The Clatsop County commissioners approved a new policy regulating tobacco use outside county facilities. But they balked at providing money for an outdoor shelter for smokers near the county courthouse.

The policy, developed by a group of county employees, was prompted by an incident last year in which a cigarette tossed onto some bark dust caused a small fire outside the county health department building at 820 Exchange St.

The new policy bans the use of all tobacco, including chew, inside all facilities owned or leased by the county, except in designated areas, or at least 50 feet away from building entrances.

The employee group also suggested the construction of a gazebo near the courthouse to provide a protected area for smokers, possibly near the southeast corner of the building. A smoking shelter, the group said, would provide a place to smoke for members of court juries, who often are confined to the courthouse for several hours, and courthouse employees who congregate near the entrance to the building, where their smoke has been a source of complaints from some patrons and workers.

But the commissioners said while they supported the new proposed policy, the didn’t like the idea of building a smoking shelter, especially with county money.

“This sets a dangerous precedent – they will want a shelter at all county facilities,” said Commissioner Richard Lee, who noted his wife, a smoker, served on a jury and “suffered through it.”

In other business the board:

approved the sixth and final Periodic Review work task, dealing with special districts and joint management agreements.

The county began this round of periodic review, the state-mandated updating of its land-use rules, in 1994. County Counsel Blair Henningsgaard praised the work of Senior Planner Veronica Smith of the Community Development Department, who spearheaded the effort to wrap up the tasks.

approved a new contract with KMB Architecture for the proposed Community Corrections Transition Center.

The contract is the second with the firm, which completed some design work for the residential treatment facility before work on the project was halted due to the county’s dispute with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over wetlands violations at the North Coast Business Park in Warrenton, the project site.

The contract will enable the county to apply for the necessary fill permits for the project and work out other construction issues, Community Corrections Director Danny Jordan told the board.