HomeMy WebLinkAboutclosed_caption08:59:42 I was just asking if you're in the office and you feared here,
08:59:53 and yellow button turn on AV capture and zoom recording.
08:59:58 Sounds good.
09:00:10 Good. This
09:00:10 looks like we just clicked over to nine o'clock are we.
09:00:14 Nope, not yet.
09:00:17 captures not
09:00:21 like Sarah is raising her hand.
09:00:26 She had a segment
09:00:31 rover she wants.
09:00:34 There's an error message.
09:00:37 on a beam
09:00:41 video playback.
09:00:44 It is immense thinking about it.
09:00:52 there.
09:00:57 Looks like her hand went down.
09:01:00 So it looks like it's nine o'clock, you guys ready to get started.
09:01:06 Ready. There goes the clock tower.
09:01:11 Good morning everybody. I'll call this January 10 2022 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners to order.
09:01:21 As we do, every Monday we'll start off with public comment but first, does anyone have anything, they'd like to say before we get started,
09:01:31 I would just say yesterday was glorious, and I regretted having a 500 page document to read but found time for a short bike ride in the midst of it so it was a good it was such
a beautiful day, so thankful for that.
09:01:50 Okay, so let's start out the meeting with public comments, as we do will take up to 30 minutes of public comment if you have something you would like to address the Board of
County Commissioners with this morning, please raise your hand
09:02:10 and accept being with the panelists when you see that come up on your screen. So does anybody have anything they would like to talk with us about this morning.
09:02:27 Any hands go up.
09:02:35 I'm
09:02:34 okay with Mr tear silver.
09:02:42 Good morning. Good morning Mr tears, you will have up to three minutes for public comment. and you can unmute yourself and start your comments.
09:02:53 Good morning commissioners Murray all three things to talk about this morning quickly on your Consent Agenda Item Number seven, which is regarding centralizing more of your
servers into one place.
09:03:08 I just one thing that worries me is putting too many eggs in one basket.
09:03:15 Is it a good thing to have one location where all your servers are vulnerable to one event. Just concerns me having designed to to such systems myself.
09:03:26 I'm. Item number 14 on the consent agenda has a has a type of graphical and factual error.
09:03:35 The term that is being filled for the position on the advisory committee expires in two to three knots 2024.
09:03:46 So you might want to correct that before adopting that on the consent agenda, because two or two for making a five year term which of course is not per the CW.
09:03:58 The last thing I wanted to comment on is the thing later in the agenda, the public health, folks want to have a retreat to maybe improve their own mental health, probably not
a bad idea.
09:04:17 The question I have is, wouldn't it be advisable or better to have Jefferson healthcare at least pick up part of the tab, you know they're responsible for Community Health around
here, they pretty much monopoly organization so I would like to see them
09:04:38 chip in a few they also have a few more dollars than the county does. So, just a thought just a suggestion.
09:04:48 That's about it. Thanks.
09:04:51 Thanks for your comments Mr tear so it looks like we have Stephen with his hand up Guerlain.
09:04:58 I'll bring him over.
09:04:58 And as we always do we will address public comments after all public comments are made
09:05:07 to morning.
09:05:08 Good Morning Heidi. Hey, look good news the cold variant is sweeping the country with mild cold symptoms and zero death, so far nationwide bestowing robust natural immunity
wherever it goes obviating any rationale for getting on the vaccine booster Crazy
09:05:25 Train. Some of God's vaccine bad news for Vax pushers the FDA acknowledge last week cardiac arrest from the jnJ Vax but failed to acknowledge worldwide data that cardiac risk
from the Pfizer and murder in a taxi just as bad.
09:05:39 British data shows cardiac risk for boys are 10 times previously reported we're now looking at about I think 1.8 per thousand. This is for an age group with the statistics,
zero risk from the cold.
09:05:51 Given risk benefit benefit pushing the covert backs on our kids is child abuse.
09:05:57 Meanwhile the mystery deaths about the recent Vax recently vaccine boosted continue to mount up yesterday Bob Saget mysteriously died a few weeks after tweeting about his booster,
add to that, a 49 year old New York Times editor who died of a heart attack,
09:06:10 day after his Madonna booster a seven year old Minnesota girl died 11 days after her Pfizer shot a 13 year old Michigan boy died for myocarditis three days after his Pfizer
shot, and the new phenomenon this year of athletes collapsing on the playing field.
09:06:27 Most disturbingly the CEO of $100 billion, life insurance company word the Indiana Chamber of Commerce on December 30 the death rates among the working age folks I think that's
18 to 64 have searched 40%.
09:06:40 Last year, mostly, not from coded, which is very mysterious but what was new last year besides the Vax rollouts. Remember Pfizer warp speed trials were terminated after six
months by Jeremy control group, and all cause mortality from heart attacks, etc.
09:06:55 Turned out to be higher among the Vax group than the control group, even during the trial period, safety and efficacy of booster shots were never tested in any trials so we're
totally flying blind with his booster shots but studies now showing negative
09:07:09 effectiveness against the cold after a few weeks. That's right. The boosted are looking to be more at risk, which turns any pretext for mandating these experimental boosters
completely on its head.
09:07:20 So I mean are you hearing any of this from your health officer who instead is fear mongering about the wrong things and futilely case tracking the cold.
09:07:30 I mean due diligence on your employees job performance should include checking out the New Year's Day fact check article on the top 10 provably false stories that she's telling
you, and super spreading to her public platforms.
09:07:42 So just go to Port Townsend Free Press. com to review this detailed exposure of the fraud that she is perpetuating under your watch, and check the source links if you don't
want to believe what you're reading.
09:07:54 Okay, thank you very much.
09:07:58 Thank you Mr Schumacher.
09:08:00 Does anyone else out there have public comments they would like to make this morning.
09:08:11 Okay, so I guess what we'll do is
09:08:17 keep public comments, open in case somebody wants to comment.
09:08:22 After we respond to the couple of comments we received.
09:08:27 Is that Greg Kate Do either of you have anything you'd like to say to Mr to Schumacher.
09:08:34 Sure.
09:08:34 I'll go.
09:08:35 Thanks for your comments as always, we can talk about number seven on the consent agenda I'm pretty sure that usually it has a really good backup scheme in mind so I doubt that
it's one place but we can.
09:08:55 It's always a good question to ask the number 14, easy to change that scribblers air to 23, the public health retreat you know we can talk about it of course we don't control
Jefferson Healthcare's budget and if we can manage this ourselves for our staff,
09:09:02 it's probably a small enough impact that we could just absorb it I mean Jefferson healthcare has got their own funding issue so whenever you can take care of your own business
that's, That's probably the best policy.
09:09:18 Mr Schumacher laid some new terms on us I like their own Nicole, are on Nicole I'm not sure, but I do appreciate your comments a lot to unpack I'll just take one, you know,
pour one out for Bob Saget who passed away and suddenly but to imply that the
09:09:36 from his vaccine as you did in your comment throws everything that you say into it really loses credibility because it's no one knows right now, what what Bob Saget tragically
passed away from it so.
09:09:51 So, it's irresponsible suggestion, and it colors the rest of your comments to Mr Shoemaker.
09:09:57 And I'll stop there.
09:10:01 As
09:10:04 I'm sure yeah, just a couple of things in terms of the public health retreats, I think, Jefferson healthcare, probably desperately needs to do something similar for their staff,
they are extremely burned out and demoralized right now so I hope that they
09:10:24 will be able to invest the time, and financial ability to to invest. Similarly in their own employees soon and they have taken a pretty massive hit financially so I'm happy
to support our folks in our retreat.
09:10:44 And yeah it's it's concerning the, the level of burnout that we're seeing across the spectrum.
09:10:53 And I'm sensitive to Mr Schumacher his comments today I have a 14 year old who is very very sick right now with coven, and I find it insensitive to suggest that this is just
a cold, so that's all for me.
09:11:10 I don't think I have anything to add to those comments this morning.
09:11:22 And, except you know, it feels like.
09:11:23 At times, speculation and I personally come into play in the public comments we receive and it's unfortunate, and sometimes personal, so I'm okay. Is there anybody out there
who wishes to make public comments this morning,
09:11:43 see any hands go up.
09:11:47 So, do we traditionally public comment open.
09:11:56 Oh yeah.
09:11:57 Okay, leave it till 930.
09:12:01 Okay, thank you. Still, second week in his chair so there was the public, still learning as I go a little bit.
09:12:09 So we'll leave public comment open if anyone feels inspired in the next 20 minutes to make comments, please raise your hand and we'll bring you over.
09:12:24 Okay. Do we want Does anyone want to guess we'll now look at consent agenda.
09:12:32 So, I noticed a couple of comments from Mr tears about item seven important team.
09:12:41 Sounds like seven isn't really. I also trust our IT department and we'll check in with them but it's like 14 we might want to pull that you can just Approve.
09:12:56 Approve it subject to the date change to 2023. Okay.
09:13:02 Hey, I'm, I'm curious I just want to make sure that we have done our due diligence and a four year term, I'm confused I guess energy out by Larry King.
09:13:18 Okay Lance's turn out right Lance's.
09:13:28 What you know gone for a week I forget his name sorry Lance Lance Bailey,
09:13:31 that started in, 2019, and would expire 2023 them.
09:13:37 Okay. Mr tissues Correct, yes.
09:13:40 Okay.
09:13:43 So can I have a motion to approve the consent agenda. And one other Scrivener Is there a number.
09:13:50 I think on number nine for the fight for house it mentions dev house and the thing just
09:13:56 kind of using a template mentioned house.
09:14:04 As the contractor, the statement of issue. So, we just need to find a house.
09:14:13 Plenty of the contract. And now just in the statement, it just.
09:14:16 Yeah, actually. Yeah, right. Everything's fine the contract I went through it shouldn't say five for house. Correct. Right.
09:14:25 But, glad to see that contract there, you know, we just had a meeting with with fiber house and polycap trying to get an anchor anchor award for more funding for diversity and
equity, and inclusion and the got that grants and it's the partnership between
09:14:41 holy cap and our 360, or five warehouses, is just growing. It's great to see also really excited to see the conversion of the two year limited positions at DC department it's,
I think, you know, supporting DCD right now is really critical and I hope in
09:15:00 our conversation later that we might be able to do something about staunching The, the leaking that's happening right now.
09:15:09 Like there was one other one it was I wanted to call out there's lots of good stuff. Again, I mean, are we is 20 the normal number for business items you can pass in front of
consent agenda.
09:15:20 It's impressive.
09:15:21 Yeah, it's three weeks in a row I think we've had 20 or more items.
09:15:25 Yeah.
09:15:27 Yeah. See our annual contentious public paper of record conversation begins to so I guess that's all I have
09:15:40 anything I'm concerned that you want to comment on.
09:15:52 I know just I'm happy that emergency management was.
09:15:52 Oh no, we're doing that later in the agenda sorry I was looking at the number one there.
09:15:54 Difference emergency emergency loan limitations on county roads.
09:15:59 Nope, looks good but to see our collective bargaining agreements, continuing to move through the system.
09:16:04 Yep, three left.
09:16:10 Great. Good job, it's much more quickly than in years past appreciate that.
09:16:12 Appreciate the city, offering up a really qualified candidate for the ferry Advisory Committee I think Steve King will be a great addition there.
09:16:23 My couple of things are always happy to see more additions to the clipper wildlife quarter I know we approve this earlier, but just glad to see us protecting habitat.
09:16:33 Start urban Currently our urban only urban area.
09:16:38 I'm also not surprised to see that the oil city road washout is costing more than we originally thought.
09:16:46 Other pictures. About a month ago, it was it looked quite dramatic.
09:16:53 And I see whenever I see the word noxious weed control on the consent agenda, I just want to call out that there are a couple of vacancies on our week born so they're not anymore.
09:17:03 I'll give you Oh. Okay, great, great.
09:17:06 Okay.
09:17:08 If there's no other comments on the consent agenda can have a motion to approve subject to that one change
09:17:19 to two errors to correct so I will move to approve and adopt the consent agenda with a date made that to change the advisory committee to 2023 and some changing of doghouse
to fight for house.
09:17:37 Okay. All in favor.
09:17:40 Aye. Aye.
09:17:42 I saw Sarah's hand go up briefly and down again I don't,
09:17:57 know if mark you can check in with her to see if she has something it's happened a few times this morning, Sarah Melanson.
09:17:58 I'm okay.
09:18:01 Um, I see no hands up for public comments so I guess we'll do a little bit of briefing.
09:18:10 Who wants to take a look at their calendars,
09:18:16 get them there.
09:18:18 I can go ahead and read it.
09:18:21 Oh, let's see.
09:18:26 Last week, I did a planning work group for the Wilson empowered teens workshop the the second of two planning work groups. And I think have some clear action items that we're
going to take on.
09:18:49 I think we're going to do the guided good choices, which is of course that's been taught both the semicolon Port Townsend empowered teens coalition. Plus support some programs
that the school district has already beginning to really great when there's
09:18:55 existing programs that we can use.
09:18:59 The empower teens dollars for to give more, you know, more bandwidth to the school district so I forget exactly what the program is called second started something it's kind
of a healthy choices curriculum within the classroom for, I think, K through
09:19:17 eight.
09:19:16 So that was a great workshop and a lot of consensus in what we should work on the also a student, a student driven project as well. I think we're going to do was going to go
to a Cosmo brown village meeting that was sort of misunderstood and got rescheduled
09:19:32 to Wednesday did end up going there.
09:19:37 And, you know, listen to some of the frustrations of the residents, and as holy cap chair, you know, not really trying not to get into the operational side of things, but also
just kind of true thing our concept is it's, you know, still, still pretty
09:19:58 bare bones down there without running water without, without flushing toilets so want to make sure that we continue to do everything we can to preserve dignity and health and
safety of the population that's at the, at the village.
09:20:11 I met with the Planning Commission's housing subcommittee, their request on Wednesday morning and had a really lively conversation was great to hear what they've been doing
since founding, I think a year ago there for the Planning Commission numbers on
09:20:25 there and it was a really lively conversation.
09:20:28 Things are moving along with the seventh Hendricks development meeting we had, as I mentioned, I know no real hiccups there.
09:20:39 As I mentioned, we had a, an interview to try to get anchor ACI a wellness initiative to support Pfeiffer house and only Captain me, I'm sorry, only cap is who apply for it
not fight for house.
09:20:54 And they did we did have that interview and they did, ultimately improve approve it so that was great.
09:21:00 It was three a.
09:21:02 We had some pretty significant retirements over the
09:21:09 last year but I think we're finally have found someone to fill the one of the senior finance positions there that's been open for over a year so great to have a good candidate
there.
09:21:22 Unfortunately I think they come from another organization and the county so we'll start looking for a senior bookkeeper finance director at. Holy cow.
09:21:35 And Mill Road is moving along. Still, I think.
09:21:41 No, starting to look at sort of master plan concepts in the meeting which was, you know, a, a bit of a chilling conversation to start but I think ultimately was informed informed
the process in a healthy way and we've got some notes back to from Charlie
09:21:57 Hitchcock a developer consultant with the developer that holy cat was hired to look at, at possible future facing, or three also it was really exciting.
09:22:12 I think we're going to sign the contract for silver now so green dead, right, Laura Sequoia or directors agreed to write a story for the poor little voice and in a month or
so the contracts not going to get ratified until the end of February so but that's
09:22:25 the home sharing for seniors and it's kind of an app that facilitates that and puts people together and I think that both ways, looking at using some ARPA dollars they received
for setting up the contract for a three year, a three year trial run to, to
09:22:43 put seniors they want to age gracefully and their homes with with folks that are looking for a place to rent or workshop one.
09:22:52 So that's really exciting, looking forward to that had a meeting with Lori Fleming, about the, the working age band that I'm we're still continuing our chip bands and just talking
about the, the housing framework basically po VC had a good, good presentation
09:23:14 there and then went down to this policy in school where I looked at the portable, I think I've mentioned it briefly before they've got a portable that they are going to have
to demolish to make room for the new bus barn.
09:23:27 We have agreed that they can temporarily move that portable to, to the old shop. That is kind of a decommission shop down there right by the school and will same and hasn't
been moved yet.
09:23:40 As soon as the permits come through they'll need to move with kind of that day, but I went down there with Todd Armstrong from the Mill Road folks.
09:23:49 And it looks great, you know, it's got a little league where the roof was shifted a little bit when they jacked it up but you know it's 70 by 24, and fairly good shape, you
know, new to 11 on the side and it'll have another 10 years so excited about the
09:24:04 possibilities of maybe a if it comes to that a temporary emergency shelter to supplement or supplants, the American Legion potentially or as a common space for the Cosmo brown
village both applications look doable, and because it is a portable, we can
09:24:24 get it in pretty quick. We just need to find out how to get it past the overpass at one or four.
09:24:31 That's the big challenge.
09:24:33 kind of shrink it a little bit to get on there so still some details to work out but exciting, you know, didn't didn't wipe it off the list but said Yeah, that looks like it
has real potential.
09:24:42 And those were that the high points for my password.
09:24:47 Hey.
09:24:50 Can you think of the other routes from closing to hear one on one up to 20 that's pretty hairy too. Yeah gonna go center, you're going to go.
09:25:02 One, what about discovery Bay and then a barge.
09:25:06 I feel like we've had bad luck with barges historically.
09:25:11 Alright so I'm going through my week.
09:25:15 Big kickoff week for a little legislature starting as we speak this morning but the lot of work last week, gearing up for that spent much of Tuesday, getting ready for the Puget
Sound partnership Leadership Council meeting, and a lot of legislation, being
09:25:36 introduced, some of which is put up pretty massive impacts and I know we're going to do a legislative update later but just to call your attention to the Lorraine Loomis Act,
which would start to regulate riparian areas across the state of course we have
09:25:52 a lot of and a lot that is in our historic agricultural land.
09:25:58 And that would be an entirely new regulatory framework for activities within riparian areas and so that's going to be a major
09:26:12 battle sounds, perhaps too contentious but I'm sure for some it will be a battle in the legislature this year and something that I will be tracking closely.
09:26:23 And I'll get to more legislation a little bit.
09:26:39 Um, let's see we have Policy Management Group on Wednesday matters are kind of internal, one of two internal public response meetings we have, and net group we're talking about
how we could do a better job of using our Friday coordination meetings every
09:26:47 every other Friday within the county most effectively so looking at, do we need to make any changes to that how do we ensure that that's the best use of all of our director
elect it's time,
09:27:00 among other things, and so I'll touch on that a little bit when we get to my Friday but
09:27:06 see had the Leadership Council of the Puget Sound partnership meeting on Wednesday, and thanks to some input from the streets, er en la Oh, which, Heidi spoke to this is a public
meeting, because this is a state agency.
09:27:24 Leadership Council adopted a fairly aggressive legislative agenda and with the request of number of folks and straight here and add it to Kimberly, the importance of getting
funding for rural onsite septic systems.
09:27:43 As we know that that is a pretty major source of contaminants in the sounds in rural areas and often those kinds of issues get ignored and statewide conversation so thank you
to Mr Eisenhower another for bringing that attention to that issue.
09:28:03 The rest of that legislative agenda is available if anyone wants to take a look at anything anything, very surprising.
09:28:10 This is the state agency that is tasked with protecting and restarting Puget Sound So, number of environmental efforts.
09:28:19 Some climate change language was strengthened in there again at the request of straight DRM and my own concern there so it's a good agenda.
09:28:30 And there's certainly some feeling that's now is the time to be passing strong environmental legislation, at the state level.
09:28:39 So stay tuned for more there.
09:28:44 Um, let's see, we had a transit advisory committee meeting Wednesday afternoon, and the, it's now the tag transit advisory group, no longer the CAC expand too many CAC is that
group is very interested in the transit board, pursuing the expanded board
09:29:04 options so they'll be bringing some information to us to consider this year as we look at expanding with transit board.
09:29:12 We had a Economic Development Council board meeting on Thursday morning, and that spent a fair amount of time which we have for the last number of months trying to find the
right balance of how much that entity operates as a public institution, especially
09:29:29 with now the four governments, having representation on that board versus the importance of protecting that confidentiality of working with businesses and their proprietary
information so that's been a little bit thorny might be coming back to the ACG,
09:29:44 G, or excuse me to the four partner government organizations to might need to make some changes to the five way agreement because, for example, the EDC has contracts that requires
certain level of confidentiality.
09:30:02 And yet we call for a fair amount of kind of public transparency in that five way agreements, so stay tuned for more on that it is a little bit tricky do see a note in the chat
that Sarah has something she does want to come in town so when I finished
09:30:22 hand it off to her ex, little bit of exciting news on the legislative front that be I've mentioned to you the kind of existential threats that some legislation passed presents
to independent, electricians, especially in rural areas far away from union
09:30:43 training programs, rather unexpectedly a couple of senators, introduced a bill to make some edits to that statutes and they are potentially open to at least including an extension.
09:30:57 So, this, this year.
09:31:02 I believe it might be next year to go back and check is when basically our local electricians would no longer be able to train to journey level, the highest level of certification.
09:31:15 Their trainings.
09:31:15 And so, sounds like they're going to be willing to put that on hold to do an extension of the start date for that prohibition, which is great news. give us some time to make
required edits to it so that will see but it felt like really great news that
09:31:34 someone else was opening that up and willing to make some important much needed edits to unintended consequences of legislation passed in 2018 and our legislators are on board
for that which is exciting.
09:31:48 Um. See, I had are starting our monthly meetings with our lobbyists in DC to help with infrastructure funding.
09:32:04 That's some updates on the various pots of money where they are, you know, at some point we probably should have a conversation with this group and maybe a few of our departments
that touch on capital and infrastructure public works in particular, around
09:32:14 prioritizing what we might want to be seeking funding for with the infrastructure package coming through, so stay tuned on that. Obviously, it sounds like a good workshop.
09:32:30 Sounds like a good workshop. Yeah, yeah. So just think about roads, electrical charging infrastructure.
09:32:36 A number of directions we might want to head with that.
09:32:42 Or ICG actually be a good, good conversation with a CG.
09:32:47 I'm a couple more things.
09:32:50 Oh had our first, first time sharing the legislative steering committee and survived that you wouldn't with some really contentious issues, already coming up before session
started.
09:33:03 So there's going to be some big ones there's some gun control bills there's a voting rights act coming before the legislature. Many criminal justice, obviously a lot of environmental
and as I mentioned, so it's going to be a wild ride Chang to share this
09:33:22 group of vastly different political ideas and get us all on the same page.
09:33:29 So wish me luck. There, you got this game.
09:33:36 I will say, I it is interesting, you know, we have had little political diversity on this board so it's actually really good experience to work with a board with that kind of
discrepancy and beliefs, so I do appreciate the opportunity to test my chops
09:33:58 there.
09:34:00 And that was my week. Should we go back to the is a consent agenda item I believe the Teamsters have I haven't couple things to add and then we'll turn Sarah's camera on or
she can turn it on.
09:34:14 So a couple things I wanted to call out from my last week, where
09:34:22 I did some straight a year and work with Kate already talked about didn't meet the new coordinator.
09:34:27 Kara Cardinal who seems great on Friday I spent some time with her and it was wonderful to meet her in person. I never met the previous coordinator john Campbell like in person.
09:34:39 So, it was pretty shocking to actually meet her in person and she lives in gym at them so great that will have that kind of access to her.
09:34:46 I'm had a Behavioral Health Advisory Council meeting and presentations from Oly cap on the seventh haven project which is which is exciting. And I would call out that I'll cherish
pointed out that she's keeping photo logs of both the mill road project
09:35:06 and the seventh in project and I believe those are on the only cap website so if anyone out there is interested in looking at the progress of those two projects, their, their
photo documented on.
09:35:19 I believe the only cap website, or maybe Greg's Greg's squinting up his face, there's a Google it's like a public Google folder I don't think it's there but I'll get I'll get
a link to him.
09:35:31 Okay. Thanks, Greg.
09:35:35 And then I had the Marine Resources Committee meeting and there was a great presentation from the city on Port Townsend marine issues and a lively discussion about the North
Beach sewer outfall.
09:35:48 And you can go back and think and watch the Marine Resources Committee meeting if you're interested but there was a lively discussion about the sewer out fallen other sewer
and septic issues related to the city of Port Townsend so it was a really great
09:36:03 conversation.
09:36:06 And I think I'm going to had a great meeting on Friday around septic capacity limits in the county with the City and County Public Works departments and Goodman sanitation.
09:36:20 So, good, good conversation and some next steps there that update you on as we move forward but I don't think any work landed in my lap for that one.
09:36:32 And then our bad business grant planning with the EDC on Friday. And we're going to hear more about that this afternoon so I'll save that for them.
09:36:48 And then yeah So Sarah has something on real quick, I forgot. First, I just forgot I said I was going to and then I didn't bet that had a couple conversations with some folks
about the noxious weed born, the enforcement board, and we had one applicant
09:36:56 from the west and West End ag producer and he was said they were great application and Gene Fletcher, without they're there on the south side of the hoe went out with the whole
resiliency program and happy to meet them and really appreciate them the gym
09:37:11 Fletcher submitted and I think I have a district three South End, and producer they interested too so we might have a completely filled wheat board here, so sorry that warms
my heart such an important issue weeds.
09:37:30 Anything else, sorry I'm talking about asking anything else.
09:37:35 Yet, I'm getting better every meeting.
09:37:38 So Sarah has something she wants to add relative to Consent Agenda Item number for the Teamsters contract. So Sarah if you want to turn on your camera and tell us what your
update is at the morning, yes so that's item number four, and I was, as I was
09:37:57 looking at yeah I am this morning I noticed that the last two pages of that document should have contained the welfare trust subscription agreement, and this is standard with
all our collective bargaining agreements, is to have an agreement as well for
09:38:17 subscription to the medical, dental, and vision, and I wanted to bring this up.
09:38:24 Be could share my screen I can show you what that document is.
09:38:30 You have a share screen button at the bottom of your screen. I do it's the Video Transcript record.
09:38:42 It's the green, the green button.
