HomeMy WebLinkAboutclosed_caption09:00:41 Alright phones and clocks. Ji, we're recording.
09:00:54 Alright! Good morning, everyone! I will call this March thirteenth meeting of the Board of County Commissioners to order busy busy schedule today.
09:01:04 So, we'll dive right into it unless anyone has anything to announce.
09:01:12 So, as we always do, we will start with public comments.
09:01:17 So if you're with us online, you click, raise hand or star 9, if you're on your phone to raise that hand and we will bring you on over for 3Â min on any topic if you're in the
room, too.
09:01:30 I don't know you're in the room.
09:01:32 You can raise your hand just physically, or you can say star 9.
09:01:35 I guess.
09:01:37 And we'll keep that public comment open until 9, 30.
09:01:43 See anyone's hand up yet. Oh, we got one. Let's go ahead and bring Mr.
09:01:50 Gleason over.
09:02:03 Morning, Brian, happy to have you with us today!
09:02:06 Good morning, Commissioners. How are you today?
09:02:09 Doing great doing. Great. Yeah, you have 3Â min to talk about anything you like.
09:02:13 I just wanted to comment upon my request for the Java upgrade.
09:02:20 I have received audio visual grant from Aoc this year to provide much needed upgrades to my recording system for the court.
09:02:31 We've been using Jeff since 2,007.
09:02:33 We've undergone several upgrades, and now we are facing the end of the current software. Our log 7.
09:02:42 So we need to updgrade to auto log 8 before the end of 2023.
09:02:48 I just got that email this morning, in fact, that said it will no longer be supported.
09:02:53 So it was very timely that I applied for this last year, and got that grant.
09:02:57 I also just like to say that many courts across Washington State use the system as well as an industry, standard and leaders for courts across the country.
09:03:09 They provide great customer service to me. Some of the best customer service I've had working in the courts, and I think it's the system that we should continue to use, and
some of again, some of my other upgrades include a better cameras, and a new incorporated
09:03:28 audio suite with microphones to help with my hearing impaired headsets that we use in the courtroom, so that's what I just wanted to add and explain why I applied for the grant.
09:03:41 Got it, and I'm just asking for permission to spend the money so I can get the grant.
09:03:45 That's great, Brian. Thank you. And just for the public's information, that's number 5 on our consent agenda today.
09:03:50 So really appreciate you talking a little bit more about it.
09:03:56 You know we heard some comments about difficulty listening to the jazz.
09:03:59 But previously, and I actually did. I was in District Court last week and watched it, and it it really performs pretty excellently, as far as I can tell, making it, you know,
creating a hybrid court system pretty effectively as well as the other things that does so any other comments for Brian, yeah, well, we have you here.
09:04:18 Brian, can you just clarify that the the new upgraded jab system will be maintained?
09:04:25 Yes, so part of it is a service agreement, and then they're platform has been out of log 8, as it's known for several years, and they've been telling us, you know.
09:04:38 Wait until you get the notification to upgrade. And they started warning me last year. Hey?
09:04:44 We thought, we're gonna end it in the year or 2.
09:04:47 And so that's why, when I asked for the bid, I asked for that to be included for the software suite upgrade to version 8.
09:04:55 Great. Thank you. Brian. I was just gonna say good job getting the grant and having the fourresight to go for it.
09:05:03 And I was just wondering, are there alternative systems to jabs?
09:05:08 Or I mean, I heard you say that it's the principal system that courts use and I I'm just not familiar enough with court related software to know is, are there alternatives systems
that folks are using?
09:05:19 Or is this the main one?
09:05:21 So most of the courts, when I worked for Aoc, and we went on the statewide tour a lot of the smaller meetunicipal courts, because the county commit or the city boards and commissioners
use 80 capture, all they use 80 capture all for their call recording because they may
09:05:39 be, only have court one day, a week, or sometimes, you know, by weekly, and so they're stuck in the council chambers, using the existing software a lot of the other courts that
have used other programs like Iftr gold and ab capture all in the courtrooms have actually transitioned
09:06:00 to jabs. I know that Column county within the last year did a complete overhaul and install jabs and Thurston County when they created their Juror Center.
09:06:12 They bought a whole building due to the pandemic.
09:06:14 They installed jazz in their new. I call them temporary courtrooms, as well as did a whole upgrade of their.
09:06:23 Thank you.
09:06:22 Great thanks. Bryan. Right? Yeah. Thanks for diving deeper for about it.
09:06:29 We appreciate it all right. Well, I will continue our call for public comment in the room.
09:06:32 You can raise your hand. If you'd like to make public comment or online, you can raise your hand.
09:06:38 Come on up! This is Schumacher.
09:06:49 Thank you. I see that you're considering legal notices for papers.
09:06:56 What can I say? The leaders are accounting people. It has much larger surfaceulation than the Pda in in this county.
09:07:08 I noticed in the in the notice about that they were talked about website stuff.
09:07:13 So I just have a question what this? Isn't this just a print thing?
09:07:18 I look through the websites of both Pda and the leader, and I didn't see any legal notices up there. And I, yeah, I also.
09:07:25 But I do sort of wonder about. I also didn't find it on our county website.
09:07:29 I mean, can we put legal notices on our county website?
09:07:32 Also, in any case, I can see saving money and stuff.
09:07:37 If you really want to save money, you you could put them up for free on the on the Port Townsend Free Press.
09:07:44 I say, semi, seriously, I have a question again.
09:07:47 The emergency declaration. That was this was months ago.
09:07:52 But is it still currently happening? I'd heard various parties express lack of resistance to removing it.
09:07:59 So I was just wondering whether it was still in the books, or whether it had been formally removed.
09:08:05 The what can I say? I mean, like one of the reasons for having emergency declaration, perhaps, is like, what if we have a rise in cases?
09:08:15 What if we have a new pandemic? It might be convenient to have it likewise.
09:08:19 We had these streetery, you know. What shacks up for a long time, thinking that you know.
09:08:23 Maybe we're going to need them again. So let's keep them up.
09:08:27 But from my point of view it's morally never again.
09:08:30 Type thing rather than let's be ready for the next one.
09:08:32 I mean, like, really, it's been a 100 years between the 1,918.
09:08:35 Thing, and this thing, and the whole idea that we should be on tender hooks, for you know, and having things like monkey, pox and bird flu, and all this stuff, all saying, you
know, maybe that's the next pandemic so we've got to keep these emergency measures going.
09:08:51 And likewise I also have regarding the security to get into this building.
09:08:57 My understanding is is that the original impetus for moving it from the courthouse security down here was to enforce these mask mandates, and so one could say, Well, you know,
we should keep it down here, just in case we need mask mandates. Again, but again.
09:09:11 I really don't want these things to happen again. I don't think there's you know, a reasonable expectation for these things to be happening again.
09:09:17 When there was testimony regarding the location of this thing.
09:09:21 We heard from a lot of employees, lawyers, other people that had various interests, you know, either in wanting to have security, so they won't be bothered by unruly customers,
or so that they can get through easily but we didn't really hear that much from the public we heard from one person.
09:09:39 Who sort of wanted to make things fair and hurt for me, saying pretty much like, Let's come on, let's let's make it easy for people to get through, and sure there's reasons
why it might be nice to have all the security.
09:09:53 But you know, City Hall hospitals all these other places that are, you know, they're likewise don't have a real special reason to happen.
09:10:00 Thank you. Thanks. Steven. Okay. Anyone else online that would like to make public comments.
09:10:08 Oh, looks like we have another hand raise. You can bring over Peter.
09:10:24 Morning, Peter. Good to see you.
09:10:23 Good morning, commissioners just here to thank you for your support for Dayba Bay over the past couple of years, getting the funding, getting Dnr.
09:10:36 To commit to doing the full Trust land transfer. There's a support draft support letter for you.
09:10:44 It's support letters to this trust land transfer, due march fifteenth.
09:10:50 So a couple of days and Dnr. Has to complete this deal by June thirtieth, 2,023, and I just like to hilight that if this deal goes through it will get the counties 8.5 million
dollars in New Forest board land to replace land 836
09:11:10 acres in Dayb that really can't be harvested because it's got various constraints. The globally rare forest.
09:11:17 And for Thorndyke it's got lost fors of Wetland.
09:11:21 So it's really a a step up for the county financially, and of course, conservation wise.
09:11:26 It's a. It's a really, really good thing.
09:11:29 So, if you have any questions on it, it's a complex kinda deal.
09:11:34 Just let me know. I'll be just to be kind of standing by.
09:11:36 I looked at a lot of numbers and acreage and such over the past couple of days, and it looks like it's going to be a roughly equal balanced exchange between Quilson and East
Jefferson Fire district, where quell seems to going to get about 70% of
09:11:53 the acreage. And that's about what they're losing, because Thor and Guy, kissing Ludlow.
09:11:59 So that's about it. And thank you very much again.
09:12:02 And we'll talk to you later. Bye!
09:12:04 Thank you, Miss Bells, how as always, much as possible, respond to everyone at the same time.
09:12:12 When we're done receiving public comment. Would anyone else like to make public comment today you can click, raise hand.
09:12:17 Can you bring Mr. Tush over, please.
09:12:34 Oh, there we are! Thank you. Good morning, Commissioners. Can you hear me?
09:12:38 Yep, I can hear you. Thank you. Go ahead.
09:12:39 Yeah, thank, you. I've already sent you some comments by email about Javz and also Sunshine Week, which is coming up later in the in the morning.
09:12:49 But you know there's no public comment being allowed for the item on the agenda that talks about the Port Townsend Pool.
09:12:55 So I'm need to use my time now to talk about that.
09:12:58 This proposal to build a community health and wellness center, so called a pool.
09:13:05 Really, for Port Townsend is is it's a bit of deceptive Pr.
09:13:07 And it's based on a false premise.
09:13:10 The need for a new pool to be run by the Y.M.C.A.
09:13:12 As being justified by a four-year-old community health assessment that was run by a group of Uw students apparently going for their degrees in public health.
09:13:21 It had little, if anything, to do with a pool. Now, in that survey quote how and wellness unquote was nowhere in the top 5 or even top 10 of community issues.
09:13:32 By the way, did you notice in that survey that only a total of 35 people were involved in the in-person groups, and only 17% said that quote indoor options like a pool or exercise
facility would cause them to increase their physical activity now here we're looking at
09:13:49 tens of millions of dollars, you know, at least 4 times now the public has said No, in capital letters, both before and after the ballot box.
09:13:58 To this idea, Nope means no now, if port towns are, what's a new pool?
09:14:03 And people, Townsend, and not the county, needs to pay for the new pool.
09:14:08 But the propulsions show that a wide area of the county outside of Port Townsend would be taxed to pay for a pool that almost none would use used to be the pool track usage
by Port Townsend Resident versus county Resident, and that showed the County Users were just
09:14:24 a tiny fraction of the membership, but the people that that want to finance this thing they need to pull in taxes from as many places as possible.
09:14:32 According to the minutes of the most recent meeting. It said, Quote, if you're seeking a 20 million dollar bond, you will need to size the area enough so that your debt limit
is covered.
09:14:41 Yeah, well, that's at least honest, you know, there's some other things on the proposal that are pretty desperate to to try to justify this thing like yoga.
09:14:51 They're already about a dozen commercial Yoga studios in port 1,000.
09:14:55 Do we need another one in basic principle here public money should not be spent to compete with private businesses unless there's no other alternative.
09:15:05 Well, there are alternatives, a weight room, I think we got enough Gyms meeting room.
09:15:10 Well, we have way. Too many meeting rooms already, you know, and you know probably the most offensive thing about this is the fact that it's going to be run by the why whose
mission statement says the Ymc is a nonprofit organization's mission is to put Christian principles.
09:15:26 Into practice. Well, that violates my first amendment right?
09:15:29 The freedom from religion. So you know this whole thing just needs to stop.
09:15:34 Now before you waste any more time and money on it. Thank you, Chris.
09:15:39 Thank you, Mr. Ersh. Would anyone else like to make public comment today I would love to hear from you if you click, raise hands.
09:15:51 Bring you over, seeing none, we'll start to respond, but we'll keep the public comment open until 9, 30.
09:15:58 So if you are moved to speak, please do raise your hand, and we will stop and bring you on over.
09:16:04 Like to respond. Well, I would just, I'd like to say to Steven. Yes, I don't want to be planning for the next pandemic, so I'm totally with you on that a 1,000%.
09:16:14 I hear you on that, and I you know we still need to do our job as a county, but I do not wanna be planning for the next pandemic.
