HomeMy WebLinkAboutclosed_caption09:01:54 I'm gonna go ahead and hit record on av capture
09:02:20 Hey? It looks like we are live on av capture, and so I will call this July eighteenth, 2022 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners to Order Good morning.
09:02:32 Everyone. I hope everyone had a good weekend I know we all felt like it was too short, cause I've heard heard those flutterings in the hallway so sorry it was short.
09:02:44 But I I would just start with my bummer of the weekend.
09:02:52 There has been a string of robberies on the in the farm stands in chimicum a lot of our farms, Egg and I, Red dogs.
09:03:01 Spring rain are all getting ripped off rest, spring rain. is eighth time yesterday. So i'm working with the sheriff's office, and we got a video of said Robert.
09:03:13 And it sounds like Sergeant Chagusky or Deputy Shaggy is going, is on his way over there to work with the spring rain farmers and hopefully get some resolution.
09:03:26 So just saying it out loud. So people in the community are aware this is going on and with recommend using a check or venmo.
09:03:33 If you go to the farm stands so that your farmers can get paid, because they all operate on very thin margins, as we know, so that's my weekend.
09:03:46 Report anyone have anything they wanna throw in for good, the good with order.
09:03:52 No, I wanted to see something positive after that bit of a bummer.
09:03:55 But yeah, support your local farms I don't know Yeah, Well, the positive thing is, we had a great pancake breakfast yesterday for Jim and come into interdependence Day.
09:04:05 It was fairly lightly attended, but still I felt like we made a lot of pancakes, and I flipped with the pancake flipper, which is my dream job.
09:04:15 So perfectly brown on both sides. I I am dropping mine. I never miss it.
09:04:19 So it was Great Scott! Freeman and I were marveling at the first year, and how the the griddle wasn't hot enough, and so we cut all these oddly cooked pancakes and yesterday,
or it was
09:04:30 just like clockwork yesterday, so felt good anyway, that's the good news from Jimmy.
09:04:36 Come lots of tent. lots of penguins.
09:04:41 Okay, hey? Well, as we do every Monday morning we'll start with public comments, and I see a number of folks in the attendee list this morning.
09:04:52 Is there anyone here joining us this morning who would like to make a public comment to start start the week off?
09:04:58 If you are here to make public comment, please use the raise hand button at the bottom of your zoom screen.
09:05:06 I only see the staff phone number on the list there so I'm not gonna give the phone instructions.
09:05:14 Anyone interested in making a public comment this morning. Use the raise hand button at the bottom of the zoom Is everybody in the community feeling this summer the summer blues
of having to be at the Monday meeting.
09:05:31 There is often a low in the summer. Yeah, I see a bunch of folks on Nope.
09:05:41 Not seeing anyone raise their hand yet. so we'll leave public comment Open until 9 30, as we always do, and if you decide you would like to comment, Please use the raise hand.
button.
09:06:02 And we will call on you but let's see anyone want to respond to any of the written public comment we received.
09:06:08 I just like to do a kudos to staff for thinking through how we collect and share our public comments, and we have a change in process this week.
09:06:21 So I don't know if anyone had any trouble navigating that process to read all the public comments.
09:06:28 But it feels like It's taking a lot of the busy work out of creating the agenda packet for staff, and that feels good.
09:06:36 And then also the The titles of the comments are kept in the title, so that, as we, if we want to go back and look, we can find them more readily, which has been a frustration
of mine, as a new Commissioner
09:06:51 how to find that comment about the hadlock sewer, or whatever.
09:06:56 So yeah, over Brian Kelly.
09:07:03 I also respond to an email everything just now you have trouble reviewing the public comments, and I was letting him know there's a new pathway to view those.
09:07:13 But we'll adjust it right now. good morning brian you'll need to unmute, and then you'll have 3Â min for public comment.
09:07:23 I see your with us in the attend and the panelists but you're still muted, and your hand is up.
09:07:31 But you'll meet. we see your hand and you're here with us. You'll just need to unmute using the mute button at the bottom of the zoom screen our left button.
09:07:45 You see that I can redo his email.
09:07:53 His Mike. is he says michael's disable but his comment was he couldn't find the comments, and I let him know that it's on the agenda under public comments, he said the Link
was not working but
09:08:04 I have since re we published the agenda on av capture.
09:08:07 He might have to hit refresh it's now a pathway. I was told the link doesn't work for the public.
09:08:13 So it's a pathway. and how to look at those comments So right if you're listening that hit refresh on av capture, and you'll see the updated the updated pathway, and he just
notified me he doesn't wish to
09:08:26 speak. Okay, and we can move in back over. Yep: Anyone else want to comment well, okay,
09:08:43 So the only thing on the written comments that I had a question about is there was a very detailed comments from the tiny house communities and bayside about the the ordinance,
and Greg or Kate do you know how we
09:09:01 are working to address those comments. I can. I can speak to that a little bit.
09:09:07 I think I told you last week I did meet with the having solutions that work, and and representatives from base site about the ordinance, and then met with DCD.
09:09:18 With Josh Peters and Brent butler last week, and you know, acknowledge our process was not perfect.
09:09:25 You know we shouldn't we should have had the codified version.
09:09:27 Go through the planning commission. so it wasn't substantly different. So there are some process improvements that I think we agree on, and I think there were some things added
after the planning Commission that also need addressing so it was the
09:09:41 consensus of Brent josh and myself that we should open this ordinance up again, but that perhaps it would be beneficial to have a workshop where we go into some of the more
nuanced definitions and just make sure
09:09:54 we're all talking about the same thing. you know some of our definitions were used differently in different areas, like a temporary structure, and then a temporary structure
includes You know, a tent from Rei.
09:10:08 So do you need an operable window? It just be They became a little confusing. and you know we have housing.
09:10:15 That is temporary for the resident we have housing that is temporary on the site, and we have sites that are temporary, and all those things can be permanent as well.
09:10:23 So there's so many of the same words that end up in different terms that we thought first a workshop to clarify it.
09:10:31 And i've reached out to bayside really the only impacted properties right now are causal brown village, and Peter is place with the change in the ordinance.
09:10:42 So i've reached out to bayside to see Can we take our time in correcting the ordinance?
09:10:50 And would you be willing, Can you operate peter's place under the ordinance, as it is for a short term, or, if they can't, we can consider we can consider a a minor modification,
while we kind of rescue
09:11:04 it, and and and do open it up. but that'll probably take a month or 2 to open up.
09:11:09 Okay, So what that works not workshop, but in all of us. Yes, that would be a Monday afternoon workshop with DCD.
09:11:17 And you know we might invite some other stakeholders to just to, or at least take public comment to make sure that we're
09:11:23 I'll talk about the same thing, in the same way that sounds good to me, and then we'd have to have a hearing to make changes to the ordinance, and then we'd have a hearing subsequent
to that to to make changes to
09:11:33 the ordinance, and I think that hearing process is, you know, it might be one of those ones where we leave it open for a week or so so.
09:11:41 We can make sure that we get nuanced and informed public feedback.
09:11:46 I think that was it. Dc. the acknowledges that we didn't do it the best way, and we couldn't get substantive feedback, since there were so many changes to the form as well as
the as the content of
09:11:56 the ordinance. Does it need to go back to the planning commission as well?
09:12:03 We got for legal. I guess yeah I think i'm trying.
09:12:10 I'm trying to recall I didn't write down that note.
09:12:14 I I I I think if we have time it would be the best practice, I guess, in my own head.
09:12:19 But I we should double check with with DCD. and legal good to verify that.
09:12:23 But if we are making substantive changes, I think that planning commission should be included.
09:12:27 Yeah, I I agree with your assessment. greg would hate to be challenged after the fact that we left them out and shouldn't have great thanks for that date.
09:12:41 Great I see Mr. Tears has his hand up.
09:12:45 So Ken would you bring him over and we'll take his comment.
09:12:52 Sure. Then i'll bring him right over thanks
09:13:01 Good morning, Tom. you'll need you'll have 3Â min for public comment.
09:13:07 Good morning, Commissioners. yeah, I was just wanted to comment on the public comments on the new organization for the public public public public comment emails, or actually
just all your electronic correspondence. that you've received putting it in
09:13:25 laser fish the way that you have. First of all, I appreciate the fact that I was able to have an extended conversation with Carolyn about this, and it was it was very productive.
09:13:36 I think, and I think the one thing that's maybe still missing or lacking in the in the process is what used to be there in the agenda, which was a link to a Pdf.
09:13:48 Which was all of the correspondence combined into a single file, and I know this is a work in progress, and I think we'll get there.
09:13:56 But right now, you know, there are a 192 separate emails in that laser fish folder, and if you want to read them, you have to click on that download it to your computer each
one at a
09:14:07 time, and so forth. it's it's a bit time consuming much more so than just skimming through a single pdf, so something that I I know is being worked on and will be improved But
I I do
09:14:21 appreciate the fact that that really good progress is being made on this, and the public is being kept informed of what the what the rest of the public are saying to you.
09:14:31 So I appreciate all the good staff work. So thanks thanks for your comment. Mr.
09:14:36 Tears. Yeah, I know the the pdf is help useful. but it's also hard when you're trying to find one comment.
09:14:46 You know if you read through the pdf and then you're sitting there preparing for the meeting on Monday, trying to find that one comment that you wanted to call out It's you
know they have to shuffle through the
09:14:57 entire. Pdf: So I I appreciate staff work staff work to make the comments more accessible.
09:15:05 And it is, as you said, a work in progress but I feel feel like It's good progress.
09:15:12 Can I make one more comment on that that I think that we we were doing the the big one Pdf with all the emails?
09:15:18 Perhaps we weren't preserving on the metadata the way that we should.
09:15:21 So There's A there's a functional reason to to preserve the emails as as distinct units.
09:15:28 I don't know if carolyn wants to speak to that at all.
09:15:31 Yeah, we're currently working with state archives on the best way to to transmit all those emails as that came in as correspondence and public comment to them.
09:15:41 But right now, Yeah, he's correct what what we had to do in the past was every email that had an attachment. we had to print the emails, then, print the attachments and we would
go through a couple of rams of
09:15:52 paper within a week and a half to just print out all that correspondence.
09:15:56 Then we scan them in and create one. Pdf: Now there is a way and that Thomas told me about to take the emails and create a Tsp.
09:16:06 File and bring them over. we're waiting on archives let us know the best method how they want to receive it.
09:16:14 And then, maybe if we have to do that process regardless, then we can implement something on our end.
09:16:17 But right now it would create more work for staff Then our current. new process, which is just dragging and dropping the emails into the laser fee folders for the public to
view.
09:16:27 So We're currently We're still working on it just stay tuned.
09:16:32 Thanks, carolyn I appreciate all your work on this That's no it's been a a project anybody else who's joined us on our attendee list wishing to make public comment this morning.
09:16:46 You can at any time that you're moved to make a comment between now and 9 30.
09:16:53 Raise your hand, using the raise hand button at the bottom of the zoom screen.
09:16:58 Well, do we anything else we want to talk about in terms of the written comments?
09:17:06 Or should we move on to considering consent
09:17:10 Really excited. that staff is, is working on this. Glad they are, you know, interfacing with the public as well.
09:17:17 We wanna make sure that changes we make are are usable to the public and and transparent. And i'm i'm really excited about that.
09:17:24 This development. so as as Tom said, it's iterative and we'll keep getting it. Keep working on it until it gets right.
09:17:29 But it's a lot less work for staff right now, and with with more accessible information.
09:17:36 So yeah, kudos caroline. and team I would add too, that the discussion we're gonna have this afternoon about boards and committees that we sit on
09:17:46 I'm also grateful to staff that we're clarifying some processes.
09:17:50 It also is a form of risk management, and being sure that everybody knows the proper procedures.
09:17:55 And so it's always extra work to be doing this kind of preemptive work work, but I it it most often pays off.
09:18:05 So glad we're headed that direction. yeah good morning George, You'll need to unmute good morning.
09:18:14 Good morning. I I just wanted to comment on every Friday the Chamber of Commerce had it coffee at 10 o'clock a Zoom meeting and a wonderful cruise into on issues related to
Jefferson County and
09:18:32 port towns, and and last Friday was Heidi and he did an elegance job of reviewing the issues of the county, and she should be commended from for that as well as Greg who and
I think
09:18:53 that it's really important that the folks who observe you here should also participate in those Chamber of Commerce coffee.
09:19:02 So click on to the chamber, and hey!
09:19:09 Get a pretty good view of the county. Thank you. Thanks, Jordan.
09:19:13 I know that the Chamber said that they scroll those presentations up onto a Youtube Channel, a Jefferson Chamber Youtube channel.
09:19:24 So you can go go review the presentations that we've made in the past.
09:19:28 Kate did one about 6 months ago. and just to bring my colleagues here up to speed.
09:19:36 I did share each of ours Lists of committees were assigned to, and I think people were fairly gobsmacked at the long list that we we have and are responsible. for.
09:19:48 So I reviewed those lists with them. the attendees on Friday, and, like, I said, that presentation is up on the Chambers, you Youtube Channel.
09:19:58 If anyone wants to review that. Okay, wow. So do we. wanna look at consent.
09:20:07 Does anyone have anything that they wanna call out on consent?
09:20:10 Agenda. maybe i'll call out the extension of taking a testimony for hearing, and the no shooting area for the jolly way region. and it was miss published in the newspaper to
say that It
09:20:29 was comment would only be open until the thirteenth, when it is actually until the 20 fifth.
09:20:34 Am I getting that right? You need tabs open here.
09:20:37 And in, and just a bit of a clarification.
09:20:42 So I think it was a hard to understand in the newspaper, but that, you know we are open to considering other dense neighborhoods adjacent to the jolly way area.
09:20:52 And so if if folks in those neighborhoods are interested in that, we we would only do that.
09:20:58 Well, I will say for myself, I would consider it only with some pretty serious interest from from those neighborhoods.
09:21:06 Yeah, and it is the 20 fifth no it was so i'm sorry it said, originally July.
09:21:16 So, anyway, the the end of our talk about consent Number One.
09:21:22 No consent. Number 13. Yeah. I was trying to pull it up.
09:21:27 Whatever is on the agenda is the correct version that's what I just sent July 20 fifth.
09:21:31 Thank you. Okay, let's see couple of things I wanted I just wanted to thank Mark Mccauley and Philhan Sucker for their work on updates to the ltac code lodging tax advisory
09:21:47 Committee hotel motel use of hotel motel tax.
09:21:54 Code. there was no previous language left room for misinterpretation of use of those funds for capital projects.
09:22:03 And it's just great. to have that clarified and I know there's still some questions about uses those funds for workforce housing, and so we're looking into that But the first
thing that they were addressed
09:22:14 was clearing up the portions of the code that could potentially be Miss Mississippi.
09:22:24 So, and then tons of consent agenda items thanks to public health.
09:22:29 So there's been a flurry of work over there, and I clicking into each of those notice Laurie Fleming's name on a bunch of those agenda items.
09:22:40 And experience another wave of regret that she's leaving us but thankful for her leadership, and work sends long before I was here, and we'll be sad to see her.
09:22:50 Go. So those were the 2 2 things I wanted to say about consent.
09:22:54 Anyone else. it's a beefy one again, lots of good work on here. lots of money getting out to our behavioral health partners.
09:23:04 Yeah, I have. I have no notes, just lots of good work going on.
09:23:11 Someone would someone love to make an emotion i'd be happy to move it.
09:23:15 We adopt an approve and adopt the consent agenda as presented.
09:23:19 I'll second all in favor bye bye none opposed thanks to all the staff work that went into this everybody.
09:23:28 Appreciate all the work, and I see al karen is listening in, and I I can't say how many times over the weekend I mentioned that our solid waste facilities have only been closed
one day in the entire
09:23:41 pandemic, where other neighboring solid waste facilities may maybe reduce service, reduce the number of days a week.
09:23:48 They were open close all together, in some cases for weeks or months at a time. So
09:23:53 I just wanna say I allowed that people are super grateful for the extra work that our team has put into keeping recycling and track depository open for business over the pandemic
and it's in my
09:24:12 conversations at The maritime center is gala.
09:24:15 On Friday, and then at the pancake breakfast.
09:24:18 This was the conversation I found myself in most frequently and super grateful, and then I went and did my recycling, and had luck yesterday, and I was sad to see a bunch of
those Amazon plastic bubbles in the
09:24:31 plastic, and just like we just can't get it right can we people.
09:24:35 So I was actually pulling them out, and took them home and put them in the garbage.
09:24:40 But shouldn't be the commissioner's job to redo people's recycling efforts.
09:24:46 So I see that working board. Yeah, part of the working board.
09:24:51 I see that Kathleen has joined us. Kathleen Claire.
09:24:53 Good morning, Kathleen. Good morning, board! Good morning, Mark.
09:24:57 Good morning, Carolyn. this is the week bells have dropped, and I have been excited to see the participation of the entire county.
09:25:12 For the wonderful questions that were brought to the League of Women Voters forums.
09:25:18 And hearing conversations in cafes, realizing that at least in Jefferson County the civic knowledge of how elections work is strong, I want to thank the election department
out of the auditors office for being an example, to the rest
09:25:41 of the State in terms of our ballot integrity I want to assure all of the citizens that the concerns about election integrity are there's no foundation effect you're in Jefferson
County.
09:25:59 And so to thank the entire county staff, the elite, and this citizens, for at least in this part of the country.
09:26:11 The keeping democracy alive and well. Thank you. Thanks, Kathleen.
09:26:18 Nice to hear your voice this morning I'm. sorry if I could thank you, Kathleen.
09:26:24 It is a good good opportunity to remind folks to please get their ballots in.
09:26:32 Greg. you probably have the primary date offhand.
09:26:35 Is it the second August second yeah second Just we do check those signatures. so forging them, even if it's well intended.
09:26:50 A kid off at college, for example. you think Oh, i'll just sign it, anyway.
09:26:56 Please don't. That will disqualify it, and if you have not updated or seen your signature at the auditors office for some time. It might be a good idea to check it, especially
if it has changed due to any sort of
09:27:07 physical condition. So we really want those ballots to count.
09:27:13 I agree with Ms. Claire. We, you know, elections are largely held at the local level, and you know these are your friends and neighbors who are working hard to make sure that
every ballot is counted fairly and so so please get those
09:27:26 in and make sure you, you know, Use the security envelope, sign it, date it. Make sure your signature is correct. And that way you know that your ballot is being counted.
09:27:39 Yeah, please vote everyone it's it's how how we how we make the system work.
09:27:44 It's right, it's the linchpin of it and you know, if you have any questions, we even have cameras now as they're counting the balance, so it's everything's gone virtual But
yeah, our
09:27:53 we have absolutely sterling election integrity here and throughout the state of Washington.
09:27:58 So it's a point of pride for me for sure good call out folks.
09:28:08 Okay. And so i'm gonna close Well, 2Â min any any last call for public comments like yesterday did last call for pancakes.
09:28:17 So. I like this now last call for public comments.
09:28:20 Anybody joining us this morning. Want to have the last word for the day?
09:28:25 It takes some pancakes We got rid of them all.
09:28:32 Okay, not seeing anyone raise their hand i'm gonna close public comment,
09:28:40 We adopted consent. Agenda We have about 15Â min until we're joined by Dr.
09:28:44 Barry and Willie bent what's your pleasure colleagues.
09:28:49 Would you like to do some calendaring we don't have any proclamations today?
09:28:56 What briefing from last week, who wants to start I could start since I suggested it.
09:29:04 Let's see so here with you all on Monday.
09:29:09 Of course, Tuesday had a good meeting with Chief Black Jo checking in on a number of things.
09:29:13 Still really interested in the the community Wildfire Protection plan, and I know we have a lot of planning efforts going on.
09:29:21 But I think this is something we should be on the lookout for funding for and you know it sounds like that.
09:29:28 Work is most often done by a a qualified professional you know Often Bring somebody in for that, so it wouldn't even necessarily be a a capacity for county staff concern.
09:29:40 But let's just keep that. on our radar it's the kind of thing we don't want to have a a catastrophic fire, and think Oh, wish we would have done that!
09:29:52 Then had a really great meeting again with Grannicus.
09:29:54 The You know a service provider who helps counties, right ordinances and implement ordinances regarding short term rentals, vacation rentals and this time the consultant that
they work with on policy he
09:30:11 does working policy and community engagements. for setting up this kind of this type of regulation.
09:30:20 And he was so great, so i'm really excited that there's a you know.
09:30:25 We we know of at least one professional that was available to help us with this work.
09:30:30 We know DCD: and it has their hands full.
09:30:34 We have procurement policies. Obviously we would have to go through.
09:30:36 But this guy just really gets it and talks about how every community is different.
09:30:41 And you really have to drill down on the issues pertinent to your community.
09:30:45 And so I feel very confident that there's just a good thought going on in this in this sector right now.
09:30:53 So it's affecting so many communities across the country so we're going to be getting some materials from them that Brent and Mark and I will take a look at and meet again with
them.
09:31:03 Once see if there's a if there's a potentially a good match, and then start talking about kind of how or what, if it came in public policy, would say in terms of bringing on
some expertise, and I know both of you are interested
09:31:13 in that topic, too, so definitely. keep you in the loop on that great
09:31:20 Let's see how to finance committee for economic Development Council.
09:31:26 I'm trying to think of anything specific to report there. you know, when the the 5 way agreement was written by the the 4 public agencies in the Edc.
09:31:37 Things were were a little bit different, and we might anticipate that the Edc.
09:31:41 Might come to reopen that document and think about how it could be more effective.
09:31:48 There's some actually some kind of disagreement with contracts, as the Edc. has with commerce.
09:31:56 For example. there are some kind of mission oriented discrepancies, you know.
09:32:00 For example, it talks about the the public sector cabinet.
09:32:04 Approving the budget. for the edc and like actually that's in the nonprofit that's the job of the board.
09:32:11 So There's some there's some just some things that I think now that the Edc.
09:32:15 Is being run as a a tightly run ship.
09:32:20 That will probably need some reconsideration. So stay tuned for that.
09:32:26 Give blood on Tuesday afternoon encourage folks to do that they're gonna be back august thirteenth.
09:32:32 I believe and summertime, a sectorary suggested last week is the time to to give blood.
09:32:39 So encourage folks to keep an eye out for that.
09:32:45 Let's see. Oh, wednesday and thursday I was.
09:32:53 I was supposed to be out at the the whole reservation, and
09:32:58 Just a series of mishaps, including a Covid outbreak.
09:33:02 Some major upheaval in the tribal council at the Ho!
09:33:06 And through my back, out on the way. All 3 of those happen on my way to the West so literally got to forks so close to the reservation and turned around.
09:33:17 It came phone so very frustrating, but it seemed like
09:33:20 There was just a enough upheaval at the tribe itself that it was not going to be a really effective time for for meeting with them.
09:33:29 So that was a bit of a a wasted day. Unfortunately, Friday.
09:33:37 We had our covid coordination meeting and it was a brief one we expected to, you know, hear some concern, because it seems like we have more covid cases.
09:33:48 In with bin county offices right now. perhaps than we ever have i'm not sure if that's true.
09:33:53 But you know our first disruption of service at the transfer station like Commission eisenhower mentioned but to departments largely seems like they kind of had their contingency
plans.
09:34:06 You're interested in in cutting out about evaporation. This is the really the theme of the meeting.
09:34:10 And it seems like departments feel like they've had time to kind of adjust, and so not a lot of concerns which is great.
09:34:17 It gets no departments are full and steady. in the face of ever shifting covid realities.
09:34:24 That I joined Jefferson healthcare for a radio program on Friday about our childcare efforts. and you know, just continues to be a really great partnership.
09:34:36 Primarily Jefferson healthcare Ymca.
09:34:39 Also partnering on that and so appreciate the the good work that's being done there, and the hospital continues to seek funding for that effort, and we provide really important
match through our our dollars that we've committed
09:34:54 and it feels like we have real possibility. there's a that school district will be considering whether they want to apply with us for a facility at up at the high school.
09:35:04 But that's still to be decided by the school board here in Port Town, and that was my week
09:35:15 Yeah, I can go next, let's see I had one of those summertime weeks where I have my calendar represented things that had been canceled, or we don't have sometimes during the
summer.
09:35:26 So we ended up being a little lighter than I thought. Monday after our meeting, I did go down to the Qu See Community Center for a talk about the the trail that count me in
will seem got $30,000 from aarp as
09:35:40 they start to get folks to gather together and build those 9 shelters and benches.
09:35:45 And that was a really exciting opportunity. and lots of ideas and i'm gonna help them connect with various folks like fish and wildlife who I'm dealing with that down at the
little the cause while they shefish.
09:35:58 beach there at the band applenda longer road is is one of the one of the spaces there, hoping to put one of the facilities on Tuesday the tourism coordinating council did have
the month off because
09:36:08 it's right in the middle of tourism season so that was on my calendar.
09:36:12 We didn't have a meeting I had a a working lunch with with Brent Butler and Josh Peters, where we talked about, among other things, the temporary housing, ordinance and some
interactions
09:36:27 with our our sovereign nation partners, and in the tribes.
09:36:31 And and a few other issues as well, so really productive meeting met with some folks out in Port Ludlow, who are having some issues with, you know, roads that they were have
some difficult covenants, to address and we're looking
09:36:45 to to see if the county would take on public roads and I afforded them the petition process, and the fact that it's probably unlikely, and and working with them to see if I
can help untwist their their covenants with
09:36:57 them On Wednesday we also the Orca meeting was was canceled.
09:37:04 We take one off and we didn't have one this this month so that was on my calendar.
09:37:08 It. wasn't there did do agenda planning for the Board of Health, and we have we are doing our new Board of Health.
09:37:17 Applicants are going to be interviewed in open public session and our Board of Health meeting this week. So it's going to be a longer meeting, and we kind of feel finished planning
that Thanks both Kate and Heidi were on the
09:37:26 planning committee, So most of the work was done but it'll so our Board of Health meeting this we start at 1 30 instead of 2 30, and we'll go for 3Â h to give all the applicants
the appropriate
09:37:36 time after that I did my third planning commission interview and hoping that we can get together and talk about that, and wondering the best way we can.
09:37:48 I don't know if we have to ask legal I i'd love to if we can go into exact session.
09:37:54 That's my my preference i'm happy to do an open public session.
09:37:56 But i'd love to talk about the the different pros and cons of all the 3 very qualified applicants from district free.
09:38:03 We have for the planning. commission. so it's a really really tough decision, and I think we all have a lot of upside and not a lot of downside.
09:38:09 So i'd love to talk about perspective and strategy you know what we're looking for in the next years. if I can.
09:38:14 If we can. Then I had to miss the old cat meeting on on Wednesday night, though it was, we had at a similar not board meeting, but tour around causal Brown and 17, and the the
week before but I had a
09:38:30 campaign meeting greet, so I could not attend let's see and then oh, yeah, met with Michael Marx, our our grant on Thursday our grand administrator with 2 first names, and it
was great to meet him and and starting to
09:38:49 ask questions about capacity, and I think he's still in the drinking from a fire hose stage, and we'll understand.
09:38:57 I guess what access to that tool we might have what do what discretionary access to his is that position.
09:39:07 We might have as we move forward and I Think we're going to supplement that with another position, too.
09:39:09 So he's gonna build some capacity and Then we had the sailors behavioral health administrative service organization on Friday.
09:39:20 Pretty sure they're having staffing issues like everywhere else, you know, people are doing a lot of reshuffling, and and, you know, following family to different areas.
09:39:29 So They've They've lost a couple of real critical staff members did the finish the Rfp.
09:39:34 For the the youth they've got some more funds for a youth navigator program, but they only had it was required.
09:39:42 They just do it in one location or just for certain population.
09:39:48 So because we're the smallest of the 3 counties we ended up getting no representation in that use navigator program.
09:39:51 So there's they're setting something up and Kinstep County, and I think we ended up meeting up just a bunch of staff for some of the guidelines in the program.
09:40:01 So at first we weren't going to do it at all as an organization that they've loosen some of the the program requirements.
09:40:08 So it is functional, but unfortunately not going to benefit Jefferson County, which sometimes happens as the smallest of those counties.
09:40:16 So no no use in Christ. And that was really my week.
09:40:24 Sounds like a good summer week. I can do mine after our Monday meeting last week I had a community foundation subcommittee who's working on reviewing proposals about the creative
entrepreneurship.
09:40:43 Network. So we had a a meeting about that and selected to move forward with for the first one.
09:40:53 Tuesday morning I attended a webinar on secure rural schools.
09:40:58 That's Federal funding, that comes through our forest forests to the county, and I just never really understood the the real differences between titles 1, 2, and 3.
09:41:09 And so I just wanted kind of a primer on that.