09:38:44 Okay.
09:38:48 Hey, go.
09:38:49 Okay, let's see.
09:38:51 Can you see this. Yeah.
09:38:54 Oh great,
09:38:58 Because, can you see this one.
09:39:00 No,
09:39:03 we just see your blue screen.
09:39:06 Now we see it. Okay, great.
09:39:10 So, this.
09:39:16 Um, the document that was on as a copy on the agenda show. This is the last page which is the signature, that just says subscription agreement.
09:39:22 It should have had these two pages three pages listed as well. And what this does is it outlines, what's covered in the bargaining agreement in terms of them, medical plan,
the life insurance time loss dental plan and vision plan.
09:39:40 And there's a place on this for the board to sign as the employer on this page. The first page of the agreement.
09:39:51 And, yeah, I just wanted to bring that up.
09:39:55 During the agenda, so.
09:39:59 So do we need to amend earlier motion or.
09:40:05 I don't believe you will need to you've already proved it, and it's there just bring it up to the public is aware of it and you're aware of it, if you had any changes you wanted
to make as a result of her sharing these new pages I would do so now.
09:40:15 But you can just state that you're, you are in agreement with your previous decisions.
09:40:27 Is there any concern about this item, Kate or Greg, an agreement with our previous decision.
09:40:30 And I am as well. So, we will.
09:40:35 And then the attachment on the content the update. Sure. Yeah.
09:40:41 Thanks for your good I Sarah. Thank you very much.
09:40:49 Okay.
09:40:54 So, You look back, we have five minutes.
09:40:59 It's not really enough time to do a whole bunch of looking forward unless we want to start and try, or about mark.
09:41:06 Oh yeah, what do you what happened in your world last week mark.
09:41:10 Well, a lot of good interaction with my department directors on various matters that's why you see the.
09:41:18 Why you saw the agenda items for the DCD staffing to convert those two positions to permanent.
09:41:25 Yeah, and that's why you see you approve the retreat for public health.
09:41:32 A couple of significant things. One was that fell upon soccer and I met with Jefferson transit and we hashed out whatever differences or misunderstandings we had on the inner
local agreement for their Kingston rapid transit bus line.
09:41:49 And so you should see that on Mondays agenda.
09:41:53 And I la with Jefferson transit.
09:41:56 I also met with Monte and now Karen's to talk about the moderate risk waste facility at the port. We were going to talk about that today but because of the holidays, and some
commissioners coming down with various ailments, and we didn't do the groundwork
09:42:13 necessary to facilitate that meeting and so I believe we have meetings with all three of you tomorrow with Alan Monte to discuss that. And then, and then we'll bring the port
in on January 24 hopefully to resolve that issue.
09:42:30 So those are the two big things and then policy management and Kobe coordination.
09:42:35 So that was my wake in a nutshell.
09:42:40 Any questions for Mark.
09:42:43 No, and I realize I forgot to record on Kenny coordination.
09:42:47 So, Let's see a few things. We there's no updates on the vaccine mandate from the States or the feds on Friday while we were in coordination, the Supreme Court was hearing
09:43:04 arguments, I'm not sure that's the right legal term but they've taken up the. One of the challenges to the federal vaccine mandate, the state seems to be waiting to see which
way the feds go on that or the court goes, and Washington could choose to implement
09:43:23 a vaccine mandate that would affect the county operation, as well as other businesses over 100 employees but they have not decided whether they will pull the trigger on that.
09:43:35 Again, if they do it will require it will include a test out option so folks aren't vaccinated they can test.
09:43:42 But of course we know now that that would need to be more often with the American variant and while the state has said that would be at the expense of could be at the expense
of the employee, and not necessarily that would be employer it's a big policy
09:43:57 decision that might come before us so stay tuned, no update on that screen really, we decided to keep the structure of the county coordination meeting fairly ad hoc but electives
and directors who attend that said it's very helpful for them to have a
09:44:15 meeting where they have access to public health and can get their questions answered. So, no significant change their meeting they said it's still very valuable if they want
to continue doing that every two weeks.
09:44:31 The meeting they said it's still very valuable if they want to continue doing that every two weeks. I think I missed from coordination mark.
09:44:35 No good summary K.
09:44:39 It sounds like that long term care taxes being delayed to.
09:44:43 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're still required to collect it and I think you saw the all staff email that came out from the auditor, saying that they were unable to engineer gems
quickly enough to get it, deducted from the January paycheck so they'll, they'll
09:45:00 be a double deduction.
09:45:02 On the February 5 paycheck.
09:45:06 And then of course if they eliminate the requirement, then those monies will be refunded to the employees.
09:45:15 Okay, it's 945.
09:45:18 And I think we're probably ready to do our weekly update with our health officer Dr. Barry, and I mean she's probably in the attendee list so if you want to bring bring it.
09:45:32 Dr. Barry over. Great.
09:45:36 Welcome Dr. Barry. Nice to see you.
09:45:41 Willie.
09:45:45 So, so I'm just getting everything already.
09:45:51 Um, so, updates on the covert situation. Unfortunately, the news is not good at this point we are seeing incredibly rapid rises in cases throughout the country.
09:46:03 If you've been following the graphs online you see just a straight upward trajectory.
09:46:10 And that unfortunately is starting to apply locally as well. nationally cases are up to 115%.
09:46:18 Right now we're diagnosing over then 600 and more than 650,000 cases, each day.
09:46:25 In the United States, hospitalizations are unfortunately also up 80%, and that's arising as well.
09:46:31 Statewide we're seeing a very similar trend in Washington State coven 19 cases are up to 149% hospitalizations are up 95%. I see you capacity is becoming critical once again
so we're seeing the amount of ICU beds available in the state, getting back into
09:46:50 the low 30s. And so for your, your healthcare worker colleagues, when we are seeing very sick people. It's very hard to find a space to send them. I know I was on a call this
weekend on Sunday trying to find a bed for a man, and the only had one negative
09:47:07 pressure bed we could find for him in the state. And so that's that's the level of strain we are experiencing right now in Jefferson County cases are rising quite rapidly as
well.
09:47:20 Right now we're up to keys rate of 795 per hundred thousand which is you have ever been.
09:47:28 Our total cases, 1825, we are experiencing an outbreak at Olympic corrections center so that is driving some of those cases, we certainly have seen coven 19 move very quickly
through those spaces, 40 of our most recent cases are Olympic correction center
09:47:48 so that does play into those numbers, but we are still seeing quite a bit of transmission in our community. Currently we have three people hospitalized for coven 19 which is
a rise from where we have been recently, but we are not at the level of critical
09:48:04 hospitalization numbers that we're seeing in neighboring counties. And that is really largely driven by the proportion of our population who is vaccinated, we, we are seeing
that there is there a frequent breakthrough infections for people who have been
09:48:19 fully vaccinated getting cold at 19, but we are not seeing that group be hospitalized at the same rate that we are seeing in the unvaccinated Still, the vast dis vastly disproportionate
number of our hospitalizations are in people who have not completed
09:48:34 their vaccine series in neighboring cloud county. We were up to 7624 cases, the case rate in cloud is 2072 per hundred thousand which is also the highest that we have ever seen.
09:48:49 We have 11 folks currently hospitalized for coven 19 in column and have had 82 deaths. we've not had any new decks in Jefferson County.
09:48:59 When I look at the OMC hospitalization numbers which I, we tend to have higher numbers there because of a lower rate of vaccination 90% of those in the hospital today are unvaccinated,
and so it is still, We're still really seeing a disproportionate strain
09:49:14 on the hospital system for those who are unvaccinated if you are fully vaccinated.
09:49:19 You are well protected against the worst of CO but 19. We're seeing good protection against hospitalization for folks were fully vaccinated and even better protection for those
who are boosted.
09:49:31 So it really does so make a huge difference and right now when the health care system is critically strained, it's incredibly important to get vaccinated, to reduce the strain
on that system.
09:49:42 We are seeing shortages of beds statewide. We certainly have shortages of staff, we're seeing shortages of tests and shortages of medications. Unfortunately we are expecting
that we're going to reach peak coven 19 transmission.
09:49:58 At the end of January, which means we're going to see peak hospitalizations, mid February.
09:50:05 That means that as crazy as these numbers sound right now. We anticipate that they will be worse for the next couple of weeks and the strain on our healthcare system will be
worse for actually even longer.
09:50:18 What does that mean to the general person. That means that we have to do what we can to reduce transmission in our community and to reduce the strain that we put on that healthcare
system.
09:50:29 And that means getting vaccinated. That means wearing a mask. It also means limiting your social contacts.
09:50:36 We have more coven 19 in our community right now than we have ever had in the entirety of this response. And so that means now is a very good time to start scaling back close
school social contacts to limit your, your social exposure limit your time and
09:50:54 indoor spaces with other people.
09:50:56 I remember very well the time in the very beginning of the pandemic. When you might have heard on some news outlets that said people said okay if we all quarantine for two weeks,
this will be over.
09:51:07 That actually never came from my department that was not true.
09:51:10 But what is true is the worst of this we expect this way, the worst of it to be throughout January, and so if all of us can limit our social context for the rest of this month,
we can limit how bad this gets, and we can really do a lot of work to prevent
09:51:26 transmission in our community in that way. So that's one of the biggest things that I would recommend for our community.
09:51:33 The other thing to know is your healthcare system the healthcare system that's serving all of us is critically strained already and will be more so in the next two weeks.
09:51:43 And so that means that how we access that system matters.
09:51:47 We can access that system, of course when we need medical care, we should, but know that there will be less appointments available, wait times will be longer wait times on the
phone will be longer.
09:52:01 None of that is because the person who's picking up that phone isn't trying. It's because this system was not built to handle this level of disease. And so just know, know that
the strain on your healthcare workers is intense.
09:52:16 They're doing everything that they can.
09:52:18 Please try to Be kind, be understanding and only utilize the services that you need. So that means if you, if you are ill, but not they're not severely ill, if you're not having
trouble breathing, you're not having chest pain.
09:52:31 If you're not having those kind of critical needs for the emergency department, we really need to keep all of that healthcare out of the emergency department the emergency departments
are working overtime right now.
09:52:43 And unfortunately, our health care system has been strained for two years.
09:52:55 Our health care workers have been carrying the brunt of this, these waves after waves for two years. And many of them have been demoralized by that. And so we've lost some of
them, folks who have quit the profession and not come back so our healthcare
09:53:05 system was running on fumes before this way. and now they're getting hit harder than they ever have.
09:53:10 And so we need to understand that that means there will be shortages for us when we want to access healthcare K, it won't be as fast as we're used to it being we may not be
able to access everything that we want.
09:53:23 And we have to, we just have to know that that's the reality.
09:53:26 That's the reality because of what has gone on for the last two years, but we can get through this. And we can do our part to get through this.
09:53:35 So, vaccinations masks limiting those social gatherings and being thoughtful about how we access the healthcare system, we do still need to get our medical care we need our
primary care to be running well we need our chronic medical conditions well taken
09:53:50 care of, so that they don't get worse and don't have us needing those hospital beds.
09:53:55 But we need to we need to be thoughtful about how we access that.
09:54:00 Part of that is testing. So, with this dramatic rise in cases that we have seen nationwide, there has been a strain on the testing infrastructure like none we have ever seen.
09:54:10 So, even if our federal government had the better job at investing in testing sooner. this would still be too much.
09:54:19 So when it comes to testing at this point, we are really recommending prioritizing testing to people who are symptomatic and people who are exposed. We no longer have the testing
capability to do the kind of testing we could do, even just a month ago,
09:54:33 to make sure our gatherings were safer, things like that. We just don't have those kinds of tests, there's a critical shortage of antigen tests and of PCR capability, so we
just got notification from the University of Washington, that they will now only
09:54:47 process PCR for people who are symptomatic or exposed, they just don't have capacity to do anymore.
09:54:54 So we all have to understand that testing shortage. And part of that. Certainly we have been faced with this testing shortage in Jefferson County for a while.
09:55:04 So I want to give some folks some guidance on how to use those tests, so I know many folks are trying to access antigen test and struggling to access them.
09:55:12 If you do get ahold of an antigen test one of the more common questions I get is, what do I do when is the right time to test. And so if you are sick, the right time to test
is right when you get sick.
09:55:25 So within the first day or so have symptoms. That's the best time to get tested. But if you've been exposed. And you have one test to use to figure out whether or not you've
got Kobe at 19.
09:55:41 The best time to test after you've been exposed is about three days after you've been exposed, don't get tested, immediately.
09:55:45 Because you might not have a high enough viral load to trigger a positive test, you might have a false negative in that very first day or two. So if you wait three days if you
don't have any symptoms, you're more likely to catch that positive.
09:55:58 And of course if you are very sick if you have if you're having a significant respiratory illness and you tested negative the first time but it was right at the very beginning,
if you can test again, we recommend that you do, acknowledging that many of
09:56:12 us don't have the ability to test again, because we don't have the tests available for it anywhere in our community. And so if that happens if you find yourself sick, and you
can't get another test to figure out if you have covered the best thing to do
09:56:25 The best thing to do is to stay home while you're sick, which we should do anyway, because we don't want to give anyone else a viral illness who's now going to have to wonder
if they have COPD and go through that same all those steps.
09:56:37 So if you're sick, it's really, really important to stay home and prevent transmission to other people, until you're better.
09:56:44 And we do have, we do have testing available for folks who are symptomatic through Jefferson healthcare. We have testing available through the health department at this time
for folks who are our close context of those who were exposed and in South County
09:57:00 County where we know there's shortages of testing we have testing through the health department for those who have symptoms as well so we we are still able to take care of those
most critical folks who need testing, but it is it is short, It is tight
09:57:15 right now. And that, that is most of my updates for now and I know there's lots of questions from Cape etc. But what questions do we have from the commissioners before we move
forward.
09:57:26 Okay, do you have questions for Dr. Barry, an easy one.
09:57:33 I'm curious I've heard people talk about swabbing the throat with the home antigen test is effective and would you recommend that at this point.
09:57:43 There is some early data, suggesting possible increase sensitivity if we combined a nasal and a throat slug.
09:57:52 What I would say is it's very early data very small numbers and the nasal swabs are still really good, and you're very unlikely to be able to successfully swab your own throat,
actually.
09:58:02 So a good, a good throat swab that we do in the clinic involves the very back of your throat and he just don't do that to yourself.
09:58:08 So if you're doing home testing, I would really stick with with nasal swabs but the key is to make sure you're doing a full 10 seconds on both sides. I've seen some of the,
there's a variety of antigen tests available if you look at their instructions,
09:58:25 some of them say five seconds. That's not enough. You need 10 seconds on both sides. This is particularly important if you're swapping a child. So sometimes when we get false
negatives in kids.
09:58:35 If you have toddlers that you've swapped before part of that is that they don't love it.
09:58:40 But you do really need a good.
09:58:42 You need a good, a good sample in order to make sure that you really can trust it. Of course it's just in the near just the lower part of your nose. We don't want anyone going
deep in anybody's knows outside of a healthcare setting.
09:58:52 But if you can try to get a good 10 seconds in both sides, you're going to get your best sample. And then the other key thing is that you need to read it at 15 minutes.
09:59:03 15 minutes or later and within 30. I've heard of some folks who will just see that it got to the, you'll see it flow up until it gets to the control line and they don't see
one on the test line and they're like okay good I'm negative.
09:59:15 You really need to give it that full 15 minutes to make sure that you're catching any viral particles that are in there and just know that no test is 100% sensitive, there will
always be some that get that get through, but we're doing everything we can
09:59:30 to minimize transmission. We can't stop transmission right now there's far too much of it. But testing if you're symptomatic is a really key way to minimize that transmission.
09:59:42 And the other thing along the testing front.
09:59:45 The other thing along the testing front. Just to kind of keep that that ball rolling as you may have heard from the President and now from our governor, about some, some steps
to try to increase testing access We are excited to hear about those.
09:59:57 We have not received any of those tests yet though, there was some confusion after the governor's press conference folks thought that we had them at the health department right
now we don't yet.
10:00:09 As soon as we get them we will make sure they get into the community immediately, but we don't have them yet, we do have our baseline supply that Jeff Jefferson County has purchased,
to make sure that we are able to support folks, but that kind of free
10:00:23 two boxes for everybody kind of thing, we don't have that yet.
10:00:26 So hang tight on that and we will definitely put up messaging as soon as we get.
10:00:33 Go couple quick questions about you know for us.
10:00:36 Host co head folk how we can you know support the public health effort, as well as we can.
10:00:43 One is what's the current recommendation for isolation and is that impacting our healthcare capacity at all or do we have, how are we doing in the healthcare healthcare workers
and cooling.
10:00:57 So the best for the general public, if you've had COPD.
10:01:01 The best thing to do is to follow the 10 day isolation that's safer, up to 30% of people are still shedding positive virus at a file.
10:01:11 So if you are able to stay home for 10 days. that is the best option, every time.
10:01:17 If you know if someone's working in a critical infrastructure space, often you'll start interacting with your with your HR with your employee health they'll probably interact
with us and we'll talk about whether or not it makes sense to bring you back
10:01:31 earlier, but for the vast majority of folks, 10 day isolation is the way to go.
10:01:37 When it comes to the health care system there are some different isolation and quarantine guidelines, but just to be clear, in case anyone's nervous and Jefferson County, your
healthcare workers still isolate for 10 days, if they're positive we have not
10:01:49 brought anybody back at five, because that's that's a really risky move that we do in crisis capacity situations. We are not in crisis capacity here. But what we are doing is
we are working on folks who have been exposed, who are not positive doing very
10:02:05 frequent testing, to get them back into the, into the workforce so that involves testing daily actually for several days to make sure that they can come back and not in fact
their patients and still keep health care available to you so that's kind of
10:02:20 the split that we do very very cautious work there, lots of work on masking and things like that but the healthcare workers are very good at masking in workplaces.
10:02:32 Yeah general public 10 day isolation, best thing is to quarantine for 10 days to, if you can.
10:02:39 The longer Corinthians, the longer isolation, are going to be safer for you.
10:02:43 And even if you have some mild symptoms that persist after that 10 days here okay what about if you have, you know, some symptoms, you know on day 14 you get a you know a head
to head cold or something should you test again, I mean with our overall overburden
10:02:58 testing capacity and everything, or you know, or are you pretty is a pretty clear you don't have code at that point but good question. So, yes, if you are one of the many folks
in our community who's recently been diagnosed with Kobe, you might be wondering
10:03:11 how this all interacts with you. And we do know that unless you are immunosuppressed you really only viable virus, for 10 days.
10:03:20 So if you've completed your 10 day isolation. You're good. Many people do have some lingering symptoms, after day 10, but they're not shedding viable virus they're not dangerous
to other people so it's okay to leave your isolation of course keep masking
10:03:33 because we all should when we're an indoor spaces.
10:03:37 But we don't think that you're, you're shedding viable virus, after that time, unless you're immunosuppressed so if you're on chemotherapy, things like that.
10:03:45 That's a different deal that's a 20 day isolation, and it will help you through that, but the health department if that happens, as far as prevention of subsequent infection,
we are seeing shorter shorter time periods between original infection and subsequent
10:04:00 infection with Alma Kron primarily delta to oma Kron that's the only one we have data on right now.
10:04:05 But we do feel confident that you are protected for at least 30 days after your infection. So the next 30 days after you've had coven. If you get the sniffles again, it's not
new code.
10:04:17 It may be something else there are other respiratory viruses around so you should still stay home if you're sick.
10:04:23 But it's not coping.
10:04:25 Thank you. No worries, good question.
10:04:27 Right. I have one question.
10:04:30 I've gotten a couple of phone calls from people and I feel like having this short conversation out loud might be good.
10:04:37 I'm couple Congress couple calls about how many people are in our hospital cooler right now well you just reported there three, but I bet it comes from a place of people who
are sick, not feeling like they should go in the hospital, because there's coven
10:04:49 in the hospital, and I just I said I know that our healthcare system is doing a good job of managing Povey cases in the hospital but would you talk about that for a second,
convert confirm or deny my, my, my claim I've been making to the people who've
10:05:07 been calling me yes so Jefferson healthcare does a fantastic job at containing coven in the hospital system so if you have cool but there's a lot of things going on to make
sure that that stays in that room so they've got Special Air Purifiers, they're
10:05:23 closed rooms everybody's in really intense pp.
10:05:26 There's a lot of things that we do to reduce transmission in those spaces and we have had no healthcare associated outbreaks in the hospital setting in Jefferson County and
so if you do need to access medical care for for a valid needed medical reasons
10:05:41 I don't want you to be afraid to access that care.
10:05:43 They do a really good job at taking care of folks who have coven and taking care of folks who don't, and not inter mixing those two.
10:05:51 So I don't need to be afraid to access the care, and if you do need it in consultation with your doctor if your doctor says, Hey, we really need you to come in because I'm worried
about your heart or whatever.
10:06:03 Listen to your doctor, your doctor is the right person to tell you whether or not you need to be in the hospital.
10:06:09 What we are trying to avoid is something that we've seen at least in clown County, which is folks just showing up at the hospital because they have covered, and it's scary.
10:06:17 It's scary to get a covert diagnosis, but if you're not having trouble breathing, not having chest pain not having those critical things Cove it alone is not a good reason to
come to the ER.
10:06:27 That's what we want to prevent, but if you need medical care we absolutely want you to get.
10:06:33 And your health care system can still provide it. It's just that the wait times are likely to be longer.
10:06:40 Thank you.
10:06:42 On to the KPTZ lesson quite okay.
10:06:46 We've got a we've been getting a good, a good list of questions.
10:06:50 So a couple more about masks, and we've been kind of waiting into this a bit, so all the cron is more contagious than the variants that came before it.
10:07:00 So in most cases in most settings most workplaces, something like a surgical mask is going to be your best option for for protecting yourself and others from coven 19 infection.
10:07:20 If you're going to be doing higher risk things. So say you are not just going to the grocery store but you were a grocery store worker you're going to work there all day upgrading
to a can 95 mask makes sense reduce the risk of you contracting coven 19
10:07:36 on the job.
10:07:37 Similarly, if you're traveling if you're getting on a bus or a plane, things like that.
10:07:42 Or, if you are a very high risk person that's the other time where I'd really think that it can 95 mask is a good idea so say you are immunosuppressed you couldn't respond to
your vaccine and you need to go to the clinic and sit in the waiting room for
10:07:57 maybe a little longer than you normally would.
10:08:00 That's a good time for a KN 95 mask or anytime that you can tolerate a can 95, I think it's a good option for folks.
10:08:10 We've had some questions about whether or not you can reuse a K and 95 or an end 95, you can.
10:08:17 What we studied, we actually studied this when we had the mask shortage for folks who are wearing masks full time in the healthcare setting, and we found if you're going to
wear a mask, all day every day.
10:08:30 A Kanye for an enemy five can last up to five days.
10:08:33 So you can wear it up to five times for full days. Most of us are not wearing them like that though we're wearing them to go into the grocery store we're putting them down.
10:08:42 And so as long as they still have a good seal to your face, they're not dirty, they're not saturated you can wear wear them pretty frequently.
10:08:50 But we also aren't in a critical mass shortage, right now, so it's okay to to replace that mask and rotate it through.
10:08:59 And I want to do some other KPTZ questions but I have to plug in my computer because it's about to die, I apologize.
10:09:08 Would Willie mind, jumping in and doing your update and I will be right back.
10:09:13 And do do it's actually a good, a good segue on dr Mary's part to talking about can 95 masks. As part of Governor ins Lee's press conference last week.
10:09:26 He talked about make in tests more available, but he also talked about making high quality masks more available as part of the fight against Obama crime.
10:09:36 And so throughout the pandemic we've been supplying cloth masks, thanks in large part to a team of community mask makers who've been making cloth masks both for adults, and
four kids, and we've been distributing those through local businesses through
10:09:51 grocery stores schools, etc. And when Governor NZM part of his initiative will be making K and 95 and 95 available to the general public. So we will be doing some outreach.
10:10:04 This week, and we have a stock of K and 95 on hand here at dm and will be ordering more potentially from the state, and will be distributing those through our previous channels,
and local businesses, grocery stores schools, etc.
10:10:18 Expect, and if you don't have a and 95 or access those hasn't quite yet. And we'll be looking at making those a little bit more available in lieu of our clock masks are we making
some more high quality masks available through those channels, expect some
10:10:33 some communications on that week.
10:10:36 Other than that, other than some a new type of mass distribution for us just real quick, on our clinics.
10:10:44 With 47. Five to 11 year olds in the morning and Chima come this past Saturday.
10:10:48 And let me grab the final tally again.
10:10:52 We had a 215 vaccinated for adult Madonna booster. In the afternoon.
10:11:01 That is nowhere near our maximum throughput for those large clinics, we are seeing a decrease in.
10:11:13 Man, both for first responders in adults. So not just us at our large vaccination clinics I know the pharmacies are seeing a decrease in demand as well.
10:11:23 Um, so for those of you who have been maybe struggling to find a booster appointments are more readily available, and then they were at the same time last month so the local
pharmacies, it's up there and you don't have to wait weeks for an appointment
10:11:36 like you did previously. And we do you have a clinic clinic coming up this Saturday down in Wilson for for our South County folks follows a similar model will be doing kids
in the morning, five to 11 year olds, as well as boosters for the 12 to 15 crowd,
10:11:53 and then we'll be doing adult moderna boosters in the afternoon. Um, there's still space in the adult a Madonna booster clinic in the afternoon. Currently the kids clinic in
the morning is full and it's waitlist only, but please do if you want to sign
10:12:10 up, please do add your name to the waitlist we are going to be able to accommodate a number of folks from the waitlist. So don't let that no appointments available.
10:12:21 Message concern you at all, put your name on the waitlist will be in contact and we'll be able to get a number of folks in that clinic. And so please don't hesitate to sign
up that way.
10:12:31 From there we were initially planning clinics on the 22nd and 29th, but with this decrease in demand.
10:12:38 We really are kind of reconsidering that for the moment so unexpected, and more information following we're continuing to try to do our best to ascertain the demand and the
need out there and schedule.
