Issuu

FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2026

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Ongoing Airport Investigation Expands as Lease Questions Surface at Grants Pass Airport By John Oliver The investigation and public scrutiny surrounding operations at the Merlin, Grants Pass airport did not end when Airports Manager Michael Crisafulli walked back into his office this week after months on paid administrative leave. Instead, the situation surrounding the airport appears to be widening into something much larger, with new questions now emerging about airport leases, financial oversight, internal controls, and whether Josephine County has properly monitored one of its most politically sensitive departments for years. What initially began as concerns tied to administrative policies and internal county investigations is now evolving into a broader examination of how airport property has allegedly been managed behind the scenes, who benefited from longstanding lease arrangements, and whether adequate safeguards were ever in place to protect public assets. New information recently submitted directly to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners points to Board Order 2025-049, included in the county’s July 3 board packet. The order appears to place broad authority over airport leases into the hands of the Airports Manager, allowing lease agreements tied to airport property at both the Grants Pass and Illinois Valley airports to move forward without direct approval from the Board of Commissioners. That authority is now drawing renewed at-

Rising Costs Reach the Curbside

Josephine County Waste Rates Increase June 1

tention as additional records and allegations continue surfacing through what has become an ongoing investigation into airport operations. According to information provided to commissioners, concerns surrounding airport leases first intensified during the summer of 2025 after a public records request was submitted seeking a master list of airport leases reportedly maintained by previous airport employees. The requestor states they were informed that no compiled list existed and were instead quoted what they described as an excessive cost to manually

reproduce lease records individually. Months later, however, a lease spreadsheet updated through July 2024 was reportedly obtained through another county process, immediately raising questions about why the records were not originally disclosed. The contents of that lease list reportedly opened the door to even more concerns. According to the information submitted to commissioners, some leases appeared outdated or expired while some airport users may

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see AIRPORT, page 5

Ethics Complaint Against Former Josephine County Commissioner Andreas Blech Collapses Questions of Property Law and Disclosure Rules Ends Investigation By John Oliver A state ethics investigation centered on former Josephine County Commissioner Andreas Blech ended not with sanctions or penalties, but with a unanimous dismissal after Oregon Government Ethics Commissioners openly questioned whether the alleged violation was even clearly defined under existing law. The case, argued before the Oregon Government Ethics Commission during a public meeting, focused on whether Blech failed to properly disclose ownership interests tied to aircraft hangars at the Grants Pass Airport while serving as a county commissioner. Investigators also examined whether Blech should have declared a conflict of interest during public discussions involving airport infrastructure improvements in 2025. At the center of the dispute was a complicated question that repeatedly surfaced throughout the hearing: Are privately owned aircraft hangars sitting on leased county airport

property considered “real property” under Oregon ethics law? State investigators argued they were. According to the investigative report presented during the hearing, Blech owned seven aircraft hangars located at the Merlin, Grants Pass Airport while leasing the land beneath them from Josephine County. Investigators concluded that the hangars constituted “real property improvements” and therefore created a “beneficial interest” in airport property that should have been listed on Blech’s Statement of Economic Interest filings. The complaint also alleged that Blech failed to properly disclose conflicts tied to airport matters discussed during a July 17, 2025 Board of Commissioners meeting. Investigators ultimately acknowledged, however, that Blech publicly identified himself during that meeting as both a tenant and user of the airport facility before discussions took place. The commission’s investigator stated that disclosure appeared sufficient to satisfy conflict-of-interest requirements under Oregon law. That left the debate focused almost entirely on the definition of the hangars themselves. During testimony, Blech forcefully rejected

the idea that the hangars should legally be classified as real estate. Speaking directly to the commission, he described the structures as movable personal property sitting on federally regulated airport land that private individuals cannot own outright. “The law specifically requires the disclosure of real property, but the aircraft hangars in question are legally and functionally personal property,” Blech told commissioners during the hearing. Blech argued that some hangars were built

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see ETHICS, page 3

By John Oliver For many residents across Josephine County, the new monthly statement arriving in the mailbox this spring carried a reminder that another everyday cost of living is about to climb. Beginning June 1, waste disposal rates for Josephine County customers will increase by 4.80 percent, marking the latest adjustment tied to the growing costs of maintaining Southern Oregon’s waste management infrastructure, including operations connected to the Kerby Transfer Station in the Illinois Valley. While garbage collection and transfer services rarely dominate public conversation, local officials and waste service providers say the increase reflects the economic reality of operating a rural disposal system during a period of continued inflation, rising fuel prices, equipment expenses, insurance costs, and labor demands. The adjustment impacts customers countywide and is being presented as part of an ongoing effort to maintain stable and reliable waste services throughout Josephine County. The Kerby Transfer Station, located along Kerby Mainline Road in the Illinois Valley, remains one of the most important pieces of waste infrastructure serving the southern end of the county. The facility acts as a central collection and transfer hub where household garbage, recyclables, and refuse from surrounding communities are consolidated before being transported to larger disposal facilities outside the region. For rural residents living throughout Cave Junction, Kerby, Selma, O’Brien, and surrounding areas, the station provides a practical and accessible option for handling household waste in a geographically isolated part of the county where alternatives are limited. Without the transfer station, many residents would face significantly longer travel distances for disposal services, while county leaders warn the region could also see an increase in illegal dumping along roadsides,

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see JOSEPHINE, page 9