09:41:12 And And now my next conversation about that will be with stacey I don't know if she's listening today. Stacy i'm gonna reach out she's not good i'm gonna reach out to stacey
and talk to her
09:41:23 about our historical historic approach to secure rural schools because they've changed some rules there's been some changes to rules of how we can apply titles 1, 2 and 3, and
the deadlines for those so just wanting to
09:41:38 make sure we're dialed in for that and then that led to some conversations with Mark, and others about levy levy lids and understanding levy lids are a number of potential campaigns
in our community for things
09:41:53 like hospital and fire, and the library in the future so just trying to understand how all of those get considered, and if we have the capacity or if they're if they're campaigns,
likely likely the latter yeah.
09:42:16 we have a workshop on that with the Assessor Chapman today.
09:42:20 Right super excited about that glad that that's that's on the agenda.
09:42:25 Let's. see. I had a straight er and steering committee meeting and further discussion about admiration of the Lao and local integrating organization.
09:42:39 Sorry it's not fair to do acronym when the public's listening.
09:42:43 So that that organization has been administered by the Jamestown tribe for the last decade, and they're looking for a new administrative oversight organization for that We're
willing to take it on Michael I also worked with
09:42:58 Michael Mark last week, or Mark did, but I got exposed to his good work.
09:43:03 He did a very thorough memo on that potential administrative role for us, and I was super appreciative of it as analysis, and it looks like it. a lot likely go to an organization
in cloudland which is the majority of the
09:43:18 geography of this of the Lao local integrating organization.
09:43:23 But we have raised our hands, and I feel like us raising our hands for the conversation. So i'm i'm glad we're part of the conversation, and as co-chair of the straight ern
lao I will be glad
09:43:38 to see it go to a a home that is excited to be in that role for years to come.
09:43:47 At the steering committee we talked about a number of potential upcoming legislative issues around the Straits.
09:43:56 I met with Jenny bradhurst who's the ed of the salish sailors c Institute, and at Western Washington University, and had a great conversation with her, and one thing that she
brought to my attention was that we are in the
09:44:13 year of the sales, c. And this is a youth led initiative the year of the Sales, C.
09:44:20 And they're asking tribes and municipalities and organizations to endorse the year of the sales, c.
09:44:30 So I may bring a resolution is it's it's just really to bring energy to the sales sea. and there's some long-standing kind of feeling that no one really understands what the
sales she is unless we're
09:44:48 all working within that context, and so just holding it up and reminding folks of what the sales, c.
09:44:55 Is what the geography is, what some of the good efforts that are going on around protection, and the sales, c.
09:45:01 And I know that kate's been involved with the maritime heritage area that's largely this sailor, c.
09:45:06 So there's a lot of efforts going on but it would be an opportunity for us to you know.
09:45:12 Raise our hand and say we, we acknowledge that we sit on the edges of the sales, c.
09:45:15 And there are a number of Canadian municipalities who endorsed the effort.
09:45:21 And then the city of olympia so they're just trying to get the geography more covered in terms of organizations that have adopted the year of the sales seat. Oh, and it's 9
09:45:33 45. so i'm cut short I will continue my my report later.
09:45:40 Today. I'm gonna maybe when we do calendaring so 9, 45 that is the the bell the bell rings for Dr.
09:45:48 Barry to join us, and then they're not I don't see her on the call yet.
09:45:54 I see, Willie, I don't see alison yet.
09:45:59 Oh, there she is, and bringing Rovers panelists. Good morning, Willie. hey?
09:46:06 Good morning, everyone. Good morning, Dr. Barry. Good morning. Nice to see everyone.
09:46:14 See you So for the covid update today.
09:46:20 Looking at the national numbers. we are trying to see cases tick up at the national level again, and one concerning sign we're seeing nationally as we're starting to see hospitalizations
rise again.
09:46:32 Not a significant rise, but we're seeing about 15 to 20% rise in hospitalizations across the country in Washington State.
09:46:38 We're seeing a somewhat different picture right now, case rates are relatively flat at the State level as our hospitalizations and texts.
09:46:46 And so it's not clear yet whether or not it's a delay in moving towards the national picture or for starting to see a difference in presentation based on primarily vaccination
status.
09:46:56 And so we'll be watching that very closely as things move forward in Jefferson County.
09:47:02 We are seeing a tick up in cases right now we have diagnosed 5,033 cases of Covid 19, and our case rate is up to 712 for 100 and 1,000.
09:47:15 Now given that we have such a small population, we do expect some variability week over week, and so i'd say it's too early to say whether or not that will be a true trend in
cases we have had some relatively large
09:47:26 focused outbreaks at certain congregate facilities in in the county, and that's driving some of those numbers.
09:47:34 So i'd say too early to tell whether or not we're seeing a true rise in cases in Jefferson that will be sustained, but certainly given the national picture of that is possible
currently Thankfully, we have no one in
09:47:45 the hospital for COVID-19 in Jefferson Counties.
09:47:49 The case that we've hospitalized 138 people for Covid 19, and we've had no new deaths due to the virus.
09:47:56 We've lost 30 of our citizens to covid 19 here, and that's similar to the pattern we saw with the last surge related to omicron is that we didn't see that surgeon severe disease
we're
09:48:06 hopeful that we'll see that same trend here in Clown County we have diagnosed 14,243 cases of COVID-19 for a case rate of 567 per 100,000 which is a little
09:48:19 more stable week over week. We do have 4 Cloud County residents currently hospitalized for COVID-19 for a total of 414 hospitalizations, and no new deaths due to the virus.
09:48:33 So at this point B a 5 the subvariant of omicron is our dominant variance. we talked a little bit about this last week, but just to review, because I know i'm seeing it more
in the news
09:48:42 generally. Ba. 5 is more contagious than any of the Omicron variants that came before it, and it shows increased immune escape.
09:48:51 So its ability to get around immunity from prior infection and unfortunately, immunity from vaccination.
09:48:58 As well. So we're seeing quite a bit of breakthrough infections.
09:49:01 But the whole thing that we are still seeing is that the vaccine is still holding up at preventing severe disease due to Covid 19.
09:49:09 So we're not seeing significant hospitalization and death. in those who are up to date on their vaccines.
09:49:14 It's a good reminder to be up to date for the vast majority of us.
09:49:17 That means 3 doses of the vaccine for anyone over 65.
09:49:22 That means 4 doses of the vaccine and if you're immunosuppressed.
09:49:26 It's 4 doses, too, so it's either 3 or 4. if you have less than that, it's really important to go forward and get that booster, so that you can maintain that strong protection
against severe disease, and because we're
09:49:37 seeing so much immune escape with this but variant of the virus.
09:49:43 It's really important to wear a high quality mask when you're indoors around others. kan 95 and 95 Kf.
09:49:48 94 Is those all still work really well to prevent? transmission of Covid 19. And if we all do that, we're much less likely to contract Covid in the near future, And so, with
that i'm happy to take
09:50:00 any questions. I saw greg's mute off, and Kate raise her hands you're in You're in dueling positions here. right.
09:50:15 Greg. First you started talking sorry and you know I really just a small question based on your last comment, Doctor? and that's Do I know Kf: 94 is and 95 and all that offer
really good
09:50:28 per protection is a surgical mask still enough source control and some protection to be a high quality mask in the situations.
09:50:38 Or do you recommend if you're meeting inside. that you're really scaling up one level to the but I often find quite difficult to wear for a long period of time.
09:50:48 So as soon as you have 2 things that your mask is doing for you, one is source control.
09:50:52 So preventing you giving Covid to other people and a surgical mask, or even a high quality cloth mask.
09:50:58 Actually you'll do the trick. there. so you're either of those will do really well to prevent you from giving covid to others as far as protecting you.
09:51:07 The the wearer, the higher quality mask the K.
09:51:11 And then he fives the Kf. 94 is do a lot more, and so I would say, it depends on your risk.
09:51:16 Profile, and what you're, doing so my I i'm used to wearing a surgical mask at work, have been doing it for quite some time, and so, as a up-to-date person who's relatively
low
09:51:31 risk for Covid. In many situations I still wear a surgical mask. but if I were doing something higher risk like I was gonna be on a plane or a bus something where the was a
lot of virus circulating I
09:51:43 would wear a higher, level mask, but for just the grocery store, something where things are generally spaced out.
09:51:48 Surgical mass should really get you what you need but if you're a higher risk person.
09:51:53 Say you just had chemotherapy really important, that you have the highest quality mask, so that the K. N.
09:51:59 95, or higher Great, Thank you, and of course most important is a mass that you will consistently wear.
09:52:06 So if you find that an N* A. K. in any 5 is just impossible to fit your face.
09:52:11 A high quality, surgical mask that fits your face well, it's gonna provide you significant protection.
09:52:17 So when we looked at this data, your risk of contracting Kovat 19 still went down approximately 70%.
09:52:25 If you wore a surgical mask regularly, if you want that higher number 85, 90% reduction, then you have to have the higher quality mask.
09:52:33 But any mask wearing will help you kate I saw your hand up, too.
09:52:42 Yeah, thank You I I don't just ask this as another opportunity to point out that I'm. the only commissioner. that's not 50 yet.
09:52:47 Those of us that are 50 there's rumor that that a second booster might be recommended soon.
09:52:53 For that age group that is so far not been eligible for it.
09:52:57 Is that consistent with what you're hearing and if so will you also be making that recommendation so as far as whether or not there will be an additional booster for those under
50 unclear at this point I would say we don't yet
09:53:12 have the data that that is needed for this population, it still may become an option.
09:53:20 And that was kind of what happened with the second boister for the 50 plus crowd was the
09:53:26 The the the Fda. said it's an option for you and then it wasn't until later that we saw that there was enough data for the 65 plus crack.
09:53:34 There's still not a lot of data that the 50 plus crowd needs it, but it's not gonna hurt you. And so I would say, if this comes forward in the near future with the current data
milieu that we have it will probably
09:53:45 be along that line, which is that if you want one it's not gonna hurt you.
09:53:50 It's a very reasonable thing to do but we're still not seeing severe disease in that age group.
09:53:56 And so it's at least based on the data i've seen so far. it's unlikely to be something I would strongly recommend until we see a rise in severe disease in this group or we see
a
09:54:06 booster that's really protecting against infection as a whole. And right now we don't have that what we might see this fall would be a booster that has more omocrone sub lineages
in it and that could protect
09:54:18 a any disease if that comes down the pike, and so that would be something I would recommend. if we do see that shakeout, would you anticipate that being on a similar kind of
priority basis?
09:54:31 Where oldest folks would be eligible for first, and then eventually move towards younger populations.
09:54:39 Likely. It depends on how much volume they have in the beginning.
09:54:43 But if we have a shortage yes we would prioritize, it to our highest risk, folks, and likely in the beginning, we would see a short term distribution kind of bottleneck and
so we'd wanna prioritize our
09:54:55 highest risk folks in that time gonna ask one more related question, and I mean also, maybe i'm gonna get my fourth, my second booster.
09:55:04 Now just to assert the advantages of my half century mark but i'm i'm really wondering how are the how is the vaccination availability throughout the world?
09:55:15 Right now. I guess I haven't gotten an update on that recently, and just knowing that that's our best our best way to prevent future mutations.
09:55:23 And variations. i'm wondering how we're doing as e globe. So it's a little bit variable at this point.
09:55:29 There's some vaccine that the actual vaccine itself to maximize. broad spectrum of the rest of the countries in the world.
09:55:39 The challenges, the infrastructure in those spaces.
09:55:42 So in in many countries there's not much healthcare infrastructure, and so the distribution mechanisms are still quite limited in many parts of the world, and so there are many
parts of the world that are still wildly
09:55:53 under vaccinated and it would take a significant global investment in a mass vaccination campaign to improve that.
09:56:01 And we've unfortunately not really seen that shake out at this point. Yeah, I don't see the well thank you.
09:56:07 No worries but there is enough vaccine so please don't forego a vaccine thinking it will go to someone else.
09:56:15 It won't if you if you're due for a vaccine.
09:56:19 Do get it. it's gonna be a more complex global health investment needed to vaccinate the rest of the world.
09:56:27 So I saw I. I received a question that came in, and after the questions were compiled.
09:56:32 So I was gonna ask that one. but I wanted to just comment that you know I've been out in the community a bit more lately, and at at events, so a large wedding and a couple of
kind of gala type events and
09:56:46 then. No, the pancake breakfast yesterday. and with lots of people, and I woke up this morning, and I was just feeling a little sniffly, and i'm like, Oh, God, no!
09:56:56 So I did a test big, big, bright line. No, and
09:57:04 I was just like, I bet you I mean I just it feels like Are you hearing with with the opening up, and more events and weddings and gallows in the summer?
09:57:13 Are we Is the reporting of rapid test results. Increasing case rate in our community.
09:57:25 I mean, How how is this opening up of the community showing itself to public health?
09:57:29 We're still getting pretty good reporting from the the general public as far as home.
09:57:34 Antigen tests. but yes, I would say your large indoor gatherings.
09:57:40 If those are indoors if it's an outdoor wedding, you can do that great But the large indoor galax and weddings we are still seeing pretty significant outbreaks related to those
when
09:57:49 they happen, and the biggest trigger is usually eating and So I've seen a lot of you really responsible wedding parties that are masking the whole way. and then they all sit
down. to dinner and take off their masks
09:58:02 and that that's when you see really intense transmission. and so I would encourage folks as the weather gets better.
09:58:10 I don't know it's pretty great where I am right now.
09:58:14 But on days where it is, if you can move the eating part of anything outside then you don't have to have a large scale outbreak. at your wedding you could still have a lovely
wedding, but but watch the
09:58:25 eating part That's when masks come off and that's That's when we see large scale outbreaks.
09:58:30 Thank you. Dr. Barry. The question that came in late an email was from
09:58:37 Somebody in our community who does Tai chi? And I just wanna read this question as the first So it said.
09:58:43 I was wondering if Dr. Barry could address this question during a public health.
09:58:46 Covid Review, Monday morning. I am one of many Tai Chi participants that has been practicing in Chatsamoka Park with a longtime group of instructors and students.
09:58:55 We are almost all vaccinated and maintain our distance within the outdoor setting.
09:58:59 We are wondering what would be, say the safest way to practice close contact.
09:59:05 Tai Chi, such as push hands and partner form where we are close proximity outdoors in the park facing each other and touching each other's arms for a distance of approximately
one foot away.
09:59:18 Reminds me of the question you got earlier on dancing. but oh, her final question is, if both partners are vaccinated and boosted, and wearing masks, would we be safe or what
if one person is not
09:59:27 back vaccinated with both parties wearing masks.
09:59:31 Thank you for your insight and guidance on this matter.
09:59:33 Sarah Grossman.
10:00:39 Outdoor transmission here right thanks and then I know there's a bunch of kvtz questions, so
10:00:40 So we do have some good kptz questions this week.
10:00:43 One person was asking about remembering. way back to the beginning of the pandemic.
10:00:48 We were spending a lot of time talking about washing our hands, talking about surfaces, and they just wanted to update on that of.
10:00:55 She still be worried about surfaces? should they still worry about their groceries?
10:01:00 And you don't need to actually so in the beginning of the pandemic.
10:01:03 We didn't know how covid spread it was a new virus.
10:01:06 We didn't know how it spread around now we really know that it's by these truly at this point airborne particles.
10:01:12 So it's by breathing that we spread covid between each other.
10:01:16 It's not by surfaces. and so while we do encourage you to wash your hands for a wide variety of pathogens other than that you don't have to worry so much about surfaces and
you definitely don't
10:01:24 have to worry about your groceries. A very similar question was layer down in what we received about whether or not you could get Covid from food.
10:01:35 So say, if you got, you know, food truck food. and the person who was serving it was unmasked.
10:01:41 What's the probability that you could get covid from that?
10:01:43 And I would say very low, We have not seen transmission through through the food system.
10:01:49 We've seen transmission among workers in the food system.
10:01:53 So say 2 people were working in that food track unmasked.
10:01:56 They could give it to each other, but we've not seen it passed on through the food itself.
10:02:01 Standard guys from the cdc and who is that that's very uncommon, and we've actually tracked that here, too.
10:02:07 So we've had occasions where food workers tested passive and sometimes in close spaces. So we had one time where a food worker who was making the food for a long-term care facility
tested positive and that was
10:02:19 very concerning. From our end we did mass testing of the facility multiple times, and no one got it, even though those are very high risk people. And so it does not appear that
it spreads through the food So you don't have to
10:02:31 worry about getting take out getting food truck food it's a safe thing to do.
10:02:37 The thing to watch is how long you spend in an indoor space breathing around other people.
10:02:44 This next person was asking about onset of symptoms.
10:02:48 So one thing we talked about on previous episodes is that if you are fully vaccinated, you are less likely to see that pre symptomatic spread because you develop symptoms faster,
because your immune system is primed and your viral
10:03:00 load rises later. This is really important for preventing transmission to other people.
10:03:05 This person asked if you could count on the same thing in people who have had a prior infection, and I would say if they've had a prior infection in the last 90 days.
10:03:14 Yes, their immune system is still pretty primed from that infection.
10:03:17 But unfortunately We're not seeing that strong duration of immunity from prior infection alone that we saw in prior subvariance. Ba. 5 really doesn't seem to care if you've
had covid before
10:03:31 it's just so different of a virus and so you can't count on that level of protection as far as preventing pres symptomatic spread.
10:03:39 If that prior infection was more than 90 days this next person was talking about benefits of the vaccination.
10:03:49 So specifically we've talked a lot. about the vaccines really help a lot with preventing severe disease, and they were wondering about the case for long.
10:03:57 Covid. Does it prevent that, too? And we do see that the vaccinations do a lot to prevent.
10:04:05 Long Covid. we see significant reductions in rates of long Covid in those who are fully vaccinated.
10:04:12 Most of our data right now is really only on if you've gotten 2 shots.
10:04:15 We don't have an update yet to see whether or not you see, prevent prevention of long covid.
10:04:20 If you have 3. So all of this data, when I say fully vaccinated, is 2 doses.
10:04:26 But we're, seeing anywhere from 50 to 80% reductions in Long Covid actually depending on your age, based on your vaccination status.
10:04:34 But that doesn't make it 0 it is still possible. to get long, Covid, even if you're fully vaccinated.
10:04:41 But it does reduce that risk, and so I would say well, Kovat is real.
10:04:45 It's a significant thing to pay attention to and and do take precautions against. but I don't think that it needs to be a cause for fear in our community. If you do everything
that we've talked about on this show If
10:04:58 you were vaccinated, and boosted if you wear a mask indoors.
10:05:03 I don't think that long covid is likely to happen in your in in your near future.
10:05:10 But it can happen, especially for those who are unvaccinated, and who have a severe case. while you can get long covid from mild cases of covid 19, it is much less common than
severe cases which is
10:05:21 part of why we see that vaccination per invention.
10:05:27 And then this next person said they got some new test kits in the mail, and they noticed that it already says that they're expired.
10:05:34 What do they do, and how long do these tests last?
10:05:36 So your test generally lasts at least 18 months from their manufacture date.
10:05:42 So when you look, a lot of them had an expiration date that was stamped 3 to 6 months after the manufacturer date.
10:05:49 So look for your manufacturer date, and you can definitely count on them, lasting at least 18 months.
10:05:54 From that time if they're past that time and they're the only test kits that you have available don't throw them away.
10:06:00 They are likely to still work as long as they've been maintained in a reasonable temperatures.
10:06:05 We do see that really high temperatures and really cold temperatures so freezing, or basically leaving them in a hot car will make your test, not work.
10:06:13 But if you see the control line still works on those tests they're very likely to still be effective tests last a really long time, and the last question of the day asked about
B 8, 2.7, 5 This person's been seeing a lot of
10:06:28 stories about that in the news. So, Ba: 2.7, 5 is a subvariant ofomicron that is circulating pretty widely in India right now.
10:06:38 And so this person asked, How concerned do they need to be about this subvariant right now?
10:06:45 Ba. 2.7, 5 is not the dominant variant here.
10:06:46 It still b a 5 and basically what we're seeing with ba 2.7, 5 is that we're seeing immune escape.
10:06:55 We're seeing it's highly transmissible and we're not seeing any evidence yet that it's more severe, which sounds very similar to what we just talked about for ba 5 and so I
would say exercise
10:07:06 caution when You're reading news stories i've I I did a quick review before this meeting, and I already some saw some that we're saying that Ba.
10:07:16 5 was the worst variant ever or other ones, saying that the a 2.7, 5 was the worst variant or the most dangerous, and exercise caution.
10:07:25 There are Certainly there's unfortunately a tendency to try to kind of raise everybody's blood pressure because it makes you click
10:07:32 But right now we don't have any variants circulating, but strike me as the worst variant ever the worst variant we've seen so far, for Covid was the gamma variant which thankfully
did not
10:07:40 take hold the way the Delta marion did but right now what we're seeing is highly transmissible variants that can get around our prior immunity.
10:07:49 But we are not seeing severe disease, and really what we would worry about as a public health community would be the combination of all 3 of those.
10:07:56 So transmissible, immune escape and severity that would make me very nervous, and we're not seeing that yet. So with that i'm happy to take any questions.
10:08:10 Any I I have one more question I mean i'm gonna have Willie for an hour at 1 30, which i'm really I don't wanna give him too much time.
10:08:17 Now and say everything he has to say. maya is kind of a whimsical question.
10:08:22 I'm just I really appreciate having all these free tests in the house, I mean, you know, like Heidi took one this morning.
10:08:28 It's that kind of you know that that quickness is is really nice, and makes me feel a lot safer.
10:08:34 I'm just wondering if there's been any progress on the national or international level about dogs and sensing Covid it just seems like, Wow!
10:08:43 That would be a quick test, and there's plenty of Covid to train your dog with.
10:08:46 Right now, I heard you can, since it so I mean I see a school district where we just walk by the dog and and and if if the dog you know, snips you and barks, then you should
take a covid test i'm.
10:08:58 just wondering if that's if there's any been development on that
10:09:14 I I would say it's a it's an option for those that have been adequately trained this since Covid, and certainly, I think, for some age groups and some kids would be much better
received than a swap in their
10:09:27 nose, and so I think it could be. It could be an option for where to go from here?
10:09:34 Not all kids love dogs, and so for some kids it wouldn't be as as well received.
10:09:39 But there are some school districts that already have them.
10:09:42 I think it also depends on how you use them. So I have seen them use to kind of stimulate kind of deep cleaning of surfaces, and as we just talked about surfaces are really
not the primary driver, But if we
10:09:54 use it to identify cases that's that's one option that that could go forward and I think we are likely to see ongoing test availability.
10:10:05 As long as there's Federal funding for it as long as that keeps moving forward.
10:10:09 We should be able to have that. and there's been some progress for rabbit tests for other things, too.
10:10:16 So for me as a doctor, I would like to see more ready availability of the test to test for multiple things.
10:10:23 So that tell me whether you have covid, and also tell me whether you have the flu cause we have treatment for the flu, and we do think people are under diagnosing the flu. right
Now, and those are available in some
10:10:34 clinical settings, but we're not seeing wide availability for the public.
10:10:37 Yet we do use those in our long term care facilities pretty heavily, so that we can take care of that vulnerable population. Great.
10:10:45 Thank you. this Commissioner a quick follow up question So here you're saying that you the the Bf is not any worse.
10:10:52 Do you have that it's more transmissible I am reading. that's more transmissible i've seen so far. so it's more transmissible it's it's truly airborne at this
10:11:06 point. so, and what that means is that distancing doesn't help you that much
10:11:11 And we've seen that in one of our recent outbreaks the the workers there.
10:11:16 We're trying really hard to space people while they eat and it it didn't matter because the covid just spread through the room, and so distancing doesn't help you with ba 5.
10:11:26 It's definitely more transmissible it has improved increased immune escape.
10:11:30 But it's we're not seeing more severe disease now, if you're unvaccinated it's still more severe disease.
10:11:37 So it's still really important. to get vaccinated and we are seeing increase in severe disease for people over 65 who don't have all 4 doses, and so that's part of why you're
seeing the push for
10:11:45 that fourth dose for everybody over 65 but if we do that I don't think we need to see a spike in severe disease, and one click plug to remind folks, especially if you're high
risks you're over
10:11:58 65. If you have underlying conditions. we also have treatment for you, too.
10:12:02 And so definitely give us a call. Our health care workers are working very hard to make sure.
10:12:06 Everyone has access to paxvin but if you if you're in that high risk group, and you do test positive, especially if you under vaccinated.
10:12:15 If you don't have all 4 of those doses if you're over 65, we do want to get you some medicine to make sure that you don't have a severe case.
10:12:24 Did I hear you say also that you you still think that the 90 day window after an infection, especially if you're vaccinated.
10:12:31 Excuse me as holding steady we're more that we anticipate that you're at least having some immune response.
10:12:39 So that was particularly in response to the question about whether or not you would see as much pre symptomatic spread.
10:12:45 I do think that's gonna last for the full 90 days, and the protection of severe disease will too, but we are seeing breakthrough infections as short as 30 days after a prior
infection.
10:12:54 So if you unfortunately had covid last month and then 30 days later, you've got new sniffles.
10:13:00 It's still really important to test because it really could be Kovat again.
10:13:04 And if you're one of the the unlucky folks that that happens to my apologies, we've seen, we have definitely seen that it's very frustrating for the people who have it to go
into
10:13:14 isolation again. but it is really important to test and remember that isolation looks a little different than it used to.
10:13:19 You can go outside you can get you know pick up groceries by staying in your car and having kind of the drop off in in your car.
10:13:27 That's all okay, and most critical is those first 5 days of isolation.
10:13:32 And then, if you start to break isolation after 5 make sure you're wearing a high quality mask, because we are still seeing people spreading infection in these 6 to 10 case,
one more quick follow up is there other efforts to to get any
10:13:47 sort of tighter testing the you know to to get an idea of how much protection someone has, how much natural immunity or vaccinated immunity they have.
10:13:56 There's definitely efforts to get that test the chat the biggest challenge that we've been seeing. so a a tighter that you might get to test your immunity tests just the sheer
volume of antibodies you have
10:14:07 against a virus but unfortunately, with each new sub variant that we get, we're seeing that often those antibodies don't neutralize the virus.
10:14:16 So, even though we'll measure a bunch of antibodies, in your body, they're not doing that much for you, and that's a much more complicated assay a neutralizing assay, and we've
not been able to
10:14:27 keep up with the virus to have that readily available for the public to assess their immediately.
10:14:33 So, and I think it's important for folks to know there are publicly available tests.
10:14:38 That test whether or not you have antibodies but they don't test whether or not they work against ba 5.
10:14:44 And so if you're going to your doctor and you've got a tighter, and it says great I have lots of antibodies.
10:14:49 That's not a reason to go out in the world and not wear a mask, because likely those antibodies are from an older version of Almacon, and they're not doing that much for you
at least as far as
10:14:58 preventing you from contracting the virus. they are likely protecting you against severe disease.
10:15:05 I was just gonna add that I ran into a friend in the grocery store yesterday, and her husband contracted Covid last week, and she was expressing how frustrated she was that
he was laid up for 5 days you know and
10:15:22 I i'm like and I just thought I could not be laid up for 5 days.
10:15:26 I don't you know I mean it's real I mean people don't keep saying to me Well, then i'm hearing that Now it's not that bad if you get sick well, you know yeah you could be laid
up for
10:15:36 5 days or a week. if you get if you get sick right now, so or worse. and I I just think it's important to remind people that there are real ramifications to your life.
10:15:46 If you can track Covid. And it was just a funny interaction. Not funny.
10:15:50 But point in interaction in the grocery store yesterday, and she was just like I wanted to get up.
10:15:55 I wanna crabbing you know and i'm like I get no covid when we we we've talked about this before, but I think it bears repeating when we say that it's milder if you're a
10:16:06 vaccinated. It means you're not gonna you're less likely to get hospitalized or end up on a ventilator.
10:16:12 But it still can be quite severe we're still seeing a lot of people who feel really bad for a good 7 days or so.
10:16:19 And that that affects you if you can't go to work for a week.
10:16:25 Especially. It really affects a lot of people in our population who don't have good sick leave.
10:16:29 Who can't work from home. and so I think it's It's important to take that into account.
10:16:34 That's a big reason why I wear a high quality mask in public settings is not just for myself, but for the people who work in that space.
10:16:41 Who can't afford to take time off and so the more that we mask It's still something we can do for ourselves and for the people around. this.
10:16:59 Yeah, I just found it humorous that it was crabbing. That was, I mean, the summer grabbing schedule is important, you know. I know this.
10:17:00 I crap 3 to 4 days a week and so it's. It was just funny.
10:17:04 It was like we can't go crabbing and i'm like Yeah, don't get covid gonna mess your crab count up, anyway.
10:17:12 Sorry any other questions for Dr. Barry this morning, Mark, do you have any?
10:17:21 Okay, Thank you, Dr. Barry. We appreciate you. Thank you.
10:17:28 Willie would do. you have any updates for us this week. no, I don't have any updates for you this week, but as Commissioner Bro.
10:17:35 Brotherton. referenced i'll be back here at 1 30 to talk about some of our preliminary after action findings from the eoc's pandemic response.
10:17:45 So you'll have a full hour with me then I wanted to plug that to the listeners of Peopletz, and that won't be broadcasted.
10:17:51 But you can find it on the county website if you wanted to tune in there.
10:17:55 Otherwise. I'm looking forward to that discussion in that presentations so I will see all then.
10:18:02 Great, and I just I was gonna plan a Bug in your ear that I got an email from Chief Black last week that he's very interested in forming a county while county wide wildfire
working group.
10:18:14 And this is me, and I have been talking about over the last year, and so I imagine that one of us Commisers will get ripped into that.
10:18:23 And you you likely would, too. and I I look forward to those conversations.
10:18:26 And you know, coming up with a plan for our community community.
10:18:30 Wildfire prevention plan which commissioner dean mentioned earlier but you know we're all tuned to this and and I know it's in your wheelhouse Willie so appreciate that too,
absolutely
10:18:43 looking forward to it. hey? Yeah, quick question is I guess something about a vaccination clinic and quill scene.
10:18:52 Did you mention that Dr. Barry, and i'm not sure if public health is doing that, or emergency management, or just a quick shout out for that.
10:18:57 Maybe sure and I actually don't have the the dates of that right in front of me.
10:19:02 But we are doing a vaccination clinic in closing in this public health staff, who's doing it? and it's particularly.
10:19:09 We want to make sure that there's vaccination options available in South County for kids under 5, but will vaccinate the whole family.
10:19:16 So if there's anyone in your family who needs a needs access to vaccine, if you're under 5, if you're, you know, 35, if you're 85, and you need a vaccine we'll
10:19:26 have them for all age groups at that time. But our priority goal is kids under 5, because we know that there's basically nowhere else to get vaccinated for kids under 5 in South.
county. and we did share that info on our Facebook and
10:19:38 if anyone has a chance to pull it up, just we can share the dates.
10:19:42 I did Saturday, July thirtieth, Saturday, September tenth, and Saturday, October 20, s, 9 Am.
10:19:48 To one Pm. and you make an appointment at the Jefferson County Public Health Site.
10:19:53 At least there's a a link yeah so you can make an appointment at the site, or you can call us at the main number.
10:19:58 If you don't have readily accessible Internet we do want to make sure that our our South County kids aren't left out vaccination efforts, and if we get a a huge demand we could
always come back 3
10:20:11 6, Oh, 3, 8, 5, 9,400. Is that number to make your appointment?
10:20:18 Thanks, guys. Thanks for being with us today, You guys, We look forward to seeing you next week.
10:20:26 Thank you all So we have 10Â min until we're joined, and well by mark to to do a budget second quarter budget update
10:20:53 Just like you're not really new anymore. So Do you want to take a quick break and come back at 10.
10:31:32 You could restart my Now there we go!
10:31:40 And need to bring Judy over carolyn so it's still.
10:31:46 Oh, there we go, 1030, 1030 calling us back into order, and we're gonna start off this session.
10:31:58 Oh, zoom with second quarter, 2,022 budget appropriations and extensions with Judy Shepherd and Mark Macaulay might be worth noting. This, as a hearing.
10:32:15 This is a hearing. Thanks, Kate.
10:32:24 Okay, Well, I will invite Judy to make the presentation
10:32:38 Okay, let me mute it now. thank you good good morning Commissioners
10:32:42 I've shared my screen and i'm hoping all of you can see that.
10:32:45 Can you make it a little bit bigger it's yeah let me
10:32:56 I think you just have to push
10:33:02 Hey, hold on, I'll get there. we can also adjust how much of our screen it takes.
10:33:07 You can always drag it over the right
10:33:14 Yeah, we're looking at your desktop Now
10:33:29 You'll have to reshare find it here. We go. You'll have to reshare your screen, Judy. i'll have to.
10:33:38 What start sharing your screen again. I turned it off. Oh, okay.
10:33:53 Okay, is that better for you guys we don't see anything Yet you guys are a lot more adept at this than I am.
10:34:04 I'm getting here. There we are that's perfect Okay, sounds good.
10:34:11 So thank you, for I need this opportunity to share this with you.
10:34:16 This is our second quarter appropriations for the 2,022 budget.
10:34:23 This is change the format a little bit of what we're looking at just so that it gives you the net budget impact, which I thought was important when looking at this kind of information
and I hope it's helpful to you
10:34:37 So the total net budget impact to the general thumb is actually an increase in revenues of 59,563, which is what I've shown here.
10:34:49 And then for other funds. we're looking at increased net impact amount to expenditures of 452,089.
10:35:03 So that is what we're gonna be looking at today. and So i'll go ahead and just go through these, and then, if you have any questions feel free to ask and we will provide some
answers.
10:35:23 For you. Okay? question before you dive into it. How is your Pdf all Oriented the same way in ours?
10:35:29 Is it? Oh, cause that av capture yeah if you're looking at it av captures a document.
10:35:41 Then all the individual supplemental forms are 90 or rotated 90 degrees.
10:35:44 So what Judy has is the actual p pdf Well, I don't know.
10:35:50 Yeah, Yeah, well, we'll work on trying to have the ab capture document, be oriented all the same way.
10:35:58 So people don't have to rotate not the worst thing in the world.
10:36:03 I'm i'm pretty adapted now but it would make it easier for everybody to to look at.
10:36:06 It. So yeah, it's possible it's great okay and and Judy, if you shrink that screen just a tiny bit not sure how I can do that because it's a Pdf: just click on that.
10:36:24 Minus sign once. Okay, I don't have anything at the bottom and I don't know if that's because it's a pdf.
10:36:33 Nope, see? Hold on. Let me see if I can try it in control and a minus sign one time.
10:36:47 Okay, just for that. The toolbar did show up a second ago, and for sure was on the screen how's that did that work?
10:37:02 Do what you want, and then scroll down a little bit. and okay, good.
10:37:06 There you go. Alright, thank you alright so I did put these in fund order.
10:37:16 So. if you're looking at the document that able capture provided I didn't think about the fact that you might have it in a different order.
10:37:22 So forgive me. I will try to make sure that. are we looking at all the same thing?
10:37:29 Through av capture, and the document that I provide
10:37:34 So the first one up is the auditor, and what this is is an increase to salaries and benefits as an ongoing expenditure.
10:37:41 And the reason for this i'm sure all of you had a chance to look through this.
10:37:48 But it's changing it from the core higher position to a part time, position, and the reason for that is it's for payroll. as a payroll.
10:37:57 Part. time. position is what the ask is for, and so, therefore because of the sensitivity of payroll information, employee data, all of that kind of information.
10:38:08 A clerk hired is just doesn't appear in the way that a part time position carries as far as confidentiality.
10:38:19 And so I believe roseanne's goal here was to make it an ongoing part Time position to assist in benefits and pay more coordination.
10:38:33 Okay, the next one is for elections. And this is where the adoption of the the resolution.
10:38:42 1322 adopted adoption of revised vote. Increasing boundary plan.
10:38:46 She changed the number in sequence of the precinct.
10:38:50 So, Therefore, as all of you are probably aware, you received a new owner registration card.
10:38:57 And so, therefore this is the postage to be able to provide that card to all of our constituents.
10:39:05 Yeah, and if if you'll remember we changed from a 3 digit voting precinct scheme to a 4 digit, so that the Commissioner District number would be at the beginning of each voting
precinct number so
10:39:20 that it's clear to people what commissioner district they live in, and then what precinct they live in, and that was something we decided, was worth the expense of mailing new
cards out.
10:39:31 Thank you for adding that I appreciate that, and then
10:39:38 The next one is the revenue budget for the Department of Commerce.
10:39:42 Grant for Cdbg cv one and 2
10:39:47 There was an amendment to that grant that also included an additional $3,000 for administrative.
10:39:55 And so that is adding that administrative revenue into the Cdbg Brad line for community.
10:40:07 And it goes into community services right now, so that's where that line is maintained, and we have a amendment or amendment later on, or fund 123 that increases the Cbg
10:40:21 Cdg: one and 2 administrative line, or excuse me, the actual great one
10:40:33 Okay, This is for prosecuting attorney.
10:40:36 This is a change to the 2022, 23 budget When the prosecuting attorney's salary line was put together on the salary schedule.
10:40:49 If we get money as a grant into prosecuting and turning into the general fund to offset the cost of the salaries and benefits.
10:41:01 And so, therefore, instead of it being a part of it being paid out of the State of Washington is actually a grant coming in.
10:41:10 So this is just to resolve Add that grant amount into the total salaries and wages, because we actually pay that this is what the county pays.
10:41:23 The Grant offsets the amount of the salaries and benefits
10:41:33 This is an increase to the pilt running line. because we received an additional $238,808 to pilt.
10:41:44 And so this is just to get full transparency to the amount of pill that was received.
10:41:51 That's great news. Yes, it is
10:42:00 There was a change in the fund from the transfer convenient to roads.
10:42:08 From peeled and for whatever reason the the the revenue coming into roads and the expenditure going out of the general fund they didn't match.
10:42:21 And so that is what this is to correct. and it has to do, for i'm sorry my my pdf bar keep showing up
10:42:35 Anyways it has to do with secure by the State.
10:42:39 Okay, move it up cause I Wanna see it right. Secure role schools to make up for the balance.
10:42:50 Walking through this, I I was a little confused by these numbers that didn't reconcile completely with my understanding.
10:42:58 So what happened is that these numbers the current budget for the transfer from the general put it into rows.
10:43:08 When Kathy put her budget together, she was anticipating more, coming from the general private into roads, and so she prepares her budget, and then it just wasn't the these
2 numbers should equal and they
10:43:25 didn't so therefore it's a correction of 57,000.
10:43:30 But we also have to do a correction up here in the revenue coming in for roads.
10:43:36 Okay, and every year the the Board makes a commitment to to public works that the combination of Srs and Pill equal a certain amount.
10:43:46 So we try to guess at what what Srs might be, and then what the transfer from now the the general fund using pilt should be
10:43:57 And then when we get the the actual Srs and pilt numbers and we do this true up every year.
10:44:04 Okay, Okay, Thank you.
10:44:09 Okay? So This is the courthouse security. Another correction to the 2223 budget the courthouse security for whatever reason was not in the budget.
10:44:25 So therefore this is adding that 135,000 into the budget
10:44:35 Now we're onto these other phones so voting safety is
10:44:42 They had to purchase 2 new voters, and so therefore
10:44:46 This is to they have nothing budgeted in 107.
10:44:50 So they are able to pay for this expenditure due to their fund balance
10:45:00 Okay, So we have a few here from Wsu
10:45:06 So the first one is regarding the releases for their building space.
10:45:13 This is to they're they're billing space renews on July first 2022, and so it went up 5% at ready, and then also they have a shift in their janitorial just because
10:45:28 they're food systems, program extension is not using as much spaces they were before.
10:45:35 So, therefore they have more meeting room space, therefore, requiring additional janitorial
10:45:43 They currently have the the cache balance to to take care of this additional expenditure
10:45:54 Okay, The next one is an increase in youth services. and brennan It's an 8 week, 5 days a week, half day, summer camp program for the Brandon summer school program.
10:46:10 So this will help to serve the brand new that are not participating in a regular summer school program.
10:46:20 And June did you know what funds they're gonna use to cover that?
10:46:23 I'm sorry. Do you know what funds they're going to use to cover that one balance and commissioners.
10:46:32 I might add that a number of years ago This fund had financial difficulties, and we had to loan them 60,000.
10:46:43 I think it was 2018, and then, over the ensuing 4 years we reduced the transfer to fund 108 to recoup those monies.
10:46:52 But you know, Cliff, more managed that that fund, and a very responsible way.
10:47:00 And Bridget Greg is continuing to do that, and so the their fun balance is resumed.
10:47:08 Healthy mode and that's why they can afford to do this
10:47:16 Alright, there's one other one and this is the 2 and a half percent way increase to these to the Coordinator positions, and from what I understand part of the challenge I believe
is some of these are part
10:47:34 time, and so, therefore, i'm not sure how the part time receives the wage increases.
10:47:42 That might be something I should have probably looked into prior to this.
10:47:48 But according to sue tipton they have not had they haven't had any wage increases for a number of years. and again, it's, I mean we're looking at $3,070 as an ongoing amount
10:48:04 again with the anticipation of fund balance, continue to cover this additional expenditure
10:48:16 Okay, This is the other half of the 123 grants management. where we increase the Cdb by amendment.
10:48:23 The Cdg. Grant, or Cv. 2. This is an under.
10:48:28 This is not the original Cdbg grant for public services.
10:48:31 This is actually the or for direct services. this is actually has to do with covid expenditures, and they extended this grant to 2,023.
10:48:41 And this is something just to catch our budget up, because this was put through an approved with only cap as a sub recipient.
10:48:49 In 20 in the in December of 2021
10:48:59 And just as a side note. I have a meeting with Cdbg tomorrow morning with our new brands.
10:49:07 Administrator Michael Mark to go over, how they're using these funds, because this grant is highly it's it's underutilized at this point, so I will be meeting with the to try
to help them with that
10:49:26 Okay, this is for another $15 of treasure fees.
10:49:31 So this money, or federal portfolio is completely invested in.
10:49:40 Therefore Treasures office. has to We could 30
10:49:50 Information services. This is an amount. it is exceeded by budget for the Munice financial software for implementing it.
10:50:03 And it's directly related to the human resources and payroll portion of the implementation.
10:50:10 And there's gonna be a transfer from fun 3 o 2 to help cover these expenditures
10:50:27 And that's the last one so are there any further questions Oh, looks good.
10:50:38 Thanks, Judy. Probably your work on this
10:50:44 I'm gonna so we this is a hearing so so be where I will take public comments on the on the proposed amendments.
10:50:56 If anyone is interested in making public comments, I have to give back to that screen.
10:51:01 Sorry public testimony.
10:51:13 Public testimony. we will open public testimony on the second quarter, 2022 budget appropriations and extensions.
10:51:20 Is there anyone here wishing to comment on these budget amendments?
10:51:27 I would ask you to raise your hand using the raise hand button at the bottom of the zoom screen, or by pressing.
10:51:33 You know. I don't see anyone on the phone other than staff So anybody here to make comment on our budget amendments testimony.
10:51:44 Sorry, not seeing any hands go up yet
10:51:54 We're very interested in hearing from you if there's anyone with an emerging comments, or a question.
10:52:03 Please don't hesitate to use the race hand button at the bottom of your zoom screen, seeing none.
10:52:12 I will close public testimony on this item, and
10:52:24 You remarkable about all the comments we didn't get I guess anything else that any of us wanna add as Kate.
10:52:37 Yeah. yeah. These all seem like very kind of understandable expenditures.
10:52:45 I'm glad to see that the net impact of the general fund is less than $60,000.
10:52:53 So very reasonable. and departments do a good job of.
10:52:56 Are they using fund balance or finding other revenue sources to cover some of their expenditures?
10:53:02 So I'm happy to move forward with these amendments as presented great.
10:53:08 I can I concurrent. Everything seems reasonable it's all laid out.
10:53:13 I mean, if you address all my questions before we even get here, then it's a job well done, and these seem like like reasonable adjustments.
10:53:21 And I, too, concur. I appreciate the work. I know. A lot of work went into this. So each one of these line items represents multiple conversations and adjustments.
10:53:33 So appreciate all the work, Judy and Mark, and we can go ahead and make a motion to approve a resolution.
10:53:41 The second quarter, 2022 budget appropriations and extensions for various county departments as presented today.
10:53:49 Second all in favor. bye bye, then opposed, passes unanimously.
10:53:57 Nice work staff. Thank you. Have a great day, Thank you. So drum roll, please.
10:54:07 The next item on our agenda at which i'm super excited about I'm.
10:54:09 Always excited when Assessor Chapman joins us and provides insight into some of our kind.
10:54:20 Of the larger, the larger wins at play in terms of funding in the county.
10:54:26 Good morning, Jeff. So this is a workshop morning.
10:54:33 This is a workshop regarding maximum property, race per 1,000 of Assess property valuations.
10:54:38 The current status of those rates and remaining rate capacities, and we will take public comment on this after Jeff's presentation, and then have discussion, and probably have
a bunch of questions.
10:54:54 Thank you. i'm Jeff chatman the county Assessor.
10:55:01 And what I was asked to present today was to discuss the statutory limits to composite limits for levy rates, and how they might end up with prooration for some of the junior
taxing
10:55:12 districts. If we hit the W. what is known as the 590 limit, or the constitutional 1% limit.
10:55:22 Well, we do in my office, of course, we value property for it to market, and and then set a base value across the entire county that will be used for the various taxing districts
as their base value.
10:55:39 It's a lot different than sales tax you know sales tax.
10:55:42 You have a fixed rate, so if I raise if you raise gas to or gas, for example, the amount of taxi collect will be more, or if you lower the price of gas, so the gas tax will
be less with with property tax, it's different
10:55:54 does the known amount of money that is to be collected and that's the budgets that are sent to me, and then you divide the budget by the assessed value for a given district,
and that determines a
10:56:08 levy rate. So in theory if if we up everybody's value by the same amount, or lower everybody's value by the same amount.
10:56:18 You're gonna pay the same in taxes because then the taxes is a known amount, and it's the rate that adjusts.
10:56:25 But those rates have limits and i'll i'll talk a little bit about that at the end of every year.
10:56:32 My office sets the levees. we basically do. exactly. what I just said is, we take the amount that we need to collect, divided by the assessed value that we determined for the
district and then come up with a rate which is then applied
10:56:46 to the individual assessments for for every property owner, and determines their taxes.
10:56:54 To start talking about a levees that each district has.
10:56:59 There are 2 types of levies. there are regular levies, and there are excess levies.
10:57:05 They're generally wrecked regular levies are those that taxing districts like the county roads current expense.
10:57:16 The city Port Pd. library that are ongoing from mere to year to year, and with regular levies they're subject to a budget cap of 1%, plus new construction that they can get
the next year the next year next
10:57:33 year. and so the budget limit is what really holds those down And there's a lot of talk about doing changing the legislature in the legislature do up that more than 1% as you
can imagine during times of
10:57:49 inflation that if you have an inflation of 8% it doesn't change the fact that these regular levies are still limited to 1%.
10:57:59 The only way they can exceed that 1% is to go to the voters.
10:58:04 What's known as a lid lift so the lid lift lifts that budget limitation of 1%.
10:58:12 The other type of levies are excess levies and excess.
10:58:15 Levies are voted levies that are for for a term like bonds, you know voted bonds are an excess levy, and you you vote for a bond for amount of money over say 20 years, and they
10:58:32 aren't limited to statutory limitations either on a levy rate, or on the they're not part of the 590.
10:58:39 They're not part of the constitutional 1% there cause the voters approve of them.
10:58:46 And then that's what you know you're you're going.
10:58:48 I I take the amount of money to collect in any given year divided by the assessed value, and that'll be the levy rate for that year.
10:58:54 There's no limitation on that levy rate the therefore, they're outside the 5 90.
10:59:02 So one of the discussions was, What if the hospital district passes a bond?
10:59:08 How does it affect the statutory limitations well it doesn't, because, though it's outside of the 590 in the Constitution, 1%, the same is true for the local school levies.
10:59:20 You have the school bonds and capital projects. and enrichment levies. The school bonds are they're all outside the 5, 90, and they're all outside the 1%.
10:59:33 One unique difference is, since M. clearly the the Richmond levies actually have a levy limit.
10:59:39 They have a $2 and 50 cents per 1,000 levy limit, and that's the first time we've ever seen a levy limit in excess levies.
10:59:50 In fact, cumulative Jeff. or is that per per enrichment?
10:59:54 Levy per enrichment levy per year?
10:59:59 And could there be multiple based on different junior taxing districts?
11:00:03 Well, every school district ha you has one enrichment levy, and and that's limited to 250 a user to be limited a dollar 50 in rural areas and quil seen actually hit that
11:00:17 dollar 51. That was what held them down one year.
11:00:20 But they decided it wasn't fair to have rural levies with a with a dollar 50 limit and urban areas with a 2 50 limit.
11:00:29 So they made it 2 50 for all. Can I ask a clarifying question there, too, Jeff, can you just remind us how many levies are?
11:00:37 Are factored into our our property taxes, and how many of them are regular levies versus the out of the 5 90, and and also how many the county controls depends where you live?
right?
11:00:49 Hmm. Well, we have about 60 or 70 levies right now, but not all levy every year.
11:00:55 I mean, we have basically flood zone districts that could love you.
11:01:00 You know we have Park. We had park and wreck 2 there for a while, but we have a lot of levies, some of them some.
11:01:08 We have a lot of districts, but sometimes they don't levy, and sometimes they do.
11:01:11 Well, you know they're the regular ones we're used to but there's a few outriders that that okay.
11:01:20 I thought we had around 45 active levies right now, like the the the expense, the construction, and the third one, the county actually Well, the the 3 levies we have is current
expense roads and
11:01:41 conservation futures. Those are the 3 that the county controls Now, in in current expense.
11:01:48 It. it can be broken down into veterans Relief and and mental health.
11:01:52 Get a share of that, you know so it's part of the regular levy.
11:01:57 Thank you. You know. Another good part about that is yes, we do show those separately.
11:02:02 The mental health, development, disabilities, and veterans relief, but they are part of the the county levy.
11:02:09 Another good example to look at that is the hospital district. 2 show on our levy sheets.
11:02:16 A a basically administrative bond and a lot of people like.
11:02:20 Well, then, that's a voted bond no it was a non-voted bond.
11:02:23 It's a bond that comes out of their regular levy.
11:02:26 We show it as a convenience to them so it shows up on our statements, but it really is it's under their regular levy.
11:02:34 It's it's not a separate exempt but if they go for a voter, approve bond that would be an excess levy, and would be separate and be out of the 590 and the the you know the statutory
11:02:48 light it's also. people I think get confused when they hear possible District 2, and that's the East Jefferson one, and you know we have the the Forks Hospital.
11:02:56 I think is in his hospital district. one Okay, i'm gonna show a few slides here.
11:03:05 I'm gonna start with okay rate limits alright.
11:03:18 You could see this right? looks different on my screen.
11:03:20 Okay, this this is from the department revenue levy manual and showing the 5 90 i'm gonna start It's kind of backing into this I'm gonna show you what the what the 590 is the
11:03:31 590. is that if you take a combination of regular levies, you can they can exceed $5 and 90 cents.
11:03:40 So here's the list of the regular levies that are involved in the 590, and if you read through this, you'll notice that a few of them aren't here like ems levies they're not
subject
11:03:50 to the 590 Port Pd. are not subject to the 590.
11:03:57 So those levies the idd levy the port regular levy the pud regularly are not included here.
11:04:03 They they don't they're not factors the other big one that's not here are state schools, you know.
11:04:09 30% of your taxes go to State schools. The State school levies are not part of the 5 90.
11:04:15 They are part of the constitutional 1%. Now, when you look at this is a problemation order.
11:04:21 It's it. It reads backward from down to up that fundamentally, if you hit the 590, and you exceed the 590.
11:04:29 I have to prorate the levies and start cutting down the amount of money that taxing districts can collect.
11:04:36 Start starting starting with the cultural access program. yeah that well that's you're right.
11:04:41 The top. i'm getting to that Okay. The the protected levies are at the bottom of this, So you can say that the county current expense, county roads, city and other county levy
special purpose are protected so fundamentally
11:04:54 they almost never get hit with a 5 90 alright and then as you come down.
11:04:59 You'll see like in the in the second most protected. is 50 cents of the fire district, and then below that is another 50 cents of the fire district, so you can see the fire
district Levy can be a dollar 50 they
11:05:13 can, and and if they do a lidl, if they can do a lists up to dollar 50.
11:05:17 But when you get into prooration, it's divide into pieces of that, so that they can basically you can cut this 50 cents and 50 cents, and then 50 cents is almost always protected
at the bottom you'll
11:05:31 see what drops out. Okay, you have the parking wreck district.
11:05:36 Levy, and which we have. You know we have park and dis recre district, one which is the coil, and then you can get into you know, up here, and then cemetery is really the next
one that will really hit us so
11:05:50 cemetery almost always Dick drops out. Yeah, like cemetery district.
11:05:53 2 is also the Coil you know it's it's basically Quilocene, And and and then you had cemetery district.
11:05:59 One is Brennan and Cemetery district.
11:06:02 3 is gardener. So basically those would drop out next now they're very small like.
11:06:09 So there's another part of this which is that you can and it sounds a little bit like poker is that you get into proration.
11:06:17 You can buy out each other. so you buy smaller levies to try to protect the higher levies and and and and they can in It's an interesting scenario, because you have to talk
to both districts make sure that what
11:06:29 they want to do here, and you can preserve one higher levy by buying out a less.
11:06:34 Fortunately we haven't hit the 590 and frankly with values.
11:06:38 Going up the way they have we're a very long way from hitting the 590.
11:06:43 But this is the idea is that and here's an example also. This is also in the Department Revenue manuals.
11:06:52 What happens when you exceed the 590. In this case you you exceeded, You know the the county current expense is limit to a dollar.
11:07:00 80 roads is 225 libraries 50.
11:07:04 Those are actually the levy limits. Fire could go up to a dollar.
11:07:08 50 hospital could go to 75 cents. But what happens is if you hit the 5 90.
11:07:13 Then you hit the proration so you gotta get that 6, 20 down to 590.
11:07:18 In this example. the first thing that drops out is a cemetery district it actually that's I think in this one. the only one that drops out the hospital district is cut back
from 55 cents to 50 cents now our
11:07:32 hospital district is at 7 cents So it's a long way from the $75 statutory limit.
11:07:38 Okay, So Jeff, do we have a assessment of where we're at based on all of these levy rates.
11:07:46 When you say we're not at 590 Yes, But I'm getting to that. Okay, Okay, Okay, great Okay, And then the the next one limit is the constitutional 1% and again.
11:07:59 There's different districts that come into this it's handled much the same way as the 590.
11:08:05 And what does pop back in here is State schools is the most protected.
11:08:10 Then you have the county levies, and then again you have shares of the fire.
11:08:14 The library fire One of the first one that drops out.
11:08:18 Here is Ems, and that's Why, ems is in here, but it basically gets drops out pretty quick.
11:08:26 I mean first 20 cents, and then later another 30 cents you can see It's it's seventh priority here, and the other 30 cents.
11:08:35 Ems levy is is capped out at 50 cents, so you lose both the entire ems.
11:08:40 If you get up to the eighth tier. Okay.
11:08:47 Okay. Now let me share
11:08:53 I know this is good. It's gonna seem small if you look at my levy sheets that I publish at the end of the year You'll see that what that we do in here.
11:09:08 We actually calculate the statutory 590 and the constitutional 1%.
11:09:15 And we did what's important here notice is we do it by let by each tax code area. So you know what you're gonna have is you could actually on the coil you could hit the 5 90
before you hit it elsewhere.
11:09:28 So that's another thing is that you If you wind up having to limit a district in one tax code area.
11:09:36 It limits it for the entire tax code area. So we have to.
11:09:42 So we determine it and track it for each tax code area.
11:09:45 And then we look at the one that has the highest rating, and then, or that kind of highest value, whether it's closest to the 5, 90 or closest to the constitutional 1. percent.
11:09:57 And we look at that, see well how close is it? Because if if you get into proration like I said, you can pro-rate for that one tax code area.
11:10:08 But then it affects all the tax code areas that that district's in
11:10:14 Okay, Now, i'm gonna moving along alright so this is Jefferson County.
11:10:27 Now the the rate limits like I said there's a statutory maximum for each levy rate for state schools.
11:10:36 It's, 360 for current expense, it's a dollar, 80 conservation future is 6 6 point, 2 cent, 5 cents.
11:10:46 Roads is 2, 25 cities, 360 Port, Pd.
11:10:49 And so forth. What happens is there's a lot and then again. We have one of the most complicated property deck systems in the nation.
11:10:58 There's a lot of other little things to know you know over years.
11:11:02 The legislature has actually been able to change and swap some of these around and make them work for different purposes.
11:11:10 So like the current expense cannot exceed a dollar.
11:11:13 80 roads cannot equal to 25, but there's also a rule that says Well, kernel expanse can exceed a dollar 80 as long as the combined current expense, and roads not does not exceed
400 and
11:11:25 5. So then you have to always be. Look at one. is that if you take more here, you have to make sure this one does not.
11:11:33 Become less than that. Another thing you saw in this last legislative session was conservation.
11:11:40 Futures. They wanted to take conservation futures out of the budgetary.
11:11:45 1% to where you didn't need a lid lift to go up to the maximum.
11:11:50 So what was wrong with that legislation? Well, really nothing.
11:11:53 I mean really in jeff's account you'd be going from 3 cents to 6 cents.
11:11:57 If you didn't if you weren't restricted by the 1% budgetary limitation, not a big deal.
11:12:04 But what you're, doing, is then you're saying we're taking a regular district, and we're removing the the 1% limitation on it.
11:12:14 And the fear there is that. Well, if you're gonna start doing with the conservation futures.
11:12:20 What about all the other districts that are limited to 1%, you know they're also dealing with 8% inflation.
11:12:25 So what about current expense? Can we exceed the one?
11:12:29 But so so, anyway, so that did not pass this last session.
11:12:33 But it'll probably come back and again the main concern is not that getting to the statutory maximum with conservation futures, it's exceeding the 1% in is it fair for all the
other regular
11:12:45 levies one that isn't really subject to the the 1% budget limitation is the port idd levy.
11:12:56 It's count somatic, so they can go up to the 45 cents in any given year.
11:13:00 If they wish to, at least in the first 6 years so they're not limited to to having to do a live lift, they could just, and they did.
11:13:12 This last year is, you know they added a 1 million dollars to the Id levy, and they did that without having to go to a vote for a lidlift.
11:13:20 They have the ability, the latitude, to do that with the Id levy. Yes.
11:13:24 Can I ask one question about that? My understanding is that idd Levy has a total maximum that they can reach, but it's sort of a the pace at which they reach it. Is there Count
traumatic discretion is
11:13:34 that correct in the amount of money they can collect, but they can never exceed 45 cents per 1,000 in any given year.
11:13:42 Is that like a 15 million dollar
11:14:08 Thank you. Okay. But they are limited to the 45 cents statutory limit.
11:14:14 The and the other option here is, if you look at the city, I I have bank capacity here.
11:14:20 What happens is that you can exceed the 1% if you have.
11:14:23 If you didn't take it. or you have x extra fu money available, you can exceed that 1% councilmematically without having to go to a vote.
11:14:35 There's only a few districts left that have bank capacity The city got their bank capacity from doing the annexation into the fire district that left them with money that they
could levy that that they hadn't right away done
11:14:50 so so far they had about 800,000 I think they've got like 3 60 left that they can take counts thematically.
11:15:00 So in this in this next year, you'll probably see in in excess of the 1%, plus new construction.
11:15:05 You'll see a bit more money taken by the city alright. but other than that, most everybody is held to the the 1%. and the only way to exceed the 1% is to do a lidlift what aid
left
11:15:21 me is that you go to the voters and you say I I don't want to be held to the 1% this next year I need more money.
11:15:29 I want to go up to either a sum of money more, or to my rate limit.
11:15:35 So take Fire District one, he's jefferson fired and rescue.
11:15:39 They're talking about doing a lid lift they're right now at 99 cents per per 1,000. They can go up to a dollar 50 with the values going up this year.
11:15:52 Values are growing up about 25% 20 to 25% you'll see that fire district one will be down around 88 cents in their levy, right?
11:16:02 So they're going. Usually, when you get down under a dollar or a dollar per 1,000 fire districts really start talking about doing a levy rate a lidlift to get them up to where
their levy met race
11:16:15 maximum are, I think, the fire districts talking about only going to like a dollar 30, but still it's a 50 cent increase in their levy rate.
11:16:24 Right so. and and again, they're also talking about an annexation of port level of fire district, too, which is interesting, too, because Port Ludlow fire district right now
is around a dollar $30 20 and you know You've
11:16:36 got fire just going around a dollar. So what happens when they merge?
11:16:41 And what happened is port. Lot of people will be paying a little bit less Each Jefferson fire rescue will be paid.
11:16:51 I people in Fire District one will be paying a little bit more a few cents more, several cents less on fire district 3 in the end that you'll have a merge district with a merge
levy rate.
11:17:03 And then, if they do go for a lead lift there again.
11:17:07 The joint district. They're talking about going to a dollar 30.
11:17:11 I ask one more question about that. jeff i'm sorry it just it's interesting.
11:17:13 So if the 2 fire districts merge and they don't do a levy list, what would they live, what would their levy be if you merge to districts, how do you How do you determine that
take the amount?
11:17:26 Of money that they would have collected, if they didn't merge. You take that total amount of money, you divide it by the total assess value for the new district, and you come
up with a levy.
11:17:39 Rate, and we've done those calculations and provided those to the fire district.
11:17:45 And again they're reviewing those right Now it basically it'll be somewhere in between and
11:17:54 And what we we say is fire district. One will be paying a little bit more. and fire district.
11:17:59 3 will be being quite a bit, less. hey jeff can you share this sheet with us, cause I don't I don't see it in your levy book, so i'm in I don't know if it's
11:18:11 on the website somewhere. But yes, what we're looking at right now.
11:18:20 Yeah. this one I just made this exhibit for today's workshop.
11:18:29 No one thing here is if i'm showing down here that we're underneath where you look at the 590 in constitutional, I put down which districts are subject to them, and which ones
aren't as you can see
11:18:39 States schools are not subject to the 5 90. they are subject to the constellation.
11:18:45 1%. Port and Pd. are not subject to either one.
11:18:48 If you talk. if you added up the statutory maximum of all the ones that are, you would see that the the city, if if they were, if every district was added statutory maximum
that's within that is, within the
11:19:01 city of Port towns and they'd be at $8 and 65 cents on the 590, which is over 590.
11:19:08 So that was definitely force prooration, and the county would be at $8 and one cents, which again would force proration.
11:19:16 Now that means every district would have to be at the statutory maximum. and obviously we're a long way from that.
11:19:22 When you look at the hospital districts at 7 cents and their maximum 75 cents the same with constitutional 1%, they can't exceed $10 per 1,000, said he'd be at $12 county would
11:19:34 be at 1168 now what's currently currently if you look at the 5 90 we're at 4, 21 in the city.
11:19:44 So we're well below the 590 and in the county.
11:19:47 We're at 426 and again, that's worst case scenario that's picking it the tax code area that would have the closest to proration.
11:19:57 So you know, we've got a lot of room to move there you know, and and and so you know it's like there's really not a lot to worry there again.
11:20:08 If if the hospital did a a bond issue it's not affecting any of these limits, it's outside the limits.
11:20:17 If if the if the hospital, though, did a little lift instead did race is 7 cents up to 75 sense Well, now, your this is a little more concerning again you're adding 70 cents,
So you're adding these figures.
11:20:30 Up to by 70 cents, and you're getting up to $5. If you add in the if the fire district also does a 50 cent lid lift you're adding another 50 cents, So you are getting up, you
know If If
11:20:44 both a hospital did a live lift, and the fire district did a lid lift.
11:20:50 Then you would be up in the you know. 5, 45, 50 category, remember.
11:20:56 We tried to do a an affordable housing levy a while back and levy's re the assess values were much higher than, and we were worried about exceeding this dollar 80 right and
cause we had we done that
11:21:09 Lidliff for affordable housing we'd have been up around a dollar 70, and so there was some concern that that again you look at all the other districts.
11:21:16 You see, What are they doing? What if we go up to a dollar 70, And we're pushing that 590 limit?
11:21:22 How will that work out for the other districts, you know? Will we eventually be pushing conservation futures out?
11:21:29 Will, or or the Ems, or or cemeteries.
11:21:32 Jeff. Kate has a question. Okay, Yeah, so I mean just more for the public's sake.
11:21:39 But yeah, this this list does not include the excess levies.
11:21:43 So you know, people are saying these these rates look really low.
11:21:45 This is not actually what people are paying right? Exactly. cool.
11:21:51 Excess levies or the enrichment levy correct?
11:21:55 Yes, you're w These are just the regular levies not the voted bonds and voted excess levies for schools, and and just real quick.
11:22:05 The can you describe which levies need a simple majority to pass on which need a 60% threshold?
11:22:15 Yeah, Eddie Bond needs a 60% to pass.
11:22:21 Simple majority lists are simple majority, so you're right? So if a hospital goes for a bond issue, they need to get that 60% if they go for a lead, if they need 50% plus one
Now, with and with
11:22:37 school districts. we we can get into that. But basically the enrichment levies capital project levies our simple majority.
11:22:47 And bond issues for schools are 60%. As you know.
11:22:50 Quilsy went for a bond issue, which means that they needed that 60%.
11:22:54 So any bond issue. we do have some regular districts that have bonds, you know.
11:22:59 We had. The couple of fire districts have bonds, you know. the Fire District 5, for their fire.
11:23:04 Hall got up, had a bond and fire just for Brennan, for their equipment to buying trucks had a bond issue.
11:23:12 Those both needed 60% in their excess. Levies Mountain view for the city is was an excess.
11:23:21 Levy Mark has a question. So so, Jeff, I recall some time ago you talked about how much assessed value the county lost during the 2,008.
11:23:35 2,009 recession. if we were to have a relatively deep recession.
11:23:44 That depressed, assessed values. What effect would that have against the five* cap?
11:23:53 Okay, I I can give you a very real example. that will be in the Legislature this next year.
11:24:01 If you look at the what the legislative tax pressure Work group has been reviewing all different types of of tax reform for the next session, and of course they were looking
at capital Gains and they're looking at different sales.
11:24:13 Tax, and it was a couple of property tax measures, and one was what happens if they lift the 1%.
11:24:18 So that counties could go up to more than 1%, say rate of inflation, or or with a cap.
11:24:24 So you could say up to 3 and a half percent or rate of inflation, whichever is less
11:24:31 So they've been looking at those they're finding that the one lifting the 1% cap is very unpopular.
11:24:36 To cause I I I you know, I think we used to be 6% for many years, and then at 6% cap was lower to 1%.
11:24:46 We've had dealt with many years of low inflation so that we were able to get by with 1%.
11:24:51 But you're dealing with now is you've got that 1% cap in place, and you've got inflation greater than 1%, which means amount of money we can bring in from taxpayers is less
than what we need
11:25:03 to spend, just to keep, you know, just to keep up with inflation.
11:25:08 Now one of the ideas that's very popular and you will be seeing, and you have had one bill about this in this last session.
11:25:16 You'll see more bills about this in the next is giving what's called a homestead exemption, which is that you knock $250,000 off every resid primary residence the value.
11:25:30 So okay, I we say the the median value for a residence in this county is approaching $500,000.
11:25:37 So if you knock 250 off you're gonna what that means is i'm gonna knock 250,000 off, and value every primary resident at $250,000 or less no excuse me
11:25:48 but with as a removal of $250,000.
11:25:53 So a 1 million dollar residence would be 750,000.
11:25:56 But basically you take $250,000 off every residential value.
11:26:01 You know I did the workup for that and you're talking about about 3 billion dollars.
11:26:04 So our our county is right now around 7 billion for the current year with the values going up, we're going to be around 8 and a half 1 billion dollars.
11:26:14 So if you knock 3 billion dollars off that value you're gonna be bringing yourself back to those recessionary day values, you know, from like 14,008 2,009 2,000.
11:26:28 And 10. So we're lowering back down to there on the other hand, all the taxing districts have been continuing at their one percentless new construction.
11:26:36 So you're gonna have the collection amount that's going to be a lot higher than then.
11:26:40 So what happens if you take 3 billion off all the local levies as well as State school levies?
11:26:47 Well, you're immediately gonna push us up against those statutory limits.
11:26:54 I calculate that the county current expense will be at like a dollar 78.
11:26:59 It'll be right up there at the dollar 80 what's the first to go.
11:27:03 Well, the library, which is, you know, as a 40 cents.
11:27:06 Now it's got a 50 cent cap it's probably go up to about 70 cents.
11:27:10 Can't do that. so you're gonna knock 20 cents off.
11:27:13 So the library will have to take a hit the fire district is why would you do you know you?
11:27:21 You wouldn't do a little f to a dollar 3 because if we had that 250,000 homestead exemption they'd be up there anyway, even higher.
11:27:29 So it it wouldn't serve them any purpose but you lose the money so they're not that means the money they're hoping to gain by raising their limit to a dollar 30 they would not
get you know they'd
11:27:42 be limited to what they have and then they'd be at the cap.
11:27:48 So that now there's 2 options for that the other option is, they're looking at applying that 250,000 homestead exempted to just the State school levies right that's a 300
11:28:00 and 60 at top. there's some Mary to this is one thing you're not getting.
11:28:06 If you, if you reduce if you take that 3 billion dollars off the assess value I use for State school levies, then it's the State school levies is a statewide levy.
11:28:19 So that means the shift is that you see in local levies which would apply to because on top of these hitting these limits, you're also going to have higher rate limit rates
you're going to be up at the
11:28:32 dot you're gonna go for example, for county current. spence you're gonna go from like a dollar 20 which next year will be like a dollar 5 up to dollar 80. So everybody's gonna
be paying a little bit more
11:28:43 But you know the people are really gonna pay it are vacant land and commercial right? because they didn't get the advantage of the 250,000 reduction.
11:28:53 So they would actually be paying even more so not only would you go up to the rate limits.
11:28:56 It'd be rate limits on their full value where for all primary residents.
11:29:01 Yeah, it's a higher, higher rate limit, the higher rates but it applies to your value less $250,000.
11:29:08 What happens if you do it at the State School with State schools.
11:29:13 Is that's applied statewide that means you the shift that's going on from residential to vacant land and commercial will primarily be hit with commercial and i'll primarily
go to the I 5
11:29:28 corridor that all the the high valued commercial real estate is going to pick up the tab on that.
11:29:35 So what you're gonna see is This levy rate that's around 2, 72, 80 right Now isn't going to go up to 360.
11:29:43 It's going to go up to like 3 10 So what that there's some value in this is that what you're doing is yeah, you're gonna that 30% of your taxes that go to state schools is gonna
go down
11:29:57 and the people who are going to pick up the rest. The the shift in the State schools are going to be primarily your I.
11:30:04 5 chord or commercial that a lot of that is going to go to them.
11:30:08 They're going to pick up the tab so there's a lot of merit to that applying that 250,000 home owner, a homestead exemption to just State schools, and not all the local
11:30:21 levies on top of it. So how likely is is that to pass It's It's actually got a lot of support right now.
11:30:32 It's got an and that it's a recommendation coming out of the tax structure work group.
11:30:37 You got ed orcut. so you got some Republicans on the group.
11:30:40 I you know. There, there's a a lot to be said for it. you still have it.
11:30:46 Is it constitutionally legal because you've got your you're basically going to be taxing different properties at a different rate.
11:30:54 And and so you still have that. But they could actually include a constitutional amendment with it, and then ensure that it.
11:31:03 If if that passed, then yeah, it could it could stick it's actually a pretty good idea.
11:31:10 But the worry is that it they won't limit it to state schools that they'll apply it to all the local levies.
11:31:16 And you're right, if they do that that's going to push us up at those maximums both the statutory maximum 5, 90, probably. and and and maybe the constitution 1%.
11:31:30 So it's basically that that knocking that 3 billion for us off our assessment base will push us up against some of these rates.
11:31:38 They'll definitely push some of the Districts up because they're statutory limits, hey?
11:31:44 Jeff with that. Did you say you could do that for just for primary residences?
11:31:55 They can. Well, it's whatever they write into the bill but right now they're looking at primary resonances. Yeah.
11:32:04 And it actually is, how would you know that it that's one of the hard parts about this?
11:32:08 It would be by application. So all the homeowners. would have to apply for they'd have to send it to This is my principal place of residence, and somebody would have to.
11:32:16 Process. So so some of the debate has been, In fact, a lot of the debate has been.
11:32:21 Who would process all those applications? Would it be Department revenue, or would be all the counties that would have to do that? as you can imagine.
11:32:28 That would be a a huge impact on My office to have to process, an application for every property owner, every resident of Jefferson County.
11:32:39 That's their principal place of residence right and I I isn't there some a constitutional issue regarding texting property differently
11:33:03 And and I think but I think there's some willingness to if it applied only to State schools to to amend the Constitution to allow it
11:33:11 What other question if I may so Do you have an idea of given the excess levies and bonds with the actual rate is per 1,000 value assessed value that is being paid in the city
and county the
11:33:30 estimate for average. Yes, The rate for the city right now is $9 and 68 cents per 1,000.
11:33:42 Okay, and the county depends on where you're talking about but it's around $10.
11:33:50 Okay, see here, see here, Port ludlow 321.
11:33:59 I think it's around 1050 thank you
11:34:08 I know that this will a lot to digest here. I, for example, say schools used to be one levy, and it was subject to the lidlift.
11:34:20 In other words, when when Mccleary decided that the schools was not being supported by the State to the an adequate degree, a lot of it had to do with the 1%, you know, at some
point when we had the 6
11:34:36 percent, it probably would have paid for it. And what would happen is they were subject to the same 1% limit when the Ion initiative went through as all the local levies.
11:34:47 And so what that did is they were limited 1% peer 1% per year.
11:34:51 Well, they weren't able to keep up so the legislature really had 2 choices, I mean they only actually have one choice at the time, which is, go for a little lift.
11:35:00 See if the voters of Washington State would approve of lifting the lid for State schools, and they didn't want to risk that, because they figured the answer would be no So what
they did.
11:35:11 Is, they passed State schools, to which was a new levy which is fundamentally a legislative list, and then they didn't want a lot of pushback on that.
11:35:21 So they exempted it. folks who qualify for the senior citizen exemption from State schools, to which is the first local levy we've had that has a senior citizen exemption.
11:35:34 Attached to it. The senior exemption citizen exemptions generally applied to all the excess levies.
11:35:38 So it's kind of a unique levy that they kind of broke all their rules here when they passed State school to, as in as their answers for Mccleary and basically made a regular
levy that works a little bit like
11:35:51 an access levy and and was really a legislated lead list, so that brought it up to 2 70 per 1,000, which, and then they made it a fixed rate.
11:36:04 So they took it out of the budget all together, and made it a fixed rate levy for a number of years.
11:36:09 It's now back to a budgetary limit That's limited to the 1%, is there a total limit.
11:36:17 Jeff that with bonds and excess levies that or or could voters choose to just continually text themselves higher and higher.
11:36:31 Yeah, but the well in a bond it's whatever gets passed You're right, so that you can you can float a much higher bond issue.
11:36:39 If you think the the people are gonna vote for it. But again, remember, you need that 60%.
11:36:44 For for the enrichment levies for schools.
11:36:47 There are limits. and there will always have been some kind of limits on how much authority they have to how much they can collect. What you also saw from Mccleary is the reason
that the way that the legislature
11:37:02 helped offset the State School to levy. Was they lower?
11:37:08 They put restrictions on the in the What we're called maintenance and operation levies. They're now enrichment levies for all the local school districts.
11:37:17 Is, they fundamentally lowered them and said that you and then they that's when they .
11:37:21 They impose the 250 cap the rate per pupil cap, you know. they basically what they said is, we're gonna limit how much you can get, because our State school levy is picking
that up our State school to
11:37:35 Levy is picking up what those enrichment levies those local levies were paying for before.
11:37:41 So they impose caps on the enrichment movies what's happened almost immediately Is a local school.
11:37:48 Go. Oh, okay. So we'll pass a second levy and they can't pass to enrichment levy.
11:37:55 So they pass capital Project lobbies so most school districts you'll see.
11:37:58 Now have both a capital project, Levy and a Richmond levy and fundamentally they got the money back, you know.
11:38:07 They, they it. but they can go to different things, you know.
11:38:10 But the idea was, We still have to cover the maintenance of schools, and we still have to operate the schools.
11:38:15 We have to cover all its expenses. and the state school levy, too, doesn't really do that you know that went into wages and other things.
11:38:22 So I mean the school still need to pay for everything. So they did.
11:38:26 They brought that capital project. Well, I mean to help offset the cost of of maintaining those schools and and janitors, and all that other that part that goes into schools
that the some effect is that where before you had a local school bond a
11:38:44 local school maintenance operation levy, and a State school levy.
11:38:48 You now have 2 State school levies and 3 local levies, and the amount of money total is that the local schools are getting about what they were before.
11:38:59 And so you really that State school, too, is really an Add-on that was a lidlift as a result of Mccleary
11:39:12 A lot to digest Jeff. Yeah, you're you're an amazing source of info.
11:39:21 Jeff. Holy Cow: Yeah, well truthfully that you know we're under the guidance department of revenue the part revenue has folks who just specialize in this they have a levy manual
They have
11:39:32 levy workshops all the time and if there's ever a question that we have.
11:39:37 We call department revenue, and they've been very good at giving us clear answers on those questions that we've asked.
11:39:46 That's great one. more questions jeff Well, I I won't limit myself to just one more.
11:39:55 So I mean, local schools are not on this list, so that means that any any additional revenue that schools want they have to go to the voters for Is that right?
11:40:03 Outside of the school, the State school lobby Hi, so they are not guaranteed any local webby.
11:40:13 No right. if interesting. Now they they have to routinely go to the voters to renew their capital project.
11:40:20 Levies and their they're what we call well, the enrichment levies we call them epos.
11:40:29 But yeah, education projects, and operation levies they're the replacement for what we're maintenance and operation levies.
11:40:38 And of course, what schools would like is to make it easier to pass bonds that they don't have to go to get that 60% every time.
11:40:46 Understandable.
11:40:50 But even so, the enrichment capital projects. Those are outside of the 5, 90 at 1%.
11:40:58 You said, Yes, yeah, yeah. and like, I said, The only one of those that has a a statutory limit is the enrichment.
11:41:06 Levy's the epnos have a 250.
11:41:12 Do any idea where our districts are Oh, yeah but they're they're nowhere near that of course they're they're let's see here.
11:41:23 The West is at a dollar 50 the brennan's at 88 cents quill scenes.
11:41:31 I mean, yeah, quil scenes at a dollar 32.
11:41:36 Jim, it comes at 81 cents port towns is that 91 cents.
11:41:42 And then you got the shared districts which are squim at a dollar 10 and West End I mean forks, which is a dollar 18.
11:41:49 So there, well below the 2 50. But but again, if you lowered, if we did that, the homestead exemption of 250,000, and you applied it to all the local. it would also apply to
them alright so They are their
11:42:06 base would drop by proportionately, but total by 3 billion.
11:42:11 So what what you're gonna look at is they could very well be approaching that $2 and 50 cent limit.
11:42:19 I I think we it it's we've got a long, long way to go.
11:42:24 But in theory, if you had a a recession on top of that then, and and you had a drop in values in addition to the homestead exemption that you they could actually start pushing
up against that 250
11:42:36 limit i'm sorry, Jeff, to follow up I think you're answered this already.
11:42:42 But if that 250 homestead exemption comes in 250,000, does that mean that schools would have to?
11:42:50 Ought to to to run a a levy vote to increase?
11:42:56 Or would it just automatically increase to keep their levy the same as it is?
11:42:59 The levy rate would automatically go, up. but it can't exceed 2 50 of course, Okay, I just yeah, I did wanna make sure that if this does happen, or even you know, just to state
schools that they were just not pushing all of
11:43:11 our you know junior taxing districts and having to run levy. I guess that's right. and you could bet the legislatures look at that 2 50 limit if they're gonna I I mean the $2
and 50 cent
11:43:23 limit on in regiment levies because they could bump that up.
11:43:28 If if they actually aren't going to move forward with this homestead exemption, they could actually raise it.
11:43:32 But again, at this point it's not a they would have to be willing.
11:43:38 Right now. they're talking about only applying it to state schools and the State School regular levy Now, again, if they if they actually switch and they could. and and look
at all local levies, then you would have that problem, okay,
11:43:54 Jeff. if if you know over the years we have toy with the idea of trying to raise additional revenues for parks and wreck programming, aquatic facility, you know other facilities
potentially for health and
11:44:09 wellness in the form of a metropolitan Park district or a park district.
11:44:13 Can you like any general kind of thoughts you have on the types that are available, and what would work well given our current text structure.
11:44:24 Well. again we we tried the Metropolitan Park district, and that again, being a separate levy, would.
11:44:31 And again it comes in under the 5 90 and 1%.
11:44:35 But it wouldn't affect the the count the existing county levies the only other way.
11:44:39 If you don't do a park district like something like a countywide park district or Metropolitan Park district, then you're only other choices is to try to do a lidlift of your
current expense
11:44:51 Levy, and you can't dedicate it you can do a little lift for a specific purpose.
11:44:59 Again. We try doing that with affordable housing so you can do a a lead lift that allows you so we're going to be frankly, you know you're looking at Levy.
11:45:11 Rates here based on the 2021 values with 2,022, and going up by about 20%.
11:45:21 You're gonna see that current expense rate get down close to a dollar.
11:45:25 So you could say, Well, then, that gives us 70 80 cents that we could do a lid lift and use it.
11:45:31 That's true but you you know you need the voter support to do that lead left, and feel that that's a a an appropriate purpose.
11:45:39 But you can do a lid lift for a specific purpose.
11:45:43 King County does that, you know they do levy for parks and wreck for acquisition of park property and maintaining park property.
11:45:55 Otherwise you're back to a metropolitan park district forming a metropolitan park district.
11:46:02 We have one part district right now. it's like I say the coil, and they're at 13 cents.
11:46:11 They? they keep it down around 15 cents per 1,000. They could go as high as 60 cents per 1,000.
11:46:17 That would take a lid lift and again it's it's pretty defined boundary.
11:46:26 So you have to do it. live if you wish to increase that by more than 1%.
11:46:30 Yes, and if you did a match fall in Park District, I know this came up last time because we had park one in Park 2 at the time we had the Brennan Park district, and
11:46:42 The question is, Do you do away with those, or do you up, Demi?
11:46:45 Do you absorb them basically? or do you accept them out of the Metropolitan Park district?
11:46:50 Or do you absorb them, and and just support them in the county?
11:46:54 Wide, Metropolitan Park district, Levy
11:47:02 Any other questions for Jeff I mean i'm I think this large partially came up, because there's a number of potential levy campaigns for hearing about right So fire school library
hospital my you know.
11:47:25 So all of those will have a number of these considerations within them, and it would be interesting at some point to once.
11:47:32 We have a little more certainty of those to understand what the implications of those specific can be.
11:47:42 Yes, the hospital, as far as I know you know they're considering a bond issue, and that would be outside all these limits.
11:47:50 If they consider a lidlift, that would be another way.
11:47:53 They could go there at 7 cents now they'll probably go down to in this. next year they'll be down around 6 cents 5 cents.
11:47:59 They can go up to 75 cents with a lid lift doesn't mean you have to go to 75 cents.
11:48:04 They could do a lid lift to 50 cents you know they they choose on the ballot what how much they're going to go to either to 75 cents or less.
11:48:14 Same with fire district. if the fire districts merge for merge.
11:48:21 If Port Laudlow on port in each direction, the fire rescue merge, they will then have a new rate, and they can do a little lift.
11:48:31 Lift that rate up to you know. Combine dollar, 30 or a dollar 50.
11:48:36 They could go to a dollar 50 or a dollar 30, whatever they think the voters will support.
11:48:42 Oh, sorry! Why, wouldn't the hospital district just go for a lidlift?
11:48:47 Because it's only 50% versus 60 is There not enough capacity in that lift to support this magnitude of project.
11:48:57 I guess. Well, I think they their ideas that they're going it's going to be a capital construction, which is the perfect kind of thing for a bond issue.
11:49:08 And it's a little easier, probably to sell to voters to do a capital to do a bond issue for a capital project like that
11:49:17 A lid lift. If you do a lid lift the fund the money isn't really limited to what you can use it for right, because you could do that administrative bond another administrative
or a geo bond or you and again
11:49:31 you can also use it for regular operations, so the it's a much more broad use of those funds that they can apply, you know, for a while the hospital was actually trying to get
their levy right down.
11:49:44 Because they were trying to pay for it in fees and costs and not on the backs of the voters.
11:49:50 So they are actually working to lower this so you know to turn around.
11:49:55 It would make sense if they're operational costs are going way up, and they need to cover those through a a lid.
11:50:02 Lift. but if it's a if it's a capital construction a up on does make more sense to do it that way.
11:50:09 That that potentially is what the library would do too, because that's, I think, capitals what they're considering.
11:50:16 But you know it was a big question in with the Id Levy is, do you?
11:50:19 What do you do? When should should the Id Should the port issue go after bonds or issue bonds for paying for their capital construction?
11:50:29 And they go. Well, geez! we could just raise a levy by a a 1 million dollars counselmatically.
11:50:34 You know, which is actually probably a smart thing to do because then You're gonna have It's gonna be in the long run.
11:50:39 It'd be cheaper because you know it's a big hit upfront.
11:50:43 But then, you're not gonna have the the added interest rates and payoffs, though it's good that you know, to cover those expenses of a long term bond, So I think you know there's
a lot of decisions have
11:50:54 to go into which one, and which one the voters are willing to support, you know.
11:51:00 And and so I think that's probably what the hospital is going through It's what the fire districts fire districts Aren't, necessarily looking at a capital. I mean a a bond they're
looking at a or
11:51:11 they're looking at a lid lift. but you know when we had that last recession.
11:51:15 The one that Mark talked about for port level of fire district they couldn't cover their payroll.
11:51:21 So they actually went after a a an operating levy.
11:51:27 They actually went to the voters and and had them pass the 3 year operating levy to help cover their costs.
11:51:32 Okay, so, and that was over and above that was an excess levy, hey?
11:51:41 I I think you know from one I. And then we are working in our office both, you know, with the the plants that these that the fire districts looking at it does make sense.
11:51:51 But but again, you have to look at what's the best Avenue to do what they want to accomplish.
11:51:59 You know, the fire districts definitely need more. The fire just echoes the fire.
11:52:02 Rescue in Portland need more revenue to cover their operating costs.
11:52:08 And so, lidl does make the most sense Now, the ant them the I guess they're not annexing that if they join together that is not in itself gonna generate more money for them.
11:52:28 We would we again like, I said we would calculate each one separately, add it together, and divided by the assessed value.
11:52:33 So our merger is not by itself gonna make a difference financially for the districts as a whole.
11:52:40 They're gonna have the same amount of money they would have to follow that up with a lid Lift 2 separate ballot measures.
11:52:47 In other words.
11:53:05 Well, thank you, Jeff. Is there anyone have any more questions?
11:53:10 We know where to find you sometimes in the hallway. Otherwise, on the phone.
11:53:19 Yeah, on the trail. We have public comment on this one.
11:53:24 We did have this. we were gonna have additional public comment.
11:53:28 So we I would open this up for public comments if there's anybody on the attendee list with that would like to comment on this levy discussion that we've been having for the
last 40Â min, or so please raise
11:53:47 your hand, using the raise hand button at the bottom of the zoom screen.
11:53:51 I don't see anyone on the phone see any hands going up yet
11:54:02 It's like a lot of staff on the attendee list everybody doesn't find this as fascinating as we do
11:54:12 Not until it is there tax bills right raising values okay we're gonna see?
11:54:21 People are gonna get some sticker shock because they're seen gonna see some very large increases in values.
11:54:27 It's. Still, the important story is that the county gets 1% more.
11:54:31 There are limit to the budget, so we get no more.
11:54:34 The county current expenses, not getting any more money regardless of how much values go up.
11:54:39 You're in, and so we're not raising values to get more money for our costs.
11:54:46 It it doesn't work that way. Well, I just got my escrow statement in the mail, and my mortgage payment is going up a 100 bucks to cover the the increase in property.
11:54:58 Taxes so hopefully that will moder moderate in future years.
11:55:04 But taxes will go up based on what you vote in, and
11:55:08 And so if you vote in more taxes, then your tax bills gonna go up
11:55:14 And again they I take the total amount of money divided by this this value, and that's when the let the statutory rates start kicking in is if you start coming up against those
statutory rates.
11:55:25 Then we do get limited to even more but right Now we're quite a ways away from those composite statutory limits.
11:55:33 Yeah, that's the scary part
11:55:40 Well, thank you, Jeff, we appreciate you being here. we've all been having various conversations about potential feature levies and bonds.
11:55:52 So this is really helpful to set the stage for the future conversations that I know the community will be having, and I would love to have this
11:56:02 This sheet you have up in particular hanging on my office wall.
11:56:04 So if you don't mind emailing it'd be great I will do.
11:56:07 And if anybody has any questions, if anybody from the public have questions just the email to me and let me know
11:56:14 It is a very complicated process, and also it's a moving process oh, oh!
11:56:24 Your audio is messed up. Jeff, your audio.
11:56:28 And haywire just there. for a second you sounded like the what are the good looks? 10 months?
11:56:33 Thanks. Oh, we last you, Jeff! Why does that happen, Greg?
11:56:41 Do you know, happens every once in a while the chip months show up, and no random buffering issue. I don't.
11:56:48 I don't understand it, really. okay. Well, I think Jeff was just inviting it.
11:56:51 Any of us to reach out to him if we have questions.
11:56:55 And obviously the public is encouraged to do that, too.
11:56:59 We all we all work for all of you so we're here.
11:57:04 I've heard how response to the assessors offices To these questions .
11:57:09 You know, after this, so people can, if they do, have a dispute with their their assessment.
11:57:15 But I appreciate you being so responsive, Jeff, and to both us and to the public.
11:57:22 So it's 1157 3Â min until some of us are going to a was act meeting I believe.
13:31:34 Thanks, Carolyn. Yup.
13:31:51 Hey It's 1 30. So I will call this meeting and the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners back to order and welcome our big Willie Vince to give our first post pandemic report.
13:32:07 Are we post pandemic now? Willie first question that's ultimately a good question for for Dr.
13:32:14 Barry I think the first question you give me when i'm here, Solo. I need to refer to the doctor I think it's pretty safe to say we're we're pretty darn close to the endemic
phase if we're not
13:32:23 there already. and I think it's safe to say that partially, because we are conducting this after action.
13:32:30 Review and the Eoc, The Emergency Operations Center is demoized
13:32:36 For the most part there are a few pandemic things that get kind of thrown our way here and there.
13:32:41 But for the most part we're well on our way to our transition back to what we call blue skies.
13:32:47 So, grace guys during the disaster. blue skies is our everyday routine operation.
13:32:53 So I think it's safe to say we're just about there!
13:32:58 Well, I well, you were breaking up a little bit, so I turned my camera off, and then you weren't breaking up.
13:33:03 So if I turn my camera But we look forward to your report alright, Well, we'll go ahead and jump right in. just a second.
13:33:15 I'm having really bad sound quality, too. I just wanna make sure that the public is Now you're breaking up, Kate.
13:33:24 Does everyone else have spotty reception? Oh, thanks not not.
13:33:31 At the moment I was hearing, hearing everyone fine, this end of the building.
13:33:38 Yeah, weird. Well, i'm happy to keep my camera off if it helps. sometimes.
13:33:44 Our Internet out here is can be a little funky sometimes as well.
13:33:47 Yeah, just let me know. Okay, keep going i'll work on mine.
13:33:56 Alright. so This is the initial sharing of some of our after action findings of the emergency operation center response to the Covid 19 pandemic
13:34:09 I wanna stress that this is still our initial review.
13:34:13 We have a we we, wanna socialize these findings and share this report with our partners.
13:34:22 I'm here over the next couple of weeks to offer them a chance at final feedback making sure we really leave no stone unturned.
13:34:30 We still have to conduct an after after after action, conversation just within the policy management group.
13:34:36 So with a couple of the folks here present at this meeting so there's still a little bit to go as we finalize some of these findings, but I I wanted to come to the board today.
13:34:48 Share our findings after our first round of conversations i'm amongst deem staff and volunteers, and with some partners and solicit some initial feedback. so i'll go ahead and
get started
13:35:00 first and foremost to kind of set the scene, the emergency operation center
13:35:06 In response to the Covid 19 pandemic activated all the way back.
13:35:10 In March, the sixth of 2,020, and we were semi formally demolished as of April; fourth, 2022
13:35:19 So this was an eoc activation that lasted a little bit over 2 years.
13:35:26 Which was unheard of in Jefferson County and unheard of for most jurisdictions i'm across the Us.
13:35:34 Eoc activations for us typically in response to winner storms, might last 4Â h to a couple of days.
13:35:41 But we had never experienced anything lasting this long
13:35:45 Even during catastrophic events elsewhere. eoc activations for a couple of months.
13:35:52 Maybe something like a a hurricane, Katrina or a Sandy would last a couple of months, while recovery would start within the year.
13:35:59 So. something like this was already, of course, unprecedented, and
13:36:04 One of the difficulties in such a an after action review is just the sheer volume of data of folks involved of your operations throughout the course of those 2 years.
13:36:15 So there's a lot of digging back a lot of things that we had forgotten about.
13:36:19 That had gotten buried. i'm again over over 2 really long stressful years.
13:36:27 You're really breaking up here. for me I'm getting maybe a third of it is am I the only one.
13:36:38 I think Kate's in the same boat yeah too I can't hear you, either, Kate.
13:36:45 Maybe i'll come. sit with mark well I just killed maybe capture and it's smoothed out for me if you have 2 streaming you know video feeds that that's bandwidth and I went
13:37:01 ahead and turned off my video. I think sharing my screen is gonna be a little bit more important than my than my face.
13:37:09 You'll miss out on the hand gestures but that's about it
13:37:15 So I do want to stress that this this after action. review is concerning those eoc operations which is this Us.
13:37:27 And a broad cross section of our partners like public health.
13:37:30 Like law enforcement. fire Jefferson healthcare and things like that. but we're not conducting an after action on their behalf.
13:37:38 So. what Jefferson healthcare did what Jackson county public health. others they're conducting their own after action reviews.
13:37:47 This is really focused on Deems operations within that that kind of core Eoc.
13:37:51 We previously conducted, and after action review shortly after
13:38:00 The first major surge, which we naively considered to be one of the last.
13:38:03 At the time And so we conducted that midterm after action review in June of 2020, thinking the pandemic would hopefully be over sometime by the end of the calendar year.
13:38:15 Obviously that very much was not the case, but it was still helpful for us to be able to go back and look at that midterm to see where we were at at that point in time, and
a lot of the lessons we learned all the
13:38:28 way back in June of 2,020. Obviously they aided us in improving throughout the final year and a half or so of the pandemic.
13:38:37 But a lot of those difficulties stayed true throughout the remainder of the pandemic.
13:38:40 Up until now. so we conducted a survey. asking partners, key volunteers, etc. what they felt about the pandemic response.
13:38:54 What they thought went right, what they thought was not so right, what went wrong?
13:38:58 And then, most importantly, what we can do to improve both our pandemic response as well as our general emergency response.
13:39:06 Moving forward. So the findings that I am sharing with you all today are a result of those responses plus other conversations that we've had with some partners as well as our
own internal review and conversations here at
13:39:21 dean as I said we've gone back and looked through mountains of data.
13:39:26 That we've accumulated throughout the 2 years during the pandemic, and that really helped refresh our memory and shape some of the recommendations we're we're sharing today.
13:39:38 Finally, as I mentioned earlier, we are seeking additional feedback on these initial findings before finalizing the after action with you.
13:39:45 So everything you're seeing today, and we still have a few more stones.
13:39:48 We need to look under. I'm. including a conversation with our our policy group partners.
13:39:53 So this is by no means final and definitive
13:39:59 Finding Number One, and this was something that we covered under the first midterm after action. Review.
13:40:06 Just the unique nature of the event really through us for a little bit of a loop.
13:40:13 Overall. I I kind of hate to say it but it's the truth.
13:40:15 We work completely underprepared for such a catastrophic panic.
13:40:21 Now. obviously it's it's it was hard to imagine what the pandemic would look like as it was first kicking off.
13:40:28 But you know we we've always said we've been we were fundamentally underprepared for a big Cascadius subduction zone earthquake.
13:40:37 And it came, you know, as a surprise to a lot of us that are our major. once in a lifetime disaster at least thus far was a global pandemic of this nature and of this length
and magnitude we have
13:40:49 a concept in emergency management called All hazard planning, where you establish policies and procedures and programs that are applicable for any hazard that might come your
way.
13:41:03 Whether it is an earthquake or a pandemic, or a wildfire, and a lot of the all hazard planning we had previously done was really insufficient for this particular type of pandemic
13:41:16 Similarly, as we were conducting this all hazard planning we tended to hyper focus on a large Cascadia subduction zone, earthquake and didn't adequately look at other types
of disasters
13:41:30 that that we may need to respond to winter storms.
13:41:34 Other more routine disasters tended to take priority as well.
13:41:40 And similarly our planning followed the grant for funding that was put down from the the Federal Government, and over the past 20 years, 20 plus years since the September the
eleventh attacks on the world trade center those priorities
13:41:55 have often been anti-terrorism, and so when you're getting money from the Federal Government.
13:42:02 You know you have to. Your priorities have to align with theirs in order to receive and utilize that funding.
13:42:09 And unfortunately, you know, global pandemics was never at or near the top of the list.
13:42:14 Similarly, the prolonged, slow, moving nature of the event was much different than traditional.
13:42:20 Eoc responses like winter storms, on which winter storms are what we experience the most here in our emergency operations center, and we often talk about and plan for a catastrophic
earthquake so those being our kind of 2 avenues of
13:42:36 planning and preparedness, and a two-year pandemic really did catch us a little bit off guard, and it was difficult for us to go from that kind of more rapid fire, winter storm,
type event or that truly
13:42:50 catastrophic earthquake type of event. To the slow, moving nature of this pandemic.
13:42:58 So recommendations given these initial findings, we need to continue utilizing this.
13:43:03 All hazard approach, but truly make sure that we do consider all hazards, and leave room for more interpretation around some of the unknowns.
13:43:15 So we need a better explore these unique hazards and scenarios, and include non catastrophic incidents.
13:43:21 So think a little bit outside that catastrophic earthquake box, as well as think a little bit beyond that routine kind of winter storm box as well.
13:43:30 We also need to update our pandemic response plan.
13:43:35 Dr. Locke had mentioned this during several of the Bocc.
13:43:38 Briefings Early on it was an absolutely solid foundation for us but it was a number of years old by the time. the pandemic hit, and obviously with a lot of the lessons learned
we're talking about today and there's a
13:43:52 lot that we can put in to make us a little bit more flexible in our response.
13:43:56 For next time.
13:44:02 Finding number 2 was our facility as well as our our coordinating models or coordination modes.
13:44:09 So at the onset of the Pandemic we first activated physically all here at the Eoc, and it was quickly apparent this was before we knew I'm.
13:44:20 Too terribly much about the need for social distancing, about the need for masking about the benefits that air filtration had.
13:44:29 So we crammed a decent number of volunteers and staff into the Eoc, and quickly learned that that was a major mistake, and that was actually dangerous to a point.
13:44:39 We quickly tried to activate using nothing but virtual coordinating modes, and that was it was too difficult.
13:44:47 We didn't have a previous virtual eoc activation protocol all of us around the world really were learning zoom or learning go to meeting, and how to use those kinds of platforms
and we struggled.
13:45:02 Coordinating with those So then we went to a mixture of physical and virtual coordination.
13:45:11 So we had a select number of folks here at the Eoc
13:45:17 Each Jeff fire and rescue offered us use of their meeting room at station.
13:45:22 1 one just right down the way in Chicago.
13:45:23 So we had a select number of staff there. Then we had the rest of the group working remotely, and that worked out fairly well for us when we went to that hybrid model.
13:45:33 Finally, we did go fully virtual, for the vast majority of the pandemic and we eventually were able to find find our rhythm there.
13:45:44 But we did note that the Eoc is much too small in space to provide for safe physical coordination during a pandemic, and we did note that if this were a catastrophic earthquake,
or another
13:45:55 catastrophic type. event it's just too small a space, regardless.
13:46:03 There's a very limited number of staff that can work in this facility. I'm.
13:46:05 A limited number of workstations. We do share space with Jeff Com.
13:46:10 901 as well as the jail, so just sharing you know, bathrooms and walking down the hallway, and things like that would become difficult for us.
13:46:18 Very quickly findings. From this we're really working to improve our staff's.
13:46:25 Familiarity and training with technology, including Web Eoc, which is a virtual eoc platform.
13:46:31 The State Emergency Management division provides, as well as conference and meeting tools, etc.
13:46:37 So a lot of this happened naturally throughout the course of the pandemic.
13:46:40 Obviously a lot of us have gotten more comfortable working in zoom than we ever initially thought.
13:46:47 The State has made some pretty exciting new changes to web Eoc and just rolled out their recent version.
13:46:53 So we're gonna be getting some training on that here i'm coming up real soon.
13:46:56 We want to continue to exercise and develop a multi facility.
13:47:03 Eoc models including the use of stations on one-six, which is our alternate eoc in the city as well as station.
13:47:09 1 one here in Chicago which we used as our for operation section called it the opsell so that when we if and when we do meet this facilities capacity, we have expansion options
offsite to better
13:47:24 include more staff in the response, and are able to coordinate with them seamlessly.
13:47:29 Despite being in different buildings i'm finally Jeff Com has been looking for additional space for a number of years.
13:47:37 Now, and I know that there is a an expansion of Jeff comm I'm.
13:47:42 Hopefully coming down the pike relatively soon when they're able to expand hopefully.
13:47:46 We gain some additional square footage in that app well to better accommodate more staff. i'm physically here at the Eoc
13:47:59 I ask a question about that, Willie, please? just I guess I mean the capital improvements at Jeff Comr.
13:48:10 You know a bit of a, you know, gleaming the parents eyes right now, and wondering in the short term.
13:48:20 Is this virtual eoc model worth developing? as a short term standard?
13:48:26 As we wait for that, you know, probably several years in the making capital expansion.
13:48:33 Yeah, Yeah. absolutely. It is a a viable alternative.
13:48:37 And you know, actually, even without the additional expansion there are eocs across the nation that do activate virtually for smaller disasters, just when it doesn't make sense
to call in.
13:48:52 Staff and I think we've been practicing with that a little bit during some recent winter storms.
13:48:58 Using that web eoc program. so rather than calling everyone in you know, in rainy or snowy weather, to come and sit next to one another, i'm exercising some caution during the
pandemic and also just for ease
13:49:11 of access. We have been working virtually for those kinds of responses, and it is it is really doable, and actually preferable in a lot of situations.
13:49:21 So we think between that the virtual eoc, and in our ability to our improvement in activating in that mode plus usage
13:49:31 These alternate spaces. that'll be a huge benefit to us.
13:49:39 In the intern, although at the end of the day nothing do.
13:49:42 The purpose of the Eoc is to get the players together in one room.
13:49:45 So when you need something from another function or another organization it's, just a matter of walking over and tapping them on their shoulder.
13:49:53 And you can kind of have those direct conversations, not the end of the day.
13:49:56 Nothing does beat that in person. Coordination but in the interim I'm.
13:50:01 Confident. we can make do with the tools we have
13:50:07 Hi, Anna, it's gone a little unstable now, too. but I wanted to follow up with one more question, and that is, I mean, when you talk about like the cascaded seduction zone and
everything one of the assumptions that
13:50:18 I operate under at least is that it's very likely that communications will be super impacted.
13:50:25 So with these virtual eocs, what would is there?
13:50:32 Is there technology that we can acquire, or that we already have that would facilitate a virtual eoc.
13:50:38 If we don't have you know the normal cell phone lines or or something that we all need to going up on our hand radio skills. Yeah.
13:50:47 And you you hit the nail on the head hammer. radio.
13:50:50 It is our our backbone at the end of the day. That's the closest thing to a fail safe communication method.
13:50:57 That we have However, there are some, you know, right now.
13:51:00 You do need a license to operate a a ham radio.
13:51:06 But there are technologies on a new new technology called shares, which enables improved information sharing, and it requires a license to deem, but not licenses to individuals
to be able to use that and
13:51:21 There are technologies, you know, satellite technologies like starlink.
13:51:25 That enable remote coordination as well. you know Verizon Sprint.
13:51:31 Other wireless phone companies have infrastructure that they can deploy, so that when the you know sell and Internet grid is down, they can put up a skeleton version of that
in your community to enable
13:51:44 remote coordination. And so, there are tools available that we would be able to coordinate virtually
13:51:52 Even when communications infrastructure is impacted which is important, because during that, you know, catastrophic earthquake, our transportation infrastructure is going to
be impacted.
13:52:02 So it's going to be easier to repair communications before transportation infrastructure where we might not even physically be able to gather together
13:52:15 Thank you. I think Kate has a question, too. Can you guys hear me?
13:52:20 All right. Yes, and that sorry we're having some technology trouble here at the courthouse. so similar to what Greg is asking.
13:52:31 But i'm curious when you think about an expansion of the Eoc
13:52:36 Do you think about that any differently now? get well I'm: just thinking, like, you know, we don't know in, say the case of Cascadia, events kind of what locations will be available,
and what won't So like how how do we avoid putting all of our eggs into the basket of one upgrade
13:52:57 videosc knowing that it could be impacted more than other kind of virtual or satellite locations.
13:53:06 And mostly just curious how you think about that in terms of your needs, like long term for physical space.
13:53:13 Yeah, no excellent question and that's Why, we're kind of looking at this a little bit in layers of both having all of those virtual options having those alternate facilities
like I mentioned usage of those 2 fire stations and we'd love
13:53:27 to consider other potential facilities as well. but then at the end of the day. you know I always make the point that 95% plus of our eoc activations.
13:53:43 We're likely going to have access to this facility we're likely going to have all the technology that's available to us.
13:53:53 Going going back to my my the first finding just a little bit that hyper focus on Cascadia.
13:53:57 We'd often talk about needing to plan for you know every single mode of communication being down every single major road being closed.
13:54:05 And while that's true, we need to keep that catastrophic minority, still there are going to be things like wildfires.
13:54:14 Winter storms. you know God forbid you know man-made acts of terrorism, things like that hazardous material spill.
13:54:21 So I'm having a core facility that can meet all of our needs.
13:54:26 I'm really critically important and right Now, I don't think our core facility really, truly does that Then, having some of those satellite facilities where we can expand out
if folks can't get here, they have an an
13:54:37 alternate home. to be able to work out of and then finally, that third layer is true virtual.
13:54:45 No one is either able to get here or there's not a need to actually coordinate in one facility.
13:54:50 Then having those options to coordinate the technology. So I think we we have a little bit of that layered approach right now.
13:54:56 It's just that Each layer needs a little bit of improvement thank you.
13:55:08 Alright, and I think the irony is not lost on me that we're talking about virtual coordination.
13:55:14 As we're having virtual coordination issues on the Internet.
13:55:19 So couldn't have scripted this better so finding number 3 operational coordination.
13:55:27 One thing we found on many key partners we're unfamiliar with the eoc's core function and purpose. I think it's kind of thankfully deem sat in the background a little bit without
a major
13:55:42 catastrophic disaster in this brought deem in the Eoc to the forefront.
13:55:47 But there were a lot of folks who weren't trained a lot of folks who hadn't engaged with us before, or if they had someone from their organization who did you know they weren't
being engaged the information wasn't
13:55:59 being shared widely within their organization. We also had several Eoc reps from different organizations who had changed recently.
13:56:09 Due to retirement, reassignment, things of that nature, and backups or replacements had been identified and or trained.
13:56:17 So the the purpose of the emergency operation center for those unfamiliar is to bring all the all the players together under one umbrella, so we can work alongside one another.
as a cohesive unit
13:56:32 It's not so much that deem comes in and starts running everything, and starts running the overall operation. this is a It's a coordinating model.
13:56:41 It's a way for each organization and each player to get together and as our pio likes to say, play off the same sheet of a piece of sheet music.
13:56:50 So we kind of write the sheet music together. then i'll go play our separate instruments and a lot of folks. I think weren't really familiar with that core concept additionally.
13:57:00 The 2 key partners in this event public health and Jefferson healthcare were just too overwhelmed at the onset of the pandemic to really provide eoc representation.
13:57:11 They, you know. Their initial response was completely overwhelming.
13:57:16 They were short staffed, and it stayed that way throughout.
13:57:19 Much of the pandemic there were so many incident commands within organizations established, but the interaction between partner incident commands and the overall Eoc was unclear,
and we ended up not establishing what's
13:57:33 called Unified command, where several different partners are in charge of the the Eoc model until nearly a year in until February of 21,
13:57:44 Once vaccine operations got up and running there is also a concept called incident, action, plan development.
13:57:51 And that's where the eoc is kind of developing
13:57:58 The plan for tomorrow, always thinking ahead formalizing what you're going to be doing the next step.
13:58:02 So you're a little bit more proactive instead of reactive
13:58:05 And this was difficulty difficult to a lack of familiarity from a lot of our partners as well as the prolonged nature of the event.
13:58:14 So when you're developing an iap and you're fighting a fire and taking it 12Â h at a time, you're able to get into a little bit better of a rhythm you know exactly you know
what where you're going
13:58:25 to be attacking where you need to put resources. but when you're taking a pandemic a week at a time a month at a time.
13:58:33 It was just a little bit harder. It was a new new arena for us here at deem absolutely our recommendations here.
13:58:43 We need to provide wider eoc training for all of our partners.
13:58:48 So not just the folks showing up to our eoc meetings.
13:58:53 But make it available for folks who were interested folks who have to interact with us leadership at other organizations.
13:58:59 To really make the eoc's core mission known and make it. So we have more folks who can come in and plug and play and support an emergency response.
13:59:09 We are gonna establish something called an emergency support function model to support better functional representation.
13:59:17 When personnel resources are limited. so the example of this being the emergency support function for firefighting, you have one representative who represents all 5 fire districts
within the Eoc.
13:59:32 So having This is a Federal model they use when there's a wide variety of Federal departments and jurisdictions, all kind of working towards a common goal and emergency response,
and so that esf coordinator
13:59:47 is responsible for i'm working with all those different departments all those different organizations under that one umbrella.
13:59:56 So we believe, having emergency, support functions. for you know law enforcement fire all these different groups, but specifically within the pandemic response. and it's Esf
number 8 is health and medical and we feel we'd
14:00:11 be better able to support our partners. at public health, at Jefferson.
14:00:18 Healthcare healthcare, I may be less of a resource.
14:00:19 Ask from them While still maintaining communications and increasing coordination.
14:00:25 There in future responses We really want to ensure an earlier establishment of a unified command that's that should have been something where we've done much earlier on.
14:00:38 So we want to provide more training and ensure understanding of this role I'm.
14:00:41 Not just during the next pandemic, but during the next disaster response as a whole, I'm.
14:00:50 The incident commander or the unified command. where you have multiple incident. Commanders representative within the eoc doesn't always default to the deem director.
14:01:01 It should be the person with the most training, the most knowledge, and with jurisdiction over the event.
14:01:08 So we want to reach out to all of our potential agency leadership folks who might be involved in a unified command with us.
14:01:16 I mean, make sure everyone understands and what that means, and and when they might be called into action.
14:01:22 Finally. This is something we we do on a regular basis, but it became apparent we need to hit it a lot harder.
14:01:29 We need to provide additional incident, action, plan training for Eoc personnel.
14:01:34 This is something folks in firefighting you know.
14:01:37 They eat, sleep, and breathe ics. Those who go out on wild and fires can write an iap in their sleep.
14:01:44 Our personnel. we can use a a little bit more of a brush up, so we might be reaching out to fire.
14:01:48 Might be reaching out to some folks at the State to get a little bit more training in that particular area
14:02:01 I'm finding Number 4 staffing our small staff was stretched and possibly thin
14:02:07 During this response. and again, this is just focusing on Deem and our kind of core eoc personnel.
14:02:14 But this was true of pretty much everyone, and I want to recognize that i'm not trying to single us out.
14:02:21 We respect the the toll This took especially on public health and on Jefferson healthcare, but this did beat us up pretty bad, too.
14:02:31 Our volunteers were absolutely essential to our response and comprise most of the Eoc staff.
14:02:38 However, we still needed a lot of help in a lot of other areas. and many of our volunteers work 40 plus hours a week for months at a time.
14:02:47 So I do want to give special shout out to all of them that just labored tirelessly
14:02:54 Just out of the goodness of their heart. there were some county staff who did step up to provide support on top of their regular positions, and I do want to give a special shout
out to Matt Stewart with public works and a
14:03:08 cliff more prior to his retirement with the wsu extension.
14:03:14 We're massive helps to us especially in the early stages of the pandemic.
14:03:17 The DCD. Director Patty Charness at the time did step up and serve as the cares act Coordinator.
14:03:25 Will. The DCD director position was backfill, which I know was a big help.
14:03:30 And one thing we did find that we were. we did look to hire during the middle of the response.
14:03:37 We did reach out to a few retired county staff and some other folks but hiring folks.
14:03:44 On mid response very time consuming to try to recruit someone and and train them.
14:03:51 As you know, things are going crazy around you and I.
14:03:55 I did spend a lot of time talking to folks on the phone.
14:04:00 You know, recruiting trying to sell them on coming to work full time, and most folks were either, you know, more comfortable, just serving in a volunteer role where they could
tell me.
14:04:09 No? Well, they could step away whenever they wanted and a lot of folks once they kind of understood the scope of the work ended up backing away, and I I can't say I necessarily
blame them.
14:04:20 But it was difficult to try to expand. Expand your staffing footprint in the middle of the stream.
14:04:29 Our recommendations. one obviously expand deem staff which this board has already supported I'm actually on thursday we're conducting our second interview for the new position
within deem, and i'll be extending an offer
14:04:44 next week, So we're very grateful and thankful for that we've also started up a reservist program here at Deem.
14:04:51 So we're pre-identifying staff who are willing and able to activate full-time upon a disaster declaration, and the reservist means they'll already be hired on as Clerk hires
within dean we've
14:05:06 secured the grant funding to be able to pay them just to attend meetings and trainings and stay in a state of readiness.
14:05:15 And then, once a disaster declaration has been made.
14:05:19 Once we identify the full-time funding source, and then we can bring them on quickly and easily, without the need to recruit or train ahead of time.
14:05:28 One thing we really want to do is eoc training for county and city staff as well.
14:05:35 And hopefully identify some staff for Eoc roles, if and when they they have the time, the inclination, etc.
14:05:44 Again. We had a couple of county staff who were able to step up and assist but it would be a a real game changer, especially during a catastrophic event. to be able to leverage
some of those staff and keep them
14:05:57 working one thing that going back to finding one about the unique nature of this event, it was always kind of assumed during a catastrophic event that would shut down operations.
14:06:09 That we would have, you know, county and city staff folks coming out of the woodwork looking for something to do.
14:06:16 Well, even though we were shut down physically, folks still had their full time jobs to do, and they had to figure out how to how to do them remotely.
14:06:26 So this isn't a criticism of of anyone as they were struggling, working from home, learning all these new technologies doing their normal job.
14:06:35 But just in new environment. but just moving forward for next time. we'd like to have access to some additional resources, and then, as always, continue our outreach recruitment
and training for additional volunteers, the bench can never really truly
14:06:50 be cheap enough. we can never have too many assets at our disposal.
14:06:56 And one great thing I I love about this county is the fact that we have so many great folks who who volunteer who bring their skills. They come here.
14:07:06 They they retired and have had great long careers, a lot of great experiences and great skills, and they step forward, and they offer them up free a charge out of the goodness
in their heart.
14:07:20 On finding Number 5 was our ability to leverage spontaneous volunteers, and folks who came forward after the pandemic started
14:07:29 For the most part we consider this a pretty significant success.
14:07:34 So a huge credit is a community at large. All those folks who came forward.
14:07:39 I do have to give a shout-out to Larry Burger a long time.
14:07:43 Deem volunteer who did a lot of planning prior to Kesheedia for really laying the groundwork for this.
14:07:50 Another volunteer, Bill Mcgrath, developed a database on the fly to help us with this recruitment in tracking, and then Dm.
14:08:01 Volunteer extraordinary Laura for for leading our spontaneous volunteer effort.
14:08:05 At the end of the day, the I I looked at our total just as I was putting this presentation together.
14:08:10 We had 499 falling tiers come forward
14:08:16 To assist in our call center to assistant vaccination clinics.
14:08:20 And those were folks who actually came to deem to help out.
14:08:24 We had additional volunteers with our community mask maker group, for example, who weren't i'm coming forward and registering with us and deploying as dean volunteers, who just
seized upon a need and really kind of
14:08:37 self-activated and self-supervised to make masks, to donate and distribute them, and especially early on, when masks were were hard to come by.
14:08:47 We do need a better database for tracking our volunteer hours, our positions, and our credentials, though.
14:08:55 As I said, we did a lot of this on the fly.
14:08:57 Are previously prior to the pandemic.
14:09:01 You know we did a lot of our volunteer tracking manually with our small but dedicated volunteer base, and then handling the sheer volume of folks, became.
14:09:11 It was manageable, but it was difficult to do with the tools that we had recruiting.
14:09:18 Our medical volunteers was on the difficult side, though, because we had to verify their credentials and ensure that they would be able to.
14:09:26 You know, provide vaccinations and stay within the confines of the emergency declaration.
14:09:34 In working with Jefferson healthcare, we did deploy a lot of volunteers to their drive-through to help with traffic control and help on the logistic side.
14:09:42 But we couldn't deploy our medical volunteers to assist them.
14:09:46 They had to manage that themselves. that's something we definitely would have loved to be able to help out with more.
14:09:52 But due to insurance and training and other kind of bureaucratic requirements.
14:09:57 They opted to do that in house, even though we we discussed it quite a bit.
14:10:02 So our recommendations There we want to acquire and deploy a volunteer database within deem, which will be one of the first assignments of the new Deem employee who's on main
role will be volunteer
14:10:15 coordination. number 2. We want to establish what's called a medical reserve core, just a volunteer group of trained medical personnel.
14:10:25 And so we want to establish this and maintain this as a resource and as an asset moving forward.
14:10:31 And we want to work with public health and Jefferson healthcare to establish a deployment protocol.
14:10:36 So if and when they need medical volunteers, how do we provide them with that resource?
14:10:43 Quickly and easily, without trying to figure out things, you know.
14:10:48 During the middle of the disaster based on our lessons learned, We want to formalize our spontaneous volunteer in Donations plan for the next major disaster, So that includes
the you know, recruitment training engagement and
14:11:01 deployment of volunteers coming forward from the community.
14:11:04 But also donations. and this is something you've seen a lot of other major disasters where the community is is sparked into action.
14:11:13 To donate clothes to disaster, victims to donate food to donate money.
14:11:18 But without a plan to corral those donations and distribute them quickly, easily and equitably.
14:11:26 It can become a disaster in its own right. So we want to formalize our lessons, learned and make sure we have a a documented plan for next time.
14:11:35 We also need you develop permanent volunteers from the spontaneous volunteer base that came forward within those 500 folks we've already had, who have had many who've stepped
up and said they'd be willing
14:11:49 to volunteer during the next disaster. many have stuck with us and have continued to volunteer but we really wanna make sure that we take from that pool of 500 folks and hold
on to some of them and develop them
14:12:04 into indo leadership development to program coordinators.
14:12:08 To help us meet the next future Need
14:12:16 Now in terms of our mass vaccination clinics as well as the call center.
14:12:21 Overall. The feedback from the community was overwhelmingly positive, and we we really appreciate the
14:12:29 The compliments, The sentiment that we got. this was, I think, one of the the shining examples of our our Deems partnership with public health and running our mass vaccination
clinics, and then an example of our partnership with
14:12:44 Jefferson healthcare in providing them additional volunteers as they ran their drive through, and I do have to give them a massive shout out, as well as they set up their drive
through clinic during the onset of vaccine
14:12:58 availability. That took a huge portion of the initial burden and the initial run on a very limited vaccine supply, and then doing that so quickly and nimbly.
14:13:12 And that was critical. and allowing deem and public health allowing us time to plan for our additional clinics, Our road show is we were able to go to Chima come in, Hadlock
into Quill scene into Brrennan and to bring
14:13:25 it to other communities. one thing with the call center that was located in the Eoc itself, and during a an actual eoc activation with personnel in there they wouldn't be able
to coexist so that was a
14:13:43 luxury afforded us through our virtual eoc activation, we were able to bring in a couple of call-takers space them out, provide high quality masks, provide high quality, air,
filtration, and operate in our eoc
14:13:57 facility, but in another major disaster that wouldn't have been able to work
14:14:02 We also really wanted the call center to act as a one-stop kind of clearing house for folks calling for information.
14:14:09 But the nature of the pandemic meant that the hospital and public health got most of the calls regardless.
14:14:15 They needed to talk to a nurse. They needed to talk to a communicable disease.
14:14:19 Expert. So we were still able to provide a really significant service in helping with vaccine appointment scheduling.
14:14:25 And we were really happy with the volunteers who spent so many hours signing so many people up for their vaccine appointments.
14:14:33 However, by the end of our mass vaccination campaign staff was run pretty thin our deem staff and volunteers for sure
14:14:44 But then also the public health staff, who were conducting contact. tracing throughout the course of the week, helping plan for our clinics, I'm helping run them and provide
the vaccine on all day on Saturday I'm
14:14:56 meeting to continue with contact, tracing on Sunday. It was a non-stop for them.
14:15:01 So i'm very proud of the work that we did but By the end we were We were just about running on empty, so some recommendations here
14:15:12 Public health is updating a medical counter Measures plan to address vaccine operations during future pandemics based on the lessons learned
14:15:21 During this one. We also need to develop a call center plan, not reliant on our eoc facility.
14:15:27 With a focus on acting as a one-stop.
14:15:31 Information resource. you know i'm really thinking of if there is a wildfire, and folks are having questions about where shelters are.
14:15:38 How to access fema resources, questions about accessing insurance, questions about cleanup and recovery, things like that I'd really like to be able to offer that service to
the community, and to take the burden off of partners since you know we
14:15:55 really did see how much of a toll that took on our partners in healthcare.
14:16:00 So we want to look at finding an alternate facility or find a virtual coordination model for call taker volunteers and develop the volunteer service to meet that meeting
14:16:17 Finding Number 7 communications. As in every disaster, public information and communications is a disaster in its own right.
14:16:25 I always kind of joke. and every single after action you ever conduct It's almost like the the free space at the center of a Bingo card.
14:16:35 You can list communications whether that's external or internal and there's there's going to be issues there.
14:16:41 And this was no different Part of the core of that was that differing messages at the Federal level.
14:16:48 So you both had an administration has been a Cdc.
14:16:53 Organization. Who were, you know, budding heads over pandemic messaging, plus different messaging.
14:17:03 The State Level versus the local level. There was a lot of confusion.
14:17:08 As information moved between the different levels of government. Never mind the fact that you know one example.
14:17:12 I continue to use is, as you know, a new stay at home order.
14:17:19 A new masking order was coming down from the state we wouldn't find out here at the local level, especially early on until it came out of the governor's mouth during the press
conference, so we were getting caught off guard as well that
14:17:33 improved improved slightly at the end of the pandemic, where health officers were getting looped in, and ours was was keeping us in the loop so we could start to prepare.
14:17:43 But it was really difficult. Early on, when information was moving so fast, and every single level of government was saying something a little bit different.
14:17:50 Additionally, the complexity of information was difficult to follow for everyone, including you know, I won't speak for everyone here on this call, but especially even for me.
14:18:02 And this being my full-time job, it was tough to keep up with sometimes the latest recommendations on the latest science.
14:18:09 Latest variance, and this was an incredibly complex disaster.
14:18:15 You know whereas typically it's this is the evacuation zone.
14:18:19 Leave and you know there are some often some pretty simple messages when it comes to a disaster.
14:18:25 This, you you know, had to become a little bit of an air quality expert.
14:18:29 You had to become a little bit of a communicable disease expert.
14:18:31 You had to maintain a bubble you had to learn about masking types.
14:18:36 It was tough however, the biggest piece of feedback we got the Kbtz broadcasts and the weekly briefings were so well received.
14:18:48 Everyone absolutely raves about those, first with Dr. Locke and then with Dr.
14:18:52 Barry. So that's something that I think no no matter what the disaster is.
14:19:00 Having the experts that publicly available for questions having the you know the County Commissioners. I think you all did a stellar job.
14:19:07 I'm asking questions. you were hearing from the community kind of transporting community concern, community confusion.
14:19:14 We was really phenomenal as well.
14:19:19 We at the Eoc put out information briefs.
14:19:23 We had our situation. Reports for internal partners as well as community sit reps that we put out for the general public that tried to summarize information.
14:19:34 Those were pretty well received as well, and we ultimately distributed a 128 reports of of each type.
14:19:41 First starting on March thirteenth of 2020 before finally ending those on 8, 3, 21
14:19:50 One thing, though, was limited Communications personnel did make messaging difficult. you know.
14:19:57 Limited Communications Personnel, within County staff, limited Comp.
14:20:03 Personnel at public health. and then here in Deem of Ourpio, is also our deputy director, and is kind of a jack of all trains.
14:20:10 I throw a lot of stuff out he does a lot of work, Lee working as a liaison with other organizations and so we we didn't have a lot of dedicated communications.
14:20:23 Personnel. we didn't have a single identified point of contact.
14:20:30 And that it kind of became the the de facto.
14:20:33 It was the the health officer, as things move along, but especially early on, when things were moving fast and furious.
14:20:40 There was no one stop shop for information. from the general public.
14:20:46 So recommendations obviously. First and foremost, continue the partnership with Kptz.
14:20:52 We do wanna plan on radio briefings for other disasters, and I do have to note that this wasn't necessarily a new finding. deems relationship with Kptz goes back a number of
years.
14:21:05 They actually have infrastructure here within the Eoc to be able to broadcast directly from the facility.
14:21:14 And so we've always planned on utilizing them and utilizing radio.
14:21:17 But I think this is really underlying the importance.
14:21:23 Recommend extending communication personnel we've talked a little bit before about a county communications person, and about that.
14:21:28 Actually that person actually living within public health so i'd like to see that conversation move forward. and we've secured some grant funding for a social media coordinator
part-time just within deem that we'll be
14:21:40 looking at hiring after we get our new fte on
14:21:45 We're gonna have our pio continue to develop relationships with partner agency pios and develop what's called a joint information center plan.
14:21:54 Which is where spokespeare from different organizations. all coordinate together, and kind of their own mini eoc to be able to unify you, unify messaging together, and finally
we'll continue to refine
14:22:06 our deem informational products, focusing on simplicity and direct action, will messaging
14:22:17 Finding Number 8 We this is the second to last one i'm in logistics.
14:22:22 Our ppe ordering and distribution was fairly smooth, and I have to give another shutout to public works, and Matt Stewart, who Matt stepped up to work in our logistics section
and allowed us use of the the
14:22:35 headlock shop as a storage and as a warehouse for the ppe.
14:22:41 We were getting in, as well as another shout out to our community mask makers for doing a ton of work, getting masks to the community.
14:22:49 There was some confusion over the States ordering and tearing process.
14:22:54 Which is less of a actionable item for us, and worse, a piece of feedback.
14:22:58 I think the State is well aware of at this point, and our logistic section was pretty limited, but just handling the State Ppe resource requests due to staffing limitations
in terms of human services.
14:23:10 Oly cap just absolutely a a rock star throughout the pandemic. And I think you know Jefferson Healthcare, Jefferson County.
14:23:19 Public health deserve all the credit in the world, and only Cap is right up there with them.
14:23:23 In terms of impacts for this response, and they shouldered a massive burden in assisting those in isolation and those needing case services.
14:23:33 But it was very difficult to find isolation facilities and especially early on, when we didn't know a lot about the pandemic and
14:23:42 A lot of local facilities were very nervous about making covid, positive people, and I'm finally on the finance side.
14:23:49 We were the first in the State to submit for reimbursement from female but fema reimbursement is a very labor intensive process.
14:23:57 Our volunteer handling that step down from working in finance after that first submission and we were able to reassign her elsewhere.
14:24:08 We still have additional projects that we're going to be seeking reimbursement for by the end of the year.
14:24:14 But that's how long really long it takes to seek this reimbursement.
14:24:17 It is a full time job in and of itself our recommendations there.
14:24:23 Build a bigger and better logistics section through volunteer and our staff engagement.
14:24:27 Pre-identify isolation and sheltering facilities and prep for the next pandemic, and finally build a finance section.
14:24:37 Capability through staff engagement. Our new deem higher will have some great finance responsibilities and will be trained on the Fema portal.
14:24:44 I'm gonna also want to work with county finance staff to get a better sense of their capabilities to assist with this during the the next disaster, and last little bit, certainly
not least, the policy management. group.
14:25:01 We really had limited training prior to the disaster for our elected officials and city and county leadership.
14:25:08 We had done a training for the county commissioners in the county administrator, but this was a mark.
14:25:15 Macaulay was a county administrator, yet Heidi Eisenhower.
14:25:19 I hadn't been elected yet. and it was one brief I think 90Â min training about a year, or so before the pandemic, and we had never done any similar training for city for public
health or any other leadership and one good thing
14:25:34 about that policy management group was, it was relatively flexible.
14:25:37 The membership changed as needed on what we needed to discuss.
14:25:42 But one thing that eoc staff requested some guidance from the policy management group on down, and this isn't this is a reflection of me being the go-between not carrying messages
properly back and
14:25:55 forth than it is from the policy management group. So we want to open up better lines of communication between the 2, and I know there was some frustration given the fact that
when we comprised the policy management group We had one county
14:26:09 Commissioner one member of the City Council but there wasn't a good mechanism or good training, provided on how we engage with the other county commissioners with the other
city council members.
14:26:21 So some of the operational discussions held at policy management. group we're being socialized with other city and county leadership.
14:26:30 So my recommendations there. More training for city and county elected leadership and staff.
14:26:36 And you're gonna have me back next week for some training for you all just on that.
14:26:43 We need to define the policy management group makeup for different disasters and engage those folks and define the marching orders for the policy management group.
14:26:52 Everyone was flexible. we handled problems as they arose, but I think it was Commissioner Eisenhower who asked after one of our Tsunami scares.
14:27:02 You know what? what are my marching orders as an elected once we get notification, there's a disaster.
14:27:07 So I want to talk about how you know we engage the Bocc.
14:27:12 Through the policy management group. How you all can work together and then I'm.
14:27:15 Really what what the eoc will will need from you and vice versa I'm.
14:27:19 Moving forward. So those are our initial findings. We wanna solicit feedback from you as the board and from public health.
14:27:33 And then hold our policy management group after action. Conversation here in the near future.
14:27:39 Put everything together in an initial written draft and socialize that among stakeholders to identify any missed areas or needed clarifications
14:27:50 Before finally finalizing this report and start implementing the actions that we've recommended a lot of them are already underway. but once this is behind us, we can kind of
hit full steam ahead with some of the other recommendations moving
14:28:05 forward. so i'm sorry for not leaving more time but this is your opportunity.
14:28:12 What did I do? You have questions need clarifications.
14:28:15 What did I miss? and You can feel free. We can chat more outside of this.
14:28:19 However, we want to work that, but i'm open to feedback
14:28:27 After action. Reviews like this demand honesty and transparency, and and I've got to say Well, this of all the after action reviews, I've seen this this is one of the top 3
I've ever seen
14:28:42 it. you you you cut through the topic a number of different directions, and I think it's a brutally honest assessment, and I think it'll benefit the county for years to come.
14:28:55 Oh, thank you, Mark and I I really do appreciate that trying to be as honest and transparent as possible.
14:29:01 And I I really will ask whether it's the commissioners or any of our partners, you know.
14:29:07 Don't Don't pull any punches you know I Hope this demonstrates a commitment that we want to be the the best we can be, and be the best for the next major disaster.
14:29:17 So I I don't want to you know tiptoe around anything.
14:29:20 We wanna make sure this is as honest as possible. So thank you for that.
14:29:26 If I can just make a quick comment I really appreciate this I'm with Mark.
14:29:29 This is a great, a great after action. Report, Willie.
14:29:32 Thank you, and I think even as we went through a little bit of training as you referenced before the pandemic, I don't know.
14:29:39 None of us, had really been through an emergency like this and you know we've we've bolster the the budget for for staff already, and I think that we recognize it.
14:29:48 There. department of emergency management is a really important department and convener.
14:29:54 When when things go awry and we know they they do.
14:29:57 But, you guys are really proved yourself. and and earned the you know the additional support to make sure that we our our limber and prepared for the next emergency.
14:30:07 You know it's you're never fully prepared but I think this is a great start to make sure that we are vigilant.
14:30:14 So. Thank you.
14:30:19 I'm not even sure can you hear me on the in a way.
14:30:31 Is it working? just having to mess with my audio?
14:30:40 I was just gonna add that I took time Comments he made about infrastructure and capacity.
14:30:51 Look forward to digging into that planning work with you and that cause I think we need to take what we've learned from.
14:30:59 Put it into use for our next potential that we confront as a community
14:31:12 If I could jump in with a comment or question and
14:31:20 Do you really appreciate the the honest look here, and this is somewhat in the spirit of being honest.
14:31:26 That I hope that we're getting enough input from public and from other stakeholders, and I know you know surveys are always difficult to get response significant response to
14:31:42 But you know, and I think back to the early days my a lot of my early frustrations.
14:31:49 We're about our ability to kind of anticipate the needs of the public and and try to be somewhat forward thinking, just reacting.
14:32:00 But instead, thinking, like, Okay, how do we anticipate that this is going to affect
14:32:06 And and for lots of reasons I think that didn't happen I think that's because it was an novel virus.
14:32:13 We didn't know what to expect we didn't understand the virus.
14:32:16 We didn't know how long it would last I remember there were a number of government proclamations that all happened on Friday afternoons consistently, which was really really
hard for us to be able to respond to and be prepared
14:32:31 to do you have any help to our constituents so I'm. I'm.
14:32:37 A little concerned that this after action, and you had said, will it?
14:32:42 It tends to be an internal document. but how do we know that like how this the the people that we're all ultimately trying to serve, which is the public and so I don't know
if it's a question or a comment
14:32:57 but it it really became my mission was to try to to have us be more responsive and more proactive with the public part way through this pandemic.
14:33:11 And I don't know if we were successful in that and so I I guess i'm i'm curious if we feel like we've got enough input from those that we serve to be able to assess that or
not
14:33:26 that's a phenomenal question and a a great point.
14:33:30 I I appreciate you bringing that up. and so one thing I I think I I wanted to do with this format was, you know, put forward our on honest assessment, and then bring first to
our partners, and say Hey, here's here's how
14:33:42 it looks based off the initial survey responses you're initial feedback.
14:33:48 Here's our review. What did we miss so rather than just accumulating you know a ton of responses and bringing forth you know pretty much the the kitchen sink we wanted to put
out our
14:34:01 assessment, and then accept honest critiques based on what we were seeing.
14:34:06 So we're hoping just within our our partners in our stakeholders.
14:34:11 From that perspective. we've given them some opportunity for feedback without making it too messy or too wide reaching in terms of the general public.
14:34:22 I'll admit I I think there are a lot more opportunities for engagement, and the the survey that we did send out for this wasn't open to the the general public.
14:34:35 So i'd be more than happy at either I know We have a policy management group meeting just coming up on Wednesday, and I hope to have a broader after action Discussion with that
group later on.
14:34:48 Let's brainstorm some ways on how we can better engage the public.
14:34:51 Because you're absolutely right that throughout the course of the pandemic.
14:34:55 We struggled to anticipate Need and then I I think right now.
14:35:02 We can throughout this process. Thus far I haven't really opened this process up to the general public.
14:35:10 So. I i'm open to ideas and I think that Yeah, we absolutely can and and should do a little bit more
14:35:22 And and I I think because this has become polarized.
14:35:27 Set of topics. I I, you know, appreciate being fairly targeted in the outreach.
14:35:34 We do to get response here. just so it doesn't create a a flurry of political disagreement, or anything but or an opportunity to be to criticize a public health response.
14:35:49 So i'm okay with targeted but I think it would be great to you know, in terms of putting this into action in the future.
14:35:57 You know the lessons learned. be great. to Get a little more input from from some targeted communities which I think you're suggesting as well
14:36:09 Absolutely. I think 1 one suggestion I have right off the bat is. We have our neighborhood preparedness group, which a lot of folks who do volunteer with us, but do have a lot
of folks who just on their own accord, you know we're
14:36:21 checking in on each other, working with neighbors you know delivering groceries to one another.
14:36:26 I'm helping out for sharing information things like that I think that would be a really great outlet, I mean you mentioned the Chamber as well.
14:36:34 I know, as you mentioned earlier, the business community one of the the hardest hit on, especially with all the changing regulations and rules and things like that.
14:36:44 So I think, partnering with the chamber just some feedback on via that avenue would be really valuable as well.
14:36:50 So let me bring some a bit. let's talk at policy management group, and I think think we have some options and some opportunities
14:37:01 Well, i'm not
14:37:08 Yeah, i'm having a really hard time with Internet and audio obviously so. wasn't sure if you guys could hear me still trying to help.
14:37:17 Is there any other? Are there any other questions for William? or do we?
14:37:22 We have public comment listed on this agenda item.
14:37:26 So would like to open up Can I ask one more question of Willie?
14:37:37 I would love to be able to see these slides.
14:37:44 Is that something that you can send out? Yep, Absolutely.
14:37:48 I will have them on 2. wall right after this meet
14:37:54 Okay, So I am going to try this. Can you guys hear me?
14:38:02 Okay, Yeah. Okay. I heard someone through the wall
14:38:14 Now we can't hear you so i'm gonna make one call for comments on this agenda item on initial report on it's pandemic.
14:38:28 But our initial report on the survey result that live that Willie just reported on on our app action to the pandemic, and this afternoon you can use your raise hand at the bottom
of your screen, and I think I see a
14:38:47 couple of people on the phone, but I think it's just Kate and I.
14:38:51 So. So there! Anybody wishing to comment on this agenda item
14:39:00 Not see any hands go up. Thank you Willie sorry it's been clunky with Internet and Audio today, and we really appreciate your report and look forward to the process going forward.
hey?
14:39:15 Thank you all. I appreciate it. Take care, okay Next agenda item is a works on a resolution on open open public meeting app guidelines for boards and commissions, and we'll
also have a public comment here as part
14:39:33 of this agenda item. So is, fill with us and ready to be the presenter.
14:39:40 Yeah. brown over
14:39:47 Not seeing him. There, Mark, do you great
14:39:59 Philip, are you gonna present on this item? I I had planned to.
14:40:04 I had to plan to see here
14:40:19 See I i've been working on this this morning. and let's see how we do today.
14:40:31 Everybody see my screen. Okay, You can see it before I get started.
14:40:41 I want to express my appreciation will I think you just did an outstanding job during this this I've been pressed time and time again with this work, including that after action
report for super Okay, So hopefully I
14:40:59 won't put you to sleep during this probably if you rent the guidance.
14:41:05 You probably were goes in off cause it's really pretty damn glad we got some comments from Mr.
14:41:15 Tiers. Today I I found those pretty helpful and already been through them, and talk a little bit about them as we go through.
14:41:22 So here's what I plan to talk about today. First, So about purposes and process involved in getting where we are.
14:41:33 What I think are the big policy choices that the Board has to make with this.
14:41:38 With these guidelines next steps, and then if we have questions that fast them at the end.
14:41:45 But of course, I, as a point through this, feel free to, you know, ask any questions you want as we go.
14:41:52 Which leads me to my first question how far into this do you want to go today?
14:42:00 I'm i'm prepared to go through the whole thing if you want just to kind of do an overview. You can stop me as we go, or we can come back and talk about it in another session.
14:42:12 You don't have to answer that question. right Now you can kind of answer it as we go on cognizant that you've just been through a very long detail.
14:42:20 Brief thing you have one after this and it's now forward to 3.
14:42:23 So this could go for couple hours, depending on how deep you want to go into it.
14:42:29 Okay, So let's get started and Then you can kinda tell me where you want, which fine do Okay, so purposes and process.
14:42:40 I I really see that there's there's 3 main purposes To doing this one is there's a compliance purpose.
14:42:48 In other words, we wanna main compliance. with many many compliance with opma for all our boards, commissions, and committees that are specific of Dma, and we've had some recent
changes that that probably requires some
14:43:04 training, and and also that this guidance is good to address most particularly the public comment changes.
14:43:12 Oh, that we that it will pass the recent legislative session.
14:43:16 So I think it's a good time to do this and then there's a guidance purpose We want to provide guidance to staff supporting all of our boards Conditions I committees lot of staff
a lot of the staff being part
14:43:33 of the main support to various words, and like this this is I would accept Carolyn out of that.
14:43:43 She's very knowledgeable but They you know they they don't do this on a super regular basis. we care about a weekly basis like carolyn They may have questions, and and they
and they do a
14:43:55 good job getting through this, but I think you know, providing this guidance is helpful to them.
14:44:03 Some practical ways get things done. and so And then the third reason I think we want to do this is, you want to have a reference.
14:44:11 So when things come up and questions come up in real time, you can.
14:44:15 You can find an answer quickly and and and that's why the .
14:44:25 It was put in the format, it was because it has in, you know, an index of the detail.
14:44:28 Then next week you can find things there's a few repetitive things in there, and that's on purpose, so that when you're looking at one thing, and there's some really important
thing you got to think about in that area there's
14:44:40 sometimes there's a a repeat reference to that in there but that that was intentional alright.
14:44:51 So. let's talk about the process and how so first how we got to the current graph about last fall.
14:45:02 I think we started talking about having some sort of a procedure that the work could use to to rethink it.
14:45:10 Some of its processes. Support is already a board of county commissioners has already done some of this and
14:45:18 This was when Kate was so the chair we were talking about doing this are working on something like this.
14:45:25 And then when Heidi became the chair shortly after she became the chair might have been February or late January.
14:45:33 She directed Staff to start to to start doing this.
14:45:38 Carolyn prepared the first draft and then Carolyn.
14:45:45 Mark and I worked on the next straps. we we got a draft out for individual commissioners to look out last week and got some comments some Commissioner eyes and error, and Mr.