10:12:51 The next appropriately. Um, but again, we've seen a sharp decrease of these were our first clinics in quite a while that failed, fill up. We did 400 people our last afternoon
clinic in December and then half of that on this past Saturday so more information
10:13:08 to be determined. I'm in the meantime if you're looking for a booster. Thankfully, you can head to the pharmacies without a multiple week Wait, otherwise we hope to see lots
of folks down in closing this Saturday.
10:13:21 Thank you, Lily I appreciate you jumping in a little bit early. And it's true so just to wrap up the discussion of masks, the very best mask is one that you will were continuously.
10:13:32 So with the move to can any five and then any five, if you can tolerate that. That's excellent protection, but for many of us, we don't tolerate and then 95 for a long period
of time, or people can't hear us.
10:13:45 I'm so that's the other time I see as people take them on and off to talk to folks and if you pull your mask down and talk to someone, it's not doing what we need it to do.
10:13:55 So the best is whatever mask will fit your face and that you will keep on throughout the duration of your time when you're around other folks, but now is a really important
time to wear those masks, in those indoor settings, and I did get one question
10:14:08 from a listener asking about oma Kron with its increased infectiousness, are we seeing transmission outdoors. And we are not. We have not seen transmission in outdoor settings.
10:14:19 We are just seeing more distant transmission in indoor settings and so I think the key there is this idea of six feet being enough to protect you. That was starting to fade
with Delta, but it's really faded with Alma Kron.
10:14:33 So if you are, if you're six feet apart and mast. I think that's good protection in an indoor setting but if you're just six feet apart know masks on.
10:14:43 You could certainly be exposed to covert 19 in that setting. So that's where the mask that's where this layered protection comes in. That's where spacing masking getting vaccinated
all those things work together to protect us But no, we're not seeing
10:14:58 transmission outdoors, if you see me running on a trail and Jefferson County, I'm not wearing a mask, because I don't think we're going to get cold outside.
10:15:09 So it's really, really important in those spaces.
10:15:13 I'm got a couple questions about folks who had had breakthrough infections and what does that mean about about boosters, generally more protection is good and so if you have
had a breakthrough, and you're wondering whether or not, not to get a booster
10:15:27 if you tolerate and your first two doses, it is reasonable and appropriate to get a booster as soon as you have recovered from your infection, you do need to be outside of that
10 day window before you go get your booster.
10:15:39 Otherwise you're contagious and we don't want you infecting your vaccinated. But after that 10 day dose, the 10 day period you can get a booster.
10:15:49 We are seeing very good protection however from those breakthrough infections in the fully vaccinated so if for whatever reason, you're not able to get a booster immediately,
one of the people who wrote was someone who had received monoclonal antibodies
10:16:02 and which normally delays any subsequent vaccination for 90 days, and they were worried about whether or not they were adequately protected. If you've completed a series and
had a breakthrough infection, you are likely similarly protected to someone who
10:16:17 has received a booster. So I would say you're actually pretty well protected, while you wait out that 90 days. The primary reason for that 90 day delay after monoclonal antibodies
is the possibility that those monoclonal antibodies interfere with your
10:16:31 vaccine rendering it less effective at protecting you. And you are well protected by your monoclonal your recent infection and your prior vaccines. Even if you get a break through
infection, it doesn't mean that your vaccine didn't work.
10:16:45 Your vaccine is still working to make that infection less severe little shorter duration.
10:16:51 It's what's keeping you from getting hospitalized, you may still feel it I've certainly heard from folks who had a breakthrough, and they felt like they had the flu, they felt
good and sick.
10:17:00 But they, but they didn't get hospitalized, they didn't have terrible things happen to them and so that means your vaccine is working really quite well.
10:17:08 We certainly would prefer for it to prevent all infection. And in many cases, it still does. We are still seeing a disproportionate amount of infections at all.
10:17:18 Among the unvaccinated we're seeing more breakthroughs among those who are vaccinated but not boosted, and we have seen some breakthroughs among those who are boosted though
we are actually still seeing very good protection around 70% protection against
10:17:30 any infection at all. If you've received your booster. But what happens is if you get a breakthrough infection and you've been boosted everybody knows right so how many of us
have heard from a friend of a friend who knew a guy who got their booster and
10:17:45 got Kobe, so that word spreads, but the fact that you got coded. If you weren't vaccinated, that's not news anymore. And so it can skew our understanding of our own protection.
10:17:56 If you are boosted, you are well protected against general infection, and you are very well protected against hospitalization and death. One person asked whether or not that's
true if you are over 65, and it is actually so our first boosters were in people
10:18:10 over 65 so actually most of our booster efficacy data is around people over 65 so that's actually driving these numbers is people over 65. The other thing that's very helpful
for me, is we have had, unfortunately, quite a few outbreaks of covert 19 in
10:18:26 long term care facilities in column County. And what we are seeing is the boosted folks who are in those facilities are getting mildly. This is the first time we've seen folks
in long term care, get coded and not get hospitalized.
10:18:41 So that's really helpful for the strength of the booster to protect, even the most vulnerable among us, so that's good.
10:18:51 Um, couple other things. Let's see.
10:18:55 One person had a question about a mass policy objectives in healthcare, I will take a look at it and will contact them so if you are that person.
10:19:04 Let me know and I will. I'll keep you updated on the progress and that one.
10:19:09 One person asked when we're going to get our free at home testing kits from the federal government, they have not arrived yet.
10:19:15 When they do will definitely let you know it's also possible that the federal government will just do the online ordering portal and not involve your local health jurisdiction
that all will let you know when we know more, but we don't know yet it when
10:19:28 they're coming.
10:19:30 But we still have them are symptomatic or if you're exposed through Jefferson, Jefferson public health right now.
10:19:37 Okay, a couple other things.
10:19:40 We talked about outdoor transmission.
10:19:45 Um, so as far as a, which we talked a little bit about saliva tests versus a nasal test right now if you have a nasal swamp, use it as a nasal swab will keep following the data
on if it would be better to transition to other types of swamps, but right
10:20:00 now it's all about testing at the right time, making sure you test long enough, and then being thoughtful about your symptoms, if you're still sick, it's still important to
stay home
10:20:13 talked a bit about masking I think that's good.
10:20:18 I work as a health care provider and I am fully vaccinated and boosted. I did order a couple of at home Koba test to have on hand in case of exposure.
10:20:28 Now I'm wondering how accurate the tests are.
10:20:32 It's, I seem to remember hearing on your update last week there can be false negatives for those those are usually if you're tested too early.
10:20:38 Is it better to go in for a test at the health department if I have symptoms so that's a good question.
10:20:43 All of your antigen tests are roughly equivalent for efficacy so all the ones you can buy over the counter here.
10:20:51 Those are relatively equivalent so don't ignore an antigen test you have at home to try to come get one at the health department if you have an antigen test.
10:21:01 That is a precious commodity, and I would use it like it's real, and don't go get a bunch of tests to prove whether or not it's real.
10:21:09 We have by next test by and large, we also have some other ones at the health department, but anything that's sold over the counter in the United States has to be a high quality,
I would be cautious with some of the ones you can get online, there are
10:21:21 some scams on Amazon in particular and a lot of price gouging around antigen test. So I primarily focused on the ones that you can get in person.
10:21:30 As far as what you can, what you can trust or brands, you can trust that you can order through online pharmacies, things like that.
10:21:37 All right, couple more questions.
10:21:48 So generally to count as a fever in an adult, it's a temperature over 101, but please know that many people with coven don't ever get a fever.
10:22:00 So don't let a fever be a determining factor about whether or not it's coven, so I think now's a good time to review the symptoms of coven coven can have this classic fever
shortness of breath flu like symptoms, but it also can look like a cold.
10:22:16 I have unfortunately still heard far too many people who say well it's just a cool so it's not coven.
10:22:24 That's not true. If you haven't gotten a test. If you have the symptoms of a cold, it certainly could be coded. And it is important to get tested and and do what you can to
access testing during that time to make sure it's not, and to stay home until
10:22:35 you're better.
10:22:39 Okay, let's see, um, some folks were asking about travel plans and whether or not to cancel their trips and I think that's always a personal decision, but I do think it's important
to know we have more Colburn in the country right now than we've ever
10:22:57 had in the history of the pandemic. And so now is a good time to think about activities that we have planned, whether that's indoor gatherings here.
10:23:08 Flying traveling to see other family for myself and and really for everyone. I recommend thinking about darling those back for the rest of January, at least we are expecting
the peak of this at the end of January.
10:23:22 And so, things are going to get worse between now and then, if you have plans to have large indoor gatherings, say weddings coming up in the next couple weeks, I would seriously
consider postponing those plans.
10:23:35 If it's going to be indoors or changing them to make them small and outdoor.
10:23:51 Now is the really, really a good time to kind of dust off the pod concept that we used a lot during the height of prior searches and really limit our interactions as much as
we can, and to keep those interactions vaccinated and boosted as much as we can,
10:23:58 when we're looking at indoor gatherings and travel, I can't decide for you whether or not to travel, but I would be very cautious about travel right now, and especially look
at what are you going to do when you arrive.
10:24:08 So what is causing that travel, are you traveling to go to a wedding, a family reunion sometime have large group of people indoors.
10:24:16 That's going to be pretty risky right now so best practices would be to delay that. But the good and bad about the bad is that we're going to see dramatic rise in cases.
10:24:28 And unfortunately, significant strains on the hospital system. The good is it burns through really quick.
10:24:32 So this is not forever. We should be in a much better space by February, but this next couple weeks is the time to really kind of batten down the hatches limit those interactions
if you can, Um, I have a friend who got the Johnson.
10:24:47 Johnson shot and a breakthrough infections so that person get a booster. If they can, they should. I'm getting a booster is a good idea, it'll increase your protection we definitely
have seen some decreased efficacy from just the single dose of Johnson
10:25:02 and Johnson. So getting that boosters good they likely have some protection from their recent infection as well, but if they tolerated their vaccine, getting a booster on top
of that I think is a good idea.
10:25:15 At this point,
10:25:28 our household is boosted, and we're wondering with the current on the current uptick, whether it's wise to have an boosted but vaccinated friends over for dinner on mass and
inside, so that goes to the space of, at this point, member, a month ago, before
10:25:42 It's actually really important if you're going to be indoors and a mass that they'd be boosted or recently vaccinated. Um, so we're seeing good protection in the kids who completed
their vaccine series in the last six months.
10:25:55 So if you've been very recently vaccinated, or if you've been boosted, you have a lot more protection for those in their gatherings, to the extent that you can.
10:26:04 Otherwise, transitioning that socialization to an outdoor meetup or some other way that you can still have those close connections, but not an unmasked indoor gathering and
speaking to that we have seen the approval of boosters for kids 12 and up.
10:26:19 So it is important if your kid completed their vaccine more than six months ago, that they get boosted that will reduce their risk of a breakthrough infection and help prevent
the quarantine in the school setting in Jefferson and clown counties.
10:26:32 If you have not been vaccinated in the last six months and you've not been boosted.
10:26:38 You will likely have see your kid move into something called test to stay where they have to get tested multiple times per week. In order to stay in the classroom.
10:26:45 if they are boosted actually don't have to do that.
10:26:49 I think we might have time for one more. since we already got Willie in there answering questions.
10:26:57 So this one asks about what is your opinion about dining indoors right now.
10:27:02 So it is safer in Jefferson and column to dine indoors than in many other places because it's a fully vaccinated space, but with the amount of cases we're seeing, and the amount
of breakthrough we're seeing in the next few weeks, I would recommend supporting
10:27:17 our restaurants, but doing so by either dining outside are getting some takeout that that's what my family does.
10:27:25 Because it's right now is just so intense, the probability of interacting with another person who has coded and unmatched in our space is much higher.
10:27:35 Even in fully vaccinated spaces, if they haven't verified that the person has boosted.
10:27:40 So right now I would support our businesses, but I do so with takeout, and by eating outdoors. I wish that weren't the case, but I think that's where we are for the next few
weeks, it will get better.
10:27:52 Yes.
10:27:54 I'm wondering, um, maybe we could put out a shout out for the new guidance that public health has put out regarding exposure and testing and I spent a lot of time distributing
that and referencing it myself this weekend so just a good reminder that that's
10:28:10 up to date. Yes, so we have updated the Jefferson public health guidance to largely refresh the CDC guy in this but I think with some important clarifications.
10:28:19 There's a lot of confusion and how to interpret the CDC guidelines and hopefully we've tried to make a really clear flow sheet that you can follow to figure out when and if
you should isolate and when they get tested so that's up on our website we've
10:28:40 it on Facebook, and we'll try to make sure that it has a very good public presence but definitely please check in there. Given the sheer number of cases that we're seeing we
are unfortunately not able to complete contact tracing for most people.
10:28:47 So if you test positive it's really important to go there and see what to do.
10:28:52 That involves calling your friends. If you have been around them when you were positive. Remember, anyone can get cold but it is not a marker that you've done anything bad Alma
crown is incredibly contagious and a lot of us will contract it in the next
10:29:05 couple weeks, and it's really important that we call our friends and let folks know if we can track coven 19, so that we can reduce that subsequent transmission.
10:29:17 Thank you Dr. Mary long list this week.
10:29:25 I'm thinking back to when in March of 2020.
10:29:40 My husband and I started a food blog, and all the recipes and last night he started, he's like I'm getting back out my Irish set of bread recipe and I was like, Oh, it was the
sign for me.
10:29:41 You know limiting our interactions with folks again so yeah I mean, we've.
10:29:50 No one wants to be here again. Um, but I think the thing to know is we know a lot more about the virus now we know how to prevent it. And we also know how long this is likely
to left, it's not an infinite future of isolating anymore.
10:30:03 We expect this peak to the end of January, so kind of batten down for the rest of January, limit those social interactions. It doesn't have to be zero pods work really well.
10:30:14 So having a core group of people who you see in doors unmasked I think that's fine, but keep it that core in your group, and then use all those other skills that we've learned
over the pandemic to socialize outside to wear masks indoors if you're outside
10:30:27 of your pod, to support our businesses but to do so with take out.
10:30:33 There are a lot of things that we can do to get through the next few weeks, and get through it intact as a community and we've done it before,
10:30:43 right you have another question. Oh, I mean just a comment I'm excited for the clinic clinic will see and it will definitely be bringing our daughter to get boosted have I have
an appointment already and I just wanted to say again I really, I credit beam,
10:30:57 you know, partially boosted at the time that we suffered the infection relief for the mild symptoms that I had and I encourage everyone to do everything hand they can protect
the community.
10:31:09 And then one final question from, you know, from me here is the on the other side of the aisle, I guess, so to speak. And that's, I'm happy to go back to pods and and really
be conservative in the way that we interact with the world not go and sit down
10:31:25 but is that data driven if you have our boosted and have had an infection in the last month I mean, I'm just at a certain point, you're going to have to put it in the rearview
mirror and I'm wondering if for me for the next month that point is now, or
10:31:40 if it's not, if you were vaccinated and recovered. Yes, actually, I think you are very well protected you're, you're some of the best protected so if you experienced it and
you've come out the outside and you're more than 10 days we've got 10 days.
10:31:55 Then I think you are some of the safest, but you want to make sure that that's only applying for your vaccinated boosted and and and breakthrough infections, not just had.
10:32:08 If you had covered and didn't get vaccinated, you are not that will protect it.
10:32:12 But if you have completed your vaccine series and had a breakthrough infection. You are pretty well protected and you want to make sure that that applies to everyone in your
family, too.
10:32:21 So a lot of times we forget our kids.
10:32:24 So we may be vaccinated boosted all the good stuff, but our kids didn't get anything.
10:32:28 So they're still very vulnerable. So we want to be thoughtful about about their exposure. But if you're if you're everybody else, if you have completed your series now had a
breakthrough infection.
10:32:40 Now's the time to kind of limit those social interactions for a little bit.
10:32:45 And then if you are, if you've just had an infection and not been vaccinated, same thing, or you can go get vaccinated and you can have the level of protection that Commissioner
Brotherton does and you can start doing more things for dinner if you can
10:33:01 make the soda bread, or I will make the soda bread.
10:33:04 Okay, thank you Dr. Barry I think we are ready to move on to our agenda items and I think Willie can stay on line because you're your first at first at bat.
10:33:17 Thank you.
10:33:18 Thank you so much.
10:33:21 I'm not sure if, are we bringing anyone else over for this Willie Monte or have a couple folks joining us and I think Monte might be able to join. I do know we have Kevin street
from Jefferson PUD, as well as Kristen master from Mason PUD.
10:33:38 We can there in the cutie we can bring them over.
10:33:41 I just want to start off by saying I got an email this weekend from somebody who was briefly stranded on this one dose Peninsula, and was super grateful for our roads department
for coming and dealing with her.
10:33:56 Her road. It's not a main road but it was he was kind of stuck. So, our roads department has really been killing it.
10:34:07 Lately, with their workout on the roads and the pod to I mean.
10:34:13 So, we are thankful for the good work that's going on in our community thanks to our roads people in our electric people and. Yeah. So, agenda item, emergency declaration.
10:34:29 So, as we've, we've talked about a couple of times before, I'm not only for the coven pandemic. But since in my tenure here we've had a numerous emergency declarations specifically
for wash outs on upper hoe road, as well as for a couple of other winter
10:34:44 storms here on the east side. I'm the emergency declaration gives county departments a certain amount of flexibility, by you know waiving certain kind of bureaucratic regulations
especially around the competitive bid process and security contractors and
10:35:00 really increases our flexibility to be able to respond to disasters. I mean during these kind of emergency circumstance.
10:35:11 During these kind of emergency circumstance. And it also allows us to go to the States, and seek a emergency declaration from the governor, then allows the state to go on and
seek an emergency declaration from FEMA, a Federal Emergency Management Agency,
10:35:24 which then opens us up, potentially if that declaration is approved on to money via the Stafford, which reimburses responding entities for certain costs related to the response.
10:35:39 I'm so when you have an event like this most recent winter storm, and where Jefferson and Mason PUD as well as our county roads department have spent hundreds of thousands of
dollars responding to this emergency clearing our roads, restoring our, and
10:35:55 that reimbursement can be can be a lifesaver. In terms of replenishing our limited resources. I'm so for that reason. Today I'm at the request of the two County PUD us which
has been working in partnership.
10:36:08 We are seeking an emergency declaration as part of not only the most recent winter weather event but the ongoing on winter weather event as many other parts of the Pacific Northwest
of experiencing flooding, due to the melting snow in the additional rain.
10:36:25 So we're here before you seek that emergency declaration and hopes, we will eventually get a federal declaration and be able to replenish some of our limited local resources
so I've invited a few of the responding partners to talk a little bit about that
10:36:41 that the damages that they've seen as well as the costs they've incurred.
10:36:45 So if Manti if you don't mind, leading us off I know this isn't your first rodeo seeking the declaration from the board so I'll turn it over to you real quick.
10:37:10 Well certainly there was a significant amount of Storm Damage south south amount Walker and out on the tornadoes coil peninsula.
10:37:10 There were the PhDs are here, there were, you know, a lot of, lot of heavy snow and wind came after we were done with this up here in Port Townsend and knocked a lot of trees
down took a lot of wires down.
10:37:27 And, you know, they were plowing every single day, all last week, which was kind of surprising how much snow was coming down in those areas, eight inches of foot overnight,
was not unusual for a few of those nights, and I think I said some of you that
10:37:46 video of them, they were still clearing closed roads up at the end of the dose e wallets on Friday, May, they get they had a lot of a lot of snow up there and use a bulldozer
to get, get in there and work with the PDS as the lines are cleared so that
10:38:05 was kind of a different world down in those areas.
10:38:10 And we've got a lot of tree cleanup to do you know things are cleared out.
10:38:16 Just one lane in some cases right now or sort of pushed off to the shoulder of the road but we'll have a lot of debris cleanup to do in the coming weeks, so
10:38:30 yeah that's that's where we're at.
10:38:34 We did finish that repair out in the oil city road that we started before Christmas, that was our other emergency declaration so that was was finished, finally.
10:38:52 Great work by our contractor out there to get that one done. So, I'm sure the PhDs, probably have some, some experiences to talk about here.
10:39:01 Kristen Do you want to tell us. Thank you for joining us. We appreciate you bringing the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners meeting because you had to work in Jefferson.
10:39:11 So tell us about the the work that you did some of the costs that you incurred and how this person will be able to help you.
10:39:17 Sure, thank you thank you commissioners for putting this on your agenda today at the last minute so yeah Mason PD one as you know serves out to walk a mountain, and I would
say the dhoti and Brennan or to the areas that were hit the hardest for us during
10:39:31 the storm, just tremendous.
10:39:34 inches of snow coupled with the 50 to 60 mile per hour winds laid a whole bunch of trees down, I have a 22 year old. Your linemen that said this is the worst I've ever seen
it.
10:39:46 And so, the damage was quick and widespread all on the north end of our system actually going from south to the county line up to the up to walk them out and we're still going
to be putting stuff back up for the next couple weeks are lying crew worked
10:40:00 eight straight days to get everybody in power.
10:40:06 Starting from. Well, I guess.
10:40:09 The first the very first January 1 through Saturday. I think they finally got the last customer and service so that we had to bring in six mutual aid crews and it's going to
be easily 200 $250,000 impact to our budget.
10:40:22 And just to kind of give you a scale for my small utility, our annual capital budget to do like line work and house and stuff is only $750,000. So in the very first week of
2022, the storm has taken 30% of our budget.
10:40:39 And so, it's critical for us to have the FEMA declaration because I, as you know, makes us eligible for the 75% federal reimbursement and possibly 12 and a half percent state
reimbursement to try to make ourselves as whole as we possibly can.
10:40:55 And it's not just the labor and that is the suppliers that swiped our shop out we're already suffering supply chain issues and now what we did have is gone.
10:41:05 In addition to what we borrowed from our neighbors so it's a crummy spot to be in and a crummy time the only thing I can say that I'm incredibly thankful for is coven hasn't
liked my line crew out yet, and it's starting now.
10:41:18 So hopefully the weather is good and we all get covered and get over it and get back to work here in the next couple weeks because I got four people out today.
10:41:26 So thank you again and I know Kevin's got a whole bunch of stuff on his utility too But thanks for.
10:41:32 Thanks for working with us on this. We appreciate it.
10:41:36 Thanks for your work.
10:41:39 Thank you very much. And last but not least, Kevin, mind sharing a little bit.
10:41:46 Yeah.
10:41:47 First off, I'd like to thank the county, the road crews are out there plowing roads, they did a lot of work for the pod getting us access to where we needed to be so we do want
to thank them and all the work you guys did.
10:42:03 So, from the PD standpoint. We think this last outage first of this year will cost so roughly half a million dollars. And I don't care how big your budgets are when it's and
unbudgeted expense.
10:42:17 It hurts. So not only does the theme of resolution, hopefully gets us some money back.
10:42:27 It does make us eligible for some hardening dollars that FEMA puts out that we're hoping to kind of utilize in some of these areas where at least down on the coil, we've picked
up some of these lines multiple times, it's time to start an underground project,
10:42:46 if, if a theme of declaration is declared, then we will be applying for some hardening money out of the FEMA budget so to us it's it's multiple reasons to do the declaration,
not only for reimburse our coffers for what we did spend, but the possibility
10:43:03 of getting some additional funding through the federal government. So, you know, we appreciate what everyone did here.
10:43:12 And we just hope you guys proved the resolution and it does move forward through the state and the federal government I know this is just the first step, but we'd appreciate
it.
10:43:22 Thank you.
10:43:26 Anything else anyone wants to add
10:43:31 a question, and I asked Willie this via email over the weekend too but maybe just for, it's a helpful reminder of. We did hear that the governor did a declaration of emergency.
10:43:46 He just talked a little bit about how these overlap.
10:43:46 And if that declaration included Jefferson County.
10:43:52 So what that declaration can include Jefferson County, the local declaration is specifically gives our local authorities that flexibility to respond to the emergency the state
level declaration.
10:44:07 Will including us doesn't necessarily infer the same powers the local declaration declaration would additionally this declaration, we're considering here is specifically to
bolster our case long term for that that federal declaration and the opening up
10:44:25 of that dollars so well this isn't doesn't necessarily preclude us if we don't declare this emergency from being included in the federal declaration, certainly is another piece
in our argument to be included in that long term so know that the governor's
10:44:42 declaration. I'm didn't supersede this one.
10:44:47 And again this will just be another piece of the puzzle and trying to pursue that federal declaration doing everything we can, again, to try to try to ease the burden of those
major budgets.
10:44:59 You know, not really a question just, just a comment first I mean, thanks to Mason PD one and PD and, and the road department you guys really were heroes in this is obviously
an emergency that so this is a very easy resolution to get mine so I don't have
10:45:17 any questions but I appreciate you guys being here, and really appreciate the work everyone did this past week.
10:45:23 I am no concerns about this resolution so Does somebody want what I would entertain a motion
10:45:31 that we declare a state of emergency regarding regarding the recent adverse winter weather activity in Jefferson County.
10:45:39 Happy The Second.
10:45:41 All in favor.
10:45:43 Aye.
10:45:44 Thanks everyone. We appreciate you big time. Yeah.
10:45:51 Yeah, thank you much.
10:45:54 Thank you.
10:52:07 My email.
10:52:12 Welcome banner.
10:52:28 Kale call us back into order and I think the next thing on our agenda is a presentation on the public health staff retreat
10:52:22 pandemic response reflections and the future of public health and Jefferson County with director my team.
10:52:33 Morning everybody.
10:52:33 Thanks for giving me this opportunity.
10:52:41 Sounds like that me.
10:52:45 It was me.
10:52:49 Shut it down.
10:52:52 So, you can see in your packet, a few things that I included including sort of a draft plan for what's called our Jefferson County public health staff retreat, which we hope
to have take place in February, I have a dedicated date which is a Friday, February
10:53:10 18 but I made a little note in the plan that it's subject to how we're doing with Comic Con in the middle to late part of February, and I just want to reserve that right to
be very cautious about how we do this even in a very well considered space.
10:53:29 So, let me back up, I wanted to just express my gratitude. I have had several folks, encouraged me, chief among them, Commissioner Dean.
10:53:40 Just consider how to provide some respite for public health staff. We've all been inundated with the pandemic we've all had our, you know phases of pandemic trauma and response,
as well as just really trying to hold our staff and try to keep our, our
10:53:57 businesses and our departments functioning despite all of the distractions.
10:54:02 and our departments functioning despite all of the distractions. And the sort of burnout level that often comes with being in a sustained emergency.
10:54:08 So thank you for voicing your your hope and your, your focus on making sure that our stuff in particular really have the support that they need, each of you have done that in
so many ways, and I just want to extend a gratitude for to you for making that
10:54:26 extension to us. We're in no way unique, there's so many public health employees and officials working this hard everywhere around the country but I think we have a unique opportunity
in Jefferson County and given how closely we've been able to stick
10:54:42 with our communities and our citizens through this pandemic.
10:54:47 We've really been able to create a lot of hands on and interpersonal connections with the public. With regard to pandemic response and managing case rates and keeping death
from code 19 lower than most places so kudos to us all this opportunity is something
10:55:06 that I don't believe public health staff have had in many years so it has been done in the past. Not since I've worked here, and I would really love to seize this opportunity
with your support to move ahead for a one day retreat off site with the ability
10:55:21 to close our services down at least mostly for one day, and do some reflection on where we are in the pandemic.
10:55:32 Some therapeutic discussions with one another in terms of reconnecting and and having a chance to discuss openly, things that we've experienced and where, where we feel we are
now together in a forum that's not in a typical staff meeting or whatnot so
10:55:54 I believe this is a really rare opportunity to change the headspace for folks here. We have worked tirelessly and people show up every day.
10:56:03 They are doing their due diligence in every way and I have absolute faith in all of them. And yet, we need to give back to them as well so that's where this started and respite
initially was a concept that I thought about for many, many weeks in terms
10:56:19 of.
10:56:21 Could we offer something therapeutic like massages could we could we offer exercise classes or yoga in the morning or things like this and as I kept evolving the idea, I thought
more and more about, you know, where does resiliency come from and what kind
10:56:40 of kernels of wisdom Can people hold, so that they can reduce their burnout and stick with this, this hard work and for me that was bringing us together on an off site location,
having a chance to connect, having a chance to think forward into the future,
10:56:59 and having a few special speakers come to share some of their wisdoms with us so you may have noticed in the packet there are two speakers, both of whom I know, fairly well
from having taken their trainings in the past and I'm really eager to share their
10:57:17 work with our staff here. So in the morning we have scheduled to have Jenny Tillman.
10:57:29 Come and join us from Seattle she's a well known motivational interviewer speaker and advocate and if those of you on the board here are not familiar with motivational interviewing
it is something that healthcare professionals often learn in their schooling
10:57:39 and then continue to learn throughout their careers and utilize in their contact with clients and it's really about behavior change, it's about encouraging and meeting people
where they're at to move the needle on behaviors, whether they're just tiny
10:57:52 baby steps or otherwise what I've been learning in parallel, is motivational interviewing for leadership. And I'm really interested in that at another date for now what I want
to do is make sure that our staff, whether its environmental public health
10:58:08 community health up for our prevention teams, all the teams in general here and public health deserve to have a little bit of nurturing and review of these skills because we
use them with our clients, whether it's in a one on one health care situation
10:58:26 or whether it's code compliance or, you know, solid waste visit motivational interviewing is always the essence of sort of the social interaction with the folks at hand.
10:58:40 That may be encountering a risk or displaying a behavior that, you know, leads to poor health, we want to help encourage people so I see this training as a critical step to
be a refresher for some of our staff and be brand new for a lot of our stuff,
10:58:55 and that us learning it together is something that will improve our customer service improve our outcomes and learning this skill is actually something that reduces burnout
because it helps the person, The staff person, manage those difficult conversations
10:59:12 with people in a way that's more sustainable long term.
10:59:17 The second speaker that I'm happy to introduce to you john to time is actually out of Thurston County and he has made it his personal mission to travel about and talk about
the science of hope.
10:59:31 And I don't know sounded like some of some of our folks in the county may have taken virtual version of his presentation.
10:59:42 But he is the prosecuting attorney from Thurston an incredible human being. And he has worked together with some scientists as well as some social sciences, folks on sort of
packaging this notion of where our hope lies in the continuum of trauma, and
10:59:59 resiliency.
11:00:02 And I was really impacted by his work about seven years ago, when I worked at Thurston County.
11:00:08 He comes to us free he does all this out of the goodness of his heart, and in addition to his day job he very much would like to come here and present and I've got him queued
up for the afternoon and retreat.
11:00:21 There is a hope screening, that people take a much like the aces screening if you endeavor to do that. And it's a deep dive and understanding where we build hope from so it's
not so much a presentation about being hopeful.
11:00:38 It's about understanding, sort of reactions resiliency, flexibility, and then the ability to work with the way the brain works to enhance the ability to be able to see hopefully
within storm, and that's what I think.
11:00:56 Public Health employees. In particular, do do already but when you are in the long haul and sort of tired from all the excessive work we've done in this area I really feel like
that's, that is a message that I want my staff to hear, so that they can,
11:01:18 they can be have the tools for that in order to have better work life balance and also stay in tune with what the ultimate goal is, which is to hopefully help people with their
health.
11:01:31 And part of that is, is, is having hope in our communities.
11:01:36 You can see very clearly what the day entails I'd like to invite Commissioner Dean to maybe come and maybe start the day if she's willing she's expressed some interest in that
and it would be our honored to have her join us for summer all of the day.
11:01:54 And I don't mean to single her out she just is someone who has nurtured me in this.
11:02:01 To this end, and I really appreciate that, on behalf of all of our staff.
11:02:08 The remaining items in the plan really have to do with some, team building and art exercises so one of the, one of the things that helps me in processing trauma is using artistic
expression and I am no artist by any means but some of the supplies money
11:02:27 that I put on this brief plan are to create some long lasting archival pieces of from our staff at this retreat, including a quilt, because we have so many quilters among us
on our staff.
11:02:44 I have been dabbling with the idea of a time capsule for public health of this time. And this is one portion of that dream is to have something tangible that is a reflection
of the tapestry of all of our experiences here in public health, written large
11:03:02 on a canvas known as a quilt.
11:03:06 Are there any questions about the day or the motivation.
11:03:13 Any suggestions.
11:03:19 Hey.
11:03:21 Yeah, I'm so glad to see this moving forward, Apple thank you for shepherding and even in the midst of all the other work that you have to do and it yeah it just seems so critical.
11:03:32 And, you know, the,
11:03:36 the work that you do in such a sensitive and trauma informed approach, you know, we need to take that, that same medicine to heart which is that you cannot do good work if you
are in a state of of trauma and not kind of refilling your own wells.
11:03:55 And so, this is critically important. We know this the sector the public health sector across the country is just hemorrhaging good caring people because they are simply too
burned out so I think there's a lot of reasons to support this I'm happy to be
11:04:09 there for a chunk of the day I'm honored to be included in any way, so thank you.
11:04:15 And just endless gratitude for for the work that you're all doing.
11:04:23 It looks great Apple I applaud applaud the effort and I know it's, it takes a lot of work to put this together on this cape said on top of you already very busy schedule and
fully, fully in favor of it, you know, I like to participate, of course, as well
11:04:37 so that's that's my only small regret, but happy, of course commissioner has been a leader in this and work along with you so happy, happy to have her represent the board and,
and, you know, start start this this model day off.
11:04:51 So, yeah, really supportive. Yeah, well I think there would be opportunities, Greg and Heidi for you to show up later in the day I don't imagine Kate's going to be there the
entire day.
11:05:03 Absolutely true. This is a draft plan and those types of things can be added in so let's talk about that we can we can manage that for sure. I would love.
11:05:15 I would love for our staff to, to see you all there and as I said I didn't mean to single Kate out in that, in that regard but you all have been very vocal in your support for
us and very aware of checking in, about how we're doing and it's often hard
11:05:30 to say what can be done to help in that way. So this is just one tiny drop you know in the big well of things that could be done but to me. And this is just you know my perspective,
symbolism is, is, is impactful and you know it's not a superficial symbolism
11:05:52 it's a chance to dig deep on some therapeutic tactics that help our work, that also help us in turn, and as Kate said, you know, it's the old adage of the parent, putting on
the oxygen mask and then assisting the person behind them or the passenger I
11:06:11 should say, and we use that, that, that analogy, a lot in healthcare, you know, education, but it's particularly so for us to use it for ourselves.
11:06:24 And sometimes we can forget that in all of the in all the giving of the care to the community we can forget to take care of ourselves.
11:06:32 And I would say I don't feel like I need to participate. I'm so glad that you're, you're doing this and showing the leadership to organize it, and I would say most I'm most
interested in hearing.
11:06:44 After about the outcomes and then next steps I mean what can we do to keep the flame that you like together as as a team alive, going forward and how can we as commissioners
support our public health team because you guys have been in a sustained crisis
11:07:02 and we've all been in it you know one public comment we got this week was from a person who said that we should be wearing masks while we're on the zoom calls and I've wondered
is there.
11:07:18 Are we causing, are we really causing trauma, but not wearing masks. I mean, I don't know, I don't know, that would you think, Jonathan Swift note, I think, really.
11:07:22 okay, I would have a modest proposal.
11:07:29 But it made me pause for a second, think about you know what do we do, you know, I mean we keep.
11:07:46 Dr. Barry sometimes talks about the end of the pandemic but you know we keep seeing these benchmarks go by and how do we how do we sustain our energy together.
11:08:03 what people think we can do as next steps and sustain the impact of the good work you're doing great. Well, I am coming up with some ways to promote this further it's not indicated
in the plan for today's purposes but with some hopeful.
11:08:14 Looking forward to some strategic planning for public health in general I mean I know you all understand that we're at an interesting juncture, I mean never before juncture,
with regard to making it through the pandemic and maintaining our staff and nurturing
11:08:29 them and encouraging them despite the long haul. And then the dawn of what what is public health and the eyes of the people moving forward and that means many things some I
can tell you, and some that I am hopeful about and others unforeseen so this is
11:08:47 a really critical time and we are very busy so strategic planning seems like that would be hard to onboard but it has to happen. It can't not have this is the time this is,
this is the not make waste of a good crisis situation and I want to make sure
11:09:02 that we capitalize on that. And to answer your question you know one of the things I've learned, this is my personal opinion through this pandemic and all of the burnout and
the staff.
11:09:13 You know burden, the truest investing to count on is our connections. And while it can be stressful here, our connections to one another and our knowing of each other and even
bringing in new staff is really the core of what sustains our energy, I can
11:09:31 say that clearly seen it from every angle now.
11:09:36 And this retreat while it's only one day, it is an honor of those relationships where we can take a breath, and not worry about meetings or the phone ringing and really be present
because that's where the rejuvenation comes from is the shared experience
11:09:53 that being present, and the having a reason to come together that's outside of your, You know the constant drains of the day.
11:10:04 So, there will be a way for us to do a reflective tool on our retreat in the 18th, and then moving forward with that information will be able to plan best, how to take next
steps.
11:10:18 But thank you for asking about that because it's right, it's true. We need to be able to hold that momentum and use it down the road.
11:10:28 Yeah, so I mean I think there's no action on this we already approved it and I'm consent earlier so I appreciate hearing more about it and seeing the agenda and your leadership,
Apple really big thanks to you.
11:10:44 Well, can't do it without all sports so I'm, I appreciate the opportunity to do it and learn how to do it with every passing minute and hour of the day, so thank you.
11:10:55 I'm gonna have to light the mats.
11:10:58 I wish you could do it on a warm beach somewhere but alas, that's what am i staff said, Are you sure we're not doing this in Hawaii and I said, Yes, I'm sure.
11:11:07 Yep. Sorry.
11:11:09 It was warm on the beach in Irondale yesterday. That's true. Fair enough.
11:11:14 Thank you.
11:11:15 Thank you for that you said this was approved on consent.
11:11:21 Didn't yeah well this wasn't their budget know
11:11:27 They're, you're approved here approved the conversion of to two year term limited positions to permanent but I
11:11:38 didn't know if it if it would have been on consent then wouldn't have also been on the regular agenda. So I think emotion.
11:11:48 I think the staff report is seeking financial support from the board.
11:11:57 So, if, if you were to make a motion to provide that financial support then we can adjust the transfer to public health in the spring supplemental.
11:12:13 Thank you, Mark. I met Miss misspoke there I'm sorry. So, I would entertain a motion and support of this retreat, that we support public health retreat, and support them with
the $5,788 for venue catering presenter fees and supplies for staff activities
11:12:27 for the February, 18, or if it needs to be rescheduled for whenever that they
11:12:33 will second seconds and just quick question. Would it be good to authorize a little more budget authority, just in case. Additional expenditures come up.
11:12:43 Maybe 7500, just in case.
11:12:48 I'm modify it to 75.
11:12:51 And I will accept that modification on saver.
11:12:59 Thank you, I appreciate it.
11:13:06 Nice job. Thanks Mark road.
11:13:10 Right now we need to come over.
11:13:21 Right after approve the notification be brought over.
11:13:31 Do you see we're trying to raise you the panelists.
11:13:37 Up there he comes.
11:13:37 David Wayne Johnson on
11:13:42 brand commissioners is David is David joining us rent node A David will not be joining us today. I see, okay, I wanted to share with the board that David Wayne Johnson is with
staff but he's no longer serving capacity in our planning manager.
11:14:03 So I'll be delivering this presentation on behalf of DCD.
11:14:12 I have a PowerPoint.
11:14:16 So I will share my screen if you allow. Yeah, you have the ability to do that at the bottom of the screen. Oh yeah, there we go.
11:14:31 Is it coming in, loud and clear the PowerPoint.
11:14:35 Yeah, it looks like you need to change it to presentation view.
11:14:40 Yeah, because you got your notes up.
11:14:43 Okay, so presentation to thank you.
11:15:08 your screen went away Brynn.
11:15:10 Okay, coming back. I just wanted to make your presentation view slideshow.
11:15:18 Ok.
11:15:19 And I'm going to try this again.
11:15:22 There we go.
11:15:34 Okay, We got it.
11:15:35 How does it been going great. Good. Thank you, Chair Eisenhower, and members of the Board of County Commissioners and also the public.
11:15:52 That's president today.
11:15:50 My presentation will cover the 2022 comprehensive plan amendment cycle. This is just a brief workshop to overview some of the considerations that may come into play.
11:16:05 The agenda includes first an overview of the comprehensive plan cycle considerations that are sort of laid out and our Jefferson County code, the CPA cycle history I've just
done a really brief overview of some of the last three years of of the comprehensive
11:16:23 plan cycle, and then I'm going to just share make sure that everyone here is familiar with the comprehensive plan amendment cycle process. And then, one of the considerations
that's always critical as it will we have sufficient staff or do we have sufficient
11:16:41 staff, which is a consideration. and then I'm going to open it up for questions.
11:16:46 So, the annual cycle is something that we announced in its really timely for us to discuss some workload at this point because we would accept applications.
11:17:01 As of March, 1 2022, And, and we would look at that, that are those that are submitted and create a preliminary docket, and this is done once annually.
11:17:21 And I wanted to point out that we do have exceptions will see an exception of coming forward to now we are showing master program we're hoping to bring that to the board.
11:17:32 And so some of these exceptions fall outside of the regular cycle. another one is emergencies.
11:17:42 And then.
11:17:47 Okay, so then I also wanted to share who actually submits amendments and so our code identifies that citizens can the Board of County Commissioners can remember.
11:18:02 County staff county departments and other agencies.
11:18:07 When we said that the sexually that the preliminary docket is compiled March this year, and then the BCC the board would review and consider the Planning Commission Report,
and a recommendation for the final document May.
11:18:35 And can I ask you one question.
11:18:32 Who that mean the, I mean, you mentioned them specifically but the Planning Commission is kind of a. Definitely a moving party in this list of who isn't it.
11:18:40 I mean they have they have.
11:18:53 That's absolutely correct. And they have submitted in the past and, unfortunately, we haven't had resources to move forward with recommendations they've provided.
11:18:56 Thank you.
11:19:00 What are the primary considerations considerations need on is that comprehensive plan is there a need for that. Is there an urgency, we have currently to interim controls that
emphasize that we do have some urgency placed upon of homeless housing, and
11:19:23 also urgency placed upon resolving the issues surrounding lots of record appropriateness, is it appropriate is the application that's been submitted as an appropriate, and then
critically important.
11:19:37 During a record year permits has been a capacity of staff to review and manage. And then, finally, the budget, and the cost to process those amendments.
11:19:53 And as I've shared with you this is not been updated but it does show that we were on record to surpass all past years, our revenue does show that we have an extra ordinary
number of applications that have come in that were paid for by members of the
11:20:13 community, and we will come back with you at a later date with an update the year and.
11:20:21 So, in the CPA cycle the last three years.
11:20:26 We had a 2021 cycle, and we had two projects on that that's the green burial, which was submitted by the Jefferson.
11:20:36 Land Trust, and then a mile sand and gravel, which is seeking to expand a gravel excavation operation. Those are in process and if you remember, the 2020 cycle, because of the
coronavirus started late.
11:20:55 And that was a proposal by seem to resolve 22.15 acres.
11:21:03 And it just, you probably remember that this was in a woodland hills area, and that there was an actually an area that had been just left out, never made sense.
11:21:14 And so, the recommendation from the planning agency. And when I say the agency I'm referring to both the Planning Commission and the planning division that concur, and both
recommended approval which the board did do.
11:21:31 And that was the 20 cycle which it started late on the 2019 cycle. There was a request out and Kate George to resume.
11:21:45 From a one to 10 to one to five.
11:21:48 The planning commission did not see a reason for that. That was not recommended for approval.
11:21:54 There was a discrepancy meaning that the, the division, and the agency, excuse me the planning division recommended approval, but the Planning Commission recommended it not
to be approved.
11:22:09 And so the boards ultimate action was to deny that project.
11:22:14 So this is just a brief history where we started on the 2021 cycle, we already were behind. And that really was initiated by a lot of covert concerns and so.
11:22:30 So this is an example I put up on the screen also shows you this is very common that up on the upper right is scheduled counting process. So this is a common across western
Washington communities.
11:22:47 And then, what is the process look like.
11:22:52 And so we have this up on our comprehensive plan a website. And as part of the community development department, and you see the shaded area that's been sort of
11:23:07 a, I guess you might call that pink is really the notes legislative determine dates. And so that that first thing is, as I indicated earlier is March, that's when we would round
out or accept cycles, and then we would buy the second full Business Week
11:23:30 in March, we would prepare a preliminary docket.
11:23:35 And so this does move forward, so that it may as I indicated earlier, and she's the other legislative component here that it's in my code that the board would consider the preliminary
got the items that are on that.
11:23:50 And then the is possible, public hearings on those suggested amendments, and then typically at the end.
11:24:00 In December, we would finalize the doc, that's the standard approach pre coven.
11:24:09 So what is a comprehensive plan men needed. and are there best practices and so we have seen one where rezoning does trigger comprehensive plan amendments.
11:24:23 We also are aware that sub area planning.
11:24:28 Critically is a driver for a comprehensive plan amendment but actual Britain was one of the only communities in the county that had its own sub area planets incorporated in
the comprehensive plan.
11:24:45 And then, when the growth management at was adopted and our county Jefferson County began the process of creating a new comp plan that was taking into consideration the growth
Management Act, there were a neighborhood, or I should say areas within the
11:25:10 county had their own plans that were all incorporated into the, the Jefferson County comprehensive plan. And then there are potentially needs to amend the comprehensive plan.
11:25:24 If we were to rework our transferable development rights program.
11:25:29 So here's an example of the best part of practice. This is congregations for the homeless shelter and center.
11:25:38 This was the result of a master planning process so that is currently underway. And, and this was a master plan that was looked at from the perspective of meeting specific needs
within the community envisioned a 360 units of permanent affordable housing,
11:25:59 and to six storey towers on 7.3 acres, or they also had a 20,000 square foot homeless shelter that occupies almost just under three quarters of an acre.
11:26:12 Additionally, a 95 supportive housing units on 1.69 acres. And so this was a process that was done with a master planning process.
11:26:30 And in as a consequence of that they looked at critical components like set 10 Crime Prevention through Environmental Design.
11:26:41 It looked at other issues related to fiscal needs. And so this was a really robust process, and it's one that might be an example of four of the middle road site, should the
board have an interest in and looking at a long term use for that site.
11:27:07 Another area that comprehensive plan amendments may be necessary is if we want to transfer development rights, if we wanted to allocate densities to certain areas in the, in
the county that have as of yet not been associated with density like our parks,
11:27:27 the transference of that density to a Jason sites might need affordable housing needs. But this is also an example of of type of process that is used in a lot of counties.
11:27:44 This is an example of King County it's the visual there is a graphic from the King County website. And so, this is another area where a comprehensive plan admin process might
be necessary in terms of ensuring affordable housing.
11:28:00 So I'm going to shift. Now, to management of workload priorities, because a lot of what we do, really depends upon there being sufficient staff.
11:28:13 I wanted to OA should have been changed to efforts to obtain a planning manager excuse me This is from a former, and so I wanted to share that we posted.
11:28:25 In November, the availability of the planning manager position it closed or I should say the first review was December 23. We received no applicants.
11:28:37 We were alarmed by that. And it's, I believe, related to this overall event availability of jobs across the nation, being 2021. There were a record number of job openings.
11:28:55 And again, in the latest report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
11:29:01 An additional 400,000 jobs who are available in the fourth quarter of 2021. I think we're seeing that impact. We've heard of that public works had difficulty in recruiting for
the sewer project.
11:29:16 And so this is something that we need to be cognizant of and I truly appreciate the boards action earlier today to transfer to time term limited positions to permanent ones.
11:29:38 It is I'm hopeful that maybe one of our resident resident needs may reconsider. As a consequence of your actions.
11:29:41 So what are what is the existing work plan.
11:29:46 When we I joined the staff there were a list of items that were identified. And this refers back to a may 2021 step report to the BCC, and it lists, a group of our projects
that are moving forward, where we are now as we're moving on these projects.
11:30:07 We've went to the board, you were gracious and offering, enabling us to postpone item number two here, the port habla UGA implementation, so that we can start looking at this
at the end of the year, really what's the focus of moving ahead in 2023.
11:30:27 Again, the board on December 13 of last year, allowed us to extend the completion of the Affordable homeless housing project, until June of 2022, and we are coming forward within
the next.
11:30:45 I would imagine this quarter on the shoreline master program update so we still expect to carry that to completion. At this first quarter.
11:30:55 We are working assiduously to address the needs of our new software and our gun. I know that Mark has set up a meeting tomorrow, we'll have an internal discussion to ensure
that this project is moving ahead with all deliberate speed.
11:31:16 The fee schedule update I've been working with the prosecuting attorney's office, and that is moving ahead. We hope to have something. By the end of this month if not then early
February, which will address.
11:31:31 What we've seen is a need to ensure that no applicant falls behind on a large project that we never fall in arrears of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
11:31:44 And that exposure is removed, a fiscal responsible approach.
11:31:49 We're also looking at building code updates, and to be completed in the first quarter. And then finally, we're going to come back to you soon.
11:32:01 With number nine here which is the F cap on the shoreline grant. And so these are potential new additions to the work plan.
11:32:13 So, if you remember, I David come to the board, and I originally suggested that in order to match this, that we should cancel the 2022 comprehensive plan cycle, but I have,
I would request an amendment to that.
11:32:30 And this amendment would be consistent with recognition of some of the really extreme needs of the community for homeless housing, the needs of the community for affordable
housing that we limit the 2022 cycle to only those projects that address that,
11:32:53 that emergency need of the community.
11:32:57 We did suggest even considering declining acceptance of the new Department of Ecology grants.
11:33:06 I do not recommend that and I think the the interim county administrator pointed to the fact that the Department of Ecology, would look favorably upon us in the future, should
that occur.
11:33:19 So we're hopeful that with the system planners and a new group of hires that will be able to carry that out, it's a bit early to say, but we do have some applications out and
we've been more successful in hiring of persons at the lower end of the room,
11:33:39 than persons at the higher end. So, we have some hope that that that'll fill that that need. And then we were very pleased by the board's recommendation to keep the lot of record
to one year, just given the capacity limitations that identify and that
11:34:02 we are right now recruiting as an assistant planner, up to an associate that would help with some of the grants, and then.
11:34:15 Number five, maybe a little premature because we hopeful that we have a better understanding of the amount of work for the Britain project and once we have an understanding
of the amount of work.
11:34:26 we can talk about whether or not it's 25 or 50% of a full time position. And so, barring that we do not know, but given ask the question and that breath.
11:34:43 Yes, I'm sorry to interrupt just. I'm curious with the, the difficulty and staffing up in any capacity right now is that limited platter for pleasant harbor.
11:34:51 I mean, don't we also have the authority to say pleasant harbor you probably need that to hire some staff to to get the work done is that really work that DCD needs to do or
that work the DCD is volunteering to do.
11:35:04 It's a.
11:35:06 We could have.
11:35:09 The, The applicant hire a consultant.
11:35:13 And that's one of the options there. One of the concerns is that the consultant, we still have to carry their hands.
11:35:21 They, they don't know our code. So, there is a cost benefit analysis is the amount of management time.
11:35:29 More than having a regular member of staff was familiar with the coach from doing it. So this is, this is sort of a really good way.
11:35:38 Gotcha. Thank you. You're welcome.
11:35:42 And so, where I am now and then just before questions is that we would recommend that the Board of County Commissioners limit of the 2022 comprehensive Matt comprehensive plan
amendment cycle to only those projects that advanced affordable, or homeless
11:36:00 housing.
