Advisory Committees

Get involved, share your skills, and help shape our community by joining a Columbia County board, committee, or commission. Provide advice and feedback to commissioners and staff on county services and programs such as transportation, parks, budgeting, solid waste, CC Rider, and more! 

ABOUT: Volunteer terms run from one to five years, depending on the board, committee, or commission and circumstances, terms run on fiscal and calendar years. Contact Jacyn Normine  for additional information. 

Would you be interested in volunteering?   Learn more, view current advisory opportunities, and apply! 

OUR  BOARDS, COMMITTEES, AND COMMISSIONS:

Ambulance Service Advisory Committee
The Ambulance Service advisory committee serves in an advisory capacity to the County Health Administrator and the Board of Commissioners. Two openings are available for residents who can represent the interests of local citizens. The committee periodically reviews and monitors the local Ambulance Service Area Plan as well as proposes updates and amendments to the plan. Members of the committee also establish a process for regular random sampling of ambulance services and make recommendations for the revocation or suspension of providers. The committee also gathers input from consumers, providers, and the medical community, and reviews complaints about the quality of ambulance services provided in the county. 

Committee Members:

Board of Property Tax Appeals
The Board of Property Tax Appeals reviews petitions from property owners who seek to appeal the assessed real market value of their property. The Board of Property Tax Appeals (BOPTA) is made up of three volunteer citizens of the county; they are not government officials. BOPTA members are selected by the County Clerk and appointed by the Board of Commissioners.

Board Members:

Budget Committee
The six-member Budget Committee, composed of the three county commissioners and an equal number of citizens, reviews the county’s proposed annual budget as well as the budget for the Columbia County Development Agency. People with a financial or budgeting background are preferred. Still, any county citizen interested in working collaboratively to maintain a workable and balanced budget and improve the county’s ability to provide services is welcome to apply. Applicants must live in Columbia County, be registered to vote, and may not be employees, officers, or agents of the county.

Committee Members:

Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee (CC Rider/Transit)  
With the 2017 passage of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF), the new dedicated source of funding for expanding public transportation service in Oregon, the county’s Citizen Transportation Advisory Committee has taken on added responsibilities. In addition to making recommendations to the Board of Commissioners on matters relating to the transportation needs of veterans, seniors, commuters, students, and people with disabilities, the committee will also review proposed new projects and make funding recommendations using criteria specified under STIF. Applicants must represent users of public transportation, the business or economic development communities, a local government, or a provider of human services.

Committee Members: 

CZ Trail Advisory Committee  
The CZ Trail Advisory Committee was reformed in 2018 to focus on developing the 23-mile route between Scappoose and Vernonia. The Committee advises the Columbia County Board of Commissioners and county staff and also works on specific trail-related projects. Projects include reviewing a Concept Plan developed in the 2000s, acquiring or obtaining right-of-way for part of the trail in Vernonia connecting to the Banks-Vernonia Trail, developing trailheads with signage, and using a former logging camp as an equestrian camp. The CZ Trail offers recreational opportunities for hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders.

Committee Members:

Elected Officials Compensation Committee  
The Elected Officials Compensation Committee recommends a compensation schedule for county elected officials, including the Board of Commissioners, sheriff, assessor, and county clerk. Applicants should be knowledgeable in personnel and compensation management. Members serve one-year terms.

Committee Members:

Fair Board 
The Columbia County Fair Board plans and organizes the county's annual Fair, which draws up to 25,000 people. Committee members' four-year terms. The seven-member committee seeks sponsors, organizes vendors, plans exhibits and displays, and schedules entertainers for the five-day event held in July each year. 

Board Members:

4-H & Extension Service District Budget Committee
This committee, composed of citizens and the three members of the County Board of Commissioners, reviews the District budget that supports Oregon State University Extension work in Columbia County.

This committee, composed of the three county commissioners and an equal number of citizens, reviews the county’s proposed annual budget as well as the budget for the Columbia County Development Agency. People with a financial or budgeting background are preferred. Still, any county citizen interested in working collaboratively to maintain a workable and balanced budget and improve the county’s ability to provide services is welcome to apply. Applicants must live in Columbia County, be registered to vote, and may not be employees, officers, or agents of the county.

Committee Members:

Commission Members:

Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee  
The Jail Operating Citizens Advisory Committee (JOCAC) advises the Board of Commissioners and the County Sheriff on proper spending of funds raised by levies for operating the Columbia County Jail. They also report periodically to the board and explain to county residents how funds are being distributed. JOCAC was formed in 2014 to ensure accountability and transparency to taxpayers following the passage in 2013 of a $7 million bond to operate and maintain the 255-bed facility. The levy was renewed by voters in 2016.

Committee Members:

Local Public Safety Coordinating Council
The Columbia County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC) was established by Senate Bill 1145 (1995) to coordinate local criminal justice policy and planning among affected criminal justice entities working with local adult and youth offender populations. LPSCC also oversees the county's Justice Reinvestment Grant program and makes recommendations to the county Board of Commissioners regarding the use of state and county resources to supervise local offenders. The Council brings together criminal justice leaders, service providers, and other stakeholders to ensure cross-system collaboration and a cooperative approach to public safety policy and programs.

Council Members:

Parks Advisory Committee  
The Parks Advisory Committee reviews, advises, and makes recommendations to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners and to parks staff on matters related to the county’s park and marine facilities. This includes long-range planning, development, design, and specific budget considerations. Committee members also advocate to decision-makers and the public for park needs, as well as participate in events and assist in promoting park facilities and activities.

Committee Members:

Planning Commission  
The Planning Commission serves as the hearing body on land use issues in Columbia County. The Commission also conducts public hearings and advises the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on the Comprehensive Plan and Development Ordinance amendments. In coordination with the county’s Planning Manager, the commission also reviews development applications. It makes recommendations on amendments to the county’s long-range Comprehensive Plan and its Zoning and Subdivision and Partitioning ordinances.

Commission Members:

Solid Waste Advisory Committee   
The Solid Waste Advisory Committee serves in an advisory and technical capacity to the Board on matters related to the county's solid waste disposal and recycling services. Committee members provide feedback and make recommendations regarding solid waste policies, regulations, and programs, as well as the operation of the county’s transfer station in St. Helens. The new members will also assist in updating the county’s twenty-year solid waste management plan, which is currently undergoing revisions. The plan is a long-range strategy on how the county will manage garbage, use methods to reduce, reuse, and recycle trash, and manage regional disposal sites and programs.

Committee Members:

Traffic Safety Commission 
The Traffic Safety Commission works to prevent and reduce the loss of life, human suffering, and economic costs resulting from traffic crashes. The commission is a forum for voicing traffic safety concerns, evaluating related issues, and providing advice to the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on traffic, road, and safety matters. Because county roads do not stop at the county line, the Commission promotes traffic safety throughout the Oregon Department of Transportation Region 2. 

Commission Members: