Adult Jail and Juvenile Detention Levy from the Sheriff's Department. Recreation will present a grant agreement for Horse Racing, then the board will consider Union Negotiations Authorization and Criteria. Next on the agenda is the Silverbrook Phase 2 Plat Map Subdivision, the proposed removal of Murphy Dam on the Applegate River, and a rental application for the Anne G. Basker Auditorium. Both meetings will be streamed at www.josephinecounty.gov/livestream. ...Read more

Task Force Busted Black-Market Marijuana Grow Hidden In Pear Orchard

Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives served a search warrant Tuesday at a black-market cannabis grow in the 1000 block of Old Stage Road in rural Central Point. IMET detectives seized approximately 25,000 marijuana plants hidden in pear orchards, 16,000 lbs. of usable cannabis, and 1,470 plants in five “hoop-style” greenhouses. One suspect, Jorge Alexander Ruiz, 35, of Central Point, was arrested in connection to the property and is charged with three felony counts of unlawful production, manufacture, and possession of a marijuana item. There was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing at this location. The farm applied for an Oregon Department of Agriculture license for growing hemp while concealing cannabis starter plants in the pear orchard. ...Read more

Council Approved Resolution Supplementing Budget, Residential Development Agreement

City Council began their 6 p.m. meeting with unanimous approval of a resolution supplementing the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The resolution would change appropriations to the water fund for the creation of the special payments category. This used for returning previous Urban Renewal contributions. Council then approved a resolution for the City Manager to enter an agreement with Allenwood Homes, LLC, to construct a residential development on Allenwood Drive. The closing date for the sale set in the agreement is on or before July 1st, with the option for an extension. Revenue for the site comes from surplus property sales. A resolution consenting to the change in assignment of Southern Oregon Sanitation to Waste Connections passed unanimously, as did approval of a real property purchase at ...Read more