If only one more board member had attended Thursday’s West Umatilla Vector Control District meeting, the board could have acted on a request to purchase more adulticide.

Gene Jorgenson and Pat Wood were the two board members at the regulary scheduled meeting Thursday afternoon.

It was disappointing to both Jorgenson and Wood because manager Ron Montgomery had a request for the additional purchase of adulticide due to the increase in West Nile virus-positive mosquito pools, birds and horses.

This week alone, Montgomery said nine birds were reported, three tested positive for West Nile. Eight mosquito pools tested positive and another horse was reported as positive for West Nile. So far this year, the district has found 53 positive West Nile virus mosquito pools, five birds, two horses and one human case of West Nile virus.

“I’m calling it a significant outbreak event,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery was going to recommend to the board that the district purchase additional aerial adulticide to prepare for up to 60,000 acres to be treated.

Both Wood and Jorgenson said they would be in favor of the additional purchase. Jorgenson said, if the other board members could be reached by telephone or e-mail, it would OK to have a consensus vote on the purchase.

“If we don’t, we are negligent,” Jorgenson said.

Jorgenson directed Janie Cuellers, the district’s clerk, to contact Chairman Don Hanson, Vince Watson and Bill Sorenson as soon as possible.