Wasco County Commissioners approved the second reading of an outdoor mass gathering ordinance after a very brief public hearing.  The new ordinance defines outdoor mass gatherings requiring a permit as 500 people or more.  Currently, outdoor mass gatherings are defined as any event in rural Wasco County.  County Planning Director Kelly Howsley-Glover says the current requirements for a permit can be unclear, and this will attempt to streamline that process.  She adds the ordinance is based on state law, but there are two areas where the County made changes, one of which is using the 500 person cap rather than the state’s number of 3,000, and the other is for fire safety.