09:16:23 So I appreciate that comment. Cause I haven't haven't heard of.
09:16:30 Put that way. So. And that's just in response to Steven.
09:16:33 And then as to the location of the pool or the pool, and who's paying for the pool?
09:16:38 I've gotten a number of unsolicited contacts from consumers out in the county asking.
09:16:48 One was asking for the pull at Hj. Carroll Park.
09:16:51 We want this facility at the Hj. Carol Park, and I was like, Oh, God!
09:16:56 So you know, I mean there's a diversity of opinions about the need for a pool or not.
09:17:01 I know a number of youngsters in the community who would love to have a pool, whose parents spend inordinate numbers of hours on weekends, driving them to either Cambridge or
Squam or Port Angeles for pools.
09:17:13 So anyway, there's mixed opinions on whether we need a pool or not.
09:17:19 And the kids, I know would say, we need one. So that's just a couple of initial comments.
09:17:25 I might have more. Okay, yeah, thanks everyone. Few comments. Mr.
09:17:32 Schumacher, we are still very much considering when to rest. Recent.
09:17:39 Our emergency order at the Federal order of course, set to end on May eleventh.
09:17:45 So I think that's a good timeframe for us to be targeted too.
09:17:50 So not sure if it's in Board of Health, or here, where we might be aggressive.
09:17:56 I was sorry, done it all, although is it Dr. Berry's order?
09:18:03 No, it's an emergency. Thirteenth emergency. That's us.
09:18:07 But the internal policy. Anyway, we need to brush that off again on yeah, there's not a big appetite to keep it going.
09:18:16 I don't think so. Just stay tuned.
09:18:19 We will be revisiting that, and I thank you for bringing it to the fore again.
09:18:25 We'll take another look. Let's see.
09:18:30 Jump into the pool a little bit. You know that the whole point of the work that we're gonna be getting a briefing on today was to look at the feasibility.
09:18:42 You know, no decisions have been made I'd say there's a lot more questions being asked than there are, Anthony is being made at this point.
09:18:51 Just a few comments. It does reference.
09:18:56 The Community health Assessment, which is a required planning effort.
09:19:00 So the State Department of Health requires a county perform that.
09:19:04 It does make reference to that report, but just like it does the city and county prose plans.
09:19:09 The park recs and up, and space plans also required planning documents.
09:19:15 So just reference, material decisions aren't being based on the community health assessment.
09:19:19 Nor on the pros. They're just references for getting a sense of what the community support is.
09:19:26 Okay, you know, I also agree that a number of people in the county are wanting an aquatic center and due travel.
09:19:36 Other places to get them. That's what I had to do for many years with my kids, my kids did not learn to swim here it's not a very friendly pool for learning to swim.
09:19:46 It is cold and deep, and kids do really well in warm, shallow water, otherwise known as modern aquatic centers.
09:19:54 So you know we will see. There's a couple of public meetings coming up, and the whole point is to get input and see what the interest and appetite of the community is.
09:20:03 Stay tuned. I hope people will engage on this issue and let their voices be heard that's all for me, for now, all right.
09:20:15 Well, I can add a little more. Agree with everything, said, I'm ready for the emergency declaration to move on and appreciate Mr.
09:20:23 Schumacher, your comments on the paper of record we do post our legal notices on the website on the quick links just on the first page of the of the website.
09:20:33 And we're required to put them in a public newspaper as well.
09:20:36 So it's an Rcw. Requirement, and we go through this.
09:20:40 You know, every couple years, and I I tend to agree with the locality.
09:20:44 And I think the online access we made a lot of it a couple years ago. I don't think it's utilized a lot for public.
09:20:49 I've struggled. I think you can eventually get there on their online versions.
09:20:54 But I have also struggled to find public notices in their ads.
09:20:59 But we'll get to that. I agree with everything you said.
09:21:02 There, and as to you, know the security in the basements, you know, like hybrid meetings, I think we some things came out.
09:21:09 I can't even remember really, the origin of going down there. Was it Covid?
09:21:14 I thought it was something before it was before me.
09:21:18 Coming downstairs. Here. Yeah. Screening used to be open.
09:21:22 But like hybrid meetings, I think it's a silver lining that a lot of other departments get a lot of benefit from and we got a lot of benefit from. And we got a lot of testimony
to that impact and that's really I think what what motivates this is the the
09:21:34 overall improvement the same way that we're able to, you know, have 23 other people in our meeting today has been a real improvement.
09:21:40 So you know. Take the silver linings when you can, to Mr. Tirish.
09:21:44 I think Kate really talked about it. Well, I think you know, we're this is a journey of exploration right now, and we'll see if it if it works out.
09:21:55 I do agree with you that public money shouldn't compete with private.
09:21:57 So seeing the gyms and everything in their weight rooms is, doesn't sit with.
09:22:03 Isn't it great with me, either? But we'll have a conversation after this, and I'm if we have time.
09:22:08 I'm happy to add public comment to that, and also regarding the did award for the county newspaper.
09:22:15 I just wanted to let people know. We'll probably do action there, too.
09:22:17 So we'll add a little public comment before we take final action.
09:22:20 Right you're you're looking for action today, aren't you, Carolyn?
09:22:23 Yes, because.
09:22:27 Gotcha. Okay? So we'll add public comments.
09:22:31 It'll definitely to the the newspaper conversation, and probably to the workshop.
09:22:37 If we have time to. And then Mister Bales, appreciate your all your support of this, and we did get your updated draft with the 726.
09:22:47 Hey! Acres of state, forest Trust land referenced instead of 8, 26786.
09:22:53 I don't forget exactly. 7, 86 instead of 8, 26, and we'll take that up when we look through our consent.
09:23:01 Agenda. So I said, that is all of my responses to Brian.
09:23:08 Already, so I'll make another call. If anyone would like to make public comment, we'd love to hear from you.
09:23:19 Okay. Hey? Chair. I'm wondering, do we think it's gonna be realistic to get to the bit a word this morning before the lunch break?
09:23:30 Well, it's not a set time. I don't know do you think it's gonna be a robust conversation?
09:23:35 How long do you think it will take? I mean, feel like we might be able to do it.
09:23:42 Okay, I have to leave a little bit early, I think the lunch hour I'll be joining by phone for the trust land transfer conversation.
09:23:51 But we've got a media interview regarding the Canal Bridge closure that I need to attend so I I might miss that conversation I think that's probably reasonable.
09:24:11 Great packed as well. I mean Willie's only gonna take 10Â min for that workshop.
09:24:18 I'm kidding. He's used to it are that.
09:24:27 Let's say.
09:24:32 Say 3 30 that seem reasonable. It was time to talk about the opioid new upgrade litigation settlements.
09:24:45 We'll get yeah. Planning for 3 30. Okay, thank you. Yep.
09:24:51 Okay. Anything. Else. Oh, we'll keep public calling open up for a couple more minutes.
09:24:58 Do you want to take a look at consent, agenda?
09:25:00 Real quick. Hmm questions, comments.
09:25:08 Let's see, I.
09:25:12 Still see things for the first time. Every once in a while.
09:25:15 So in this case, tax, title, county property, or property is surplus.
09:25:20 I kind of dug into that, and went to the personal viewer and I'm just wondering what the if you guys know what the practices regarding like neighboring landowners, or it looks
like.
09:25:36 It's a 4 4 wheel, 4 wheel drive off-road down by Brennan.
09:25:40 Some kind of a you know, that looks looks very impacted around it.
09:25:46 And I was just wondering in terms of landowner notification if there's any kind of Landover landowner notification and we can bring Stacy over.
09:26:02 I think that there is a, you know, a public notice of the auction, and the my reading of this is that there is a, you know, public notice of the auction, and the my reading
of this property, but or someone I don't. I'm just indicated that they wanted to but I don't know it was just a
09:26:14 little. Let's say, if Stacy Parade, I would like to comment on this and educate us, you can click, raise hand, and we'll bring you over.
09:26:22 I have gone to the auctions on the yeah on the courthouse steps before.
09:26:29 But hmm I haven't haven't seen one of these before, so notific.
09:26:33 Oh, all right, please take a lot of pressure how can people just come and buy a piece of property that's not really good that's Stacy prey to treasurer. I didn't bring my normal
binder of things to do my best on standard process during the
09:26:52 foreclosure process is to prior to the auction, notify the neighbors.
09:26:58 Well, actually, before any of that, because if they want to contact the landowner who is not paid property taxes, perhaps they would like to purchase it from them.
09:27:10 So neighboring landowners are notified during the process, and the auction occurred.
09:27:17 No one purchased it, and now, after that, timeline, we can sell it as under the exemptions there. Okay, I just didn't know that.
09:27:28 So thank you. We do our best to avoid auction. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a lot no sure ending. Right? And if the person who is letting it go, you know, can sell to a neighbor.
09:27:47 And they can pay the taxes. Then it just avoids a whole lot of process.
09:27:50 Yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah. It costs a lot, no I don't think they're going to be able to sell to a neighbor, and they can pay the taxes.
09:27:56 Then it just avoids a whole lot of process. Yeah, okay, thank you so much. Thanks for sprinting down here. Yeah.
09:27:58 Seconds, Later I's a lot of process. Yeah, okay, thank you so much.
09:28:06 Better than they can pay the taxes. Then it just avoids a whole lot of process.
09:28:10 Yeah, okay, thank you. I was excited to see the Mobile clinic for substance use disorder, not something that I have heard.
09:28:17 That was advancing so great that some of our behavioral health phones can be used for that.
09:28:23 Also really pleased to see that, Jack, you'll be returning to the Oak Bay campground absolutely, and we've invested in a little more feature comforts there for the caretaker.
09:28:35 So to have some continuity there as well. When I was reviewing the number 5, the jabs upgrade, I noticed the last 2 pages were unrelated to that.
09:28:47 It looked like Tim. They looked like they were about a court order of some sort, let's see if it still looks that way.
09:28:56 So I was confused by the last 2 pages of that item.
09:28:59 When I was looking at this yesterday, and then I'm number 6.
09:29:07 It's this is related to the squint, to swim to Clown County.
09:29:11 So I'm just curious. How? The cannabis and commercial tobacco prevention program is it an Esd wide program?
09:29:19 Part of Jefferson County is includes part of the school school district.
09:29:24 Okay, overlapping jurisdiction. Grace in the gardener area.
09:29:27 I knew there was a little bit, but I didn't know.
09:29:33 I see you see that, Carolyn. Okay.
09:29:37 Okay, thanks for catching and then I was also wondering why the planning commission appointments are temporary.
09:29:47 Oh, go ahead! No, no, Mark, you know I know the answer.
09:29:51 But market. Actually, I think, community development. They were a bit tardy and conducting the process to get nominations for the new terms.
09:30:00 Okay. And so they need a temporary extension so they can complete the formal recruitment process.
09:30:06 It sneaks up on us every time. Yeah, okay.
09:30:10 I hope those 2 are staying on the planning commission.
09:30:15 Expressed interest. Okay? Good. That is policy that we have questioned whether we want to automatically reading folks who.
09:30:25 Let's participate or take it as an opportunity to.
09:30:27 You know, reconsider. And okay.
09:30:32 Made a decision on that.
09:30:35 Yeah, it's really good. Probably on decision we would make with the director.
09:30:40 Dcd. Director, and I think last time I had that conversation was when Patty was still here, so.
09:30:49 I thought we decided to the reconsider, take other applications, but we should revisit that.
09:30:55 I think we since then we made a process that we should always post everywhere publicly, and we just haven't done that yet.
09:31:04 So, okay, okay, which is a lot of effort. And sometimes, you know, people will end up applying, you know, putting the effort into applying.
09:31:12 Yeah, and even if we are likely to reappoint, so it's a little bit little bit disingenuous.
09:31:19 And yes, I think we have to build in the ability to replace.
09:31:25 If there's a just because you're a sitting member of a committee.
09:31:32 We need to give ourselves the opportunity to. Yeah, have other folks have the opportunity.
09:31:39 Yeah, but it's clunky, for sure.
09:31:48 So I think I don't, I mean not sure disingenuous, but it it is it's a it's not feel bad for a competing applicant.
09:31:56 I think that it's fair to ignore it for a while. Yeah. So then, a number 3, the interlocal agreements with Dt, is that related to the upcoming.
09:32:10 We do with Dt. On our in some kind of Schedule.
09:32:14 I'm not seen this before here, but it's a routine practice around the State.
09:32:21 You know, and I think I remember up at Gardner there was a a real hassle of a late application to get a detour route off of Highway 101, and create a huge huge backup.
09:32:36 So anything we can do to increase cooperation, I think, is a positive, since it's gonna be impossible for me to get the quilts.
09:32:43 And all summer.
09:32:46 I think those were all my questions.
09:32:50 Great. I'm glad to see that our letter around the the Interfest Exchange, and I mean, as you know, I've been lying lower to that one and glad to see I've been in some of those
forests and we'll be glad to see those or is protected as part of
09:33:06 the dayb, natural area and Dnr. Is gonna have to work double time to get all that done by June thirtieth.
09:33:13 I just. I'm feeling a little skeptical, but hopeful and I got Bob Winslow working on it, and he is a super capable human being, so can I share my screen to show that the slight
update to that we received I think there.
09:33:29 Was one factual inaccuracy in there that, and I said I would draft this, and then I didn't.
09:33:36 Someone else did so. Mr. Bails, thank you, but it came to me before I had a chance to work on it.
09:33:42 So the only change are the red line versions there, changing 86 to 7 86, and clarifying that they are Forest Trust Lands.
09:33:55 Common school that we got. We got other.
09:33:57 Oh, maybe these are the same at us. I guess I didn't double check.
09:34:03 Maybe click the same thing. Let me so sorry. I guess I didn't look at it again.
09:34:15 One step behind. Okay, great. Any other comments on the consent agenda, I will move to approve an adopt the consent agenda today, and I'll second that.
09:34:29 Okay. Any further questions, clarifications. Hearing none. All in favor, indicate by saying, Aye, okay.
09:34:38 And I will close public comment now. Didn't see any more hands, and it's now 9 35, and we will. I think we have time to move on to our proclamation before our 9 45 workshops.
Thank you, treasurer.
09:34:51 Okay. And can you bring Mr. Peters back over?
09:34:56 I think I invited that to to join us and say a few words after we read this proclamation, which had the benefit of some of his notes, as so many of our documents do.
09:35:08 So I think he is a great manifestation of the the strength that bringing the public into the process can improve the process sometimes it makes it slower, but it it rarely makes
it worse.
09:35:21 It usually makes it better I thought that the weather might be a little nicer today.
09:35:26 Given that we're proclaiming sunshine.
09:35:28 We? Yeah, totally. We might have to move it to April.
09:35:32 Okay, mine slowly loads here.
09:35:45 Okay, so why don't we first read the proclamation, and then we can adopt it and then take and then take some comments from Mr.
09:35:56 Tiers and anyone else. Why don't we go?
09:36:01 Me Heidi Kate today. A proclamation for Sunshine Week, whereas James Madison, the father of our Federal Constitution, wrote that consent of the governed, requires that the people
be able to arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives whereas an open and accessible government is vital to
09:36:21 establishing and maintaining the people's trust and confidence in their government and in the Government's ability to effectively serve the people, and whereas the protection
of every person's right of access to public records and government meetings is a hypothesis of Jefferson county Washington
09:36:39 whereas the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, Bocc.
09:36:43 Is committed to openness and transparency in all aspects of cover, county government, and seek to set a high standard in this regard.
09:36:51 And whereas Jefferson County intends to hold all open public meetings in a hybrid format whenever practical, to allow for greater accessibility for the public, and will allow
for in-person attendance as physical space and health and safety protocols allow now therefore be it resolved, that Jefferson county board
09:37:10 of Commissioners, joins members of the news media, and many jurisdictions throughout Washington.
09:37:15 State and our nation. In proclaiming the week of March thirteenth to seventeenth, 2,023, which includes the anniversary of the birth of James Madison, a founder of our Federal
Constitution as sunshine week, and during the sunshine week and throughout the year the
09:37:30 Boc commits to continuing to enhance the public's access to Government records and information, to increase information provided electronically and online, and to ensure that
all meetings of deliberative bodies under its jurisdiction and their committees are fully noticed and open to the public we
09:37:47 encourage all people to join us in observing the importance of transparency and openness in a free society, proclaimed this thirteenth day of March 2,023.
09:37:58 I'll move to approve the proclamation as read.
09:38:01 I'll second all in favor of approving the Sunshine Week Proclamation, as Red indicate by saying, Hi, hi!
09:38:10 Great. I guess. I said my piece before this, but Mr.
09:38:13 Tiersh. We would love to hear from you about sunshine Week.
09:38:17 Oh, thank you, Commissioner. Thanks for the invitation. Appreciate that.
09:38:21 I I appreciate the fact that the Sunshine Week Proclamation showed up on this this year's agenda at the right time, without me even having to ask for it, which was great.
09:38:33 You know, I first started attending County Commissioner meetings about almost 2 decades ago, and attended very high percentage of them in person.
09:38:45 And you know, at that time county meetings were not really being made accessible to the public in general.
09:38:53 It was very hard, if if not almost impossible, to get the recordings that we're being made, and so forth.
09:39:01 In fact, I brought my own recorder and made my own recordings of them just so I could have them at handy for reference.
09:39:06 Now, look how things have changed. You know various groups of county commissioners have over the years steadily improved the public's assets to your meetings, and you're not
alone in in terms of local governments.
09:39:21 Other local government agencies have done the same sort of thing.
09:39:24 Step by step, but I have to say that Jefferson County is is well ahead of the pack in terms of providing access. Yeah.
09:39:31 So I appreciate that I'm sure the public appreciates it, and you know I would like to sort of let me review something that that the Legislature wrote recently.
09:39:44 You know, back in 1,971, 72, our public disclosure laws were enacted, and by a vote of the people of 72% of the people of the State of Washington approved our open government
laws.
09:39:57 That's remarkable. Nothing passes by 72%.
09:40:01 Well, that did so. That shows the importance of open government to the public.
09:40:07 The Legislature last year, in a House Bill put a little comment on.
09:40:13 They said, you know the legislature finds and declares that due to technological advances, since 1,971 elected officials no longer conduct the public's business solely in person,
but can and do utilize telephonic and other electronic means to efficiently
09:40:28 conduct, the business of state and local government. Remotely, therefore, and it goes on to say it to explain why electronic and hybrid meetings are important.
09:40:40 And so you know the of Commissioners. You've done your bit, and the fact that you, your statement of intent in the Sunshine Week Declaration says that that you will have and
continue to have hybrid meetings again, much appreciated and you know I don't think
09:40:57 I'm alone in ining that. So thank you.
09:41:01 Thank you very much, Mr. Tiersh. Any last comments from my seatmates?
09:41:06 No, but I wish the sun had come out. I know just I'll say that in working with pretty much all the counties around the State, I'm really proud that Jefferson County takes as
serious, as as seriously as we do the principles of open Government we are often
09:41:32 the ones going, the farthest in order to to meet requirements.
09:41:36 As we interpret them, the Open public meeting, Zack and and the public records request doesn't mean that we don't make mistakes.
09:41:42 Still, but I think in large part we are, are, have been really well educated by Mr.
09:41:48 Tear. So thank you for continuing to bring to our attention how to how to best comply.
09:41:56 And I'm proud of the work that we do to go above and beyond.
09:42:00 What a lot of our colleagues do statewide!
09:42:02 So glad to to do this proclamation annually. That's great.
09:42:07 And I, yeah, I'll just reiterate what I said earlier that I think transparent government is is the best kind of government.
09:42:14 It's where you can see what's happening. And the sausage making happening up front.
09:42:18 Sometimes it's a little slow, sometimes it's not pretty, but it's it invited the public in the process, and that is so critical.
09:42:25 So, thank you, Mr. Tiersh, for all that you do, and to all the public that are here with us today, and and pay attention to that.
09:42:33 The machinations of the social fabric. So thank you, we have a 9 45 workshop coming up.
09:42:41 We have just a couple of minutes. People need a break or anything.
09:42:45 I know we haven't been at it too long, but I guess we can take a moment to look. Can anyone do a break or anything? I know we haven't been at it too long? But I guess we can
take a moment to look. Can.
09:42:56 Or maybe we could.
09:42:59 Yeah. Oh, sure that we might not have calendaring time any conflicts this week.
09:43:11 There's we have some. I have 3 lunch time appointments today that I'm not gonna be able to make them all too much food.
09:43:21 Not of them include food, too little food? Yes, clearly so I'm wondering if folks planning to attend Wasack at no time.
09:43:34 I always plan on it, but sometimes can't make right.
09:43:37 I'm not gonna be able to make it although I don't even have it on my calendar.
09:43:45 Is it? No, it's not okay. Good. So we don't have.
09:43:51 I'm hoping to be able to make a noon time round table with Senator.
09:43:55 Cantwell. Montie is also planning to join for that. But anyone happen to have an open noon time. If if I'm not able to attend that.
09:44:10 Barriers to transportation, funding on the bedside.
09:44:14 I am. I mean I'm flexible at lunch. Okay? Could I?
09:44:20 Kind of have you on call and I've already kind of talked through it a little bit.
09:44:22 But I'm just how long this media it's gonna take.
09:44:28 Happy to thank you. And I don't see a county assembly virtual Assembly today from I think we're officially offering the hook there.
09:44:37 Maybe a quick question, too. I'm considering attending next Monday's meeting virtually.
09:44:45 Does anyone know anything significant on the agenda? That would be?
09:44:50 To be in person. For mark Carolyn. Do you guys know, next week I know we're gonna have some Arpa agreements on the agenda, but those will be on consent. Really, our question.
09:45:04 Yep, the other relatively routine. So nothing pressing hearings or anything.
09:45:19 Last week. Right? That would be a good week for you to do virtual.
09:45:31 Any consulate exciting? Not this week. Well, I it's turning out that tourism, coordinating council and Behavioral Health Advisory Committee are always going to be a conflict
for the half hour of them. So I just missed the last half hour of Dcc each time.
09:45:50 Okay.
09:45:55 I guess we probably have some Erica done. You can bring over from Opsis and there's one more.
09:46:04 Yeah. Go ahead and bring them over. We're at our 9 45 times.
09:46:10 So, I guess we're gone through conflicts.
09:46:13 That was good. Why don't we pass it over to Kate, you wanna to this up?
09:46:16 Sure, I'm going between screens here. So welcome to Erica and Jim that consultants at the healthier together.
09:46:27 Partners have been working with her from obstac architecture, and it's a real joy to work with folks who immediately kind of frame the nebulous questions that many of us in
this community have in our able to help us frame them constructively, and you'll see a lot more information
09:46:46 flushed out in the kind of head, scratching we've been doing here for many years regarding the feasibility of an aquatic center.
09:46:54 So welcome to Erica and Jim, and I'll pass it over to you unless, Mark, you have anything you want to add.
09:47:01 No, I think you preferenced it. Fine! Great!
09:47:05 And maybe I'll just chime in. Also Eric and Jim.
09:47:06 I'm not sure if you were on with us earlier today, but you know we'll really want to reiterate to the public that we are very much in the information gathering phase and seeing
if if this is something that our community can can achieve and it's we know that it's a big, lift we
09:47:23 are not presenting any decisions made, but just exploration, and so I'll hand it off to you.
09:47:32 Thank you, and welcome.
09:47:32 Excellent thanks so much, Kate, and appreciate it. So, as Kate mentioned, I America, down with Opsis architecture and the project manager for the feasibility, study, and.
09:47:42 And I'm Jim Cowlidge with a partner there.
09:47:46 And we should say that we are 2 people representing a much larger team working on this.
09:47:51 So we also have on our team a landscape architect cost estimator and 2 finance consultants, one who's working on the operations, financing and one working on the funding.
09:48:01 So quite a robust team. Looking at this whole project together.
09:48:04 So I will go ahead and share my screen.
09:48:08 And we can.
09:48:10 And Erica, can I just table set? Would you rather ask?
09:48:13 Yes.
09:48:13 Wait till the questions or interject it.
09:48:16 Just at your at your pleasure.
09:48:19 You know, I think it could be either I. Whatever works for you, if it seems like it's relevant to a specific slide that we're on.
09:48:25 It's great to have a conversation as opposed to just pure presentation.
09:48:29 So happy to have you ask questions whenever it seems appropriate.
09:48:32 Thank you.
09:48:32 Yeah, all right. So thank you again for having us here today.
09:48:37 Let's see if I can move this forward. There we go.
09:48:40 So we're gonna finish our introductions. We're gonna go through a little project vision and goals, talk a bit about our project calendar.
09:48:46 Some guiding principles, and then a little bit about some potential service area that we're looking at.
09:48:51 Talk through our space program and needs and some side evaluation criteria and the sites we've been looking at.