14:46:01 Dean. you know that we consider and made some changes in response to those comments.
14:46:09 And then, of course, we had comments already from Mr. Tier starting in June.
14:46:15 And comments that were made last week email process that I've been asked for incorporated into this scrap.
14:46:27 So. this is the the start of the of the current graph.
14:46:34 And the vision. The least I had was that there would be a resolution adopting.
14:46:40 Yes, much like we did with our public records. follow. See?
14:46:47 I think, required to be a dot make sure that it'll be adopted.
14:46:54 But you could do that, and that's something you know we'll need direction on.
14:46:57 Is that something you you want to do? Okay. And then
14:47:06 Today we did get more confidence from Mr. tears i've been through them all very carefully.
14:47:12 This morning. and I think almost all of them are things we we can do.
14:47:18 Most of them are very helpful suggestions just mostly tweaks.
14:47:25 I would say I there's one sort of Major change he suggests that I think you you have to think about all policy level.
14:47:34 And then in terms of the process going forward. we need to get some direction from the board with what you want us to do next, or the things you want us to change.
14:47:48 I think we need to get further comment from the public and staff. This really hasn't been run by anybody and staff.
14:47:59 Typically the folks that are the clerks of the board.
14:48:00 Essentially for the other sports commissions and meetings that that we have, and I think it might be useful to get some feedback from those folks.
14:48:12 Is this for you know some of the things we're here workable.
14:48:14 There are some specific things that you know. the other boards might want to consider like the Roberts fuels of order. comment Mr.
14:48:24 Tier and then you know. get another draft out.
14:48:29 Have some more public comment on it and finalize the document.
14:48:34 Does that seem like a reasonable process to you all yes, alright so.
14:48:42 But it's fine. but I talked about what I think are the 3 main calls considerations for you.
14:48:52 Consider. and then i'm gonna bust out of the Powerpoint and and go to the document itself and try to get get through it in the Okay.
14:49:03 So I really think there are 3 main policy choices for the Board to make.
14:49:10 The first one has to do with public comments, with public comment requirements, new public comment, requirements in the in, in the in the changes that the legislature made to
the Pma last year.
14:49:27 And really this has to do with How are you gonna make all the boards and committeesly commissions do additional public comments that we're gonna leave it up to them to have
a couple of comments at the beginning of the
14:49:40 meeting, because I think for the most part that was satisfied.
14:49:46 Policy reason to do additional comments as you're doing mamma, but it's not really required.
14:49:55 By O. Pm. as long as you have comments before final action on an item.
14:49:59 And that could be at the beginning of a meeting that satisfies Opma
14:50:05 And then hearings. this really isn't an opaque question but it's in the guidance.
14:50:12 You know. not all resolutions and ordinances for the hearing.
14:50:23 There's a a nice Mr. C. manual that's referencing the dance.
14:50:30 The draft guidance. that talks about which ordinances which types of actions require hire a hearing under under State wall and it's surprisingly small.
14:50:44 Yes, bye, So we have to comply with that.
14:50:50 Obviously we have to make sure that we're doing here is under choir.
14:50:54 There were a few things in county code that require an ordinance.
14:50:57 Some of them are hearing some of them are resolutions and so we have to make sure we're complying with county code.
14:51:05 That's the board as a policy I want to adopt process, for you always gonna have a hearing on an ordinance or resolution.
14:51:16 Are there times when you want to have more than one, you know.
14:51:23 More than twice published more than once published a public note, and saw an ordinance or resolution.
14:51:31 And so there's some some some suggestions in the guidance that you have to look at trying to figure out what you want to do on those so.
14:51:42 And then, as I already talked about this robert's rule of order question and that's what was suggested by Mr.
14:51:51 Cheers. Is that that everybody use the Robert Schools border for small boards.
14:51:59 Process. Oh, that process was really designed for nonprofits. so i'm not sure how perfectly it gets to us.
14:52:06 There are some government sets have adapted it to.
14:52:10 To local boards commissions. and committees yeah but I think that's a that's a I think pretty well to to decide alright ready this is kate I'm: sorry we're all on phone.
14:52:31 As well as zoom. because we're having some tech problems the hearings section here is that largely related to the work of the Bocc.
14:52:44 I know the planning Commission has hearings, but not many other boards or commission.
14:52:48 Well board of equalization, anyway. i'm just curious in this context the hearings question is that is that largely for the Bocc.
14:52:58 Or other board and committees, as well
14:53:06 The those are the Those are the 3 main boards missions and committees that have.
14:53:15 Okay, Thank you. and get that throw. Yeah, a comment, you know, just based on that answer.
14:53:24 There, Phil, I I think it would be just like this document great to really establish what the rules are.
14:53:31 But yeah, most advisory Boards I don't think when they bring it back a recommendation where we might have a hearing at the Bcc.
14:53:38 Or the Board of Health. I guess I I don't think that every, every committee and boards needs to start having hearings all the time.
14:53:44 But I do think coming up with the standard process is best practice.
14:53:51 We should follow as we're going through this effort and it doesn't have to be in this guidance.
14:53:57 They could be separate guidance for hearings for the folks.
14:54:01 The committees, then boards that do that. So what I just thought, Yeah, for completeness, we ought to be talking about it now.
14:54:08 If that makes sense. Okay, let's see how quickly I can switch out of this sort of real Yeah,
14:54:25 Are. Are you guys, seeing that now, or do I need to read the guidance?
14:54:36 So on the slide show Okay, alright i'll i'll reshare
14:54:49 How's that? alright? so let's try to go through this? as I said earlier, that there's a table contents. it's pretty detailed, so you can find things free pretty quickly if you
have question and I thought that would be
14:55:10 helpful for boards, having questions that need answers, You know we need answers.
14:55:16 It could help you get there pretty quickly of the chair or the staff person supporting.
14:55:21 The the or i'll just say board now, even though it applies probably a more broadly good boards could find things. You know how you're supposed to do stuff some of these some
of these meetings.
14:55:37 Happen after hours. so we helpful for for and perhaps something like that.
14:55:41 I think to you during that process. and then I think it's important for so folks understand.
14:55:57 Why compliance? with opma is important so there's a purpose statement that talks about why we're doing this guidance?
14:56:08 There are some key provisions of O Pma! that are here.
14:56:15 The will the people really is transparency if you read the legislative declaration that's an Rc. That'd be 42 30 1 0 that's really what it's telling
14:56:26 you and then, you know, all meetings are supposed to be open to the public.
14:56:34 No secret balance everything's supposed to be in the open. and then the last one is sort of new.
14:56:44 The required public comments the last one on this page and I think it's important for the Board to make the statement a third statement that complete is mandatory, because that
is what the and and then I think it's
14:57:06 important to say, you know, that we have these guide guidelines. but if there's something in here that is not consistent with opa opioid and opium name, and this is probably
mostly there for changes in o Pma if
14:57:23 there was a change in opma You know before we were able to update this guidance. You would apply that change and then a call out to ask the question.
14:57:36 Attorney's office if there's a I think that's important
14:57:44 And then I try to list all of the boards, commissions, and meetings that are subject to open May in this next session.
14:57:54 Next section, and i'm pretty sure I got all of them but this is as far as I can go.
14:58:06 Right. you know this is I was trying to find another one, but I did find the the what under the developmental disability Board is now the intellectual and developmental disability
advisory for But no good
14:58:23 less. Yeah. And I made the the list non exclusive. right?
14:58:30 So it's just in case and it tells you here, you know kind of what the requirements are for for board committee or commission would be subject to Oma either their charter or
or their bylaws say they
14:58:51 are, or you require that they are as commissioners, or State law requires it; or if they're required to make a recommendation to the Board of Panic ministers, and the Board
is required to consider it not necessarily adopted there are going to be
14:59:10 a sub agency the Board attend commissioners and and 5 of their meetings
14:59:23 So There's a section on notice but how that works and there's yeah difference in notice between regular and special meetings for regular meetings.
14:59:37 You can have an annual list of meetings, and that regular list list of meeting serves as a notice for each regular meeting during the year.
14:59:50 Special meetings have to be given, notice if they're not a regular meeting, and the definition of a special meeting in Ottawa is one that's not a regular so, and regular means
at the
15:00:05 appointed regular time and the appointed regular location.
15:00:10 So, even if you have a meeting at a regular time, but at a different location, that's special meeting.
15:00:17 And then There's a section that covers the public comments. and you know, the first part is about about taking public comments before final action.
15:00:35 That, and then I, The definition of final action is here.
15:00:40 Just so. People are we'll be aware of it final action is really making any decision that's a short way of saying it.
15:00:48 I'm super making any kind of decision that's final action and then a discussion about oral or written comments the requirement in opma that written comments must be distributed
prior to final action, and then you
15:01:09 could set reasonable deadlines for written comments.
15:01:14 And then we have the section on the email address addresses.
15:01:19 And so right. This is the proposal by Mr. Tier.
15:01:24 She didn't make a comment about this today so I think at least this satisfies with.
15:01:29 He was getting there. in suggesting that So but the board i'll look at this and decide.
15:01:36 Okay, is this capture what? you what you wanted? And we can kind of stay here for a minute.
15:01:43 Now, if you want about that
15:01:52 So I feel like it's sharp we call can you
15:02:05 Oh, the last time
15:02:11 Weird reverb. I think you might wanna
15:02:21 Are you guys still on the phone? I I feel like he might have the phone and her computer going. I think if you go into the audio on your Zoom meeting, hiding click on click the
up there which to phone
15:02:39 audio i'm wondering if you
15:02:47 Yeah in here. i'm going to come over and help
15:02:55 I,
15:02:58 I've tried every year. I have no i'm not on the phone
15:03:11 Sorry I was. I was doing a zoom hearing at the
15:03:21 Xc. report one day, and I could not get and everybody was waiting on me, and no, and I was.
15:03:31 I was. There's a little guy in my head just freaking out, you know, that's the judge is waiting right
15:03:45 I'll have to give each other a little grace right now, I mean 2 and a half years man.
15:03:54 So This recommendation here is similar to what we do with our our Jeff, the Occ.
15:04:01 Email, Right We rely on staff to get it to us at a time manner.
15:04:09 And my only major concern is that that relies on.
15:04:10 You know, the right staff being in the office, receive and forward the email before Board meeting with sufficient time for members to read it
15:04:26 There might be a technology things here I don't know but you know, we haven't
15:04:31 We could. Obviously we could tweak this, which right and address that
15:04:35 But at some level staff is going to be involved and doing this.
15:04:41 So yeah, that's what I wondered if there is an automatic forward.
15:04:47 You know it's because even gmail does that right you can forward something that comes to one gmail address to another.
15:04:53 G Gmail address automatically, would be nice if if these emails could do that.
15:04:59 So it wasn't so dependent so with outlook, you know.
15:05:06 I don't know where they would be coming but whoever's responsible could set a rules speak this call?
15:05:15 You can have that happen automatically. The rule with 4 by.
15:05:22 We need to talk to it about how to make that happen.
15:05:28 Because you know, I think
15:05:34 Maybe it could come to a computer that's on all the time and forwards.
15:05:40 It using outlook tools. I don't know but I there may be a technology 6, Yeah, sorry.
15:05:51 I was going to say there are a lot of emails that come to the Jeff Bocc email.
15:05:56 They're not necessarily comments for for correspondence and so it does take at least an hour office staff member to determine which ones our correspondence, and then which are
not and those are carefully selected and put with the
15:06:11 log that we we're now putting online on laserfish, I mean, I was my question to you on this segment.
15:06:18 It says each county Board Commission committee. subject to open a with a web page software shall provide a link to the email address. So if they do not have a web page, they
don't have to but i'm I also wasn't
15:06:31 sure is do some of the committees not have web pages I wasn't.
15:06:36 Sure if some boards don't have a page on our website Yes, I was thinking of the department new services that Board that that has.
15:06:44 They would probably have a web page. Okay, yeah. And then ours for our emails.
15:06:48 We have a deadline of like 1159 Pm.
15:06:52 The day before the meeting. i'm not sure if anywhere in this I didn't.
15:06:56 I don't remember seeing it, but what do we implement a deadline for the middle of comments, so that the Board for that committee can have time to review it
15:07:10 Yeah, I mean that's just a practical problem we have to solve Caroline's given good evidence for me why we need to run this by staff
15:07:26 Well, and so would we be required to maintain all correspondence at such forward as well.
15:07:35 Well, so we're required by state law to to keep every every public records essentially that's not transitory.
15:07:47 And so yeah, we have to keep them somewhere, probably cost any kind of comment to you know, to a to something that that a war committee or commission is doing.
15:08:02 We would have to keep that for whatever the minimum time means under the under the sector of States.
15:08:09 Yeah, records attention. policy. Yeah, this is Carolina : go ahead.
15:08:19 Carolyn. Oh, yeah, So like for the Bcc.
15:08:22 And we keep in a meeting packet for every meeting, and the comments and corresponds for that meeting are associated and tied with that packet, and I think and one of the iterations
of this manual it says something about keeping a meeting
15:08:35 packet I would like to in the future go to all digital.
15:08:39 But right now we have a paper packet and then, after 6 years, we sent it to the State archives.
15:08:46 So the emails go out there, too. that our correspondence and comments that are associated with that we could weekly pack it.
15:08:55 Yeah, I would just be surprised if a number of our boards and committees are maintaining that kind of a packet, and and it'd be really surprised to say we're maintaining correspondence.
15:09:07 So again, just to to be aware of a big change in workflow for the staff members or volunteers.
15:09:16 You know, sounds like probably needs to be staff. as I think.
15:09:22 I think that this the new opa rules are triggering more.
15:09:28 Kind of oversight of public comments right that's part part of the reason we're doing this that we're applying this to all of our boards and commissions.
15:09:36 The public comment will have to be tracked that carefully as well.
15:09:37 So just want to be aware that it's a big left. Yeah, I think the main reason for this particular provision I was to deal with the requirement that folks who are sitting on boards
review written public comments before final action So that's
15:09:57 what this is that's the purpose of this this section But you know, that we have other you know.
15:10:14 You know the basically the document retention public records act, you know, also requires us to keep stuff.
15:10:24 So we have to. you have to think about stuff like that too, when you're putting in these sort of new process.
15:10:30 Make sure you're keeping them transit for it
15:10:36 Yeah, thanks. what I was gonna say. is it sounds like we do wanna make sure that staff and the public have opportunity to to look through this.
15:10:44 I I think that it's a a good start but I think you know.
15:10:47 Call it a first reading, or what have you and and you know, come back to this after we get some more information.
15:10:53 My one question on it right now is the the quorum rules, and I was a little surprised to see 50% plus one wouldn't that make 2 of us not a quorum Well, 2 2 of you is is 2 thirds
that's more.
15:11:13 Than 50%, not 50% plus one. Wow! 2 of you is definitely A.
15:11:20 So we have to tweak I I mean is there a reason we can go with 50%.
15:11:28 That's usually the operating i guess the operating standard that I bring to most of the boards is that we do 50% at least 50% is a quorum.
15:11:37 But is that that's something that we can decide right well, we just have to make sure we comply with state law, and so i'll have to look at that again just to be sure. but it's
worth looking at as part of the
15:11:53 Roberts rules question, too, I suppose We're gonna abide by those.
15:12:00 So when it comes to robert's rules so for part of clerk training, it took a day long class and lots of follow questions to be trained on that you practically have to be a Parliamentarian
for
15:12:12 those members or staff that's not doing this on a weekly basis like im.
15:12:19 They'd have to not only learn the new practices that are going to be standardized. They'd also have to learn Robert's rules of orders.
15:12:27 I for one like that. we do not follow robert's rules, because when motions get complicated, it's a lot nicer to be like, Okay, let's start fresh.
15:12:35 But in with robert's rules there's certain steps you have to take in certain motions and votes you have to take.
15:12:39 I think it simplifies things when you do not fall at Robert's rules. We follow some of the guidelines, but we haven't formally adopted them here.
15:12:47 I think, or health did so. they do have to abide by Roder's rules
15:12:56 I know some of the some of the bywas that boards, committ committee's, missions have adopted use Robert til some don't.
15:13:06 Yeah, the the thing about robert's rules is that they the entire Robert's role book is about 200 pages along.
15:13:14 And if if if you agree to follow robert's rules in total skilled people can tie up meetings forever, and you and you end up getting nothing done so in Clark County, we adopted
the set of his rules and and only
15:13:30 a set that served our purposes. I think that it would hobble a number of our boards and committee.
15:13:38 That is a requirement. I agree
15:13:47 I definitely figure that out for participants paid in the meeting and right.
15:13:54 So that's that's one of those things yeah I think was left for decision.
15:13:59 I I was trying to find a copy of there's some version of it today, and then an Internet search and Utah has some short version of it.
15:14:09 If you Google Roberts rules, of order for small boards feel that's one of the things you'll find, and it's like 2 pages long.
15:14:19 It's much simplified. So if you wanted to have a uniform set.
15:14:23 You could do that, or you could just leave it to the individual for meeting commissions, whether they want to do it any more about Robert schools.
15:14:36 We want to talk about. Okay.
15:14:46 And so there's a section on on agendas and hearing notices.
15:14:52 Some of this is law. some of it. is just stuff that we've learned mostly comes from practical advice that Carolyn would give other staff for
15:15:06 You know, staffing boards. So and you know the one thing that we're saying is really think that the agenda form should be fairly uniform.
15:15:19 So we're making sure that we cover all the things that have to be covered.
15:15:23 Make sure we're complying with and we put together a a set of forms that are in this independent saying for what stuff some dies to help people put something together.
15:15:41 Carolyn and Julie were essentially already doing this.
15:15:45 If you go to the the P. drive, you can find an agenda.
15:15:51 So for people, and so forth. that that's where most of the phones came from and then this content requirements for the agenda are there to make sure that we're complying with
with Opma
15:16:12 make sure that everything is there, so that people can I know what they're supposed to do.
15:16:18 And this is a suggestion, right? So adding potential action to where you might be taking action on.
15:16:26 So people will know that they ought to be thinking about making public comment on that, particularly.
15:16:31 So if you're not gonna have for an item additional public comment
15:16:38 And then what about amending at an agenda?
15:16:42 After posting easy with with the regular agenda, you can.
15:16:49 You can amend it on the fly. No problem with the with a for a special meeting.
15:16:54 You have to have 24Â h notice that you only get to talk about what's on the agenda.
15:16:59 Alright nice to that. So there's a physical location requirement. we want through this in detail when we talk about opma changes and question.
15:17:15 Kate had a question about this, so I changed it a little bit to make it a little clearer.
15:17:18 I hope it was helpful changing the way it is, but it it talks about
15:17:24 You know that requirement that we spent some time on had you know that was tweak with with the governor's proclamations, and it's really that that issue that's that's discussed
here,
15:17:42 And then we have to have a cost free alternative where our attendance is limited or prohibited essentially at that some place where people can show up, Not not so for a virtual
meeting, but but any in person meeting that's, limited.
15:17:59 and or so that's an important requirement and then refer back to the public comment requirement here.
15:18:11 Just so, people aren't forgetting hey? you know got a double comments.
15:18:17 And then there's this whole section on how to conduct a meeting Here's that quorum requirement the 50% plus one that you can take a look at make sure that's That's good the
way.
15:18:29 It is i'll i'll look that down to make sure we take a look at it.
15:18:34 There's a procedure for how to cancel meeting who you know, who calls me to order?
15:18:46 You know again the reference to public comments and conducting the meeting, and then here's that section on hearings that I reference, and what you want to think about in terms
of a policy decision There's no magic to
15:18:59 this. It's just a proposal and so so take a look at that and then this is a suggestion from Caroline to keep keep folks out of trouble.
15:19:17 No, don't this too many times on the agenda otherwise you're gonna have gaps in your space.
15:19:24 And you guys are mass pretty much masters at this.
15:19:28 At this point. but not everybody. Not every board is gonna be a master of this.
15:19:35 And then some suggestions on on how to keep track of things that follow.
15:19:45 And then all the requirements for regular meetings.
15:19:51 Hosting the agenda. right that's still that's a requirement for regular meeting as a 24Â h rule on posting the agenda.
15:20:00 Now i'm giving notice of the meeting if it's a regular meeting.
15:20:04 And then you can add items to a regular agenda.
15:20:11 Okay, So then, we're on a special meeting requirements what's we've already kind of talked about this and and and short, and then the prohibition on adding items that I talked
about a minute ago.
15:20:27 Is specifically called out here and then some details on particular things the fault or the public comment, period, You know that's more.
15:20:39 This is more practical stuff. How do you do that? And you guys do this every week? every one of you has been chair.
15:20:47 And you're basically following, Been following this process Yeah, mostly resembling something closely resembling it.
15:20:56 And then motions I just wanted to be clear that you know this, and a simple deferative sentiment.
15:21:05 If you decide a motion that's take the final action and so you have to think about the public comment period related to motion.
15:21:16 If it's I think that's gonna be the trickiest thing.
15:21:25 You know. if you have a pop up motion you're supposed to say public comment before make taking final action on that.
15:21:32 So you have to think about Maybe you're gonna have to take public comment on the fly for some some motion to make sure you're complying with Oma.
15:21:41 I think that's the single biggest change change that you have to think about that.
15:21:48 That's really different and then proposed process for doing that is here.
15:21:56 Yes, almost feel like there would be a like a comment bubble there that says that this is the most single, most important thing, you know.
15:22:08 To call it out
15:22:13 Something or bold it or you know I don't know like there was.
15:22:18 There was a few changes that were made that I felt like we needed
15:22:25 This exercise and all this work that you did fill up. so wanna make sure people get the point that we're trying to get across to help our committee folks or volunteers for the
county.
15:22:37 Okay, yeah, we should be able to do that. No problem. I just say to know
15:22:46 And then one comments and the section 2 phones sure I think.
15:22:57 Hello!
15:23:15 They lose your kids. Yeah.
15:23:22 I can hear you. I hear you but it can't your face is frozen.
15:23:29 Okay, So I can't see the screen where you are right now.
15:23:34 But where it says that? when a motion has been made and seconded that beginning of a paragraph says that that the chair could then call for a vote.
15:23:46 I think I think it would be good to encourage discussion before calling a vote.
15:23:55 I think i'm back there we are great after a second the chair can call for a vote of the motion or discussion can follow.
15:24:04 I think I know we haven't decided about robert's rules or not, but in general it's that I think that's an important step that sometimes gets forgotten and gives chairs make
a little too much authority to
15:24:17 not allow discussion to encourage discussion before about
15:24:28 Anything else on the motions stuff. Nope: Okay. So executive sessions.
15:24:39 That's right required the most noodling on my because typically, we're coming out of executive sessions, and we're doing one or 2 things saying no act no action needs to be
taken or some
15:24:57 motion is being made and right with this new public comment requirement.
15:25:03 If we make an emotion that's that's final action, So what I try to do here is is create a process for adding comment after a motion was made but before this decided and Kate's
comment about adding discussion
15:25:22 might want to be. I might want to add that here as well.
15:25:26 But that's now that's a process that I came up with to make sure that you're complying with the the new public comment requirements
15:25:44 Honest about that
15:25:48 And no pressure. I mean you know we're we're gonna be seeing this again.
15:25:54 And if you if the board has a comments on it, you know send dropping email or whatever i'll work on it.
15:26:04 Another draft to try to take the new account. All of the
15:26:08 All those comments today. I ask some questions that makes sense Philip. I think this looks really good.
15:26:15 It's just been super hard for me today, because the audio has been in and out all day.
15:26:20 So. I really appreciate this. I mean it gets that the core motivation behind doing this to one ensure that we're complying with the changes to the lot, and 2 to encourage more
public involvement and to provide
15:26:35 our Committee Board and committee members with the support they need to take care of.
15:26:42 You know their business as a border committee. So I think this is great.
15:26:48 Okay, very good. i'm gonna keep going or if if we're gotten far enough in about executive session for for today, but not really cogent to this particular document.
15:27:01 If I could ask you really quick, philip and that's just where we're we're choosing planning commission members finding commissioners, and i'm wondering can we are they considered
even if they're
15:27:15 volunteers that might get a stipend. Are they considered employees?
15:27:19 And we can we discuss qualifications of a potential volunteer in an accountable session?
15:27:30 Yeah. So I So I gave Heidi and more, and opinion on this written thing in on it earlier, which which I can share with you.
15:27:39 But but i'll just say that like a lot of things in opma.
15:27:45 It's it's not completely clear so tip kind of a deep dive into that section that will be made today, and and I think in general, you know we wouldn't consider volunteers employees
so I
15:28:04 think if that's a short answer, but I can I can give you more more than that in terms of it, and trying to quite privilege communication.
15:28:13 If you want that on you the i'm okay to do it in open session, I guess I would.
15:28:26 Just with a couple more agenda items that we should get to, and since we're not going to resolve this completely, I would say maybe we should not finish with the opm a the guidance
document.
15:28:36 But stop I don't know. Well, and we get we could schedule a you know, round 2 and next week's meeting more of this 2 part 2 absolutely.
15:28:58 Yeah. Nope: Nope. No, No problem at all.
15:29:07 Maryland. Well, thank you. I appreciate it.
15:29:13 And comments. so we'll pick up after executive sessions next week. Thanks for your patience.
15:29:23 I appreciate it. Thank you, fella. Thanks. so much, so really, really difficult communic communication today.
15:29:34 But but i'm just wondering in addition to I didn't item with Danny Mcnty from the fairgrounds.
15:29:43 Are there other items that we wanna get to today, or or can they wait till next week?
15:29:49 You know I have a 4 30 meeting and quilting that i'm gonna be late to already, so i'd love not to go any later than 4 30 if we can avoid it.
15:29:56 And I think if we can have a brief conversation about the planning commission applicants when we're done with our our our schedule agenda item with Danny, then I think that
would be worthwhile today.
15:30:07 I I think we've kind of committed to making that decision. So let's less invite danny into the zoom room, which i'm right. Oh, delay we are supposed to make a decision on question
15:30:28 today. we said that we would. Oh, this is when we did the interview.
15:30:38 This is Carolyn here on the last subject, had initial public comment, and Mr.
15:30:43 Tears did raise his hand
15:30:48 Because we continue that session until next week we'll take public comment on the opma guidelines, when we will.
15:30:56 We are done with the staff report on that. Okay, Thank you.
15:31:00 In fact, that continued
15:31:05 Hi, Danny welcome. We are having some technical difficulties today, but I can see you.
15:31:11 So maybe the Internet is cleared itself up but welcome and and why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself?
15:31:19 And I think, Greg and you had a conversation on Greg.
15:31:23 If you want to say anything to Kick things off. sure I'll, i'll kick things off, and then you know we we all had an opportunity to meet the new fair Manager Danny Mccarney,
and I think we all were really
15:31:33 impressed with all the things that that that you guys are working on down there collectively, and really excited, for the fair
15:31:41 Author heard some some rumors that I just wanted to.
15:31:43 I guess shine shine some light. and transparency on, and and see if there are any issues going on, and if there's not to spill those rumors.
15:31:53 Talk about the agreement, so we the agreement was attached between the county and the fair board about operation of the Fairground and you know I would love for you to talk
to us about what's going on tell us about
15:32:06 the fair that that's happening here and I guess the big question that I have is, do we need to accelerate the process? And maybe maybe we can come come to the agreement after
we hear about your upcoming events and to see if there are
15:32:22 any issues with it, or or talk about the timeline.
15:32:26 I think last time, 3 years ago, it was approved in the middle middle of December, and see if that timeline works for folks, or if we want to accelerate it for any reason and
with that Thank you very much for making time.
15:32:38 Danny, and for being so patient with our our long afternoon session.
15:32:43 But take her away. it's been quiet so that's nice for me to just sit here and work with no phone calls.
15:32:51 Thank you guys for having me in the meeting. I really appreciate it.
15:32:56 Basically, what happened was my very first day on this job.
15:33:00 A very prominent community leader came in for a meeting and said So I hear the leases up for probably not gonna be renewed by the county first day on my job.
15:33:14 So enter me, you know, freaking out, and the second day another prominent business owner, executive director.
15:33:26 I was told, had threatened well, I don't think he called it a threat, but he said, i'll be sitting in that seat in a few years, meaning his his nonprofit, and and it just continued
my first
15:33:43 month here. It was really regular with people telling me this stuff.
15:33:48 I do also have some conspiracy theory stuff I think that I might be made a full a little bit of you know.
15:33:56 I'm not used to so much external input i've just never experienced anything like this.
15:34:01 So i'm probably not handling it. as gracefully as or as calmly as I should have
15:34:09 I sort of went on like we got to save it mission and
15:34:15 So out of the 5 good things that happen a day here.
15:34:21 One or 2 is usually related to this that comes up just today.