11:36:03 And we do this out of recognition that we were unsuccessful in recruiting planning manager. We also have two resignations, and one is an associate planner what is an assistant
planner.
11:36:18 So we do this, out of recognition of limited capacity, but at a time, we would typically say to cancel the cycle entirely. But given the emergency that we do find ourselves
in with the need for homeless and affordable housing.
11:36:35 The fact that we do have one of the most wonderful purchases reasonably made by the county of the Mill Road site, but we do see opportunities here, that would potentially necessitate
a comprehensive plan amendments.
11:36:53 And so we want to make sure that that is always available to the board.
11:37:06 And at that closes my presentation. Thank you, Brent, looks like Kate has her hand up. Yeah, thank you. Brenton I'm sorry if you covered this but are we passed the timeline
for site specific amendments that would be requested by property owner or are
11:37:17 They would be doing a march first of 2022. And so we're requesting that any site specific results be limited to homeless or affordable housing projects.
11:37:37 And what to build a house like let's look at the 2021 where, you know, Stephen wanted to cut up two parcels of the four, I think, and that is that an affordable housing that
qualify that would not qualify.
11:37:52 That was really a woodland hills subdivision.
11:37:55 The housing there is fairly expensive, it would typically not meet that that hundred percent of area median income or less, and that's typically the definition of what we look
at is affordable.
11:38:20 Oh, go ahead.
11:38:21 Yeah, I wanted to follow up on kids a little I was, I was curious about the site specific applications as well and I just, I'm hesitant to remove that that option I mean we
usually have one or zero, but if someone is working on their own project that's
11:38:38 not doesn't qualify as affordable housing, and we didn't have this option, it would just, it would push their project by a year, a year and a half. Is that right, it would push
it out to the 2023 cycle.
11:38:53 But if we were to accept it. And there were other projects that the board wish to move forward with, we would have an impact on the boards projects as well.
11:39:03 Yeah no good choices. Okay.
11:39:10 I ran I had a question, a couple times in your presentations, the last couple presentations I've seen as mentioned of consultants and just begs the question, or their consultants
available.
11:39:22 Currently, and you know I mean what's the viability of using consultants for some of this work.
11:39:28 I did record the, the limitation you just mentioned of having to hold their hands but just curious if there are projects.
11:39:39 I would say that we are hopeful for sure that will have consultants for areas that we are having the competency, the review of miles, sand, gravel the expansion, we need to
supplement staffing with consultants for review of the reaches along the DR bush
11:40:01 achievement. That's the big and little quill, we're actually doing a comprehensive floodplain if the board so approves to accept the award from the Department of Ecology, that
would result in a consultant being retained.
11:40:17 And so, we are still using consultants and it's actually a strategy that we will try to balance between what is the size and scope of the project, and the management of that
project size and scope.
11:40:36 And for those two projects that I've mentioned, they, they are ones where we don't have the technical competency on staff to actually carry those out, you will have no choice
in those, they have done by an outside consultant.
11:40:53 And then, are you planning on reposting the planning manager position or what's the plan with that.
11:41:01 We have several concerns, as you know, this sort of follows along with the, the general issues we're seeing in the country.
11:41:14 We would like to repost, but we need to have some internal conversations with Sarah, Mark, to understand why we were so successful. We wouldn't want to have the same result.
11:41:31 Okay.
11:41:33 Those are my questions.
11:41:37 anymore, Mark, do you have any questions regarding this proposal to limit me know. Okay. Not at all, I think, I think it's approved plan.
11:41:52 When watchmen bringing back up your list of options that was really helpful.
11:42:03 You'll have to share your screen again.
11:42:04 Oh, okay. sorry.
11:42:20 Thank you.
11:42:24 Um, so, I am I'm pleased to see number one on here we have in the past. Not allowed amendments in the components of plan cycle and did not include affordable are not exempt
affordable housing from that so I think that that's an improvement.
11:42:43 Um, I guess I'm part of me wishes we could wait and see how many sites specific applications, we get. And then, and then make some decisions based on workload and funding,
11:43:03 just so that we have as much information as possible and are not stifling potential projects in the county.
11:43:09 Is there any way of knowing for example through, through customer assistance meetings, if any site specific applications are expected.
11:43:22 We could have that is one area. No one has come to me with that, but I have also not asked that typically.
11:43:31 One of the concerns I have is that it may take an applicant some time to put all the documents together. And so that's one of the reasons I decided to come to the board is for
early as possible, because if you make a decision not to move ahead.
11:43:48 If it's beneficial for the community to knows that, so they don't spend time on something that would not move forward.
11:43:58 So I unfortunately can't really answer that question.
11:44:02 I know there's some, some risk associated with
11:44:10 with that with either relying on consultants, because, you know, can we can be certain that they're available but I do feel like in a time of high revenue and Kenny's ability
to backfill.
11:44:36 That, you know if this is a problem that we can throw money at and not stifle potential projects, I would rather lean in that direction. Because we're in a position to do so
right now, but, but that's risky, you know, I think I'm my guess is you would
11:44:43 know if there was something big in the pipeline that was going to land in the next six, eight weeks.
11:44:49 By the march 1 deadline, but.
11:44:53 But I, I'm very wary of putting you in a tough position brands and over extending your department more so I guess I'm curious if there's, if you could have that conversation
with staff and, and just fill out kind of what the likelihood is of projects
11:45:09 coming down the pipeline for an amendment and, and then make a decision with a little more information.
11:45:16 The other the other question along that line is the projects that you outlined in your presentation, the one have a commercial adjusting a commercial properties for different
forestry property for commercial use.
11:45:30 Is that, then exempted from the docket for this one.
11:45:40 No.
11:45:43 Oh, it was on one of your lists.
11:45:47 Okay, so you're here. Now,
11:45:53 was a forestry project forestry property currently that is seeking to be a commercial property that you mentioned on one of your slides.
11:46:04 A large, a large project.
11:46:10 Think of the mile sand and gravel extension. Oh, yes.
11:46:16 That wasn't it.
11:46:21 I didn't hear that.
11:46:22 I didn't hear it today.
11:46:26 No, I didn't speak and I died, I think about it as well.
11:46:28 I didn't make it up by side on the list.
11:46:34 Okay, go to the beginning of your slideshow.
11:46:38 Sorry.
11:46:40 Wasn't that wasn't Wait, wait, wait. slow down.
11:46:46 Okay, keep going,
11:46:54 keep going. This is getting slide I'll go through once more. So this was a.
11:47:00 This the overall. And then this was just sort of targeting some of the most important.
11:47:07 And then, and then who would win. Yeah.
11:47:11 And then, what are the considerations.
11:47:14 Yeah,
11:47:17 talks about where we are currently. Yeah, just share some of the history of last year's.
11:47:24 And then this is the cycle, more specific with much more detail. This is on our website. Yeah.
11:47:33 And then, and then this covers looks at some of the types of trigger be imagining this, I swear it's not on the list.
11:47:44 And then, This was an example of best practice and Belgium.
11:47:51 Maybe borrow from. Yeah.
11:47:55 And this is in reference to how to capture some of the densities that our parks and other open space areas have to cap.
11:48:07 And then, then back to the overall matter.
11:48:12 Okay, maybe I might have mentioned it, and it's in some of the things that in terms of large projects we do have some in the hopper, going to the Planning Commission, but they
don't need comprehensive plan amendments.
11:48:30 Okay. Was that we're going to be able to do without that. Okay,
11:48:38 and Britain that's true of the different phases of that potential project, they would not be impacted by this.
11:48:45 That project here is different because you know this was in a city.
11:48:53 I meant that the forest lands. Oh, that's why. Yeah, that doesn't need a comp plan and then based upon the information. We've seen up to date.
11:49:08 So, there's been a bit of a delay in and going to the Planning Commission, but we're hopeful that we'll go through this month.
11:49:19 Example on a list so sorry if I derailed us for a minute.
11:49:24 I'm not gonna apologize though.
11:49:29 And I think it's worth pointing out to that many, many projects that might have been in the hopper are affected by the moratorium. And so, they are not being presented as well,
is that correct.
11:49:45 Oh, I would say that the board has been very helpful and addressing the community's concerns. So when we went to the board on the 20th you added a new exception related to those
areas in the county that serve our needs for the fish and wildlife species
11:50:07 and so it's normal for. And then for single families homeowners that own land without an actual property on it.
11:50:18 The amendment to exception number six enables those projects to move forward as well. So you've done everything necessary to allow projects by the community people that have
lived here that invested their time and into ownership of land, and those projects,
11:50:38 now can go forward
11:50:42 in that, in that line brand, I still have a lot of reservations about removing DC vs apart ability to react to the site specific comp plan amendments, it just, I feel like well
we've got a lot of proactive programs that we have a lot of energy behind
11:51:00 and already staff commitment to.
11:51:04 I feel like your, your department one of your principal responsibilities is to react, you know, with our code to to applicants, so I have a lot of hesitation to remove that
site specific.
11:51:16 The site specific comp plan amendment from this docket cycled.
11:51:20 I do I do as well because we, we don't know what's out there right, it feels like it really limits the community's ability
11:51:31 is for us to accept all projects, and then to come to the board and when we come with the preliminary packet.
11:51:41 We can actually look at our resources again. Maybe we've had some success and retaining a system.
11:51:51 So, that would be the other option that at that point within sort of kicked the bucket down the road or the ball down the road. And, see, see if we're able to, at that time
and has there been a change, two months from now.
11:52:09 I prefer i mean i think couching it you know projects that concern affordable housing or homeless housing, or, or site specific comp plan amendments is how I guess I would like
to revise that I will.
11:52:25 Yeah.
11:52:26 I'll stop there.
11:52:32 With the knowledge that this might come back to us in a couple of months, with more need for capacity from DCD. Yep. No, I think, yeah, I acknowledge that and also acknowledge
that it's very possible we don't have anything specific comp plan amendment
11:52:47 so it won't be an issue at all.
11:52:53 So, great Do you want to make a motion to that effect.
11:52:59 Do we need a motion here.
11:53:02 It almost sounds as though you wish to take no action, because if you take no action today.
11:53:08 Then we'll just becoming forward with the comprehensive plan cycle.
11:53:12 I don't mind limiting it somewhat I mean you have is still, I wouldn't mind let me that just to affordable and or homeless housing and specific, so I'd be happy to make a motion
that we limit the 2022 comprehensive plan cycle to projects that advanced
11:53:33 the community's need for affordable and or homeless housing and site specific applications.
11:53:41 I will second that. And as for discussion.
11:53:48 So brands, how does that.
11:53:51 How does that sit with you.
11:53:54 Oh, it's just I think about what we've seen in the past.
11:53:59 The we do have site specific applications that come through, and they have historically been at least in the last couple of years, changes from rural residential, you know one
to 22 one to 10 or, or one to 10 to one or five so those are types of applications
11:54:15 that I would expect to come through a site specific.
11:54:23 And the moratorium would not affect those is that correct.
11:54:31 Well, if, If I heard correctly.
11:54:34 The site specific would not be limited in terms of the types of sites specific were accepting.
11:54:41 If that's correct, then those would still appear on the docket.
11:54:47 Okay, okay. And it is true that all site specific ones are the costs are born by the applicant right i mean there's capacity but they pay for it. That's correct.
11:54:58 They pay for it. That's correct.
11:55:04 Um, so, kind of, if we were to head in this direction, worst case scenario is you get a number of zoning changes you said that's that's largely the that could not be well federal
residential developments would go through a different process.
11:55:24 So zoning changes, I guess.
11:55:29 And then, I mean if you like van we have the tools of the different, the levers of the options that you presented to us. So, what do we hire out for.
11:55:42 And, yeah, That would be my, my preference, as well, just as we are trying to be as responsive as possible to two people, you know, especially.
11:55:57 Sounds like many of these are residential but I'm just as open as possible to people's plans for their land and not be not be limiting those unnecessarily I'm more comfortable
heading in that direction to and, fingers crossed that it does not create enormous
11:56:15 headaches for DCD.
11:56:20 Right. And if it does, we'll be back before you commissioners asking for resources.
11:56:27 Yeah.
11:56:29 I might have to go work in DCD guys. Okay.
11:56:35 I wanted to actually. Yeah,
11:56:39 man help them us appreciate.
11:56:43 Not sure.
11:56:45 Is there more discussion on this I don't
11:56:50 know, I just emotion and about emotion has been made and seconded. Made by Greg second and my gate.
11:56:57 So, all those in favor.
11:57:00 Aye. Aye.
11:57:04 Thank you.
11:57:06 Thank you for your work, man.
11:57:11 Don't hesitate to reach out Brent. I know we know you won't though.
11:57:18 Thank you, Brett.
11:57:20 Thank you.
11:57:22 Well, it's 1157 anything.
11:57:26 Some of us have a watch sec meeting at noon.
11:57:30 Um. Anything else that we want to cover in a couple minutes.
11:57:34 I'd love time I'd like to be on that call right at noon. So I'd love to adjourn it's the deputy director of Department of Health.
11:57:46 Yeah. Yeah, so important to have it update. Yeah.
11:57:48 Okay. We are recessed until 130.
11:57:57 Hi everyone.
13:30:20 Okay, so I think we're going right into executive session at least that's what my calendar says, we try and capture and noon.
13:30:29 Okay,
13:30:35 so then Heidi we might need a minute delay till he comes on to read the executive session, little open ready to read.
13:30:59 Looks like AV capture is live and running, and we are going to start off this afternoon session by going into executive session and with our interim county administrator.
13:31:10 Central services director, Chief civil deputy prosecuting attorney, human resources manager and profit and Representative re evaluating the qualifications of applicants for
public employment exemption as outlined in the open public meetings that are CW 42
13:31:28 dot 3110 parentheses one parentheses gu over there. What's the time.
13:31:36 How long what's the time frame.
13:31:40 From 130 to 2pm. Thank you. I'm 31 to 2pm Thank you.
13:31:54 You're still on.
14:00:51 by the way, you know, there's one minute left. Will you be extending.
14:00:55 Let me turn on at capture and
14:01:02 I see Greg in the audience Sarah bring them over
14:01:09 an hour mark.
14:01:17 So we are coming out of executive session.
14:01:21 And we are not taking action.
14:01:31 And on that note, we have a list of agenda items
14:01:43 and getting back was gonna bring over, bring out a NBC team and the Brooks, I see Ben Bauer Mr.
14:01:51 Bring out the EDC team, Cindy Brooks, I see Ben Bauer Mr. Yeah and Brian.
14:01:56 Would you be willing to make Brian a presenter as well.
14:02:03 He's on his way over.
14:02:06 Okay, great.
14:02:09 Yeah.
14:02:10 Yeah, We were planning.
14:02:13 Okay.
14:02:21 So this afternoon we have three agenda items, the first being a discussion with EDC around the ARPA grant program small business grants. The second being.
14:02:40 Welcome to discussion on our communications position.
14:02:42 It's a little less at the ends to have.
14:02:48 Yeah. So I, I guess I could start this off because I participated in a call with Cindy men and Brian on Friday, to talk through criteria for a grant program and as you all remember
we set aside or allocated $500,000 of our funding to be used to support
14:03:08 small businesses in responding to the economic hardship of the pandemic.
14:03:15 And I think maybe I'll turn it over to you, Cindy now to talk about the work you've done and I did spend some time reading the final guidance yesterday and I've talked a little
bit with Mark about it so we can go over that when we get to that later.
14:03:32 Yeah. Well, the other for things that we'd like to discuss one is the community survey that we sent out to businesses with help of our community partners to chambers and Main
Street.
14:03:43 So we wanted to summarize that for you to let you know how the community responded to that survey.
14:03:50 We wanted to talk about the ARPA rules with you to get some guidelines.
14:03:54 We have a proposed starting place to start to start to discuss the criteria.
14:04:01 And we have a couple items to discuss around a timeline and the costs to administer.
14:04:07 So that's what we'd like to cover in our 30 minutes and Brian i think is ready with the survey results queued up.
14:04:16 Ryan thanks Cindy.
14:04:19 Cindy, would you mind introducing your team just further Oh sure.
14:04:28 Yeah I'm Cindy Brooks the executive director of EDC team Jefferson and Brian our business services director is here with us today Brian who has done a lot of valuable work and
preparation for this conversation, and we have our board director, Mr.
14:04:40 Ben Bob Baumeister with us as well. Right. And I'd like to clarify that you're not limited to 30 minutes we don't have a time frame on this particular agenda item.
14:04:50 So we can go as long as it needs to. Great. Well, that's the luxury Thank you.
14:04:57 All right, thanks Cindy, appreciate it and good to see the, the commission this afternoon. Thanks for having us.
14:05:03 Obviously exciting stuff we've been talking about it, you've been talking about it is another round of grant funding so we started by wanting to get a temperature where folks
are out in the community, not unlike the outreach the each of y'all have done.
14:05:17 Just see how folks are doing throughout 21 and as we move into 2022, so I'm going to share some examples. If you have any follow up questions or want to see a deeper dive.
14:05:28 I'm happy to, you know, anonymize The, the responses and get that to you. So we wanted to give you just enough to set the framework, but if you want more, it's there for you.
14:05:39 So the first question or one of the initial questions was just trying to see how folks were doing in comparison to 2019 pre coven. And as you can see from this pie chart on
the screen, a solid 41% said they're doing worse.
14:05:57 And we weren't necessarily surprised by that.
14:06:01 A solid 32% said generally the same.
14:06:07 And I gotta apologize I'm getting a little bit of a feedback Are y'all hearing that too or am I okay.
14:06:15 Okay.
14:06:19 on your end Brian. Oh, okay.
14:06:22 I'm on headphones so I shouldn't.
14:06:24 Sorry about that.
14:06:26 I will try and ignore it and try not to exacerbate it.
14:06:30 So, there was a small percentage that said that they're doing better actually, and I just was speaking to some folks in King County, about half hour ago, who shared some of
their outreach and businesses and how not surprisingly some businesses are actually
14:06:45 doing better despite the pandemic. Although the nuance there in has to do with what their operating expenses are and what their net income is, and then not surprising to Jefferson
County, the entrepreneurial spirit was represented with 11% of the respondents
14:07:02 saying they weren't in business in 2019. So meaning those are new businesses that have started. Since the pandemic began, and anecdotally, one of the things that Jefferson,
or EDC team Jefferson does is act as the administrator for lion.
14:07:21 And there has been a robust amount of funding for not only new business startups, but also funded funding request for purchasing existing businesses.
14:07:33 Another thing that was important in previous rounds of grant funds, and you may recall, a couple years ago when we were speaking.
14:07:47 I had recommended, and we pursued spreading the small amount of money 125,000 around further by giving smaller awards to more recipients.
14:07:59 I'll be honest with you I'm not sure that was the right call it may very well Ben but you know at the end of the day one does have to question. You know what a de minimis award
would be that would be financially impactful for any given business so it's
14:08:14 definitely an art not a science but I want to see what businesses thought.
14:08:20 So, you have a lot of folks saying that sold 28% of respondents said they thought more words with smaller grant amounts makes sense now use the example of 100 grants of $55,000
each.
14:08:32 You had a small percentage about 12% say they'd like to see fewer grant awards with larger amounts. So, in this case and example is 25 grams of 20,000 each.
14:08:45 But then the vast majority responded that they'd like a mix of both.
14:08:50 So, like that famous porridge story and the Three Bears, you know, They want to something in between that was just right so unfortunately that means no easy answer for us but
something I did want to share with you and something I look forward to discussing
14:09:05 with you today.
14:09:08 We then went on to see what sort of needs people have and what they would use grant funds for so I won't read all the results here but you can see that we had given them some
options to choose from including of course rent lease payments salary payroll
14:09:23 coven related updates to a business, marketing professional services and the like and it was split out as follows in this pie chart that you have in front of you.
14:09:35 Fortunately in San Diego speak to this, this does align.
14:09:41 This doesn't align with what appears to be allowable under the ARPA funds as, as we were reading them over the weekend, along with commissioners and now.
14:09:52 So of course we got a lot of responses to this but I tried to condense it down into just five key bullet spirit consideration and wanting to see what types of businesses or
sectors if any should be prioritized for grants, and a lot of a lot of good and
14:10:08 thoughtful responses here, but some top, top ones included and these are in no particular order. Tourism related restaurants hospitality so things where businesses were required
to scale back significantly, you know obviously have many of these have fixed
14:10:29 overhead costs that they have to absorb and deal with and so we know the sectors have struggled throughout coven.
14:10:38 The other one that's kind of a no brainer and Ben had a nice way of simply describing these businesses when we spoke on Friday but those businesses that because of the mandated
closures, their, their music completely stopped.
14:10:55 You know, in terms of financial inflow gyms theaters museums and the like. And we know numerous examples locally, of those situations.
14:11:06 A lot of folks called out nonprofit and community organizations so organizations that are doing support in the community but nonprofits that are part of the you know the social
fabric here in Jefferson County, with something that people had indicated
14:11:22 was important to them.
14:11:24 Not surprisingly, minority and bypass businesses in particular but also women veteran and tribal on businesses, was a common response from people so you know businesses here,
or at least responded to the survey survey we're, especially concerned with.
14:11:43 You know marginalized sectors in the business community.
14:11:48 And then another one that came up quite a bit, and this commission has certainly allocated.
14:11:58 Some sizable crunches of this ARPA funding to address is things related to health care housing and childcare, so I included that in here for your consideration, but also just
to demonstrate.
14:12:06 You know what's on the hearts and minds of businesses, as they're looking at this pandemic in a broad sense.
14:12:14 And I'm sorry quick question. So was this a, like a text box in the survey that these were the answers you receive
14:12:25 many many answers but yes it was a free form text, text box in the survey, and where they give weights at all to kind of how many.
14:12:36 I do, and I apologize, I don't have that in front of me but generally speaking, restaurants, was very high, you know this businesses impacted by the mandatory closure was very
high
14:12:50 housing and childcare were two very high responses as well. And then, you know, nonprofits and community organizations were less frequent but, you know, still mentioned, you
know handful of times, as was the minority owned businesses.
14:13:09 Thanks. Yeah, you bet. In one, one thing to and again I can share, much more detailed info, there was there was kind of a healthy tension of responses in terms of obviously
businesses that were forced to close, but also recognizing businesses that were
14:13:27 able to remain open, but still financially impacted significantly.
14:13:33 Cindy and I have spoken recently with a local manufacturer who they've described because of coded restrictions and distancing and things like that, that they could only have
so many people in the manufacturing space at one time and so that put it in artificial
14:13:49 cap on their production and therefore their net rapper gross revenues.
14:13:54 So, that was reflected in the answers as well.
14:14:05 Any other questions on this component.
14:14:16 I'm looking off to the side because that's where you all are on my screen setup.
14:14:21 Other questions for me, Brian. Okay.
14:14:25 All right, Cindy, what's next.
14:14:36 Well, the next thing on our list was to discuss the ARPA final rules guidelines and I wondered, you know, before we launch out. Heidi It sounds like you and I lost a good chunk
of a beautiful weekend reading that 430 page document.
14:14:43 So I'm curious if you have already made some decisions about how you'd like to go forward in terms of narrowing the scope and consideration of those guidelines.
14:14:58 It seemed to me from my read that the guidelines were super flexible.
14:15:00 And they made them even more flexible from the interim guidelines that were published a while ago and I shared with all of you, the two page summary of DARPA final rules guidelines
and so the one thing that I, I think on Friday I committed to you guys
14:15:18 is trying to figure out that that formula applied to how we grant out funds but know that formula applies to the recipient which is us the county so then Ben's comment of the
timeframe that we look at for the pool of businesses that were impacting we
14:15:36 want to look at, you know, the last year as opposed to the last two years in terms of businesses that were impacted that was a discussion that we started on Friday trying to
make the, the funding opportunity more real time, and I think that that question
14:15:53 is still now unanswered because the guidance does not limit us to looking at 2020.
14:16:02 For example, yeah. Yeah.
14:16:11 Could I could I ask.
14:16:08 Brian I think since you administer the 325,000, and our cares grants.
14:16:15 Has there been a hot wash or an after action review on what the 325,000 accomplished for the businesses that received those funds.
14:16:27 Mark. We did ask businesses to report back in.
14:16:32 I think it was three months after the funding was received. And they did there was nothing there were no big aha moments from that data that was received in terms of any variants
from what they had indicated in their application what they intended to
14:16:48 spend the funds on and what they actually did.
14:16:52 And those are primarily limited to payroll and rent.
14:16:57 That wasn't exclusively, but those were the big buckets of need at that time.
14:17:02 Do we know the survival rate of the businesses that received those grants are they all still viable businesses or did some of them shut down, even though they got grants.
14:17:12 We know that very small minority had shut down or transacted, but essentially shut down, but I can get you those exact numbers, I'd be happy to synthesize that and get it back
to you.
14:17:26 Well, I just think that knowing those, the answers to those questions might help inform us for this round of business grants as well.
14:17:37 Yeah.
14:17:37 Well, I find it. I think that's a really good question mark.
14:17:41 And where that takes me is that the initial idle money and the PPP money did leave out a lot of people with home based businesses and sole proprietor ships and a lot of people
fell through the cracks.
14:17:58 With that, and my, you know, I guess I worry about that question and that how this particular final rule document looks to me is that they're trying to capture all the people
that have been overlooked or kind of historically discriminated against.
14:18:15 It seems to me, less focused on helping people that are doing okay, or you know that we can trust will be around next year and then more to help the businesses that are at threat.
14:18:30 Yeah, that's a good comment.
14:18:33 Those that said they're doing better than pre pandemic. Why would we want to give them a grant that they don't have to repay.
14:18:43 Well we might not and that's why we did this. Right.
14:18:46 Right.
14:18:47 I wonder if in in when we review that criteria that we reviewed on started over again on Friday.
14:18:55 Do we want to keep our eyes wide open for making sure that we are leaning towards the businesses that have had not had support today. Do we want to try and
14:19:12 address those gaps that were exhibited through the past funding opportunities.