09:48:59 So the vision for the project is really that in collaboration with all of these partners in the community, we're really planning for reacing and enhancing the old pool at Mountain
Mountain View Commons, and adding a health and wellness component that will meet the needs of that community and I should say that community
09:49:16 really expands to be. You know Jefferson County community, or perhaps maybe East Count East Jefferson County.
09:49:24 There we go, and the goals of the study are to increase opportunities for people to live, an active and healthy life, to really plan for the future of Jefferson County, selecting
an appropriate site and rebuilding that pool again, to meet the needs of the whole community and then engaging
09:49:40 all of the previous partners who have worked on this effort in various ways.
09:49:44 I think one of the big learn lessons learned from all the past studies is that any individual or one or 2 partners doing this together.
09:49:53 It doesn't quite get there. And so, making sure that everyone's at the table so that we can do this, lift together.
09:49:59 So that's looking at Jefferson Hospital District, Jefferson County, port of Port Townsend, Port Townss school district.
09:50:06 The Trevon Aquatics Coalition, the Y.M.C.A.
09:50:09 As well as the city of Port Townsend, and then planning for the operations and financing effort.
09:50:14 So that's why we have those members on the team to make sure that that's really thought of.
09:50:17 And brought forward in the conversation right from the very beginning.
09:50:21 So quick schedule overview. We started this, the beginning of February, and we'll be finished towards the late July.
09:50:31 And this is really we're still in the initial analysis phase and really understanding kind of our market.
09:50:36 Analysis, our space program which site might might be the most appropriate sites, we'd love to get your feedback on that today.
09:50:44 We're beginning our community engagement piece tonight, rather. Tomorrow night we have our first open house, that will be at Fort Warden, and then we'll have another open house
in a more county appropriate space in April, and then coming back in May again for more open houses and July. And then coming back in May again for more open houses and July.
09:51:04 Also and we also have presentations, both here at the Board of County Commissioners as well as tonight.
09:51:08 We have a presentation to the city council and towns, and so want to make sure everybody's coming along with us every step of the way, and that we're all in agreement with how
this study moves forward.
09:51:21 I'll turn it over to Jim.
09:51:22 Okay. Thanks. Erica. Really important to start with, guiding principles.
09:51:29 And this sense of community building that a project like this will bring, and hopefully, when it's built.
09:51:37 Someday it really is a reflection of the quality of place that's so unique about East Jefferson County as well as Port Townsend.
09:51:51 And some of the the guiding principles that we developed, and with our steering committee really is divided into kind of 3 areas, the overall vision environmental goals as well
as financial.
09:52:06 And really focusing as a primary need on the community.
09:52:12 Health and wellness, replacing the antiquated swimming pool which is really on in its last legs, as really a primary focus as well as opportunities for other types of partnership
with local hospital.
09:52:31 For perhaps if therapy and physical therapy function in a variety of other kind of activities that support diversity, equity, and inclusion, that also kind of finds its way
into even sites, selection environmentally, you know a building that is sustainable and
09:52:53 resilient to a place of shelter for emergencies or a cooling shelter, as well.
09:53:00 You know, it's a beautiful environment. Opportunities for indoor outdoor connections and programming.
09:53:07 And then the financial piece that Erica references is so important, certainly understanding what is the capacity to fund a project like this?
09:53:19 We've already been working on that with Eco!
09:53:21 -northwest, really understanding the program elements relative to their revenue generation and the overall operational costs.
09:53:33 Multi-functional programming really having a realistic budget based on today's construction costs, we still have escalation.
09:53:41 But you know it's not as as intense as a has been over the last 6 or 8 months, but we have a really excellent cost.
09:53:53 Estimator, Dcw. From Seattle. That's really good pulse on this as well as our background with recent projects that I've just been.
09:54:03 And then really maximizing partnership opportunities.
09:54:07 That's really going to be a primary criteria or a piece of the pie with funding this project.
09:54:16 And then we looked at potential service area, had a long, lengthy discussion with our steering committee.
09:54:23 On this I what's realistic. And this is really what we've settled on.
09:54:29 Certainly for Townsend, is a primary user. But it's really this project.
09:54:33 's intended to be really serve a broader service area, not just for Tensson and we had a lot of discussion about what is realistic and this is where we ended up.
09:54:45 Really going just south of Chicago, capturing Merrystone Island and some of the other adjoining areas within that boundary.
09:54:58 That syndicated in the the red color.
09:55:04 Yes, please.
09:55:02 Can I ask a question about that? So I know the port level has a pool or 2 of its own, and so does Cape George.
09:55:16 So I can understand why Port Love that wasn't included, although there is quite a segment of our population in Port Ludlow.
09:55:25 I just wonder how you considered that I mean, I was just commenting earlier that people from here drive now to squim Port Angeles and Bainbridge Island to use their pool facilities.
09:55:36 Yeah.
09:55:36 So I also imagine this having more of a regional draw like I'm not sure on would be Island, where their pools are, but I could see that taking the ferry to Port Townsend, so
I'm just curious.
09:55:46 Hmm! Well!
09:55:50 Have you considered farther afield when you were setting this service area?
09:55:54 Well, I first off, I would say it's not. It's not set, but this is really what was viewed as probably the primary service area.
09:56:07 And you know there are other drawings done by dollar team that suggests a secondary service area that would extend further to the south.
09:56:17 You know, part of this is trying to get our arms around the idea.
09:56:21 If there is perhaps some sort of bond, or you know Mpd.
09:56:27 Or other means of funding this project. What what would be the capture area, where where citizens would feel like?
09:56:37 It's something they want to vote for. And this is still preliminary.
09:56:41 You know, and the good news is putting this out there allows.
09:56:45 Us to get feedback. That you're giving us right now as well.
09:56:49 So it is important to say this is viewed as the primary kind of capture area doesn't preclude a secondary one.
09:56:58 But how much we depend on funding from zoomens outside of the primary service, are in.
09:57:07 That's the question. And so, yeah, does that help answer your question?
09:57:13 Yeah, that makes sense. The idea of a secondary service area makes sense as well.
09:57:18 Third of the population. Right? This is 20 odd twentyk population, or something like that.
09:57:24 That's right. Yeah. And one thing to know, too, is that the primary service area, which is all what we're showing here today?
09:57:33 The thought behind. That is, people who are willing to drive once a week to the center for that.
09:57:38 And so in the secondary area is more like an event.
09:57:41 You know it's maybe once a month, they might take their kids to the pool, and we also recognize that some of that draw is going to depend on the amenities that end up in the
building itself.
09:57:51 So, if there are amenities, perhaps it has a greater draw.
09:57:55 I think we wanted to be somewhat conservative for what we were relying on in this primary service area.
09:57:17 Yeah, and I just add on to that. I think you know.
09:58:04 Maybe in the secondary service area people from or landlord might come, you know, weekly, but there would be a different fee structure.
09:58:12 So within the primary service area, that the costs would be less to actually utilize the facility that hasn't been established.
09:58:25 But that usually is a way to to think about how one, when structures of financing and those who are kind of the primary users.
09:58:35 Thank you.
09:58:38 So as Erika said, you know, a lot of thoughts been given to space program, and what what are the amenities and what's the potential draw of of people to come to this facility,
including, you know, tourism?
09:58:53 We don't. Wanna that that is another source of income within, especially the general port town area.
09:59:01 So really, the program spaces that we focus on, we look broadly at space program elements that they've kind of narrowed down to these primary program pieces from recreation
which should certainly be the aquatic some group exercise goodness area community space that is less about
09:59:25 a community room, and really more about a large classroom that might have a teaching kitchen of sort.
09:59:32 But realizing that community room, there's already community center facility within Port Townsend as well as Fort Warden, has some large community meeting space.
09:59:45 So we're really focused on a smaller scale classroom.
09:59:50 And then health and wellness. Surely even a primary theme for this project and potential partnership with Jefferson healthcare.
10:00:02 Some of the little more detail on the programming. We think about aquatics.
10:00:08 There's 2 different pool types. There's a lap or competition pool.
10:00:13 It usually has. It has cooler water, and, as you can see, a variety of different activities that can occur in that that type of tank of water, this would be similar to what
is already operated by the Y.M.C.A.
10:00:31 Right now, although I think we're looking at a larger pool, more of a 6 lane, a pure six-lane pool.
10:00:39 But you could see a number of activities can occur in here, and then also companion to that is recreation.
10:00:46 Pull. It has warmer water, less deep water as well, and it has a 0 different entry.
10:00:54 Perhaps a children's flight and teen area for flights.
10:00:58 Water, exercise for all ages. And you know, focused on seniors and young adults, and also the opportunity for that water to really be utilized.
10:01:10 For therapy and rehab as kind of noted and emphasized by the hospital.
10:01:18 And then fitness room. This is really focused on cardio weight and exercise equipment could have some functional training and some of the activities here are listed.
10:01:32 It's also a it's also a space as really thought about is introducing a number of people to this type of equipment and exercise and statistics have found that it really doesn't
compete with private providers.
10:01:52 Oftentimes people who work out here, then eventually end up going to a private club, and then.
10:01:59 Can you break that down a little bit more, Jim? I cause I that's my intuition.
10:02:04 Agrees with public comment that we received today that it is competition, you know, with the existing gyms that we have.
10:02:10 I'm just you dive a little bit more into. I don't know some examples, or I just wanna understand that a little more.
10:02:17 Yeah, no, I can appreciate that. Well, you, this type of space is smaller than what would typically be provided by a private gym, or you know, club.
10:02:30 And it's really focused on introducing people really at all ages to this equipment.
10:02:38 And also a range of of folks. You know as you can even see in the image above.
10:02:47 This is Frank, damage, but just showing you learning how to use this equipment and the values sustained, healthy, and exercising older population, senior population looks like
that, frankly feel uncomfortable going to a private club.
10:03:05 So I think there's and appeal to a broader section of the community.
10:03:11 And you know the pricing is also a better scenario for people to gain access to this equipment, and I can't speak to this as well as Ken Ballard, who does work nationally.
10:03:25 But his stats say, this does not compete directly with the private clubs and the stats show it.
10:03:35 Actually helps her business. So you know, that's does that help kind of share some initial thoughts?
10:03:45 Right.
10:03:49 Yes.
10:03:51 Right.
10:03:40 Yes, thank you, and Price was one of my questions, because it, you know, my sense is this, being a public facility would be less expensive than some of the private clubs.
10:03:54 Good it would be, you know, and and thus, you know, we try to keep the gym size more right side, so to speak, or one isn't having to buy all that equipment.
10:04:12 And also, in a sense, compete with the local providers.
10:04:15 It's really intended to be an introduction. And you know, frankly, some people are just gonna feel comfortable working out here, you know, and but they're probably a different
clientele than what a private club would be attracting.
10:04:30 And what? Just to add a little more onto that, the I think that it's that the folks who are maybe uncomfortable, learning in a private gym because of the other folks who are
working out there get introduced here once they feel comfortable with the equipment and then maybe want access to more bikes or more
10:04:47 Right.
10:04:48 treadmills. Things like that will tend to then move actually to a private club to get a little bit of a higher grade of fitness.
10:04:57 So it actually can benefit those businesses as well.
10:05:00 If I could chime in on this, too. I think that.
10:05:05 And you know again, none of this is set in stone.
10:05:07 This is. This is all up for discussion. But having been a member of a couple of gyms here, and used a number of other fitness facilities around the region I think one of the
biggest benefits of this, the part of the value proposition is the multi-use facility, where you have people
10:05:26 coming in, and being able to do a number of different things, and being able to do that with a number of different family members.
10:05:34 So there's an entry point for a lot of different people.
10:05:37 So drop in child care. Extremely important, we know, for especially young parents.
10:05:41 Returning to any sort of fitness. The ability to combine some therapy, that's what first got me to a jam is the ability to have drop in day care.
10:05:50 Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's huge. And you know, and while we might think that that is a, you know, a benefit for those families, but the community health benefits to that are
huge.
10:06:02 I'm very loyal to the Gyms here, and I get the concern.
10:06:09 But I think that this actually serves some other needs that are not can't be addressed by the the facilities that we have.
10:06:17 I will say, to the ability to provide kind of modern ventilation in spaces is really important to it's group fitness has been slow to return here.
10:06:27 That happens to be my sweet spot as group fitness and it's been very slow to return here, in part because of small spaces without great ventilation.
10:06:34 Just a real challenge.
10:06:38 But we can come back to this. I appreciate the discussion, it's really helpful I'm sure we'll be talking more about it.