15:34:24 We had a meeting i'm not allowed to share but you guys will need to know if we get to do this potential partnership with one of the local organizations around here who wants
to potentially put you know a couple of $100,000
15:34:38 a work into and so renovating a certain area here.
15:34:48 And then turning into a teaching situation, and he said: But you know, I mean, are are you guys going to be here?
15:34:51 And so it's just this weird situation where I know none of you guys have said, Oh, we're gonna take the fairgrounds away.
15:35:03 But yet the community it has been just regularly telling me this so I guess I don't really know like I said.
15:35:10 I think I might have been made a fool by a few people.
15:35:15 That's the state of the state my stomach's been turning because of it.
15:35:19 I would love to have a great relationship and basically I see that we need to meet your guys's requirements.
15:35:27 You know that's our job here so that's what i'd like to do
15:35:36 Right well. When I came out and that with you Danny, I said, I haven't heard any such thing as the county giving up the fairgrounds.
15:35:47 The county owns the fairgrounds we lease the fairground to the fair board.
15:35:53 And I don't I I don't know of any plans to change that arrangement.
15:35:56 But I would love to hear either of my commissioner and colleagues have any such knowledge, because I don't
15:36:14 Not here, are you, Kate? sorry? Too many buttons.
15:36:19 Hi, Danny, Thanks for being here. Nice to see you.
15:36:24 So you know, I think over the years I I have heard people say, Hey, is is this the High is the fair grounds which you know to to?
15:36:31 I think a lot of folks the program looks like it's underutilized a lot of the time.
15:36:39 It has a a a pretty broad mission, but that largely gets out a couple of weeks a year, and so you know I think there's there's been some some sense, of this is prime in town
land and is it is it being put
15:36:57 to its best use as publicly on proper. so what i'm really excited about is the vision that Danny has, and the response from the community, which is to say, let's put this to
better use especially as we have seen a lot
15:37:12 of amenities for kids and families disappear here
15:37:19 And and to have a manager there who really sees the potential for that site.
15:37:24 I think that you know to me that that quells those those feelings of like, Hey, is this being put to its best use?
15:37:32 And I think if if indeed, we can get this, the kind of programming going that Danny is presented and as excited about recruiting for that space.
15:37:42 To me it's a it's a non issue
15:37:49 And i'll, i'll say for my been a from my perspective, I think the path that that Danny and the fair board are on is excellent, and even if you were just doing nothing but the
fair after the last couple of years of impact there from
15:38:02 the unsanctioned encampment I would give you a path to to get everything straightened out. but going out there, and seeing how how under control and and cleaned up everything
is and I couldn't be more happy with with the
15:38:17 progress that's happening there right now. I think yeah there's always opportunities to build it.
15:38:22 Build up and and utilize that property for more. And I think you guys are pursuing that in a really appropriate way so far this year.
15:38:31 Thank you. I think that everything that i'm doing was really more of a 3 year plan.
15:38:40 Then, you know, I really wanted to just focus this first year on just making the grounds improved and grants and stuff for that.
15:38:47 So I have accelerated all of this stuff but it it I don't know, for some reason this place is just speaking to me, and it's speaking to a lot of people.
15:38:58 I mean I just had a guy and his wife show up today. hey?
15:39:00 We're gonna get the high school team out here we're gonna get all these other people. you know it's just like this weird.
15:39:06 I've never seen so much i've never been a part of something that has so much support.
15:39:10 You know. So I appreciate if we can continue working on it. because I really am committed to making a service for the community.
15:39:20 That's that's what I want this place to be used by the community.
15:39:22 You know It's a really, really cool place so I mean. so I my, my, my big question is do you need something more than the the 3 of Us.
15:39:38 Saying, Yeah, we pull in tend to correct me if we didn't say that, but I think we all 3 said yes, absolutely.
15:39:44 When this agreement comes up in in in december I don't see any.
15:39:49 I don't see any modifications. that all Certainly no major modifications, but do either of you see any issues with the upcoming agreement.
15:39:57 And then, Danny, do you do we need to accelerate this process to give you the the comfort of of consistency for your to pursue the mission.
15:40:07 I mean i'll trust you guys everyone tells me not to but I will i'll believe it.
15:40:16 So I don't need to make more work for you guys to sign it right now.
15:40:22 You know I really would love a 5 year mou because it's already hard to get really good grants a 3 year.
15:40:32 You can, or really get 3 grants, you know. maybe if it was under the account.
15:40:40 But
15:40:41 So I don't know I don't wanna make more work for you guys right now.
15:40:43 But I believe you. if you say you intend on doing it on renewing it, keep the status.
15:40:50 Some people will probably be mad. that it said that but you know if we do it at the regular pace, too. we can look in.
15:40:58 I'm not sure Why, it's a 3 year mo ammo, and i'm i'm happy to Oh, yeah, go ahead, Mark.
15:41:06 Hope you're muted you you muted mark
15:41:16 And frozen, now
15:41:23 Weird Internet today.
15:41:28 Maybe well Mark, getting that figured out i'll jump in and say,
15:41:33 I think i'd certainly be open to considering a 5 year agreement, unless there's any reason that we can't
15:41:41 I do think every time we do this is a really good opportunity to read.
15:41:46 Visit our agreement, and I I would really love to outline ways that that that facility location can be used for for potentially for more community groups.
15:41:59 And you know, and I think this this could be a a good time for our our organizations to work better together, Danny, and figure out if there are ways that this can
15:42:12 You know that that we can use the the contract in a way to to help enforce some of what you're trying to do.
15:42:20 And you know I I i'd say the one the one thing well just kind of use use of the of the property.
15:42:28 Is let's take another look at the contract and just make sure that we're making it really accessible.
15:42:36 It is publicly owned. but I know you know it's a funny situation.
15:42:40 You guys give the maintenance you're largely financially responsible, you know.
15:42:44 So I think it's worth taking a close look together and maybe that's something you know, you and I Danny could sit down and work out.
15:42:51 I'm just suggesting that to live in my district see if there are some edits that we convict that would be to you and and my helping the effort of making it more available to
broader set of community members
15:43:09 hey? literally have tingles, because that would be helpful for me. So it would.
15:43:13 There are certain things that i'd like to do out here that I do need to shepherd with the board and stuff that are not in the mo, which is put on the fare.
15:43:24 Maintain the buildings, you know. So there are some cool stuff we could do out here, and it would
15:43:36 So sorry. 6 mark
15:43:46 Oh, there he is. Okay, I hit start 6 but it didn't work.
15:43:52 So, Carolyn somehow enabled it good.
15:43:55 So you can hear me now. Okay, great. So So prior to the current agreement, we had an annual agreement with the the fair association, and I I thought that was ridiculous to renew
an agreement annually.
15:44:09 So we went to 3 I would happily start work, on a a 5 year agreement, because we're never going to contract with anybody but the fair association to conduct the county fair and
and I I think it would be great one of the things I
15:44:28 put in the agenda Request for today was a discuss discussion.
15:44:32 Question of Danny, your goals and objectives and upcoming events at the fairgrounds, and that would be really good material to include in a new agreement. so I don't know if
you could recite some of those for
15:44:46 the benefit of the the public that's listening but i'm I'm certainly interested, you know.
15:44:52 I was integral to the fair operation in Clark County, and we had the best fair in in the State 9 years in a row.
15:45:00 And so, if you want somebody to meddle in your affairs. let me know Well, I mean i'm new to fairs.
15:45:06 This is, you know, I didn't know that you have to order hey?
15:45:09 And you know, like this is all new to me so but basically the vision that and a couple of the board members have brought to this is creating the hub for youth and family.
15:45:19 One it's a service needed to there's funding for it.
15:45:24 And we've just had an amazing response for that so we had a skate party out here.
15:45:29 We're gonna have I was gonna do an outdoor movie, but I just couldn't pull it off for the fair.
15:45:36 So i'm fully focused on the fair right now August 1213, and fourteenth.
15:45:40 We have just rented out one of the rooms to Pt.
15:45:45 Cottage school co-op, which does home school enrichment.
15:45:49 For all the home schoolers. Now, that's a that was a kind of percent in in our board.
15:45:57 That was a big deal to get moved. So it means kids are gonna be here in one of the rooms all year long.
15:46:05 Utilizing it. utilizing the space they're volunteering 10Â h a month on the grounds and as far as fall. events.
15:46:16 I just that's really mostly these youth meetings that have been happening in town A lot of their events are actually better suited for indoor stuff.
15:46:25 So so we really plan on having super low keys, easy access, place or youth and kids to just come when we had
15:46:36 It could be a box for building event. It could be a super soker, you know, Squirt gun.
15:46:40 They're actually doing that next month we're not putting on but we're gonna host.
15:46:45 It just really kind of easy set, so the what i've been told by the the small handful of youth who shows up to these meetings that they just don't have a place to sort of be,
and so if we could get some
15:47:01 childcare out here some space for kids that's just open for them to be what's some programming you know, at the skate party a lot of the kids just chatted over here in corners
and So
15:47:15 that's kind of the vision it's just basically and then just financially, really make the damp around improved and rent out the buildings that can be rented
15:47:28 They've never been allowed to be rented hourly so now they are, you know, so we can get people in, and we've had any inquiries.
15:47:41 Well, I don't know about many we've had a lot of inquiries, for now types of events that come out here.
15:47:48 None of them have said Yes, but there is a really big potential partnership, not partnership, but what I mentioned earlier about this renovation coming out here that fingers
cross will work out and we'll need to get your guys as I assume approval for I don't really
15:48:02 know, so that works no you're you're fairly autonomous out there.
15:48:08 At least in my 5 years here. I don't think the fair association is ever come to it.
15:48:17 So County Board to ask for permission to host an event.
15:48:21 Well, it's more like this organization wants to put in a few $100,000 into renovation and equipment and stuff like that, and have a more longer term use of the space and I just
didn't
15:48:37 know if that matters here you guys or not you know Well, I it if you're purchasing equipment, I don't think that county would be interested in looking at what equipment, you're
looking to purchase but if
15:48:52 you're going to renovate facilities I I think
15:48:55 The county would have an interest in the plans. Okay? Well, you would know about it.
15:49:02 This is all. This is all just in the Can we pull it off stage
15:49:11 Danny. Something, I think, would be helpful to talk with you about or hear you explain again.
15:49:16 Because I found it really useful when I visited with you there.
15:49:19 But just the kind of capital needs and you know you know what what you're dealing with with the physical plants of the fairgrounds.
15:49:29 Could you talk a little bit about that? excite? I appreciate it.
15:49:30 You really prioritize the trying to, you know, kind of deal, some of the different information?
15:49:37 Yes, so I mean that's huge for me just making this place, you know, whereas people want to be so
15:49:46 We have 4, I believe. department of agriculture grants that we're working through right now.
15:49:54 The electric replacement in the campground camp from restroom renovation will make sense to you guys, probably.
15:50:02 But this, this bleacher renovation, which was just garbage underneath the bleachers, is now going to be storage.
15:50:08 So all the things that we see randomly around here will be organized and hidden, and then all a bunch of outdoor booths.
15:50:15 So we have a bunch of it's about 75,000 or so dollars of available for these kinds of renovations.
15:50:24 I really really need to find money to improve heating system, and other probably an electric or something.
15:50:33 It is what makes it hard to rent things out affordable here because he's just so expensive.
15:50:38 It's ridiculous So anyway, yeah i'm prioritizing the the grounds.
15:50:48 And also, just trying to move like, not just talk, but actually bring people out here and do things
15:50:58 Got a plumber out here seems like you're getting some good response from the volunteer or from the community and volunteering.
15:51:07 Yeah, I mean, I would say, I have probably 50 people right now.
15:51:12 Who said that they wanna come out and help and it's the neighbors are just like showing up and pressure washing.
15:51:21 There's this guy who just comes out and pressure washes doesn't even say anything, and you know just all this.
15:51:27 The third maintenance. is that's that's happening now you know we're cleaning it up, and that's just the first part is just it has to be clean that's all just messing disorganized
and so
15:51:38 that's what i've been focusing on cleaning organizing That's what's broken.
15:51:44 I every day I seem to find like a new kitchen that we have, or closet with stuff in it, you know, as places pretty amazing out here.
15:51:53 There's a lot of stuff
15:51:57 Yep I think it's great what you're doing banning and sorry my video and audio isn't working great today.
15:52:07 But i'm super grateful that you're there and and look forward to supporting the work you're doing for many years to come likewise. and I I think that whether it's a 5 year agreement
or a 3 year
15:52:21 commitment. What you can count on is that you have the county behind you.
15:52:25 We support your mission, and we support the way you're pursuing it right now.
15:52:27 I do think if you guys are I don't know if you if the county puts out press releases or anything. but it might be a good message to put out there that the county that is behind
it just my marketing brain going I think
15:52:43 it could help both of our organizations at this point, cause I kind of undermined the newspapers in the audience.
15:52:52 So, hey? clear, let's let's amplify this yeah.
15:53:04 What else do we have to cover today, Mark? I think your audio is working right.
15:53:09 Thank you, Danny. ,
15:53:17 Oh, thanks, Danny. caroline's reminding us that there's a public comment period on this item.
15:53:27 Oh, so he'd hot danny just left so boy, we can still take comments up.
15:53:36 Have a phone number
15:53:43 Sorry. Greg, do you want to try calling do you have Danny's phone number I do you want them back.
15:53:58 Did you call him, and ask him to come back? We have a public comment period on this agenda item
15:54:12 Not working training today of the meeting
15:54:18 Everybody's frozen on my screen and I can't hear anybody.
15:54:21 So feel like i'm not even sure the ineffective chair for this meeting.
15:54:31 At this point We I can't hear you can you hear me hiding.
15:54:37 I can hear you but what i'm saying is i'll i'll just come say it to you
15:54:49 I send an email not working. Yeah.
15:55:01 So Heidi is having a hard time sharing, given the kind of strength technology right now.
15:55:08 So. do you have a preference? grant your idea could take over before there is just a book. No, there's a delay.
15:55:20 Because we are on phones but on the zoom screen there's a delay between zoom and phone, so it's it's a little bit awkward.
15:55:27 So bear with us I apologize so we we could bring come here in for public comments, and although it would be preferable to have Danny here.
15:55:36 If he's not, we should proceed with public comments Anyway, I think so, Mr. Tears. if you're still interested in making public comments.
15:55:44 Please raise your hand, and Caroline will bring you over, and we can make sure that Danny knows what public comment was.
15:55:59 Not seeing Mr. Tish in the attendees list. Okay, socially.
15:56:09 Skip that for now, and since we passed that up.
15:56:17 He will give him another opportunity to. But we have an important discussion about planning commission.
15:56:24 We just sign up If there is anything else that we need to cover this afternoon for timing purposes.
15:56:37 Okay, important business to get to. Okay, So it sounds like we just need to do planning commission, and that I have been least involved with
15:56:45 So so we've got to have a new process so we'll be headed back to you, Greg.
15:56:53 I I can go first. and it's been you know as as we know.
15:56:58 But for the public shifted the way that we appoint, especially planning commission members.
15:57:05 Usually, if there is a getting planning commissioner who would like to retain the seat, we just kind of de facto reappointed them.
15:57:15 We've we wanna make sure that everyone has equal access that we have a dynamic planning commission, so we had 2 open positions.
15:57:21 I think most of the existing applicants applied to retain their seats, and we had other applicants as well.
15:57:28 So I being the district 3 Commissioner can conducted interviews with the 3 applicants for the the planning commission.
15:57:39 They were all very qualified, and would really add a lot to our planning commissions.
15:57:47 I guess representation of our social fabric, as they make really important recommendations to the board on zoning, plan planning all sorts of different things, you know, outdoor
shooting ranges.
15:57:59 And I really struggle with this I asked today if I could, and I think we were.
15:58:04 I'm supposed to come back with a recommendation for this Board to consider for the District 3 Commissioner planning Commissioner, so I will kind of walk you through my process.
15:58:14 I. I was wondering if we could go into executive session to discuss the qualifications, because I think they all bring.
15:58:23 Very different perspectives, and all have a lot to add to the conversations that the Planning Commission has, and they they are very different, you know, political stripes,
and they live all over district free.
15:58:38 We have one from Quilson quilting we have one from Port Ludlow, and we have one from Gardener and and
15:58:46 Yeah, it's Still, it's still tough you know I know all 3 of them from prior interactions.
15:58:53 One of them. I would I would consider a friend and I guess ultimately I would.
15:59:02 Make the recommendation. Oh, geez! that this is quite challenging for me.
15:59:07 Sorry to the the biggest criteria for me was the planning that we have in front of us on the port headlock sewers.
15:59:23 It's one of the biggest it's going to be a generational conversation about how can we create the development pattern in in Port Hadlock?
15:59:32 And though for the sewer is in district 2 and our we're talking about the district, 3 members, one of the applicants is also a property owner in the sewer area, and it's been
you know not always an ally
15:59:45 but a critical communication lunch pan in the in the
15:59:53 The last couple of years of conversations about the sewers, so I guess my recommendation would be to appoint my former political opponent, Craig Durgan, to the District 3 planning
commission spots.
16:00:08 Well, the relationship between DCD. especially has not always been mutually agreeable with Mr.
16:00:16 Jurgan i've worked with him on he participated in our critical area ordinance updates, and I think that he brings a ground truth that would be constructive to our work on development
patterns and port
16:00:32 headlocks, so that's my recommendation as a reminder, it is the in in State statutes where it says that the Commissioner from the district where there is a vacancy makes a recommendation
for the
16:00:51 vocc to vote on so how many are you able to talk about your process? and can you hear me? Yeah.
16:01:04 Yeah. Okay, so I much like Greg had 3 interviews in the last couple of weeks with 3 candidates.
16:01:16 For the District planning commission seat, and they were all great candidates.
16:01:25 Additionally, had the 2 candidates who have not been seated as planning commissions before, have had a lot of relevant experience, and have a mountain of community commitment,
and I would say that coming out of my 3 interviews
16:01:41 and getting my feedback from staff, that I would recommend keeping Lorna Smith as the district 2 planning commission member, and she was also my political opponent.
16:01:56 But I feel like you've got a lot of great experience on our planning commission, and additionally has a lot of knowledge of land use planning as in our professional background.
16:02:09 So I guess i'm gonna agree with greg that we point our political opponents to these seats.
16:02:16 But that that would be my recommendation after after the process that Joel Peterson and I went through with the 3 candidates, and I also am already thinking about other board
board and committee appointments that I might reach out to
16:02:31 the other 2 candidates to consider participating in. Did you guys hear all that? Yeah, perfect?
16:02:43 Thank you. So Greg: have a couple of questions.
16:02:53 Yeah, So I I don't hmm is Why, it's sometimes easier to do stuff in executive session.
16:03:02 But we do the work of the public in public so I don't.
16:03:09 Wanna i'm curious if you can characterize if your opinion was was shared among others who were in the interviewing process with you.
16:03:21 Sure. you know, I did not have. Joel was not there for the third interview, so Joel Joel was with me for 2, and then we had a new planning director, Josh Peters with me for
one, so I did not have
16:03:32 consistency of of staff opinion. and I didn't get a lot of way in from from staff on the various pros and cons of each member.
16:03:50 I can. I can go through there analysis a little bit.
16:03:57 Well, no, I mean, yeah, I think you know part of this new process was an attempt to not put staff in difficult positions of
16:04:08 You know, having to make It's just to eric opinion with Oops.
16:04:14 They're gonna have to work with you know that is really political.
16:04:17 That is our job. so I if you I don't want to I don't want to ask you to characterize their opinions too much.
16:04:29 So I mean, I can. I think all 3 of them would have a lot to contribute to the planning commission.
16:04:41 All 3 of them have relevant experience, whether in the industries, as you know, longtime residents.
16:04:50 One of them, you know, from Bill, from gardener, grew up here, and has had a career, and and and doing construction and septic, and all sorts of very relevant topics.
16:05:03 And you know, Chris Louella, who is the sitting district, 3 members that also apply to be reappointed, as you know, brings the agricultural perspectives as the owner of serendipity
farm and has been
16:05:16 a strong voice, for you know everything from farm worker housing, and and really a strong voice for environmental protection.
16:05:28 Ultimately. I just think that it it to me it really came down to through the the port headlock sewer, which I think is going to be the biggest work in front of them.
16:05:38 And I just think that the see understanding on the ground, in really deep and personal way, of the of the the dynamic of the property owners, the the the understanding of the
permutations of choices in that particular decision are are really what prompted me so I
16:06:01 guess I would say that the the sewer is what's pushed me to this recommendation.
16:06:10 I think they're all qualified
16:06:15 I will say I I have you know I worked pretty closely with Craig on the sewer, and admire the work that he has done to to keep that ball rolling when the county really wasn't
for a number of
16:06:29 years and you know The was responsible and part for really getting the account for you to pick the fall back up and get it to where it is today.
16:06:40 So i'm really grate at the same time I have some real concerns.
16:06:43 About supporting this recommendation, and I I think has also been fairly obstructionist, and taken legal action against the county and ways that is, is not helpful, and has
been ruled against consistently.
16:07:02 So I don't agree with his interpretation of of county land use and and his style has been sometimes at best.
16:07:16 And for those reasons I I would have a hard time
16:07:23 Well, I I could if if both of you guys feel that way I I could make a different recommendation, and i'm i'm prepared to.
16:07:31 I I think that Craig can be iptuous at times, and during the critical area ordinance task force.
16:07:39 There was more skeptical talk about climate change, and I would have, really preferred to be in that conversation.
16:07:47 But I also found that he brought good ideas, that he reasoned well, and that he is a you know. Guess I always subscribe to the idea of, you know, I think, having a critical
voice on the planning Commission. might not speed up the
16:08:09 deliberations of that organization, but we'll represent the plurality of our of our populace more accurately.
16:08:22 I I would just say I, I have a similar kind of schizophrenic now.
16:08:29 Split opinion I mean i've respected kit Craig when he can dig in on an issue and work productively with a diverse set of stakeholders.
16:08:39 But i've also seen him or heard him I mean it's been directed at me.
16:08:44 Extremely critical and negative, and I this would hate to see the planning commission.
16:08:51 Politicized in any way. just, you know, at face value or being the planning commission.
16:09:01 Oh, just a little the quite a bit of concern from me on that.
16:09:05 But you know, i've also seen digging and be productive on specific issues.
16:09:11 So i've kind of next to motion I Haven't worked as much directly with him as as Kate has.
16:09:24 And I feel like you know, the next few years there's going to be a quite a bit of work to do, and I just hope we can continue a productive working path forward instead of brand
standing.
16:09:40 And well, they do swear with the pleasure of the board of county commissioners right? if you' someone that's not being constructive during the meetings, and is instructionist
instead of you know, construction constructive from a different perspective
16:09:56 critically constructive, then we can remove them as easily as a point.
16:10:02 Them. Is that right? no, no, I would have to read.
16:10:11 I was just, you know I just did read the Rcw.
16:10:12 Pretty closely, and it's more of a process than
16:10:21 We looked at that recently, I I would take me a minute to find it.
16:10:27 I mean it's it's I understand
16:10:35 It quickly here. I mean if we I Don't know if that's the question.
16:10:41 But if we have that ability i'm more comfortable with it, if it's, I mean it I feel like the planning Commission is getting setting itself on a course for productive future
work, and I wouldn't want to do anything to hinder
16:10:55 that, and I know that that's been the staff intention with porting the planning commission
16:11:11 Members. Baby may be removed after a public hearing by the appointing official, with the approval of his or her council or board for inefficiency, neglect of duty or mal season
to office.
16:11:26 So I would, I mean, if if meetings are derailed and they become inefficient, could, with the after a public hearing, remove a planning commissioner, planning
16:11:45 Let's see I am like I said i'm i'm not inclined to to the port there, so it's probably easy to just take it to a vote.
16:11:55 I guess we could do these one at a time, but on the next well good.
16:12:06 Have any more discussion on this, or does anyone wish to make a motion
16:12:17 Guess i'd i'd rather police on the district 3 member they have a planning commission meeting this week.
16:12:27 Right. What are you
16:12:35 I don't know i'm i'm hesitant to make a motion that that we can't unanimously agree on.
16:12:39 I think I mean I don't know heidi have you what do you think?
16:12:46 Would you like to see a different recommendation for me
16:12:56 This is why I wanted to do, an exact i'd love to get into deeper about you know what your conversation, but I don't want to speculate too much, and I i'm trying to speculate
in open session.
16:13:11 I guess. Nice to meet you
16:13:25 Mean I I respect your your consideration and inclination.
16:13:28 Great, and i've dated my hesitancy, but I but I would support your organization
16:13:44 And i'm not concerned about the habit taking of the sensing votes. I think that's that's a healthy part of the process.
16:13:53 Yeah.
16:13:58 Mean you're the one that had the conversation so I it's hard to to fly in the wall. but I that's what I said.
16:14:04 Is where I stand alright. Well, you you go first. Id
16:14:13 Go for what first is what? Oh, if with any emotions I'm still thinking,
16:14:26 You're mostly to make my friend well we've got 2 different motions to make right.
16:14:31 I'm just i'm still i'm like Okay, Okay, I can move to appoint our setting planning.
16:14:43 Commissioner Lorna Smith to another term on the Jefferson County, planning commission
16:14:52 I will second Oh, sorry, Greg seconds any further .
16:15:00 Questions. Lauren is's been great she was really instrumental along with the sitting planning commission Llewell, and in in helping with the outdoor shooting range ordinance.
16:15:10 So really supportive of this recommendation. Yeah, I think Lorna is very highly qualified.
16:15:21 And brings a lot of experience and wisdom and so i'm happy to reappoint her.
16:15:32 So I would discuss that. Oh, are you back to charity No, no, my zoom crafts, though in the midst of so I didn't know where we were at
16:15:48 I'm happy to keep sharing if it's easier yeah I would love that.
16:15:53 Okay, great. So there's a motion on the table to reappoint Lorna Smith to another term on the planning commission.
16:16:02 This is a 6, 2 representative. All those in favor please indicate by saying, Aye, hi, okay.
16:16:10 Motion passes. great! would it be helpful to take a a short A short recess?
16:16:22 Would would. What time be helpful for your thinking? Just 5Â min?
16:16:28 Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, let's let's take a quick recess.
16:22:42 What a day!
16:22:52 Ready when you are to call back in the session.
16:22:54 Kate, unless Kate's having difficulty you communicate your phone's muted.
16:23:05 It looks i've asked to unmute kate maybe that'll help It is muted on my screen at least doesn't show up on my screen.
16:23:19 It doesn't show me it on your screen my goodness Nope.
16:23:27 Okay. Do you want to come in here? hey? You Wanna come in here
16:23:44 Sometimes we need it because great, great, great, you wanna share
16:23:56 Alright, the chairs frozen. Yeah, your chairs not moving at all alright.
16:23:59 Well as the last Commissioner, who can speak on the digital screen.
16:24:02 I will call us back into session it looks like for 20, you know 4, 24, which really means 4 22
16:24:14 And I don't know is it still really tough for me but i'm going to make a different recommendation.
16:24:20 My other top choice is reappointing Chris Louellen to the district.
16:24:27 3 seat on the planning commission I think I think she's done a great job, and and does bring a perspective that I I really value from the agricultural perspective. and she's
been through some development history and her own history out on on
16:24:41 the kids at Peninsula. So I I really do appreciate her voice, and I hear the concern that Mr.
16:24:49 Durgan might be counterproductive.
16:24:52 As much as productive, and we want to make sure that we have a high functioning board.
16:24:56 So I reconsidered and I would unless I guess i'll make a motion since we're short on time, and we can discuss if there's a second i'll i'll move that we reappoint
16:25:07 Chris Louell into the district 3 planning commission seat I'll second, that okay, and we'll open it up for conversation.
16:25:17 Hi to your or Kate
16:25:23 I also appreciate having the agricultural perspective on the planning commission.
16:25:28 And a knowledge of land use, and so I think and she's been on the planning commission serving productively.
16:25:35 So I for here reappointment and your your consideration Great.
16:25:46 Okay, say I. I also appreciate the springs from lived experience.
16:25:55 And diverse experience from her agricultural background and work in land.
16:26:00 Use for many years. so i'm happy to support that recommendation as well.
16:26:07 Alright. we've got a motion. to reappoint crystal wellen to the planning commission's district 3 chair, all in favor, indicate by saying, Aye, hi!
16:26:15 I that is, unanimous and though. we have a lot more we could talk about, and we it didn't finish briefing, or we we have 4Â min that we could potentially use But I do have a
5 o'clock.
16:26:30 Media. i'd love to get to well a 4 30 meeting love to get to go.
16:26:33 Scene for are people okay with adjourning for the day?
16:26:36 Yeah, great Well, a good productive day, thank you all for your interest in the planning Commission.
16:26:44 It's really important work, and we are adjourned see you next week.