14:19:21 There's a way that our criteria was designed and I don't know that you're gonna be able to see it in the short form, but there's a way of back, you know, asking, and also if
we want to take the time to research what other grant opportunities these folks
14:19:36 have taken advantage of, we can back out those figures.
14:19:41 Right. So if we score a company based on their application to receive $10,000 but they've already received 7000 from other sources we can subtract that 7000 and offer them three.
14:19:58 Is that based on the previous funding that they've gotten from the EDC or are you able to get the information of what they've received from various sources from various sources.
14:20:12 So this is, we were talking about timeline to and I spoke extensively with Callie McAleer from column, about their process because they're in their third round of lifeboat three,
14:20:27 and her team clown county required of them to do extensive double checking. So to find out their team had to double check the business start date UPI number, and also double
check the past grants that they've qualified for and received.
14:20:47 So that took a fair amount of research on the team's time but then they were able to accurately calculate that, you know, to make sure that they were eligible as a business
and to make sure that the past.
14:21:01 grabbed amount or subtracted from the offer.
14:21:09 So I guess it's a matter of rigor and what our criteria is and you know how we prioritize things.
14:21:17 And as a.
14:21:19 I guess a comparison or what I was looking for when speaking with King County and other communities was kind of best practices that have emerged a term of undue enrichment was
was shared by the team at King County.
14:21:34 And they described what Cindy, just described as well as you know some sort of measure or prioritization of businesses who have not been able to access as much funding or support
in comparison as well to their overall.
14:21:52 You know, standard operating size they described a hair salon, whose typical net income or gross income was, 17,000 a year, even though it was a meaningful part of that households
income.
14:22:06 You know they had a hard time justifying, you know, a $10,000 Award and certainly not a $25,000 reward.
14:22:12 So they decide they described it right sizing the ultimate grant award but also recognizing.
14:22:19 You know businesses that hadn't received previous dollars, and we do have access to that Detailed Information Commissioner Dean.
14:22:28 I mean do you Is it your opinion that we could come up with a formula that that gets this granular versus having a committee that makes some of these subjective harder calls.
14:22:45 Well, there are a couple things to consider. I think that we will have to have some of our team be double checking data that's offered by the recipients.
14:22:54 So that will be some research time. Colleen mentioned that they had won their last question on their application form was intentionally kind of open ended and squishy, because
they wanted to understand.
14:23:14 based on their research, who they were still missing. So they invited people to tell their coven impact story as the last question and then they could reconsider like. Is there
a strong case to be made every hearing over and over again that we've left
14:23:26 Is there a strong case to be made over hearing over and over again that we've left out a certain category, or are there some stellar examples of people that have performed above
and beyond during coven that is deserving of, you know, an award.
14:23:36 So that came through I believe in this community impact score.
14:23:42 And they I think they used it with two different recipients, so it wasn't many but they learned a lot about how people felt, and who was left out, and there were a couple of,
you know, exemplary businesses that they felt deserved award, based on performance.
14:24:02 performance. I also want to chime in with one other thing there and, you know, in the discussions that we had and then and then continued with Commissioner Eisenhower last week.
14:24:12 This is such a trade off between getting it right and getting it out, you know, we could do a whole bunch of background checking and make sure that every businesses is viable
and we have a small team that's going to chase that down and.
14:24:27 And when when we move to the timeline in a second, you're going to see that that that timeline already has has people waiting longer than we may want them to have to wait to
get these checks so I'm, I'm really not wanting to see any of this funding go
14:24:41 I'm really not wanting to see any of this funding go to the wrong people. I also think that we are a small enough community that we know a lot of these businesses and we can
we can speed process through some of just the the community fabric that we know
14:24:54 in a reasonable way.
14:24:56 So that's, that's two cents worth.
14:24:59 And I shared yesterday that my sense that some kind of need to hurry up because the business I was holding on to in my head and my heart throughout this whole process has since
closed.
14:25:13 No one's coming forward and asking for this kind of support so I know we're a great business, and I agree, I agree Ben that you know there's that balance of the details and
getting the money on the street.
14:25:27 Sorry, Commissioner do, go ahead.
14:25:45 Well I also think, like, not to keep even more expectations on EDC which we clearly are. But, but you know how to undertake a process that isn't competitive to that's not pitting
businesses against each other in a small community, you know, and that's,
14:25:49 yeah, I'm just feeling for you guys.
14:25:55 I'm one of the criteria.
14:25:59 Oh, sorry.
14:25:59 Yeah, I'm good Sunday.
14:26:05 Um, I just wanted to make a comment about the ARPA rules one more comment before we move off of that.
14:26:12 Regarding industries as we're moving into criteria you can see on the slide that Brian has up here that type of businesses. The first category.
14:26:21 The ARPA guidance, allows us to prioritize industries.
14:26:27 And there were there was a simple test, which is has that industry received an 8% drop in employment.
14:26:34 I talked to Kevin Decker from Washington see grant and economist and he said we're not going to be able to get that data, because we're two years behind and, you know, collecting
it and recording it.
14:26:44 So, the second test if the simple test couldn't be couldn't be performed was really messy, you know, I'll find some, essentially, find some other way of describing the impact
and convince us that it's necessary could look like a lot of different things.
14:27:04 So we noticed that some counties aren't including industries are doing it differently like first and picked three industries and they're just providing grants to food businesses,
what were the other two Brian picked anyway three categories and they were
14:27:21 They picked anyway three categories and they were just limiting it to that because and I'm sure that's because they had the proof of need.
14:27:27 So we, we don't know quite how to sort this industry section yet but I wanted to call that out that if we do pick industries that we just need to have a good rationale for why
they're in there and have some data to back that up for the guidance.
14:27:45 That's what oh sorry, go ahead it.
14:27:51 I was gonna say this current list is modeled after what column is done. Correct. Not really well it's modeled in the fact that they had a section for industries.
14:27:57 We just sort of random will not randomly we picked some that came out of our survey, and we've seen come up a lot. And we rank we just chose a selection one business from each
of the point system that we Brian and I decided on which we need to expand
14:28:13 on with your input.
14:28:16 So we gave we clustering businesses, high priority to low priority and assigned a point system. We have a multiplier then so if you're a tourism and hospitality business in
this example, you'd be awarded five points and have a multiplier of $1,000, which
14:28:34 which would grant that business, $5,000, in that category.
14:28:39 Since the ARPA guidance was so heavily weighted toward minority and underserved businesses.
14:28:47 We created a special line item there so you're either a minority veteran or tribal owned or not. And we ordered you know one point. Again, this is a subject, this is just a
starting place we can change the multipliers or the point ranges as need be.
14:29:03 expense overhead score, assuming that we can ask for a profit and loss before and after.
14:29:09 And we can verify that there's been some change and expenses, we can award points for that.
14:29:17 Community Impact score was that squishy last question that column asked, you know, tell us your impact story in case we've missed something, technical service and eligible use
so that is something new or different in the ARCA guideline that was an informer
14:29:33 guidelines.
14:29:36 So they're allocating funding for programs developed to help specific business clusters, or
14:29:46 Thurston County is doing a special workforce project in alignment with this line item.
14:29:54 If you know if we wanted to support technical services to support our businesses if they're asking for something in particular we can allocate funding to do that.
14:30:04 So we left that kind of open like 501 c six is can apply if they're providing technical services, or an eligible use so for instance the chamber, helping tourism businesses
do their marketing would be eligible use.
14:30:21 And that's given a much higher multiplier.
14:30:27 It's given a higher multiplier because it's just zero or one. And we're trying to, you know, we're trying to provide enough money to actually do something to dollar multipliers
a five K.
14:30:41 Say that again, the dollar multiplier is 5000 as opposed to the other ones being 1000. Yes. Yep. Yeah, so that's for a program.
14:30:52 I can't imagine doing much with less than that.
14:30:56 Yeah.
14:30:57 I want to put one other comment in real quick at this point and that is, we have to bear in mind that this is not to to over overarching criteria one is small business, the
other one is the folks who fell through last time.
14:31:13 And, and if you're asking, small business people, people who own one into person shops to that they are going to get nervous as soon as you say, I need two years of profit and
loss statements before and after they've never generated at a profit and loss
14:31:29 statement that they honestly haven't.
14:31:32 They know whether they broke even or not and they know what what their bank balance told them.
14:31:37 Maybe we can do a big service in the application to say, here's a great simple template for reporting your profit and loss for the last three years and it's only six fields
and you can pull them right out of your bank account, but something that makes
14:31:50 it so that we don't continue to force the folks who need some of this funding the most back through the cracks because we we expect them to be able to report like a county agency
or a fortune 500 company.
14:32:03 When that that is just really difficult for them to do.
14:32:07 Yeah, I agree that I think it's onerous for some businesses but I think that's a detail relative to the topic today.
14:32:20 I'm Chad trust that we can work that out, is the question about this. So this is, this is criteria not to get to a yes you're getting funded or No you're not, but to actually
determine the allocation for the grant.
14:32:40 Is that accurate.
14:32:39 Um, so the eligibility.
14:32:42 Heidi you can correct me if I'm wrong but in ARPA guidance had to do with whether you had an established business or not so it's dependent on you being able to produce a UPI
number, and some other documentation correctly state your business start date.
14:32:58 Those are all that you need to you know be eligible, but the way that the criteria is described it's really emphasizing micro enterprise underserved and people that need you
know really need it badly.
14:33:17 And I'm less interested in the ARPA guidance, other than you, following it of course but this criteria that you're showing here is to help determine amount of grant amount of
grant and there's a cap to so we could, you know, we, Yeah.
14:33:36 Okay, so this is like something of a needs assessment.
14:33:40 But once the once they're eligible then we would, you know, run it through this formula and just see how it lands.
14:33:52 Some of the other counties will actually assign reviewers, and then once the reviews are done actually get together and do it and have a discussion on top of that.
14:33:57 So any questions can be answered and rationales can be compared. And we can be sure that the process is fair.
14:34:07 Sorry Kate you're on mute, I think, Thanks I like, I like this.
14:34:12 This kind of. It's like a sensitivity analysis right like what based on these criteria, you know, if you have greater needs, you get more funding. I appreciate this.
14:34:22 Yeah, well, even though it was based on micro enterprises in particular, we put on the employee line item up to nine, because in the survey that there seemed to be kind of a
tipping point like most of the businesses were that small and awarding one point
14:34:39 per employee because payroll and employee retention were really important criteria to the small businesses.
14:34:48 I think this framework looks really like a great start. I'm the, the multipliers for type of business I find, I don't know, strange maybe I don't agree with the listing exactly
as it is right now.
14:35:00 But I also have some, I guess, fundamental questions that I think are just ignorance on my part, and and one when I look at lodging and hospitality I mean when I think about
impacted businesses, I think, you know, restaurants, straight away and food service,
14:35:15 and I assume you mean to put that under hospitality.
14:35:18 And then if I look at lodging, I think about, well I mean, there's a few small hotels, there's some larger hotels, there's a lot of Airbnb, you can run an air, a short term
rental like a business and have a UPI.
14:35:32 And that means you would qualify but we have a lot of small landlords that I'm afraid are going to get out of that business and I'm wondering, is there a Nexus here for small
landlords I mean I know there's there's other programs like you wrap it wrap
14:35:45 other rental assistance programs. But I guess to me, I see that small mom and pop landlord is something that I really want to nurture right now, and I don't know if it fits
in here or not, but I so I guess I'm asking an open ended question.
14:35:59 How about the mom and pop landlord.
14:36:01 Well, yeah, all of this is up for discussion so if that's important to the to you into the county we can add that as a type of business if you like.
14:36:12 Is that allowed in that in the guidance though and like it. There are a few small mom and pop landlords who run that.
14:36:23 And and arguably, I mean their their network has also grown extraordinarily during this time because of the real estate, and which is speculative i'm not i'm not saying that's
that's liquid or helpful but I that doesn't pass the sniff test for me.
14:36:41 Yeah that's fair point.
14:36:44 Yeah, they would have to have a registered business and with the VI and a start date, so it probably they're just not going to hit it.
14:36:55 Well, let's think about what what kinds of businesses, I mean, can you think of an example of a business that would fit that it's like it isn't an apartment building or is it.
14:37:09 Well, I mean, I'm just concerned that we're going to have a massive exodus of people that want to be landlords rent and rent out rooms, so I I don't know this doesn't feel like
an exact fit, it's it's an it's an issue, you know, looking for a solution
14:37:26 I don't think this is the solution I just wanted to kind of truth it in front of this group of people, but I do think I mean,
14:37:35 you know, restaurants, gyms things that have closed down as you guys talked about earlier, these are the things that that I are really apparent tonight.
14:37:44 and you know yeah let's just take grocery stores have done great right i mean probably shouldn't be an incident a challenge for everyone so this is not of course to undersell
any business.
14:37:57 Business Owner small business owner has gone through in this time but
14:38:02 I could dig into this ranking the types of businesses I guess I would be more in favor of kind of the cloud model where you choose a few business types that we can prove are
really being impacted, and I would say, food service ones just off the top my
14:38:16 head can focus on that.
14:38:20 I guess I like that ranking better than ranking. All of them. I don't know why. Maybe because I've seen you know, bars and marijuana shops, both of which I have owned in the
past and both, I mean marijuana shop should be just fine they shouldn't need
14:38:32 any of this support it's been record record sales but bars have really suffered you know and places to socially gather, have not exactly thrived in this in this opportunity
so I would, you know, I would demarcate though that, you know, and bars.
14:38:48 Have they serve a function in our society so I don't think it's just a you know a blue industry that we should ignore necessarily they how they live in as well so I guess that's
my big problem here and I just, I'm not sure where he has gyms and things
14:39:05 like that would be under professional services, is that yeah we had a longer list and I think we pulled gyms and, you know, kind of like high touch service businesses out, but
I guess what might be useful today is to decide if we want to keep that category
14:39:21 and I think we could work over time to refine it so we're actually reflecting accurately, the need.
14:39:31 Are you asking if we, if we want to keep the category of actually defining types of businesses or the specific type of business of food.
14:39:42 We want to keep the category first. Okay.
14:39:46 I more on the side of, there's a few business view types of businesses, I would like to highlight, but I guess I'm less in favor of ranking all of them to come up with how much
each one of them is worth in this in this in this process right so sort of
14:40:02 a slippery slope once we start to do it.
14:40:06 Yeah. I think I'm leaning away from it after all this discussion. I mean, led away from having a list, that's, you know, range like that, because we'll forget.
14:40:19 There's so many kinds of businesses.
14:40:22 Right. And, and, in tourism, some tourism is done remarkably well not at a high cost certainly to doing business.
14:40:31 But, you know, I think there could be a lot of pushback from the community that the tourism, it doesn't wasn't appropriate during this time, and why are we rewarding, you know,
something that also some, some sectors did really well.
14:40:45 So, okay, so if we eliminated it as a section essentially our Gregor there are several buckets that you'd like to include maybe for special grants like Thurston County Did you
know I think that would be worth, I would be in favor of that just for some
14:41:02 of the, you know, as I say food service industries that we know are really suffered. But in general, I wouldn't be happy having businesses demonstrate their need with the, you
know, I find the sustained loss, you know the last break down as more germane
14:41:19 to the point of what we're trying to get we're trying to find those businesses that are really struggling and, and fill that gap. So, I guess,
14:41:30 open, I'm open to a couple buckets, but I'm with Heidi and getting rid of type of business as as an important criteria.
14:41:38 Okay. So, it has childcare been addressed. Otherwise, we put some money into childcare efforts, it's hard, I mean I think childcare is is definitely a bucket that we can.
14:41:52 It's a, it's a big challenge.
14:41:54 Yeah, we've, we've tentatively allocated I think 382 Jefferson healthcare, as, as match for a grant or something they've applied for.
14:42:06 Yeah, that's very different though than these supporting existing childcare providers.
14:42:12 I'm just wondering if Gregory familiar with. If any of the CDB G or funds that went to only cap.
14:42:20 I think those are more subsidies for people using needing childcare.
14:42:25 Better passwords yeah they would get, they would go to the person to pay for their childcare, not to the child care provider to, you know, pay for the lost wages or what have
you.
14:42:34 Yeah, yeah.
14:42:37 You
14:42:40 could, because we have the luxury of having a conversation on this right now. Um, I like the idea of getting rid of the type of business but do we want to somehow capture the
impact in businesses impacted by the pandemic, like with mandates or, you know,
14:43:01 could we could we have some qualifiers like, you know, a mandate affected by a mandate or affected by.
14:43:12 I don't know I was just trying to think of how are we really getting at, what the pandemic did to the business, as opposed to the type of business.
14:43:22 I like Cindy's, the squishy question that phone can be used at the end, you know, a narrative answer, especially if we're going to end up with the board that goes over this
you know explain how did they How did the pandemic impact your business negatively
14:43:38 what why are you applying for this band. I think it's really, really pertinent question.
14:43:47 Yeah, I mean I suppose we could do it all based on need number of employees, and
14:43:54 the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion question.
14:43:59 Is need a sustained loss.
14:44:02 Yeah, like their story and their the proof of story.
14:44:11 And, I mean, keeping the business open is usually the goal of these of these grants, right.
14:44:23 So,
14:44:31 We're on the criteria item in the in our conversation right now right doing. We I feel like we've just agreed that we're not wanting to capture the type of business.
14:44:45 So that that list of five categories six categories will be gone.
14:44:52 Do we want to put something in place of it, like impact.
14:45:13 An impact, or is it just captured in the text box that we're talking about. How was your business impacted by the coven 19 pandemic. And then, are all the other criteria, good
for people.
14:45:17 I mean, I feel like we've started talking to all of them.
14:45:22 I think we might need to change the point the multiplier.
14:45:25 And maybe the point system if we're taking out the type of business.
14:45:34 Technical Services like that we don't have to have that in but if you think it's valuable that we develop in parallel to our understanding of the community needs some programs
to match that rather than issuing the entire grant amount to small business
14:45:50 for payroll and employee retention and operations.
14:45:55 That's up to them, sorry. Are you maybe I didn't understand. Are you saying technical services like indirect costs like EDC costs.
14:46:04 Well it's for, it could be for any technical service provider, it could be for CIE to help these small, you know, so if we give out a bunch of money to micro enterprise and
marks question was how do we know how they did.
14:46:20 The best way we can track that is to align them with services, so they can spend that money well, and, you know, grow because of it.
14:46:30 Can we see the pie chart of what businesses said they needed support with again.
14:46:36 Brian's still driving. Yeah, you bet. Let me grab that real quick.
14:46:49 I'm wondering, a lot of these things, as you said, I think in the presentation are things that the EDC already does, right, 10. And, I mean, is some of this.
14:47:00 So sorry.
14:47:02 So sorry I'm wondering if
14:47:06 building, etc services and I guess I'm also asking about indirect costs you know if we have $500,000 for this venture. How much is the EDC going to need to administer obviously,
but a lot of time into this already, so I guess I didn't want to talk about
14:47:21 indirect costs while we're here. Okay, and we haven't talked about that last Greg.
14:47:29 Oh. Gotcha. Okay, well we can we can talk about that last but I guess I'm wondering, are there bundled services that can be offered in lieu of just straight cash that might
actually get to the need of the businesses.
14:47:41 Well, so here's, here's part of the deal like I like it, etc. It's been a one person show for some time and now it's a two person show and we might have an administrator on
board soon I hope, but we're really limited, both in the fact that the businesses
14:47:58 that we're addressing come from multiple industries and multiple business stages. We really need a network to address the complexity of the issues that they bring.
14:48:09 And we rely heavily on partners like CIE like SB DC like score, like enterprise for equity, those are just to name a few.
14:48:19 We don't give CIE a penny right now. And this whole grant is perfectly aligned with the population they serve.
14:48:28 This might be a really good opportunity for us to improve our relationship with them.
14:48:33 Instead of expecting them to go out and hustle their own grants and then provide business services for us for free. We could help them a little bit to do that better and more
easily.
14:48:44 And they're looking to expand and they've been, you know, they've had some bottlenecks because of funding.
14:48:50 And I think just since this ARPA guidance is so I'm emphasizing micro enterprise diversity, equity inclusion clients and technical services, this is a nice fit for our local
providers that we have not been supporting so far.
14:49:07 I think we also underfund SB DC at $7,500 a year. That's about one 10th of what it costs them to hire one advisor,
14:49:18 possibly use of some of his grant funds that was taking money out of business hands itself is to support some of the partners like CIA and CDC, to develop some of these services
more robustly, or at least pay for the services more robustly read or a lot
14:49:35 of what some of these micro enterprises need. Yeah, just so you know I'm currently working with Rick that that consent to host their open network which is sort of a peer learning
Group here in Jefferson County.
14:49:46 I'm also working with SB DC we have a webinar on Thursday that introduces three of their advisors to our Jefferson County community community. And even though they're underfunded
they're willing to do the work, but it puts us further and further out on
14:50:03 a limb if we start shoveling work their way without supporting them to keep you know their advisor employed.
14:50:10 And we can think about, you know, a pool size for those technical services, you know, out of the overall 500 this percent can go to services but not beyond that.
14:50:23 So that, so that we can say yeah we've, we've decided to invest X percent in the sorts of programs that will help these businesses as well. And that should be a percentage that
everyone feels good about.
14:50:37 So what's the best way for us to move forward with the criteria should we should you guys revisit the multiplier and yeah we're happy to rework that I just want to make sure
that we were capturing the categories that are important to you and that we're
14:50:52 aware of any of any of the, you know, parameter limitations that you might have for us.
14:51:03 I think our number one priority is good at the businesses that haven't gotten support over the past, you know 18 months so I don't know if there's anything we can add to the
criteria that would help
14:51:16 tease that out more, or prioritize that more.
14:51:22 Well, I do think that the impacts that you're getting at Heidi could could get it some of it you know the.
14:51:34 Were you mandated to be closed or have to see separations bye bye mandate were, you know, it was.
14:51:43 Did you see as 50% drop in customers, you know i mean again it's like the devils in the details right of i don't know i think I'm inclined to say I think you guys are totally
on the right track, and, and I trust you to come up with something you've implemented
14:52:00 a similar program before we're probably not going to think of anything that you haven't thought of already in greater detail so I'm really glad to be kept in the loop and things
that you're, you're on the right track and I, I'm fine with you continuing
14:52:14 in this path and, you know, I think you'll have to do that dance of what is most fair versus what is quick and able to get out on the street in a timely fashion but that's a
cost benefit that I think you guys will have to figure out based on your own
14:52:32 capacity to.
14:52:33 Yeah, and I also think once you see the timeline, you'll see that there's a process for us to to revise this and get it back to you guys for approval once more to this isn't
the last you're going to see from us.
14:52:44 And what I like is that we're, we're all close enough to the same page that when you see the next iteration, you know, you'll be able to tie those things together and understand
the discussion that formed it, and I'm with Kate, that I think you guys are
14:52:57 totally on the right track and I don't want to micromanage you though I'm going to micromanage a little bit more before I'm done, have this opportunity.
14:53:05 And I agree that community impact store, I think is really relevant and I guess if I was going to look at it right now taking out the types of business I would bump that up.
14:53:14 I don't quite understand the employees one through nine each employees worth $1,000 I guess I'm just trying to first that in my head if I'm a small business, and you know i
mean they're all yeah i'm not i'm not saying that's not an appropriate threshold.
14:53:29 I just, I guess the community impact for really resonates to me. what I want to say.
14:53:35 Great. Thank you Greg.
14:53:37 What about you, yes no to the, whether you have a home based business or micro enterprise or not.
14:53:49 You're sorry I said I think they've gotten short shrift to that so I'm supportive of this an extra little reach out to find to kind of grab it.
14:53:58 Okay. They also have significantly lower overhead, that they've had to maintain for two years.
14:54:05 So, I feel a little on the fence about that one.
14:54:14 Well micro enterprise. Yeah, maybe we micro enterprise could be up to five employees.
14:54:26 We're trying to wrap in what was important in the ARPA guidance there.
14:54:31 Yeah, and it's a small. It's a small bonus point so I'm fine with it as is. Okay, well we're rework the point system by pulling out the Brian already pulled it out.
14:54:46 Prior we had a minimum grant side, size and a maximum grant size and we felt pretty comfortable with that range considering it's 500,000.
14:54:55 Is that a comfortable range for you all.
14:55:06 For me, I think I said on Friday. Okay, good 20.
14:55:10 Yeah. Okay.
14:55:10 So I guess we're ready to move on to talk about timeline and costs.
14:55:17 Since our timeline sheet.
14:55:21 And this was based largely largely on clowns multiple rounds.
14:55:27 And they told us where they've experienced bottlenecks which means we might learn from.
14:55:34 So I skipped week one is we're already in week two, and we're in discussions.
14:55:39 So this is assuming that our discussion goes on for a few weeks until we really hammer out contract between us to get started.
14:55:49 So we're shooting for a contract the first week of February.
14:55:54 And then we would post the application immediately after that line six.
14:55:59 This is something we want to check out with you I think while I'm left there's up for 30 days at the request of the county and we wondered if you had a sense of how long he
thought was long enough to keep that posted.
14:56:16 30 days looks great. Yeah.
14:56:20 Okay, so we'll continue with that assumption.
14:56:24 And while that's posted we can be refining our metrics and change training our review team.
14:56:33 Again the column county contract required quite a bit of research and double checking.
14:56:44 So we think four weeks is enough.
14:56:48 But it depends on on what you know what kind of eligibility requirements are in the contract and how thoroughly we checked those.
14:56:59 That's why we've highlighted these certain Rosen, and yellow. I think we could expand that or contract that depending on how that contract ends up looking as India question
kind of based on an earlier comment from from bands, not really pertinent to this
14:57:14 but I'm just curious as you build the application process. Do you think that it might be possible to do a real quick form that will kind of that everyone would fill out to basically
populate a profit and loss statement so they're getting that information.