10:06:46 And the other program element that is complementary to defense from his group exercise.
10:06:53 And we're looking at really one room oftentimes officially, might have several small one and a larger one.
10:07:03 But realizing it's such a flexible space, you can do all sorts of activities as kind of indicated. There on the on the left.
10:07:15 We're also looking at a classroom space that could also adjacent to it, directly connect.
10:07:21 It might even have a teaching kitchen separate from that would be a birthday party room. Perhaps that would have a direct visual connection to the aquatics in the warm water
pool, for example. And these are just again, some of the activities that could happen here.
10:07:43 And then there's the potential opportunity in partnership with the hospital to provide physical therapy.
10:07:51 They're very interested in relocating their physical therapy.
10:07:57 Spaces, which is about 5,000 square feet.
10:08:03 As you know, the hospitals looking at expansion, and that's very valuable real estate that could be used for other hospital functions.
10:08:12 They feel this element could be remote from the hospital, but it wants to be very close as well.
10:08:21 So it needs that kind of proximity to the hospital within.
10:08:25 You know, few miles or so, and depending really, most of the sites we're looking at would offer that capability.
10:08:34 They would be looking at. They would they like the connection to this building?
10:08:39 If it has the right amenities. By that I mean amenities such as the warm water pool, or those group exercise rooms, or the cardio way.
10:08:51 If those types of elements are built into the facility, then they're very interested in a, in a potential partnership of some sort to be part of this.
10:09:03 Jim, could I on on that note? Can I go back to the kitchen for a second?
10:09:08 Yes.
10:09:08 And I. I haven't talked to Jefferson. Health care about this.
10:09:11 And Kate, maybe you know more. But they're investing right now as part of their upgrade and creating, I think, what's going to end up essentially a teaching kitchen at the fairgrounds
when they're completed.
10:09:19 Yes, yes.
10:09:21 If you've had conversations with them about that. What seems to me like slightly duplicative nature of that, and what their perspective is on that.
10:09:29 Yeah, they actually, we're proponents of bringing up the teaching kitchen here, you know, having more than one kitchen and opportunities, for you know, the community to use
spaces and learn about nutrient health and wellness and have some instruction and their shaft would also they feel
10:09:52 the very interested in sharing some classes here, as well, and some instruct classes, so I don't know.
10:10:00 I don't think they're necessarily mutually inclusive in merits, more discussion, but everything I'm hearing is that might be the more robust question.
10:10:07 It might be kind of smaller, and you know that offer that opportunity, and whether their chef is involved in this facility as much as the paragraphs.
10:10:18 That's a question but I think it's beyond that.
10:10:21 It can be used for multiple purposes, and even just a warming, catering kitchen for meetings.
10:10:29 You know the opportunity for cultural sharing of food.
10:10:33 There's there's many possibilities, and this isn't thought about as being a robust kind of commercial kitchen.
10:10:42 Great. Thank you for that which I think is the difference. The hospital needs a big kitchen to use this year.
10:10:51 Yeah, and so it could have, you know, even though it could have some other uses and benefits in the future.
10:10:57 It's really being built to meet an immediate need for volume and timeliness, whereas this could be a different scalar scope, great.
10:11:06 And this is just kind of a summary of the type of spaces that are being considered currently.
10:11:15 And, you know, just to add, just for a moment on that, you know the idea of a gymnasium, you know, could be great.
10:11:25 But we're also trying to keep this right size for what might be.
10:11:32 You know the possibility of funding it, so you'll see there certainly could be other amenities.
10:11:37 But this is, these were the high priority ones that we felt.
10:11:41 We learned, anyway, from our steering committee.
10:11:46 And then the other thing we've been thinking quite a bit of time on is site, evaluation, criteria.
10:11:52 Take out this, steering committee. We developed evaluation criteria within these 5 categories.
10:11:59 As a way to kind of really, in a analytical way, evaluate the various sites, because, site selection is, there's complexities to it.
10:12:10 It's not always so straightforward. So these are really a way to understand.
10:12:17 And eventually recommend a site. So some of the potential sites that some these are the sites we're looking at.
10:12:27 They're all owned by public amenities, either the city or school district, and there these are the 4 Sites Mountain View, the right adjacent to it.
10:12:42 Potential golf course. Jefferson Healthcare and Evans is.
10:12:47 And so I'll just go through those 4. We took that evaluation criteria and started to apply to the sites.
10:12:56 This is still very much at the beginning, but started to kind of highlight.
10:13:01 Some of the potential pros potential cons Evans Vista is a large site.
10:13:07 It's 14 acres, but it's also a site that's currently being planned for affordable housing on that acreage.
10:13:15 And so the question is, can those 2 coexist? If you put the health and wellness center on there?
10:13:22 Is it starting to compete too much? If you can also see the some of the pluses here is, it's really the gateway to Port Townsend.
10:13:36 And so in that sense, there's kind of an association.
10:13:38 That is more connected to the South County participation. Perhaps, where you don't have to drive into Port Townsend directly the site's large enough to accommodate.
10:13:53 You know the program and parking some of the cons we felt is the site is really kind of buried back in off of the roundabout.
10:14:03 That's access from Rainier. That's a big criteria for a facility like this.
10:14:09 The public identity and exposure of it.
10:14:14 So on this site it would certainly be depending on signage for its identity.
10:14:21 And then, you know, we're not clear on that cost recovery potential.
10:14:27 Here which has to do with the visibility of the site.
10:14:33 Some of the other sites are more directly connected to residential population, and buzz and bike routes, as well.
10:14:43 This kind of inventory is the sights a bit, and what we're starting to show here is the footprint possible.
10:14:52 Build-out footprint of the building. We understand the building could either be phased.
10:14:57 It may not completely be built out at once, but we want to plan for a side that can accommodate the build out of the building ultimately as well as the required parking.
10:15:09 So you can see the footprint is fairly significant, and we're not clear yet how that would impact the plans for the number of housing units that are proposed here.
10:15:23 I think we've got a couple of comments on screen. Oh, yeah, thanks.
10:15:29 I wasn't a big one. The your initial pro about being accessible to South County as a South County resident.
10:15:39 Right, yeah.
10:15:38 I don't know. Once I'm coming into town I'm coming into town, but I feel like a lot of folks that live in town.
10:15:49 Right.
10:15:44 This is like out of town right now. It might be more chilling those that are used to an urban environment than those of us that have to drive to get anywhere already.
10:15:55 Oh, interesting!
10:15:56 That's an excellent point. It, you know.
10:15:59 It's on the edge of town, but depending on which way you're approaching the facility that's an important consideration.
10:16:07 We have learn from the Y.M.C.A. That 80% of the users who come to the facility right now are a Port Townsend residents.
10:16:15 So you know which way you weight it is, you know, an interesting question.
10:16:22 Thanks. I if I could come in on that site, too. I had a little fantasy thinking about it.
10:16:30 In what, what is not owned by the city. The portion, the north of Dss, which is labeled, as you.
10:16:35 Future. Commercial. Yeah, that personal that's been on the market for quite some time and very casually.
10:16:44 Have talked about the idea of how should the county be investing in that area, too?
10:16:50 Trouble is that the this facility would take up that entire footprint really, of that additional parcel.
10:16:57 So it, you know, thinking, if the county were to consider investing there, knowing that we have additional space needs, could that be shared?
10:17:05 But it looks like it's not big enough to be able to accommodate both, even though being right on the roundabout would solve some of the visibility issues.
10:17:15 Yes.
10:17:16 I will say, too, that transit is very willing to look at various routes to better serve community services.
10:17:26 So I don't know that we need to rule it out.
10:17:27 Based on that alone. But that's a number. A number of valid concerns.
10:17:35 So another site that we looked at was the Jefferson healthcare.
10:17:39 Certainly has prominent frontage and visibility, you know.
10:17:43 Partnership with the hospital, the biggest con, and it's kind of a deal breaker really is just that accommodate the building and parking which it really does have is it's a
1 8 less than one acre site.
10:17:58 Here's an overlay that shows the build out of the building and parking, which is pretty pretty clear what that illustrates.
10:18:10 There's the golf course. Side. Yeah, when we think about that, we were kind of focusing really on that southeast corner.
10:18:20 And in a way that wouldn't directly impact the existing golf course layout or the driving range.
10:18:28 It is a side that can accommodate the parking and building.
10:18:33 It has prominent frontage disability, you know. Probably really good cost recovery potential.
10:18:38 Because of that, the cons are really the fact that there's a concurrent study going on right now for the golf course, and we visioning.
10:18:48 Perhaps its future transformation is still might include, maybe, smaller individual courses.
10:18:58 But and what I've heard is kind of a hybrid where there could be some park development.
10:19:06 Really fronting on to blame, you know, which ultimately might, you know, support locate a building here, although I think the focus is really been on open space and not building
within the golf course in terms of public feback.
10:19:24 This site is full of, you know, potential controversy, and probably the biggest deal is getting closure on the division for the golf course is really the timing doesn't work
with us.
10:19:39 Moving forward with a selected site and development. They're just, you know, the timing just doesn't work.
10:19:46 And then that's just so shows the possibility of how that just like could fit in that south east corner.
10:19:53 And then the fourth side is Mount View context. And this is really promising sign.
10:20:04 It's obviously a site that the community already associates with an aquatic center.
10:20:09 We it can accommodate the building and parking.
10:20:14 Has that prominent frontage, and you know a lot of compatible amenities around it.
10:20:20 There is impact of the dog park. One would need to find another location for that.
10:20:28 And then this just shows the existing and proposed layout.
10:20:35 It is. Yeah. The building can fit here. It's just kind of all the elements can fit, but it's a little bit of a tight fit.
10:20:46 You can see this proposes removing the pool, but it also would probably need to remove the existing gymnasium as well.
10:20:54 You can see the parking, the building frontage, and the idea of preserving the existing pickle ball ports that are there, and the possibly of even expanding those has sent out,
or amenity that's obviously very popular.
10:21:11 And then oops! No!
10:21:13 Can I ask a bit? Is something? Is the recyclery this Kate man looking at you?
10:21:18 Right.
10:21:19 Do you know, there was a recycling? Are they?
10:21:24 Right.
10:21:21 Yeah, since they're in a lot of transition right now, I think it's not off table to work with the city and school district to see if if that's you know, going to be their long-term
location.
10:21:32 Or if that's a potential expansion. Yeah?
10:21:32 Yeah, yeah, we we've given some thought to that.
10:21:38 It's something that I don't believe. The recycler.
10:21:43 He's been really engaged yet, so kind of premature to suggest that at this point, but certainly it's on the table for discussion.
10:21:50 The school district owns that property, and they, I believe, would be willing to consider this facility, utilize the SMS space by the key, a key element that would need to be
addressed is where it does recyclery goes or another home.
10:22:09 It's a very important amenity, and everyone, you know it's respected.
10:22:13 And so we just wanna make sure there they're on board with this.
10:22:22 This, yeah.
10:22:19 Is this the front-runner? Right now? I mean, I know that we have to go through this exercise, but it seems like logical place to put it. You know.
10:22:25 Yeah, it. It is a front runner definitely is, I mean, we would you know, we're having a public meeting tomorrow night.
10:22:36 And so, you know, this is we want to hear what the public has to say about these tonight's.
10:22:41 But the initial analysis with our steering committee would suggest that might be the case.
10:22:58 Right.
10:22:50 Although we'll say to something we talked about on Friday, was the, you know, that that which don't wanna get too attached to this layout, either, because there has been talk
about kind of plaza building a plaza into this site.
10:23:04 And so you know, perhaps, not having the parking lot be between the buildings.
10:23:07 So different configurations with on this site within this site are definitely being discussed, as well.
10:23:14 Yeah. And I would say that you know, more possibilities exist.
10:23:19 Obviously, if every recycling site is included, just opens the door to a lot of different possible layouts.
10:23:32 And that's our presentation and available time. Other questions me up.
10:23:40 Yeah, we have another 5Â min. So, really, really, strong presentation and analysis.
10:23:45 Appreciate all your work, guys, to you and your whole team.
10:23:49 Please convey our thanks.
10:23:49 Oh, thank you!
10:23:50 Thank you.
10:23:51 I don't have any other questions I've been asking them as we go.
10:23:54 Yeah, that's a good way to do it. We always appreciate that.
10:23:57 Yeah.
10:24:00 Actually.
10:24:00 Yeah. Well, since we have a couple of minutes, and we've been peppering you with questions throughout.
10:24:09 Sure!
10:24:09 Yeah.