14:57:28 And then that's an asset that they have as well i mean you know like here's your completed form oh and this part of the form is a p amp l if in case you're looking for anything
else I just, I love it when we can give assets to folks were filling out the
14:57:44 keep it simple and make it productive. Yeah, we'll do our best to do that. We've also included some links to the state websites where they can look up for themselves with their
up line number in there start dates are so hopefully we don't have to do as
14:57:55 much chasing of that that they can kind of learn how to access that information on their own.
14:58:02 chasing of that that they can kind of learn how to access that information on their own. And I remember the first the way it was the state stuff that Brian oversaw, that was
so onerous that, then he ended up I think having to pretty much.
14:58:13 Hold hands through the whole application for a lot of people and we want to make it mixed. Easy enough so you know the mom and pop business with one employee or two employees
can fill it out themselves.
14:58:23 Yeah, well, and this is another argument I guess for including some technical services support for CIE because if people are having trouble filling out that application they
should be in contact with ca to learn some basic business skills, and we plan
14:58:39 on, you know, helping people that call us, you know for assistance filling out the survey or this application. We plan on connecting them with CIA as a resource right you know
as soon as we can.
14:58:53 Okay, so once we have the review process done.
14:58:58 Then we return these, you know, our results to you for review.
14:59:17 But we were told, yeah by column that this was a huge bottleneck for them. Yeah, just getting getting the the list of final applicants and their grant amounts signed off on
by the BCC,
14:59:32 do you guys feel like that's necessary, but that seems extraneous to me.
14:59:37 I appreciate you mentioned that I was going to call out that that is not a step that y'all had required before, but it was, it was something that other areas had done so we
definitely felt obliged to include it for discussion to that.
14:59:54 Yeah, we approve a lot of things. I'm not sure what kind of, we're going to go through 100 applications and vet them for completeness, I just don't, I don't see that as an effective
use of our time or the committee's time it's already gone through everyone
15:00:09 so I guess I'm, I tend to agree.
15:00:12 We don't need to do, be raised to them.
15:00:16 Yeah.
15:00:18 I think they should share the list but I don't think the board needs to evaluate and deliberate and
15:00:26 recommendations.
15:00:28 Okay. And Brian's right for the 325. We didn't do that.
15:00:35 That's why we have an EDC.
15:00:38 Appreciate your trust.
15:00:41 Cloud county allocated to have their staff to be reviewers.
15:00:47 And I don't know you know what role they had in this final review process but I think they actually performed this march review process with the etc and they're volunteers.
15:01:04 Be happy to volunteer Commissioner,
15:01:08 you are someone else.
15:01:22 Volunteer myself or someone else is hopping for it. Yeah, no. That's no way to get our fingers into the process but, you know, I enjoy going to do so. I'm happy to help too
I mean maybe we we review the ones in our district. I mean, kids gonna have a
15:01:29 I mean, kids gonna have a lot more than, but I think that should be exception only I don't think we need to have a fancy process but, you know, Greg gets all the applications
and Heidi get some cake get some and they object to one of them, then they can
15:01:47 raise a question, and have that question addressed. Hmm. Okay, that sounds messy
15:01:55 hashing out with the committee.
15:01:57 I would rather than just be one of us, representing the SEC and I don't, I don't care who that is. Okay. All right, well, Greg Greg's it then right.
15:02:08 Good. All right.
15:02:10 Yeah, I didn't plan on went back and forth a little bit with their applicants to, you know, sending out additional surveys and requesting more information based on the process
they had with their county.
15:02:22 So, yeah, the more we can talk about it and streamline and I think it's going to be easier for everybody
15:02:29 to make a short now I'm really motivated to make it a short application.
15:02:39 All right, well as soon as we get get through this review process and that you know you agree that or we review process.
15:02:50 I mean, and that is we just did the outside grant round and we had 18 grant applications and we committee for, you know, short presentations like 10 minute presentations from
the applicants and then we reviewed them all in a day come up with some kind
15:03:08 of streamlines process that was the same for everybody.
15:03:13 That might might, you know, make the job easier.
15:03:20 Okay.
15:03:21 Yeah, we've got some time while the applications posted and then people are completing them to kind of work on our process so yeah we could probably collapse that if we were
really communicating well.
15:03:38 So it may take four weeks it may be faster. In March, and at the end of the process than will this we're assuming that you'd send the funds and that we can send contracts out
to the recipients and get those checks issued pretty quickly.
15:03:52 And we talked for a second about the kind of next upcoming tactical item between all of us, which is the contract between the EDC and the county.
15:04:03 I just love to have some expectations set in my mind for what you see as the contractual needs there and and how much time that might take we put, you know, you know, three
weeks leading up to that.
15:04:17 So the contract wouldn't be finalized until the first week in February.
15:04:21 If that's more or less or you're not gonna be able to act that quick or you could have it tomorrow. I, we just haven't talked about it as a group,
15:04:33 or
15:04:40 your Ben are you speaking about a contract for management of the 500,000. Yes. Yeah. Well, we have a template that we use for for cares, and that we can, we can dig that out
and tailor it to DARPA and we could do that relatively quickly.
15:05:01 Okay. Cindy Did you have other questions or or things that need to be considered in that part of the process.
15:05:09 Well no, but we really can't refine our application process until we know how that contract is worded,
15:05:18 to some degree, there's a chicken and egg there.
15:05:23 We can we can start it.
15:05:25 We can finalize it until the contracts finalist.
15:05:29 Yeah, those kind of have to happen in parallel.
15:05:31 Yeah.
15:05:33 Okay.
15:05:41 Are there.
15:05:36 Wait until February even for that right we can get started on that. Now, let's say we looking at mark, but
15:05:58 a royal we well and it's a royal way for us to I mean we can take the next step at the criteria and getting that developed at the same time as the contract I think the two of
those will feed off each other.
15:05:56 But are there aspects of the contract for managing this that that would be a policy decision that this group should be talking about.
15:06:08 Very decided that we don't need to approve every single summer Symbian, so I mean that's the bigger question I think but are there other hanging chads Cindy.
15:06:21 Um, I'll admit that my reading of the ARPA guidance wasn't with a, you know, great detail.
15:06:29 I guess my concern is is that we're with you as the recipient that we're meeting all the marks that we need to meet and I'm hoping that the contract will elucidate some of those.
15:06:43 Yeah, you know I have you read them with the same calm that you did send me back.
15:06:48 I did look, I was looking for those kinds of hanging chads, potentially, and I feel like, based on my knowledge of the interim prior criteria that the final criteria is even
more flexible in regards to this and I think we really rely on that document
15:07:07 that was put out by the SBA are the two pager on overview of small business assistance or not put out by, I guess it's on this big spike.
15:07:20 Well what might be nicest for us to provide for the businesses from that ARPA guidance, what they can spend on and what you know is ill advised.
15:07:32 One thing that struck me about this particular document was that there including capital expenses for like improving storefront facades and improving.
15:07:43 You know once space essentially that was specifically excluded previously.
15:07:52 I believe they call that out as an expansion of allowable criteria so expensive so that's that's that's an Allah allowed expense now.
15:08:05 Right. So I just want to be sure that we're capturing that well, so we can provide those parameters for the small businesses when they apply.
15:08:18 Yeah, and I that that would seem to fall in your wheelhouse. And you're the one who's going to be in contact with the sub recipients, that you would be communicating that criteria.
15:08:31 Yeah, we can do that there's some tricky bits in here, like, with
15:08:38 no just what kind of proof is going to be adequate. And it seems to me that with this particular target audience of businesses that have been left out or have been marginalized
they're going to be like the least able least able to provide us with.
15:08:55 We're going to get a lot of story and probably not a lot of documents, so that it's it's just awkward right like how do we get that proof and if we're audited do we are we prepared
to show what our rationale was and why we felt like these applicants were
15:09:13 a good fit. I wouldn't say coming up with some prescriptive ways that these small micro enterprises can demonstrate that. So we have, you know, we don't have 30 different subjective
versions of it but you know we asked these three questions and then they
15:09:27 have a paragraph to, to give context to the answers to, you know, why couldn't your business thrive or, you know, Why, why, why did your revenues go down.
15:09:39 Can you show us your bank account now and then demonstrate that they've gone down or one of these three things you know, the more you know just prescriptive rather than, you
know, Show us everything.
15:09:55 I think will make it easier to manage. I hope, and easier for folks to fill out.
15:10:00 Okay, that's gonna be hard on our end to try to you know come up with a shortcut version.
15:10:08 Sorry I'm asking was just brainstorming so don't don't think thing is that as a prescriptive need from me but just a brainstorm.
15:10:18 The thing is, is a prescriptive need from me but just a brainstorm. You're making it, your heart is in the right place and you're making it easy for the business and I appreciate
that. Thank you.
15:10:23 I liked that conversation we started to have earlier about making an easy financial reporting like six boxes that idea of six boxes and maybe it's, you know, maybe we have them
a little table they fill in and it's, you know,
15:10:39 bank account balance, beginning of in those, you know, so that's kind of gets that profit and loss, and then somebody who as a profit loss could take their profit loss and put
those numbers in but then it could be like employees or, you know, and then
15:10:54 each year.
15:10:56 So then we get it, which had changes to employees or changes to payroll or compensation I don't know what, but it seems like we could come up with three to five measures that
people all businesses can fill in some museum profit loss others using their
15:11:18 check register.
15:11:27 Okay. I like that too I'll scratch my head on that one.
15:11:32 I also really liked that piece that Greg through and about, you know, doing some education, maybe even letting them have the result of an asset that makes them understand their
business better just for filling out the, the application.
15:11:51 Okay, well this is great looks like we've tightened it up a bit already. And,
15:11:59 yeah, I feel good. I guess what we can do next is just spend some more time revising that criteria based on this input and, you know, connecting with you via email with an updated
version, would that be adequate.
15:12:15 Okay.
15:12:18 So, Ryan's moved us on to the cost worksheet.
15:12:22 So we're, we were assuming six months, start to finish based on you know the other counties that we've been in conversation with some counties are requesting from there recipient.
15:12:36 A de minimis amount, 10%, which, you know, apparently we can allocate the federal monies.
15:12:43 And in this case with 500,000 that would be 50,000.
15:12:48 We also tried to calculate this based on the hours that we know neighboring county spent their processes are different so our hours might be different but one and a half, ft
ease is what we calculated here.
15:13:04 We've also factored in two part time temporary people, 20 hours a week for the six week during the six weeks during the active reviewing process. So as based on the workload
that we've heard described from other counties, we factored in some additional
15:13:23 costs people have been spending money on legal on marketing and bookkeeping and you know allocating a percentage of their operations to this process.
15:13:33 And I think that's it. We total that up at $65,000 which is a bit more than the 50, which would be the minimum.
15:13:46 Hey Brian.
15:13:53 So,
15:13:53 when we gave you the 325 and cares funding I don't recall going through a process like this, where you calculated etc costs to administer the 325.
15:14:09 Correct.
15:14:10 That was just a carve out I think that Philip drove.
15:14:16 And it was. Want to get my numbers right the corresponding I believe is only 125.
15:14:22 And that correct.
15:14:26 But anyway, to the question you're asking the set aside for the EDC at that time was 12,500, which is the basis, the 10% basis.
15:14:37 So there was a card. Yeah. And you're right it was 125 and.
15:14:41 And there was a carve out for those songs. Yes. Okay.
15:14:47 You remember what that was brain.
15:14:50 Yeah, that was, that was 10%, or 12,005, that tended to come out of the 125 or
15:15:00 that yes that was net of the 125. Correct. Okay, so are.
15:15:05 So then, depending on which calculation we go with here, the net is going to be for 50 or 435 or so
15:15:18 great and I would, I like the top one better because I do too.
15:15:22 But you know, I do think that there's there's room in here to talk about CIE or SPC as well I think that would be appropriate use would be my persona that one concert.
15:15:35 One concern I would have is the five way agreement, there's a budget in that document and. And I think, Cindy and Brian you're fully funded through the five way agreement.
15:15:48 So, we are but but our mandate hasn't changed for all the other stuff that we would be doing if we weren't doing this
15:15:59 right but shouldn't do. Should we just cover incremental costs here and
15:16:06 you know the the staff, the part times that you would have to add.
15:16:15 I believe that these are the incremental this this is the additional time that the processing of this is going to take for the team. That wasn't expected in the multi party
agreement, okay but Cindy and Brian are salary, so get how that cost is going
15:16:36 to increase because of the separate.
15:16:41 I don't know I am worried about Brian doing almost twice as much work as he was expected to do with existing contracts.
15:16:54 Do you have to backfill is Brian spending 75% of his time on this do you have to backfill with some other capacity, and then it's out with ya.
15:17:05 I'll probably be doing that work, and we may be hiring some subcontractors to pick up the slack and the in between
15:17:15 the time that we tried to allocate the hours to the people that had the best knowledge and, you know, not like overuse my time for instance, I talked to other executive directors
and they, you know, 40% of their time was pretty typical for this type of
15:17:34 project. We don't have an administrator yet I'm not sure if we're going to be able to allocate his or her or not, that might be just an additional cost of, you know, somebody
from the community that we hire for this specific process, given some of these
15:17:50 uncertainties I wonder if going with the de minimis, which is on question then in the guidance is a good approach
15:18:02 and precedent in our situation. Yeah, and I also think that we.
15:18:07 Some of the discussion we just had about the timeline might have shorten that timeline below the timeline that was anticipated for the percentages that were calculated for the
6520 to 50, that would cut a month off today I mean I feel like we're being
15:18:22 super efficient for county government.
15:18:26 Meet Again we could.
15:18:31 All right.
15:18:34 Other thoughts on on cost.
15:18:39 I mean, I just want to acknowledge that it's work it's a lot of work, but it's these these are real questions like how you're already salaried so how do we think yeah I think
it's
15:18:53 having an overhead amount makes sense to me for the grant program.
15:19:03 Sounds like we're in agree but, Yeah.
15:19:10 There's anyway.
15:19:09 So I do have the carrier's grant agreement open on my on my screen and there was a 10% allowed for general costs associated with meetings and administration not to exceed.
15:19:23 Yeah, it was a 10%, but actually a little, little less than 10%.
15:19:28 But we can stick with 10% for this agreement.
15:19:33 Thank you.
15:19:38 I think that was all that we were bringing in today so either questions or discussion.
15:19:46 Now I appreciate the good conversations we've had about this and look forward to helping however I can. If Greg runs out of time.
15:19:59 Okay, so when we have a revision in our criteria should we send it to all of you.
15:20:06 There is Greg the point person.
15:20:10 Or is Greg the point person, and find with Greg being the point person, avoid any potential PMA issues in copy me as well please I don't know if we need to have another session
to have the board bless it but
15:20:24 it what do you think it'd be good to have it on our agenda at some point to review the final criteria and the final. The final timeline.
15:20:36 Yeah.
15:20:38 Okay, All right, Greg I'll work with you and when it's ready for prime time we'll get it scheduled.
15:20:43 You can just get administrator update or something you know, standing timeframe.
15:20:49 But I would like to see it again.
15:20:52 Hopefully all dog and pony show. I mean I think we've talked about the substantive issues that we have the values of regarding the agreement, the contract is that something
before dh to say or do you want to delegate to me the authority to enter into
15:21:07 that with an EDC move that we delegate authority to enter into the, the contracts the disbursement of the $500,000 of our funds for small businesses and micro enterprise in
Jefferson County.
15:21:22 A second and ask for discussion.
15:21:26 We also should probably authorize the $50,000 expenditure of our funds for that purpose them out of the 500.
15:21:39 Oh, it's out of the
15:21:40 way.
15:21:42 So, so the net for grants is for 50.
15:21:45 Okay.
15:21:46 Gotcha. Okay.
15:21:49 My second stands.
15:21:52 All in favor.
15:21:54 Aye.
15:21:57 Aye, right that that'll save a little bit of time on that timeline.
15:21:59 So thank you.
15:22:04 Okay.
15:22:09 Perfect.
15:22:06 Thanks, everyone. Thank you. Thank you. We're looking forward to this
15:22:16 release, whenever we say goodbye to people I go to leave the meeting, go wait.
15:22:24 You're here to stay came back with us next item on our agenda is the workshopping of the communications position.
15:22:46 The next item on our agenda is the workshopping of the communications position.
15:22:38 Heidi you had asked for a job description of the folks over at public health. And so I did share job description with you earlier today, that might be helpful as part of this
discussion.
15:22:50 Then I'm going to let Kate lead this discussion, she and I met with Veronica, and talked about their process and, and the team that they've got over there, that's got a pretty
good track record of performance.
15:23:04 So okay, you want to tear it up.
15:23:09 Sure.
15:23:09 So, I think you are both pretty aware of how we got to the place of funding.
15:23:18 It communication specialist and Veronica approached Mark about discussion to see if there was some kind of overlap, or synergy or cost savings in combining communications efforts
with public health, and it was a good conversation, it led me to realize
15:23:38 just how kind of unformed our vision was for this position. So,
15:23:46 take that, you know, just keep that in mind. So as I talked about kind of our, our discussion with public health.
15:23:54 So Veronica emphasized the amount of work that has gone into and continues to go into having an effective communications program.
15:24:05 And she is of the belief that there could be some, some savings of time and effort by combining those by having with the communications person that we decided to fund the nested
with her communications team that would create a team of three, which has
15:24:24 some interest more more capacity to be able to take things on a lot of questions about where that team of three would live if they would need to all be together or not.
15:24:41 But it sounds as though, public health, thinks that they would have the capacity to manage that team.
15:24:49 And so, you know, I think there's, there's some, some benefits there, you know, I think there's some little bit of risk of losing, you know, that kind of direct pipeline access
that that I think in terms of having someone closer a hand for our office.
15:25:08 And this is where you run into that question of what exactly where we are envisioning for this position, is it something we really want to be
15:25:18 kind of hand in hand with the commissioner's office, I don't think that would be an FTP we've always had the intention of having it be with other shared with other departments.
15:25:28 But is that on an as needed basis or assignment of time to different departments.
15:25:36 You know, some of that could be to public health certainly they have the probably the greatest need for communications right now. During forbid.
15:25:44 And, and that will change with time so I think still some big going to existential questions go ahead mark.
15:25:51 Right. and.
15:25:53 bonnie Abramsky i think is her last name has demonstrated some flair for this kind of work and I think she's in a coven funded position that according to Veronica and Apple
they've got 300,000 or so left and covert money and, eventually, you know, Bonnie
15:26:12 will have to be let go.
15:26:15 And I think she's a talent we'd like to hold on to and this position is would be a permanent one that she could slide into this position.
15:26:25 And then we would have the benefit of her, her talent and skill, going forward. So, just wanted to put that out there.
15:26:36 And at this.
15:26:40 You know, so they said they have the protocols down good systems, I think there's a little bit of risk of, you know, not having the same kind of access to this position if it
was housed in public health.
15:26:53 They also have a fairly arduous process because they're disseminating public health information that might be more arduous than we need for, for our messaging.
15:27:07 So, I really appreciate that they're willing and brought the conversation to us and considering some kind of course share space share stuff share.
15:27:19 And so I think we should give that some serious thought but I think we need to first define how we see this position being most useful to the county and to residents.
15:27:30 Yeah, and this conversation is good because Sarah has started work on putting together a job description for this specific position.
15:27:38 And then we would have a competitive process of course, we'd have to advertise and collect applications and have a process for determining who to hire.
15:27:51 And I mean there's some pretty major questions still to be answered, you know, are we are we thinking of redoing our website like what's the scope of this person, they do, press
releases social media website, graphics, you know, these are big, different
15:28:08 jobs, what are we hiring for what would we use this person for.
15:28:16 And do we need a policy countywide and communications we don't really have one.
15:28:21 So, you said, you know, some hiring someone who we can work with to write that. Then we get into kind of process which is where public health has has built in a good monitoring,
a daily monitoring to managers somebody who's always on call to be monitoring
15:28:37 daily check in to discuss what comments to respond to and what not to so is the idea that public health has capacity to extend that management of the Information Officers the
communication officers outside of public health as well into something where
15:28:57 maybe you have content direction from, you know, public work saying on some headlock communicating that has to happen let's say.
15:29:07 So, they would have a team that is most not subject matter expertise is experts but has the process experts have the communication and then communication inputs could come in
from other departments into that.
15:29:22 The still the vetting process would be the same and the oversight will be the same, except that of course if Public Works and oh that's not what we meant you know, there's always
that.
15:29:32 So is that what they're proposing.
15:29:34 Yeah, one of the, one of the things that Veronica stressed.
15:29:41 Was that staff members, provide content, and communication, ideas, and then Bonnie and Liz, convert that into the communication that shared with the public and and the communication
i think is vetted by the content originator to make sure that communication
15:30:02 is loyal to the facts that they're trying to communicate,
15:30:10 different
15:30:13 levels of responsiveness, needed, depending on the communication right so maybe he has, you know, hey, these roads are bad, and we don't get it out there right now and it's
an emergency.
15:30:27 So you need, like, how do you escalate the communication out how responsive Do you want staff to be to the comment right if someone makes ask the question, do you answer right
this is a fundamental question we struggle with our social media policy.
15:30:42 Yeah, I mean, Public Works, public health has done a great job so I'm all in favor of this idea, but it is as Kate said it's a giant smarter smorgasbord we've got to get down
to, you know, paint menu on there's there's proactive and reactive communications
15:31:00 Um, there's there's proactive and reactive communications that will need to happen.
15:31:02 You know, and then, and at least in the nonprofits I've worked and we've had a communications calendar right so week weekly Facebook posts you know it's like you have kind of
a metronome of activities.
15:31:18 I think we want to develop a communications plan. Right.
15:31:22 And, you know, so it's it's not a small job we're talking about.
15:31:28 Oh, no.
15:31:35 I still think the place we should start from is what do we see as the need
15:31:44 for our departments, and then thinking out as far as we can to other departments so you know my prime example I think when I this fire was really lit under me was the when we
did the moratorium recently with DCD, and it was just so apparent that we didn't
15:32:05 have a way to communicate. And so, you know, that's something that isn't necessarily our department but you know clearly his policy, both DCD needs that expertise and.
15:32:15 And it's communicating a policy that comes from our office also so there's a lot of overlap.
15:32:23 So,
15:32:41 you guys are
15:32:32 yeah what I was gonna say is we had a resource but we didn't take advantage of it.
15:32:39 You know we could have enlisted Janie's help to come up with a communication on the moratorium.
15:32:45 But, but, you know, we acted with such speed.
15:32:50 We didn't think about it and we should have
15:32:57 won one interesting piece of advice. I was given by a communications person was that, like, you know, we, the board is often approached by press and the media and we often represent
ourselves in that and that that has a lot of value.
15:33:15 And, you know, we don't necessarily want to hand all communications over to a Pio and and lose that kind of direct voice too. So, you know, those are the, like, it's like do
we, you know, write the communications plan or the communications policy before
15:33:30 we hire the person like have that help us or do we bring that person out and then write the plan or policy it's it's the job of the job description is part of that as well,
right like what do we want to hire for and what kind of experience do we want
15:33:45 them to have.
15:33:48 I agree I also do not want to lose Bonnie, she's actually excellent, she's really revolutionized that their communications coming out of public health.
15:33:58 So, you know, if it's if indeed it's starting with with working with public health to decide how what each of us bring to the table and
15:34:09 if that's the starting point that's fine with me too.
15:34:15 I.
15:34:15 Ideally we can come up with a scheme so that we keep Bonnie, somehow, and add the additional person, so that we don't, don't go to three and then back down to two.
15:34:29 And so that's something I need to give some thought to.
15:34:33 Yeah, I mean, in Jeannie we do have another person working on communication already course. And so we using the existing capacity, making it more efficient, I think.
15:34:46 Starting this in close conversation with public health is a great way to do it because I do think that they are our shining star for communication that had to be with Coleman
and they've done really well so I think it's, I would say let's take them up
15:35:00 on the offer and start the conversation there and help them, let them help inform the job description right and when when Sarah has a draft job description.
15:35:10 We will certainly have another conversation with the board
15:35:19 is raising her hand, by the way.
15:35:23 So Carolyn Can you bring Sarah over.
15:35:26 It's over now.
15:35:37 Sarah.
15:35:39 We see you.
15:35:40 Yay. We're talking about you. I kept I kept having these thoughts and wanting to say something and finally I just said, I gotta deal because I was going to try to chat, I couldn't
find the chat.
15:35:52 And I agree with what you guys are saying about what needs to take place before further action and really to define what your goals are. So, so why do you want this position,
and, and, and what the goals are, that you wish to meet with that.
15:36:13 And I think once you have that, then everything else will fall into place, including a job description, because there's that can happen to. We know what what you'd like what
you want that position to do.
15:36:30 And I've had the sense, multiple times in my first year as a commissioner of like, we should have sent a press release about that, you know, I mean, I can't tell you how many
times a month I think that.
15:36:47 So I just want the community to know and to be engaged, and the good work that we're doing. And, and to know that if there's of course corrections that we need to consider that
they need to let us know and you know i.
15:37:02 We see the same handful of faces every week and our public comments and I don't want that to be the only way that we're communicating with the public and hearing from the public.
15:37:13 So I think I'm having a pretty thoughtful discussion about what a proactive communications plan would look like, and how we respond to opportunities when good things happen
or bad things I'm storms happen.
15:37:29 I mean, I don't mean bad things like bad but I mean challenges our community faces together. How can we communicate more effectively about them.
15:37:40 That's my number one priority that I don't see being met. Currently, where we have 1700 and 35 followers on our Facebook page, so people are engaged to some extent, and 1500,
likes, and I don't know whether likes are important, I think, maybe they are.
15:38:04 But you know website optimization and press releases are, are two areas where I think you know we need some work done.
15:38:17 Kate you muted.
15:38:19 But are there others to have Mike, yes, now's the time to be thinking, you know, should we be thinking about other social media platforms. If we're going to be assisting or
giving capacity to emergency management for communications, what do they need
15:38:35 they probably a very right needs.
15:38:39 You know Public Works road condition closures that kind of information be great to be folding into this know. And, you know, I don't understand why john Morrow has a regular
slot on KPGZ and the chair of our board does not
15:39:00 think. I think we should approach them and have a have a weekly.
15:39:06 I don't know, I don't know how long johns pieces are they, what are they 10 minutes or so.
15:39:12 Yeah.
15:39:13 Yeah. Longer than 10.
15:39:15 Yeah, we do have our time with Dr. Very every week.
15:39:20 Right, but that's, you know, myopically focused on Kobe.
15:39:25 Yeah. And there are other things that people might want to hear about a lot of other things.
15:39:37 It's a big, a big undertaking me as a suggestion.
15:39:45 If we're talking about public public health communication process is one of the we might want to emulate your users are basis or even how is this person.
15:39:54 I think they should be involved in the conversation because they're, they're doing it effectively, why we are.
15:40:00 But then, you know, of course, serving other departments like what are your communication needs. What do you want to get out there and what information do you need to process
from the public as well.
15:40:10 I think we can make a pretty.
15:40:13 It wouldn't take long to establish what people anticipate their communication needs are, I think, I'm with Heidi there's many opportunities where I feel like, oh man I guess
maybe I should get on social media myself to go you know proclaim something that
15:40:28 the county's working on or, that, that we have information to that I know people want so we have a lot of information that we want to get out there and I think that is a big
part of our push to
15:40:44 for this this position myself, I don't.
15:40:49 We have a lot of opportunity for dialogue with the public already we get emails all the time and I, you know, go out and meet with the public so personally I don't feel that
I really need.
15:41:00 As a commission or two way interaction to any degree higher than we have now. But I do think that we as a county can do a better job putting information out there where people
find it.
15:41:12 And that's, that's my goal.
15:41:19 Yeah.
15:41:20 Yeah, I think of like our board and commission openings. Yeah, I was just thinking about that we've been keep jumping up and down about the weed board.
15:41:41 Yeah, good job, Greg.
15:41:35 Huh. Um, okay so it sounds like maybe we go back to public health and.
15:41:41 Are you are Commissioner lead on this Aaron can we assign one of us so somebody can report back or.
15:42:01 I have been by default just because I've been the one wanting a communications person for a long time I've been the advocate so I'm happy to continue to do that.
15:42:12 I think that would be great because I mean now there's somebody with there.
15:42:18 So, Kate How about I set up a Go To Meeting with all of the commissioner department heads.
15:42:29 And with Veronica, and maybe Bonnie and Liz and maybe we can have a think piece brainstorming session,
15:42:44 we I think the electives probably have an interest in this too.
15:42:50 I was going to suggest that we do electives after we.
15:42:54 After we have our own discussion.
15:42:56 So that we will come across with the electives a little more organized and with a better bake product.
15:43:04 What if we start with a smaller group, you and I, Apple and Veronica, and William Monte, maybe.
15:43:11 Okay, and narrow down a little bit more what what would what the DM and Public Works need or anticipate using and then see if that's a fit with the public health model.
15:43:30 And then have another iteration to talk to Heidi and Greg about or take to the larger group.
15:43:37 Yeah. Okay, I'll set that up.
15:43:40 And Sarah I don't know how, how involved you want to or shouldn't be in that discussion.
15:43:48 Well, I'd be happy to participate. I do have ideas about about it.
15:43:57 And I think that it can get really complicated as you said with all the different platforms social media platforms.
15:44:04 I also see it as an opportunity to really
15:44:09 develop the culture side of the, the county.
15:44:16 The county government.
15:44:18 And when you have when you have a ability to even journal on social media and you have stories about it and what's going on.
15:44:27 I think that could be a really good voice for the people who work here too, so good for the community good for the people that serve the community.
15:44:41 Yeah that's true chance to highlight, good work that staff is doing.
15:44:46 Yeah, he has the ability to do a lot of things to build trust and relationships.
15:44:59 Sounds like a great plan.
15:45:03 So Mark you include Sarah, invite. Well, yes.
15:45:13 Thanks, you guys.
15:45:11 To be continued.
15:45:13 Anything else we want to cover on this communications position topic today, we've communicated about enough.
15:45:24 Well we do, we related is the state of the county coming up that Greg and I are both the core so I'm, I'm getting pushed pushed back from my constituents, why are you doing
it and I'm like, well, we talked about it.
15:45:45 Okay, raise their hands and so I don't know, I think you had a conflict and you.
15:45:54 I think I did, Yeah.
15:45:54 Regardless, that's a great reason.
15:45:58 That's the 21st.
15:46:01 And I've gotten my sales VHS on meeting as a fairly light agenda so I'm still attending it, but I so I might be a minute or two late because is the worst thing would happen
so maybe we should plan for you to be the first presenter I mean the second presenter.
15:46:18 Actually, that would be great because I have a county coordination meeting at 1030. So if I could do, maybe that first without the chamber will do their own introduction and
such but if I need to sign off at 1030 maybe I can do my piece and then you do
15:46:32 yours after. Yep. And would you be able to stick around for answering questions. I don't have anything afterwards so yeah I can stick around to the end.
15:46:41 Okay.
15:46:43 Should we kind of divvy up what we want to speak to. Sure, what's the state of the county.
15:46:48 Mm hmm.
15:46:52 So, I'm certainly open to what what people think we should include, I would be inclined to talk about the, the budget about kind of goals and priorities for probably the two
year horizon.
15:47:17 That would easily take up to 20 minutes that I have, I think of the budget as a great educational opportunity I tend to sprinkle in a lot of kind of civics in that, you know,
15:47:31 this is how, how we are, where our revenues come from and and how those mechanisms work property tax sales tax that kind of thing. Sure.
15:47:42 I think, letting people not not going through the list of committees but letting them know that we each have about 20 committee assignments and those that list is on the website
if they're interested in any of those topic areas, because I always talk
15:47:57 about the breadth of activities that the county takes care of I think which incorporates that and also the myriad departments that we have, you know, how often the county touches
your life, and something that people don't really talk about so that follows
15:48:11 the budget conversation I think pretty well too.
15:48:19 I would guess, Greg that people would like to hear about housing.
15:48:36 responsibility and yeah, I'll talk about housing Breath of the breath of the county.
15:48:45 We want to talk about any particular projects, we want to couch anything for business owners do we want to maybe talk about the grants that we've just been working on with etc.
15:48:58 Yeah.
15:49:00 Good idea.
15:49:02 I was thinking, sewer update as the goals goals and priorities for the two years. Yep.
15:49:10 But yeah grants, you could speak to that. Right, speak to that.
15:49:13 So you're going to talk about sewer and the goals and priorities and legislative priorities. Yeah, and let's build legislative and potential infrastructure, you know just positioning
ourselves well in the state and federal.
15:49:27 Yep.
15:49:30 Okay.
15:49:33 I think talking about the partnership I think we do out we are in a new era of partnership with our partner jurisdiction so maybe speak a little bit to the ICG and I can do
that in the breath of the county.
15:49:45 Okay.
15:49:46 And maybe talk about
15:49:50 like how we've reached out to the chamber and like public health now as a liaison with the chamber are trying to improve communications covered response.
15:50:02 Oh, should we talk about Cove, it
15:50:09 was a little reluctant So, Miss speak about covered.
15:50:16 All right, well we can will have questions about it we can address.
15:50:21 Yeah, the numbers change so quickly we know generally want to do it I don't think hopefully we're communicating that as well.
15:50:31 The business grant program is in response to coven right you can talk about, you can preamble the business grant, talk with, you know, as part of our response to coven.
15:50:43 And I could talk about ARPA as part of the state and federal relations. Yeah, what we're doing with our funds.
15:50:53 Okay, well I'll get an outline of mice.
15:50:56 I don't know, my, my side and maybe we can bounce it through mark to make sure that we we complement each other and what we're going to talk about our next week, although maybe
we want to keep it.
15:51:10 Oh yeah, writing under wraps. Yeah, build, build the anticipation it's going to be so exciting.
15:51:17 governors during the state of the state tomorrow. Okay.
15:51:21 We can take tips for excitement there.
15:51:23 Yeah, what do yeah we're not gonna do PowerPoints just talking right.
15:51:28 Um, I usually do a PowerPoint for it. Okay. Sorry.
15:51:38 although I don't think maybe I didn't last year.
15:51:41 I probably did
15:51:44 send your slide deck to mark so I can build on it. I mean one slide deck is better than two.
15:51:49 Right. Okay, that's good I think we've really different stuff to touch on that or, that's all relevant and interesting so good split a field.
15:52:02 Yes, yes our communications, our communications plan has the templates for official Jefferson County Commissioner business public calculator to do right we can just send it
to Bonnie to finish up.
15:52:16 She do a great job I know, I'm sure, that doesn't mean
15:52:27 anything else on my chamber bit feels like a good starting point to me.
15:52:34 What is the exact one is the presentation.
15:52:36 Next Friday at 10 week from the 21st 21st yeah sorry. Yeah, for at 10am. Okay.
15:52:47 So since the last meeting on the third we start we talked about our committee assignments I wondered if we want to review where we landed or I printed out the list and save
them into the G drive so everyone has those there's no questions or arm wrestling
15:53:04 that needs to happen in this moment.
15:53:08 I'm feeling good.
15:53:10 Okay.
15:53:11 Yeah.
15:53:13 Okay, great. I want to make sure Heidi, you're the one I think who might have unexpected impact so as you as you get into the chair, so it's always open if you if we need to
reassess stuff to and from work, but hey, I appreciate everyone.
15:53:29 Carolyn here. If you were ready to approve that list it hasn't been approved yet this year so.
15:53:42 do that.
15:53:43 Do it again share screen to share.
15:53:51 Okay.
15:53:54 He said, kind of very small maybe put out a benefit for the benefit of the public maybe go Oh, go to single page,
15:54:06 zoom out a little.
15:54:18 Can you see it.
15:54:19 Yep.
15:54:22 That's one
15:54:33 thing I got all of that changes that I heard that you guys had or updates.
15:54:50 Okay, can I go to page to
15:54:56 page two,
15:55:01 so we're pretty evenly divided if you look at the tallies at the bottom of the page.
15:55:07 And Greg Have you heard Have you been appointed to the housing finance commission yet. No.
15:55:13 Okay, that's the only question on the list.
15:55:21 See I can make it bigger for myself Canada.
15:55:32 How's that, that's better.
15:55:35 Yeah, thank you.
15:55:38 Looks good. I'm happy to make motion to approve the committee assignments list for 2022 for the Board of County Commissioners that's presented on favor.
15:55:53 I.
15:55:55 Ok.
15:55:58 Nice work, everyone.
15:56:07 Anything else.
15:56:10 We didn't.
15:56:11 We didn't look forward. Yeah.
15:56:14 So wouldn't mind just a bit of time on legislative update.
15:56:21 Hey, let's start with looking forward and then we'll do legislative update.
15:56:27 Because I'm going to grab a quick important call while you're doing that, I'll be right.
15:56:31 Okay.
15:56:32 I can go first. Okay. Oh, let's see.
15:56:39 Tomorrow have the first meeting the subcommittee to talk about Jefferson transit about the strategic plan, and the changes, I think, Kate and I are both on that as a minority
of the Jefferson Transit Authority also discussing
15:56:56 meeting with staff and Public Works talk about medium risk waste, and then going to walk around with a business owner in Glen Cove a little bit tomorrow.
15:57:07 On Wednesday we have the Olympic area clean agency board, the first meeting with our new directory, Jeff Johnson excited about that.
15:57:14 And then we have the developer meeting for seven Pavan.
15:57:18 The tentatively scheduled affordable housing Task Force has been canceled because we don't have the official membership from the city. So after we do the housing Task Force
I mean sorry the housing fun board which is replacing j o b, then we can decide
15:57:36 what the housing Task Force looks like. So, that was on my scheduled for Wednesday, but not their only cap meeting on Wednesday.
15:57:49 Some residents.
15:57:53 Try to go to the opera meeting kind of local investment opportunities on Friday, and we have the normal Thursday Mill Road update on the Cosmo brown village, and the Behavioral
Health Consortium is on Thursday afternoon, and then Saturday.
15:58:10 While I take my daughter to get her booster. I'm also meeting with the public health director to
15:58:19 walk around and and meet folks at the at the closing clinic.
15:58:25 On Saturday.
15:58:28 That's my week.
15:58:28 Sounds like a busy one.
15:58:33 Um, I
15:58:36 have a meeting or regarding the moderate with risk waste facility with public works.
15:58:46 tomorrow.
15:58:44 I'm having lunch with prosecutor Kennedy and my self prescribed checking in with people in the beginning of the year.
15:58:55 I'm working with Quinn, and Kevin on the next phase of redistricting, which is precinct balancing or just having a planning meeting to talk about what we just did with Commissioner
districts and go over the next step.
15:59:10 I am commencing operation save the sheriff's orchard this week starting on Wednesday with bud collection from the trees with a farmer from spilling farm.
15:59:23 We all know that is
15:59:27 housing solutions network I'm going to attend the sanitation hat, just because I'm interested to hear the questions and thoughts people people are having about sanitation and
the community so it would be a good for him to hear from folks, attending the
15:59:43 peninsula trails coalition board meeting.
15:59:58 trails coalition board meeting. We're having a
15:59:51 meeting regarding the Port Townsend derelict vessel pilot project which is something that I started in my work at the maritime center and amount, helping with
16:00:04 just to make sure that gets off the tarmac and excited about that there's there are about 10 derelict vessels sitting in the long term yard.
16:00:16 In the port.
16:00:33 You'll see him when you come down Sims way and those are the folks for the pilot or some of the boats for the pilot shredding of a fiberglass boats and with boats agenda planning
with Mark for next week. And Friday I'm meeting with our legislative delegation
16:00:35 to talk about the st er NLIO legislative priorities which we spent the last seven or eight months on, and are getting some good traction in various venues with those legislative
priorities which will all benefit our marine waters around us.
16:00:56 And then on Friday I'm starting the Neko county Leadership Academy.
16:01:04 So, full week, Every week feels full.
16:01:11 Yeah, and Kate will come back and tell us what she's doing. Or mark will come back and tell us what he's doing. I know
16:01:22 you're all gone.
16:01:25 Uh huh.
16:01:34 What do we want to do, Greg.
16:01:38 You're muted.
16:01:39 Oh that's good because I said an off color TV the room.
16:01:47 Yeah.
16:01:48 We don't really have anything else on the agenda right is there a legislative update from Kate as well. Yeah.
16:01:59 I just signed about dates.
16:02:15 Last year I read was to snarky I couldn't share.
16:02:18 Craig
16:02:21 was a little snarky little snarky.
16:02:28 I've been doing some research on how to engage, you know how to community outreach as a local elected official and, You know the whole conversation about social media I just
I don't focus much on my Facebook account, I'm happy to say that you're publicly.
16:02:46 So, just weighing whether I should be on there more with getting positive proactive messages out or ik it's much better about it but maybe.
16:03:01 Yeah, it's interesting I mean on my own personal page to put county stuff I feel a little uncomfortable and it would be the only thing I put up anyway so I just asleep, social
media makes me.
16:03:12 It's conservation biases community. That's my that's my judgment on all social media.
16:03:22 Mark Do you want to tell us what to view look, you haven't given us your look forward yet and Kate still on our call I think right for me.
16:03:33 Well, I have got a lot of staff work to do.
16:03:39 I've got to put together
16:03:44 the agenda request for the Iowa with Jefferson transit, and I've got to put together a hearing notice.
16:03:51 We got the
16:03:55 sergeant's back from chief black and apparently we have unanimity with the fire chiefs on the proposed ordinance.
16:04:06 So I need to schedule a workshop on the, on the LA document at the same time I'll ask the board to approve a hearing notice.
16:04:19 I've got to be heard that we need a, an agreement with EDC for the 500,000 and business grants I've got to write that up quickly.
16:04:27 I need to put together a contract with base side for housing of people involved in drug drug court.
16:04:34 And I've got to get an amendment to the only cap contract for the Mill Road properties to the board on Mondays. So, in addition to various meetings, I've got a lot of staff
work to do.
16:04:49 We keep making more work for you.
16:04:52 That's okay and I gotta set up that meeting to talk communications.
16:04:57 So yeah, watch to do.
16:05:04 Yeah.
16:05:08 I'm not sure what Kate.
16:05:12 I'm gonna go knock on their door.
16:05:32 Oh,
16:05:41 It's because you can't get off right now.
16:05:48 Can we take.
16:05:53 Come back at 410.
16:05:56 Okay.
16:10:46 Carolyn we're back.
16:10:49 said you say it's 125 cases added today
16:10:55 in our in Jefferson County. Yeah, 40 is a Christian Center.
16:11:02 The word correction center on the West End.
16:11:06 Oh,
16:11:12 making records, left and right.
16:11:26 We're Carolyn, there she is.
16:11:26 Here I can add captions on.
16:11:28 So okay, we went through.
16:11:34 We went through our looking forward all three of us mark.
16:11:38 Greg and myself, so if you want to do that and then legislative.
16:11:47 We'll
16:11:48 get we'll reconvene.
16:11:51 Okay. Looking ahead, this week.
16:11:56 My meeting with the Public Works tomorrow we probably all do and the courts and smarter waste issue.
16:12:08 Then, if they completely repeating, a lot of what Greg said, then followed by a meeting of the subcommittee for Jefferson transit to discuss long range plan meeting tomorrow
afternoon on this electrician apprenticeship bill that will be testifying on
16:12:26 there early Thursday morning meeting with the senator who is sponsoring the bill on that on Wednesday, so I'm legislative work this week.
16:12:38 Policy Management Group on Wednesday,
16:12:43 have a meeting with her no DC team and taking over as chair of no DC. So meeting with Karen FL and mark to discuss kind of our plans for that organization and the coming year
16:12:58 to meeting with the Olympic Housing Trust Thursday afternoon here what they're up to.
16:13:04 Friday have the legislative steering committee meeting, and then meeting with the new Commissioner from Thurston County on Friday afternoon. So, not too heavy, a week I feel
like my calendar isn't totally populated yet with new committees so better go
16:13:19 back through your handy list tidy and see what's, what's missing
16:13:26 the legislative steering committee chairing is pretty fairly demanding I feel like you have to be much more informed on bill See I used to be able to just sit in and listen
and let my ears perk up and something came up that interested me and it's like
16:13:38 no okay now I have to really be informed so that's going to require a lot more time and attention and that's very last minute you know things change quickly.
16:13:48 So that's gonna keep me busy. My toes,
16:13:58 we're all busy.
16:14:04 Love to report on a few bills.
16:14:09 Whatever the good time is it.
16:14:13 Yeah, don't you that was neck so we're done with our looking forward and legislative updates for next.
16:14:23 Great.
16:14:38 One Of particular note is Bill has Bill 1638, which is giving authority to counties to prohibit fireworks when environmental conditions apply. And there's also provision for
prohibiting the selling of fireworks, up to and only a 90 day window for that
16:14:44 not the one year window so it also eliminates the the one year window for for that prohibition on fireworks.
16:14:52 I have not had a chance to look at that yet.
16:14:56 One sec is interested in having folks willing to testify on that issue so if anyone's interested, I can look that up 1638 to can't remember when the committee meets but sometime
this week.
16:15:12 I think, you know, we might be a little further along in our thinking on that might have some interesting, you know, input to suggest for example that you know we're looking
at having each higher district to be able to do it instead of counties as a blanket
16:15:25 and might be more palatable as a fire chief or fire districts decision, and then there's some question on me.
16:15:35 What science to rely on if the DNR designation of of emergency or threat is is sufficient, or if there's more local conditions that should apply so that's there.
16:15:52 Just.
16:15:53 I know that they've been approached before about doing a bill similar to this but nice to see it, get some traction right now.
16:16:06 Flow some conversation has was 1618 and 1630 look to be contentious those are both prohibiting weapons.
16:16:14 One is it election related offices and one is it school board and other government meetings.
16:16:25 And
16:16:25 those bills are probably going to get a lot of pushback from from law sec.
16:16:46 And it's, you know, I think, if anyone is interested in, myself included, I might be interested in testifying and those in favor of some prohibitions they probably don't hear
from a lot of, especially rural counties that support limiting where what public
16:16:48 space guns can be in but I'm, I'm happy to be a voice on that.
16:16:54 And, Senate Bill 5597 is the Washington voter rights act, and it has failed. Previously, apparently it is not well written, very difficult has a lot of problems that right now
why sac is focused on the kind of structural problems with the bill, but they
16:17:17 did not support the previous bill either and that's going to be tough for me it's kind of hard time not voting in favor of voting rights.
16:17:27 But of course you know it's the devils in the details with how that's implemented especially auditors, you know and and their.
16:17:41 The importance of having statute that makes sense and is implementable by our editors for elections is really important so fingers crossed. Look at that built cleaned up.
16:17:47 And to a place that it can be supported.
16:17:52 And the governor's proposed budget did not provide any additional funding for Blake, which was very upsetting. So, there is a bill to fund additional liabilities, from the Blake
case.
16:18:12 And a couple on growth management, one should move growth management to an eight to 10 year review cycle, comprehensive planning to have a 10 year.
16:18:24 Update cycle with tribal participation. There's another one.
16:18:30 set Bill 5593, that allows counties to look at patterns of development and move urban growth boundary self development is happening in one direction and not in another, to allow
the growth, urban growth boundary to reflect that reality that is currently
16:18:51 being looked favorably upon by was second don't think we've taken a final position, but they like that flexibility of course and local control.
16:19:00 I think it's 5593. Yep, yep seven or short is the sponsor I think it's going to have might have some trouble and in a strongly democratic legislature right now but, but we'll
see.
16:19:13 Maybe some compromises built in there.
16:19:15 There's another GMA Bill 1627, that would allow utilities to go beyond the urban growth boundary.
16:19:25 So currently, that's a lot just for schools and emergency public health situations as we've talked about but that's another one that we might want to track avoided the sewer
and Brennan.
16:19:38 Yeah, yeah, likely, I, I can't say for certain but certainly what I thought of.
16:19:45 Cool.
16:19:48 Those 1799 is require counties to remove food waste from the waste stream.
16:20:04 No, very expensive but it's a methane reduction, bill Fitzgibbon is the sponsor he's very highly regarded as an environmental sponsor, the sponsor of environmental bills so
it's may get some traction.
16:20:17 the my sack hot sheet. 1799 food waste. Okay, so what what what happens to the food when it's removed from the waste stream.
16:20:27 Where does it go.
16:20:29 Ideally, composted, and whether that's, you know, locally or elsewhere.
16:20:35 That's, you know, likely for the counties to figure out what works for them.
16:20:42 You got to pick up food ways from two different places on a weekly basis for form.
16:20:46 There's always there's use for it.
16:20:49 So, when, when the food is converted in the compost it doesn't get give off gases as it as it changes form.
16:20:59 It does it can.
16:21:03 It varies a lot depending on what the feedstocks are the compost and what you can capture and what you can't, so hard to generalize when going into a landfill it is, it does
create methane.
16:21:19 In our case that methane is captured for electricity generation.
16:21:24 So, you know, it, there's the analysis is tricky, but it's one we should definitely track, presumably, it would be, you know, people will be making the case that if that's a
new mandate that it needs to be funded so stay tuned.
16:21:43 We've been talking about that and swag, a little bit over the last few months.
16:21:48 Yeah, that'd be interesting to have you guys take a look at it and do some analysis.
16:21:54 Yeah, there's an alternative approach would be to mandate method capture at landfills.
16:22:01 Right. Yeah. Yeah.
16:22:05 If you remember like Laura Tucker's that her grant program from the school district I think they diverted was thousands of pounds of food waste a year.
16:22:15 It's not that hard to do it, it's, it does make a lot of sense.
16:22:19 Yeah, one list are you reading off of just out of curiosity.
16:22:24 So I'm going from the I write down the ones that I think are of interest to us from, from the legislative steering committee. Yes. Yep. Yeah, so each staff member from Masek
lists the bills that they're tracking and considering a position on.
16:22:42 And I just jumped on the ones that I think are relevant to our county or our interests.
16:22:53 Um, but I think those are those are the most relevant ones I mentioned the Lorraine Loomis Act, which would be really massive shift.
16:23:00 I didn't say that it relies on the site potential tree height for determining the width of the riparian area and that is has been very controversial and not well accepted as
best available science by counties, but it would be used it, determining that
16:23:22 said potential tree height is the best available science. So there's quite a bit of pushback on that last sack has a number of points that they're very concerned about in that
bill, some of which I share.
16:23:38 And yet I also know that we are still losing ground on seven recovery and Orca viability, so I see the need that the tribes are very involved in the creation of Lori, Lori Loomis
x 5665, but that that could be a real battle in the legislature this year.
16:24:05 I partly think the democrats are feeling very bold and wanting to pass, strong environmental legislation right now because they can there's certainly some fear of losing the
Senate in the election next year and so I think they could be more inclined to
16:24:25 move stuff through really quickly, and we could see some bills that maybe don't get the same amount of time to be worked out the kinks worked through adequately, so it's going
to require some attention from from counties.
16:24:42 Haven't heard you mentioned that ecological game yet. Is there any GM a bill that's pushing that.
16:24:49 So, I'm legislature, created a study group, a medical logical game. And that's actually that was one of my concerns about the alert Lorraine Loomis act as hey I thought we were
developing this other more adaptive tool for, you know, measuring.
16:25:08 That's that.
16:25:10 You know that the tribes are really wanting to see quantifiable differences in impacts and therefore, you know that that good science should be informing it so it is it bothers
me a little bit that we're pushing that aside for the riparian protection.
16:25:29 Which would you know give well in the inventory student stewardship program is another one existing programs or, or science and development that's not yet finished but we're
instead say no, we're just going to do.
16:25:45 Temperature high, so that the work group is working on that ecological game. They are expected to reintroduce that bill.
16:25:55 But I think people will say, the science isn't quite figured out yet.
16:26:01 That's what I have I pass something along to Heidi I mean I'm if I'm inclined to pass you guys, you know, broadband ones are things that are of interest in your shorelines to
your areas of interest and, but if that's annoying tell me to stop.
16:26:22 It's helpful. Yes.