10:24:05 Do you mind if we open it up for to the public for a few moments, and and see if there's a comments? We'll see how many people there are.
10:24:12 We have 5Â min left. If you're online, you can hit raise hand, or if you're in the room, you can hit, raise your physical hand and we'll give you.
10:24:20 We'll see how many people we have that want to make comment. And then just kind of reverse engineer the time we can get.
10:24:27 All right. We'll go ahead, and Mr.
10:24:30 Chair. She have 3Â min, please.
10:24:33 Okay, thank you. So I made most of my comments earlier.
10:24:37 And I won't repeat them. But some of the discussion that took place after that, for example, you know the the anecdotal information from the Commissioners, Commissioner Eisenhower
and Daniel.
10:24:50 Well, several community members say several is not quantified.
10:24:53 It's not a legitimate survey. So we really need to know what the actual demand is.
10:25:00 The statistic that was just said about only 80% or sorry 80% of the users of the current pool are Port Townsend and the other 20 are not.
10:25:12 That's a little bit lower. Per percentage of Pt.
10:25:15 Users than had been previously reported and I don't know how valid that number is, but regardless it still shows that this is a Port Townsend pool.
10:25:24 It really has very little to do with the rest of the county.
10:25:28 Some of the other things that about this this proposal.
10:25:33 You know the whole business about therapeutic uses, hydrootherapy in particular.
10:25:39 You know that you can get a heated, endless pool for about $30,000 it's about one-tenth of 1% of the proposed facility cost a few of those at that. Jefferson.
10:25:52 Health care would satisfy the hydrotherapy needs also, by the way, you can learn to swim in one of those, not a problem, because it's nice and warm and safe.
10:25:59 It's not deep and cold, so you know, there, there are other alternatives, and instead, building this massively expensive capital investment that you really don't have a way
to pay for and let you go outside of the legitimate service.
10:26:15 Area. So again, you got you got some problems here.
10:26:22 And I just, you know the county has already put a $100,000 into this into this study, and the other agencies have contributed as well.
10:26:30 No question, but it's really time to throw in the towel on this massive expansion and and expenditure of public funds.
10:26:39 I just it just doesn't get a fly.
10:26:42 And I think you're just, you know, flailing around trying to find a way to justify.
10:26:46 And I just don't think it's gonna happen.
10:26:49 And I'm certainly going to oppose it at every opportunity.
10:26:51 So, thanks for the opportunity to comment.
10:26:54 Thank you, Mr. Kirsh, and I don't know, Erica, Jim. If you have any responses, I'm not sure there wasn't a question there, but there were a couple of points I don't give you
an opportunity.
10:27:05 Yeah, yeah, I think the the warm water pool, like is a little different than the endless full.
10:27:14 I'm familiar with the thanks you're talking about, you know.
10:27:16 Part of really the value of like this is the fact that it is not a singular person. Activity.
10:27:25 It's a community activity that children are learning how to swim with other children.
10:27:32 That an instructor there, that's not gonna happen with a couple of endless pools.
10:27:38 It's a pool that it's not a large one.
10:27:42 These warm water polls can be, you know, 6, 7, thousands per feet of water.
10:27:47 We're looking at something about 3,000 square feet, very modest in terms of the amenities.
10:27:56 Oftentimes they have water flies. They have current channels.
10:28:00 They have a lot of fun features. So the discussion. And again, this is very early in the process is that it's a a simplified version of a warm water pool, but have a zero-depth
entry which allows for accessibility of play area for toddlers and and and then
10:28:20 it has really a body of water that is more for group exercise.
10:28:28 Aerobics. For really all ages. And you know, senior population learn to swim classes.
10:28:34 So many different types of activities. So it's you can fit a lot of people in a warm water pool.
10:28:42 With images of that, and so it's a little different type of alcohol, and you know the weather in Port Talson. Isn't that great?
10:28:53 And you know, many months of the year, and to be in warm water and with your friends and family and others, is is something that I really is about the quality.
10:29:01 Of life. You know these are quality alike facilities that really serve the health and wellness for all ages.
10:29:12 And I would say that you know, there's really been a focused attempt.
10:29:17 And this is just beginning to really right size. The facility I know there have been previous versions of this over many years, and really most of them have have been much,
much larger than ultimately, what's being proposed thus far, so I hope you keep an open mind.
10:29:36 And you never know, you know you might. You might feel there's a I was hoping here for you as well.
10:29:44 Thank you. Jim.
10:29:46 Okay. I don't see any other public that wants to make a comments.
10:29:53 Oh, yeah, come on. Come on, Steve. Yeah, we do have it.
10:29:56 1030, so at 6, 6 is possible. Very good. Listen.
10:30:00 I mean, I'm not necessarily at first. I love the idea of places like our community center.
10:30:05 And and it really is great to be able to have one.
10:30:07 Have these kinds of of community facilities, but I am kind of concerned about certain aspects.
10:30:14 Competition, with existing fitness places, I mean, I just I just went.
10:30:17 I was at the gym this morning, which is a great lifting gym, and all that kind of stuff, so I'm not a 100% sure you know about the necessity for public competition for that
there's places like evergreen fitness to look somewhat similar to what the pictures that I
10:30:33 was seeing. I I've been really plugged into the Yoga community over the years there's lots of places where we can do.
10:30:40 Yoga, so you know I get it that it might be good to have a free facility for these things.
10:30:44 But I you know I'm just a little bit of 2 minds about that, and this might help hurt our existing businesses regarding the pool thing.
10:30:52 I mean, like we already have a pool I understand that there's problems with the pool, but in a sense, to put in a second pool that's not super far away, unless we're really
just totally planning to close down the first pool so again, i'm just a little bit confused
10:31:05 about this, and in terms of the management of it. If the Y.M.C.A.
10:31:12 Is involved in managing it, that might be a red flag for some people.
10:31:15 I don't know so, anyway. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr.
10:31:19 Schumacher. Okay. Well, I I don't think there was anything to respond there to.
10:31:24 But you know another comment. You know more arrows for your quiver, and really appreciate your work on this and your time with us. Erica and Jim.
10:31:32 And oh, are there 2? Okay? Well, we'll accommodate them real quick and apologies to to Monica and Gordon.
10:31:40 It will be just just a moment later before we can get to the Mrc.
10:31:43 Workshop and Troy. Yes, and go ahead and bring them over.
10:31:50 And and you know, let's try to be 6 months, Miss Ball. You have the floor.
10:31:55 Uhhuh.
10:31:54 Hi! Can you hear me? Alright! I don't have enough information to have a well formulated opinion of this project.
10:32:04 What I do have is maybe some questions, and I wonder if options outside of port towns and proper, have been considered.
10:32:11 If you're gonna suggest that this is meant for the entire county, perhaps something in District 2 might facilitate that.
10:32:18 I do like some of the features presented. But that is my question. Thank you.
10:32:24 Thanks, Jane. We can just ask that question to Erica and Jim real quick.
10:32:29 No, we haven't considered other sites other than before that are within a city or a school district.
10:32:39 Ownership. Part of the premise here is not having to purchase land, and incurred that additional costs.
10:32:52 Yes.
10:32:50 And of course, you were hired by the city, and what and what would we give up?
10:32:56 I brought up Hj. Carol earlier. What would we give up at Hj.
10:32:59 Carol Park. At this point, you know, like where? Where would we put it?
10:33:01 There I I don't know. But yeah, and previously there has been work done on on.
10:33:09 The kind of population density you need in order to support facilities like this, and outside of the of the port towns, and was found to be just, not have that that density.
We'd also have a wastewater treatment issue outside of urban growth area in the county as well, so
10:33:28 Hmm!
10:33:29 that's another challenge. Great, thank you. And Bonnie, good morning.
10:33:34 Good morning. Speaking just as a citizen. My question was the same, what other sites were considered, and why?
10:33:45 And that got answered, thank you. What's the timetable on completion?
10:33:49 If this moves forward. Thank you.
10:33:54 The timetable on the study is to be complete by end of July.
10:34:01 And do you have any idea what kind of timeframe we're talking about for a facility of the size, if it moves forward.
10:34:09 It will. Yeah. Assuming, you know, perhaps by the fall, there's, you know, within a sure window, let's say 6 months.
10:34:18 There's enough understanding of where the funding is coming from.
10:34:22 To move forward. Design would be about a year in construction.
10:34:27 Probably like 16 months. So it's, you know.
10:34:31 Optimistically a couple of years from now, before 2 years plus before it opened.
10:34:38 Great. Well, once again, Jim, Erica, thank you very much for your time and your work on this, and I'm sure we'll talk to you again soon.
10:34:48 Yeah.
10:34:46 Yep, looking forward to it. Thank you.
10:34:46 Right. Thank you so much for having us. Bye, bye!
10:34:51 Great. Okay. Hello, Monica. Sorry we're running just a little bit late with our previous agenda.
10:34:57 Item, we have Gordon and Troy in the room with us today.
10:35:01 But we're here for our annual updates on the activities of the Marine Resource Committee, and I will.
10:35:07 I'll update it over to you if you're ready, Monica.
10:35:09 Wonderful. Thank you. Just trying to get this screen shared.
10:35:16 It's shared you're you're not.
10:35:18 Yep, looks perfect.
10:35:17 Are you steam you seen my notes? So you see, in all the secrets.
10:35:21 No, we don't see your secret.
10:35:24 Okay. Great. Well, thank you for your time this morning, and for all that you do for the county.
10:35:29 I Monic Montgomery. The water programs per.
10:35:31 Neither would Jeff. Wc. Jefferson County Extension, where the Jefferson, Mrc.
10:35:37 Is housed. We have some members members joining us today as well as you mentioned Troy and Gordon sounds like they're in the room with you.
10:35:43 That's great. We also have Sarah Fiskin, our district district 3 representative, joining by Zoom, Jeff Tilor, our district 2 Representative.
10:35:52 He'll be hopping on to pursue, as well as Carolyn, or someone can give him permissions shortly, and I believe Bob Simmons, who is with Wc.
10:36:01 Extension is also joining. So we'll be sharing some of the Merc's accomplishments in 2022.
10:36:08 Some of what we're currently working on in 2,023 and welcome your input on how we can investor the county and effort to protect and restore natural resources.
10:36:14 And marine in your shore environments and feel free to ask questions throughout, and I apologize if I start coughing or clearing my throat.
10:36:22 Getting over a cold, so as a quick overview, the Jefferson number C is one of 7.
10:36:28 Mrc's covering the Northwest Rates region outlined here these 7 Marine Resource Committees, along with the Northwest Rates Commission and Northwest Rates Foundation, together
form the Northwest Straits and Marine Conservation Initiative which was
10:36:42 established by Congress in 1999. In response to habitat degradation in the region, and as an alternative to what was originally proposed to be a national marine sanctuary, so
instead, the initiative serves as a model for engaging community members at the
10:36:56 local county level, with the bottom of approach to marine conservation and steward.
10:37:04 I like our logo best.
10:37:09 And the Jackson County Mrc. Is made up of county residents who represent different marine interests, including recreational commercial, and marine science and conservation,
as well as the 3 Commissioner districts and representatives from the Jamesowns column tribe the City of Port Townsend
10:37:23 Port-porttowns, and and the Board of County Commissioners.
10:37:26 Most members are volunteers who are pointed by to the committee, by our Commissioners, and serve 4 year terms.
10:37:32 All our passionate reign stewards, you share the common goal of restoring, protecting our local marine in your shore environment.
10:37:38 Sorry, my slide advancement is delayed. There we go.
10:37:45 So first and foremost, we're an advisory committee serving the county and advisory capacity regarding local marine.
10:37:50 Issues. We hold monthly meetings that provide opportunities for public engagement and discussion about our local marine environment.
10:37:58 And we're incredibly fortunate to receive Grant funding to engage in hands-on projects that support local marine protection, restoration, and education.
10:38:06 Virtual work with numerous local and regional partners.
10:38:08 Many of them listed here.
10:38:11 So in 2022 this funding came from the State of Washington and EPA.
10:38:15 The Environmental Protection Agency through grant submered by the Northwest Rates Commission as well as funding from the Northwest Rates Foundation and significant Volunteer
time and in kind contributions from the community in 2,022, the Mrc leveraged over a $140,000 in
10:38:31 funding, volunteer service and income contributions from marine conservation.
10:38:36 Here in our account.
10:38:38 2022, Mrc. Members and community volunteers contributed over 1,800 volunteer hours of the time, and nearly a third of these hours were contributed by community volunteers.
10:38:52 So in covid restrictions, easing, we're able to get out into the community a bit more to offer more in-person education.
10:38:57 Events meet folks at local festivals and make more volunteers and projects, and, as you'll see in this chart, the majority of our time, nearly 3 quarters of it was dedicated
to hands-on projects focused on monitoring restoration and education.
10:39:14 So debris, a quick overview of our projects.
10:39:18 Here's a glimpse that our community science monitoring work which includes porch responding surveys, bulk help, monitoring, and a new project monitoring storm surges or total
water levels during coastal flooding events.
10:39:29 So we continue to monitor the 3 sites before it's spawning of Selma Beach and Discovery Bay Bay and Port Towns and State Park last year we conducted 27 surveys across these
sites, finding Sand That's eggs at the Adama and
10:39:42 Dabb site. This data contributes to regional monitoring efforts with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as the point in a Point Treaty Council to inform our collective
understanding of the health of these new shore ecosystems and this data also informs how dfw issues
10:39:57 their Hpa permits for and or near statewater projects.
10:40:02 We also conducted 3 kayakly surveys at North Beach to monitor one of the bulk out beds here in partnership with the Northwest Rates Commission it's part of my natural resources
and other regional efforts monitoring the health and distribution of this
10:40:14 critical Habitat Forming species, we continue to find our North Beach calbed to be dynamic.
10:40:18 Ur to year, but healthy, and continue to keep abreast of developments with the sewer outfall.
10:40:25 Here, and the storm surge monitoring project is a new one.
10:40:28 The Mrc. Adopted that was previously housed with local twenty-twenty.
10:40:32 This project is LED by Jeff, who's here, and I am welcome to hop in.
10:40:38 If I miss anything. But this project is in partnership with Washington.
10:40:44 C. Grants. Coastal hazard Specialist, Ian Miller, and Engages other accomplished community volunteers and we're excited about this project because it's novel.
10:40:51 And looking at the cumulative parameters affecting coastal flooding events.
10:40:56 Anything else to add Jeff.
10:40:59 Okay, I gotta shake it ahead.
10:41:01 I want to know more about this. This is a new one, you know.
10:41:02 Yeah.
10:41:05 We've all been on the mit the board here, but I love to hear how you're.
10:41:09 How you're monitoring storm surge. It's I'm not counterintuitive to me. I'd love to hear.
10:41:17 Yeah, go for it.
10:41:15 Yeah, do you want a quick update on that now? Or, yeah.
10:41:20 Well, what we're interested in is just got a lot of interest, as of the 20 seventh as December 20 seventh this year, my little bit more attention on it.
10:41:29 We're interested in the total water, which is, there's the high tide which predictable.
10:41:33 There's the storm surge which is caused by the pressure differentials.
10:41:37 And then there's the wave running up, and what you care about is when the total water goes over some barrier and causes falling and we're using the site at the boat ramp.
10:41:51 At the salmon pub, because it's a fixed surface.
10:41:57 It's not indicative of all sides, but it is fixed so we can.
10:42:00 We've surveyed it, and so we go out there in bad weather, when there's storm surge.
10:42:06 And Major how head goes up, and it's still a project that's being evolved.
10:42:11 And we're kicking around getting some new volunteers and gonna have an intern to help define this project this year.
10:42:20 Great. Thank you.
10:42:23 Great. And we also work on a number of education, outreach efforts to engage the broader community.
10:42:28 Environmental education, stewardship. Last year we directly engaged over 1,300 community members through our education programs and efforts in partnership with the port towns
and Rain Science Center, we offered to couple presentation and activity events so one featured speakers from Washington secret and the storm surge monitoring
10:42:45 team that we just mentioned to talk about King tides and it was during a time where we were still wary of getting together and doors.
10:42:53 So we offered a demonstration on how to use the my coast app to document these events, and then our second couple of event was a presentation with, speakers from the Pug Sign
Restoration Fund Department of Fish and Wildlife, and James Tones Clum Tribe about Dodging his Crab Monitoring Efforts and Co
10:43:09 manager and that was coupled with an in-person event.
10:43:13 You'll see right here this top photo on the left of bringing folks up together outdoors for a live larval larval trap. Monitoring event.
10:43:22 So this is a way that these partners collect data about larval duninist crabs and helps them assess population dynamics.
10:43:34 And so both of these presentations are available on a port town submarine.
10:43:37 Sorry centers. Youtube page. We also hosted co-hosted workshops with the Northwest Rates Foundation for shoreline property owners to learn about sea level rise and natural solutions
for managing erosion on the properties as well as for recreational crabbers we also
10:43:54 engaged in numerous or a few community festivals the shrimpest and wooden boat festival to engage with folks.
10:44:02 We gave presentations through partnering organizations at programs and publish some ads about taking care of our environment.
10:44:14 Sorry for the Lag.
10:44:21 Okay, there's a lot of nice pictures to look at.
10:44:25 How's the goal? Okay? Finally, several of our projects are focused on hands on restoration and protection efforts for our new anchor zones Project.
10:44:36 You have Troy and Gordon in the room who could speak a lot more about this, but our volunteer Merc members caught up on maintenance needs last year of our 3.
10:44:44 No anchor zone sites, and near Port Towns and port, Hablock and Mystery Bay, and with the support of the port of Port Townsend and Hammerhammill, oyster co-lending their boats
for use for these projects we also contracted an el grass
10:44:59 Servey last year along the port towns and waterfront which is currently being analyzed by department of natural Resource.
10:45:05 To better understand how this resource is doing in this location.
10:45:08 Last year we expanded our Olympia Oysterory restoration site in Discovery Bay to include one more parcel which I'll share a little bit more about in detail.
10:45:19 Shortly we ramped up maintenance of our established rain gardens across Port Townsend, organizing 5 work parties last year, and installed a new raid and garden and Port Hadlock
just behind our office here Wc extension thank you to heidi for being willing to help with that we
10:45:35 Not a time.
10:45:33 had to call her off because we had such an awesome turnout of community volunteers got it done in record time, and we piloted a new project which I think we mentioned the beginnings
of that last year's presentation.
10:45:47 But this effort to remove derelict crab pots, using a remotely operated vehicle in partnership with the local port towns and STEM youth robotics Club. The sea dragons which
Jeff will share a little bit more about shortly.
10:46:03 Of course I keep skipping ahead. Here we go.
10:46:11 So it was just a quick overview of the projects that we worked on last year, and real briefly wanted to share some of the exciting results from some of them.
10:46:17 So, oysters are only made of oyster, and was once abundant in discovery.
10:46:22 Bay. They were nearly excellurated, due to habitat loss, and over harvesting, since their arrival of settlers.
10:46:29 Here when we started this project in 2,014. We didn't do a population survey because it was essentially just mud flat and had 0.
10:46:36 I won't be able oysters. Since then we've been spreading clean Pacific oysters shell to provide substrate for larvae to settle on, and here are the results from last year's
population.
10:46:47 Survey. So we estimated shoot. We estimated nearly 80,000.
10:46:59 Cool.
10:46:52 Olympia oysters within this quarter acre plot up from 50,000 in 2021, and 35,02020, and these are results from the new parcel that we added, which is located just southwest
and adjacent to me we wanted to include this site because we
10:47:11 noticed that the substrate, and then he settled the oysters we're drifting southwards with the wave action and currents, and so we secured permits last year and conducted the
first population survey with the help of community volunteers and estimated nearly 35,000 olympia
10:47:27 oysters sell closely to the other site, and about 9,000 across the rest of the site. So we're really excited to see what the site will look like in the future.
10:47:37 As we start spreading substrate here, as well.
10:47:39 Monica. Can I ask you a question just am I interpreting that data correctly, that this new site, just for me I'm looking at these bar charts seems to be growing faster.
10:47:49 Then the other side. Is that just?
10:47:51 Hey? No. So this is just a snapshot. And what I see here, these older, larger oysters here, I believe those drifted in from the other site years prior.
10:48:07 And so we also see these smaller size which shows that recurring is also occurring.
10:48:12 So that's really promising. So we're hoping.
10:48:17 So that's really promising. So we're hopeful that we can really help boost this population just by putting substrate out there.
10:48:20 Great it's downwind. Oh!
10:48:28 Yeah, I'd love to hear you. Greg Gordon, but they the public, can't hear you right now.
10:48:34 So do you mind rejecting that at the microphone as Monica see it?
10:48:39 It's downwind. So the predominant wave action is taking oysters from the initial site down to the new site.
10:48:45 So great. Thank you.
10:48:46 Thank you, Gordon, and just to share a little bit deeper into the Rov project.
10:48:54 I'll let Jeff take it from here.
10:48:55 Yeah, Monica said. This was a new project, but it actually goes back about 5 years.
10:49:01 About 5 years ago, the Sea Dragons, which is robotics.
10:49:04 They were high school at the time, came to us and presented the Rv.
10:49:09 The remote operated vehicle. It's the the little thing in the lower right there, next to Crabpot, and it.
10:49:17 They're talk about the capabilities and ask us, as the Mrc.
10:49:20 If we knew of any practical applications for it, and the Northwest Rates Foundation has a very big project for removing derelict fishing gear.
10:49:32 And but it's fairly expensive to serve sites side scan serves, and they put divers down to remove the equipment, and we thought, and they also don't serve a lot of the areas.
10:49:42 And Puget Sound. They usually do. The larger areas that are craft quite a bit.
10:49:45 And so we decided that maybe we could work with them and move crap pots with using their ov in 2021, we did see trials with Ross Anderson's boat went out and saw that they could
actually operate it learned a few things.
10:50:01 They don't they? Made a few modifications. They didn't know which direction they're appointed.
10:50:06 So they added a compass onto it that's in the top center picture.
10:50:11 And this year we actually contracted to have sides scan surveys done with that toad sonar already.
10:50:18 That's in the upper left corner. We contract with Van Griner and coastal coastal sensing and surveying, and went out and made some runs, I think, in May of last year.
10:50:31 The result tree in the lower left. You see that the echo return, and as you go along the bottom you, as you go along the target area, you mark where the different crab plots
are, and seeing no back, no exactly, it will get a GPS coordinates where they are so you can go back and pick
10:50:47 them up the we had some other problems we were supposed to do.
10:50:53 4 days of scanning, but we only got into because of bad weather.
10:50:59 But we did get 2 sites, one at Adelma Beach in Discovery Bay, and the other one was up at between that point and Cape George, and we found it surprised me.
10:51:15 I expect to find about 4 pots, but in the Adelaide I think we found about 30 pots, and up in the more heavily currented, where it's more chance you lose your pots.
10:51:26 We put tomato 26 of them up in the Cape George area, and we so they went out and tried to recover them, learned a few things.
10:51:37 They can't operate in current. Very well. So we're gonna be fairly limited in where we can operate.
10:51:43 We kind of interesting. The first part we found we were unsuccessful in Cape George at because of the currents, but we put up the anchor.
10:51:54 We snack the crap pot. So we did get one that way.
10:51:58 Take the win!
10:51:59 Yeah, we did. We're quite proud of that.
10:52:01 And then we went out the next day with smaller boats, modified our techniques a little bit, and they got quite good at finding pots fairly rapidly.
10:52:10 The even though you know exactly where they are. But from the GPS you still have to find them.
10:52:15 And it's not that easy, optically, but we. They modified their techniques.
10:52:21 We drop the line down, then to go out in radius is until they find the reopening fairly quickly, and we've removed.
10:52:27 We found 4 pots in. I don't know. Can you back up Monica?
10:52:31 Yeah, and someone will be left because they had a lot of enemies on them.
10:52:38 And they were actually pried open. So they weren't crafts any more. So we just left those.
10:52:42 But we did remove a couple of pots, and last year we pretty much got blocked out because we were working just before crab season, and we weren't allowed with our license from
fishing wall like to operate during crap season.
10:52:55 So we only pulled up a couple of pots this year when we go out, and we have, we're working on being able to go out on the days when the crabbing is closed.
10:53:06 During the season, and this year we're gonna go out and work in port towns and bay.
10:53:13 It was chosen because Ben Bryer is actually going to work in discovery.
10:53:17 Van, clean it out under under a grant and Northwest rates, is not doing port towns in Bay this year.
10:53:25 We know we're fine pots. It's a fairly benign environment compared to other slides.
10:53:31 And we're still in the experimenting and learning phase.
10:53:36 But we hope to get a question where pots this year.
10:53:37 So any questions.
10:53:40 Hi! I was just gonna say, Jeff, you might put on the future area list.
10:53:46 The beats between Chemical Creek and the Boat School.
10:53:50 I see I that's where I crab. So I see a lot of I imagine there's a lot of pots there.
10:53:56 They did some practicing down there last year, and they actually found a plot just optically driving around the bottom.
10:54:03 So, yeah, I agree.
10:54:03 Yeah, Jeff, my question is, and this looks fantastic.
10:54:08 And I remember the first presentation from the Sea Dragon.
10:54:11 So it's great that there is a practical application.
10:54:12 That's been developed to really kind of do home their skills.
10:54:18 And I really appreciate it. I am curious about the the pots that are turning into have turned into artificial reefs, and in the future I mean, if you can't open them so they
aren't adequate for crabs is is
10:54:32 it best practice to leave them where they can continue to be at home to other life forms.
10:54:37 Yeah, we're still learning about that. We I was actually surprised at how much growth it was down there.
10:54:45 The one on the right is actually propped open, and they inspected it, and we will be kind of continuing to learn about what we should be doing with that.
10:54:55 Our general rule was, do no harm, and the one the one in the middle there, we actually, that's when it's being pulled up.
10:55:04 That one we did recover.
10:55:05 So you attach a rope with with the Rov to the cage, and then pull it up.
10:55:11 Yes.
10:55:11 Is that the process? And I actually went scuba diving yesterday, for, like the second time in 30 years, and was one of the interesting things is that a lot of the garbage under
there really does end up like an artificial reef, you know, I saw giant pacific octopus in an in
10:55:28 an old, an old pipeline, and and then the eelgrass was really cool, too.
10:55:34 Lots of crabs and everything. But I was just. It was kind of startling how we were going for this garbage pipeline to look at because of the amount of life around it.
10:55:43 So these, I guess. I'm just curious, this double edged sword of garbage in in our oceans becoming, you know, habitat. I don't know if you have anything to say about it, or I'm
just talking.
10:55:57 Yeah, I mean, I think that is what we see like, preferably we would not be adding trash to the environment.
10:56:03 But after a certain amount of time it some of it does end up becoming like this article reef and starts creating Habat. Not ideal, but it. It's I guess it's a a pro to trash
being introduced to our environment.
10:56:20 I mean, I think I think the Port Point Hudson Jenny Replacement Project is a perfect example of you know Detroit is becoming habitat.
10:56:30 Yeah, okay.
10:56:32 Great. Well, thank you, Jeff. Please continue. Monica.
10:56:35 So real briefly, just to share what we're working on this year.
10:56:38 We're continuing all of the projects we just shared about, as well as exploring some opportunities and kill us at harbor for Olympia. Oyster restoration with some community
outreach efforts this year.
10:56:51 We've also put some funding towards Derek vessel removal as part of a regional project, and not a project per se, but an effort of ours is we recently formed a Dei subcommittee
to be more thoughtful about engaging the broader community across East Jefferson
10:57:07 County in the work of caring for our marine and aircraft environments.
10:57:11 We also have 4 internships that we're actively recruiting for right now up on the county website for early career professionals, someone will be dedicated to you are crab or
outreach experts.
10:57:23 One will be dedicated to recruiting community engagement in our rain garden maintenance work.
10:57:30 One will be a program assistant. So, helping the Mrc.
10:57:33 More broadly, and then, as Jeff mentioned the storm surge, monitoring in turn, and just a quick update on funding thanks in part to letters from a support from the Docc, we
secure $200,000 in Congressional funds for this year that started in January
10:57:50 and we are currently working on planning efforts for our next 2 year.
10:57:54 Grant Fund Cycle.
10:57:56 And I would just say, I'm a derelict vessel thing.
10:57:59 It was the subcommittee of the Mrc.
10:58:00 That LED to the Jefferson County, jumping in and removing that one boat.
10:58:05 That was talked about about a month ago. So that's great.
10:58:08 And Monica. One other question is your Congressional funding, then almost double what it was before?
10:58:14 Is that what I did? I misinterpret that.
10:58:16 So, okay, so yeah, so we were allotted $200,000, and then we diverted some of that for the dairy like Bustle fund.
10:58:26 So what's coming in is about 118,000, which is the number you might be more familiar with signing off on that grant agreement.
10:58:34 So the derelict vessel funds were separated, and then, yeah.
10:58:41 So, yeah, how can we be of service to the county? We're grateful that we can do these hands on projects that engage volunteers from the broader community and stewarding our
marine ecosystems.
10:58:52 However, we're also here in an advisory capacity and available to help develop and review plans and provide recommendations to ensure the health and abundance of our marine
resources.
10:59:03 We have a wonderful membership of passionate individuals with extensive marine science backgrounds, who represent diverse interests in our county, and who want to be of service.
10:59:13 And yes, please please feel free to reach out if you're hearing concerns from residents, or if there's ways that you can see us partnering with other county departments or organizations
where we're all ears and I think that sums it up.
10:59:27 So thank you so much.
10:59:27 Why, why don't you guys have a county email account?
10:59:33 I have a personal email address. This is a general one that we kind of put on all of our educational outreach and materials.
10:59:44 And so it's kind of a funneling place that then forwards to my personal account.
10:59:50 Is that advantageous over a county, you know, Mrc.
10:59:54 At Co. Dot, Jefferson, dot wall.
10:59:56 That's a great question, I think this is just kind of how it was when I started, and I've continued with it.
11:00:03 This is, I think, just having been around for a while.
11:00:07 This is the email that's out there. We we could certainly transition if that would be better.
11:00:12 We? We can discuss that further, if if that's an necessity that we should be mindful of. Yeah.
11:00:19 Any questions. Okay. Great. Well, excellent presentation.
11:00:28 You know all all 3 of us commissioners have served on the Mrc.
11:00:32 At different times. So I think we're we're a hip to the good work that you guys are doing great to see those services expanding.
11:00:38 And you know more than ever, and being responsive to your issues on the ground.
11:00:43 Great work. I don't have any asks, I guess and he's not gonna arm. Wrestle me for the Mrc.
11:00:50 So I'm keeping it. Well, we'll see. We'll see. It's a it's a fight every January.
11:00:56 Laura we're happy to have anyone on Fee join us, and you're certainly welcome to participate in any of our volunteer events as well.
11:01:04 That's ever of interest.
11:01:05 Well, I think I've said it before, but we should get a forage fish project going down, and in Brennan both the Dosi Wallops and Duck Bush would just be critical with that that
significant amount of work, and I'd I drive down.
11:01:17 Okay, great. Making a note of that.
11:01:21 Anything from you, Troy, on the Mrc. Biz. I'd be here.
11:01:31 Thanks for being here. You guys, yeah, it's good to see you, Troy.
11:01:34 Good to see you, Gordon. And Online, we have a Neil and Sarah and Bob and Jeff, and I'll give all of you guys an opportunity.
11:01:43 If you have anything you'd like to say, I see a chat from from.
11:01:47 But yeah, we have a moment. If you have anything to add.
11:01:50 What I just wanted. So my appreciation that all 3 commissioners now have served on Mrc.
11:01:58 And and your participation is really vital to keep us informed of what's going on at the broader county level.
11:02:06 So. So anyways, we really value your participation on the committee.
11:02:13 And yeah, our funding has increased. I think when Kate was on, we were working in around $70,000 a year when Greg was on, we were at about in the nineties, like $92,000 a year.
11:02:29 And now, with this influx of Federal money, we're up to close to $200,000 a year, which really is, gonna enable us to get more projects happening on the ground and also serve
those interns to get them kind of first, experience in the marine environment.
11:02:51 And you know, network with our local organizations where they may find other job opportunities down the line.
11:02:59 And and lastly, I wanted to point out with the education and outreach efforts.
11:03:05 Is. I think it's a lot bigger than that.
11:03:07 We have all these members who are really engaged, and they talk to their friends, and they're knowledgeable.
11:03:12 So we're really increasing the capacity of our own community to educate itself.
11:03:19 All out there. You're out there talking to folks, and and so are we.
11:03:25 So anyways, we, a lot of amplification, I think, happens with that's a committee.
11:03:31 It's a great point, Bob. Thank you. Yeah, we're creating Mrc Mavens throughout the community. I think.
11:03:37 Gordon. Come on up microphone. I would just like to add that Monica took over this place from a very capable person.
11:03:48 Cheryl load, and she took it over right at the start of Covid, and she's done a great job and filling cheryl shoes very difficult.
11:03:59 Time as to got you guys who have been on the Mit.
11:04:00 No. So yeah, you were on. Yeah, that's great.
11:04:10 Yeah. Good. Good compliments from Monica. And yeah, great work and I'll just read Neil Harrington agreed with Bob, and and thanks for the support from the Commissioners, and
Sarah agreed.
11:04:22 I believe with.
11:04:24 I can't remember what the general sentiment I don't know, but.
11:04:30 Yeah, we can hear you. Sarah, go ahead.
11:04:28 Wait. Can you guys hear me? No? Oh, I was agreeing with you on the doing.
11:04:36 A forge fish sampling, and the deck of bush.
11:04:40 All right. District will take care.
11:04:41 I think that's really important. Yeah.
11:04:45 Alright! Thank you all. Thanks so much for your time this morning, and take care.
11:04:50 Thanks. Monica. Great presentation thanks so much. We'll let you guys go.
11:04:53 Thank you.
11:04:54 Really appreciate the annual report and the deep dive, so have a great day.
11:04:59 You as well.
11:05:00 Back to the beach with you, Gordon.
11:05:07 Good with my scuba diving anecdot and.
11:05:13 Perfect. Okay. Our next timed agenda item is at 1130 to talk about the trust land transfer.
11:05:24 Commissioner Dean needed to depart for an unavoidable appointment to to talk with the media about the Wash dot road closures.
11:05:35 So we've got a few minutes, and I don't.
11:05:38 We've already kind of set a time for the bit award for the county newspaper.
11:05:43 So we'll do that when we get Commissioner Dean back with us.
11:05:47 So I guess we have a little time for some briefing and and calendaring.
11:05:53 If you're inclined, you wanna pick a a little break here for 5Â min.
11:10:32 All right. Welcome back. It's 1110. I'll call this meeting of the Board of County Commissioners back into session, and I will take a little bit.
11:10:43 We have an 1130 plan scheduled appointment, or scheduled agenda.
11:10:48 Item, to discuss and take potential action on the trust land transfer in the Quimper Peninsula.
11:10:55 So, Heidi, you wanna look back at your last week.
11:11:05 Last week. So with you all on Monday, and then attended in the evening on Monday there was an event of about 30 folks at the 7 Leaders Casino discussing natural climate solutions,
and went to their networking dinner that evening, and just interesting.
11:11:31 It was the first day of a 3 day conference, so they hadn't really gotten into brainstorming.
11:11:36 Solutions or collaborative opportunities, natural climate solutions.
11:11:42 One of the applications of that concept is by some funding coming through the legislature.
11:11:47 So they're trying to come up with a collaborative proposals that they can ask for funding from the Legislature for I don't know what a natural climate solution is.
11:11:56 I mean all the people die. That's like forest land.
11:12:03 Protection is a natural climate solution. Near shore habitat.
11:12:07 Protection, and so there's concern in the legislature some.
11:12:16 There's been some proposals for things like fast charging stations which are not natural climate solutions so it's things that nature does on behalf of climate change, stations
which are not natural climate solutions.
11:12:32 Which are not natural climate solutions. Right? So it's things that nature does on behalf of climate change, stations which are not natural climate solutions. It only grows
right.
11:12:38 So it specifically climate solutions. So. But that was an interesting conversation, and nice to see you was part of that conversation.
11:12:48 Tuesday morning I did a ride along with our cares team, which was super interesting, so they picked me up, jumped in the back of their track, and we went.
11:13:01 We went and visited a few of their. They have a list every day of 10 to 15, folks that they're gonna check on, and I asked how many they get to in a day, and they said, so far,
9 is their record.
11:13:14 Okay. So the first gentleman we went to visit was living in a hotel and potentially needed into life.
11:13:25 Care didn't have anywhere to live, you know, just they're not.
11:13:28 They're navigating specific and diverse scenarios in each case.
11:13:34 And this one was really hard. I can't say much you know, hipaa, you know, hip and all that, but abstractly I can say that that one was the most kind of hands on, and actually
clean as bathroom, and you know helped them with what they had to
11:13:53 do, and the and the 45Â min we were there. Then we the next, the next person we visited was a woman, and she had fallen and had called 9 1 one, which is what a lot of the calls
that 9. One.
11:14:13 One response to our our trips and falls. I forget it's it's a large, it's a huge percentage.
11:14:19 It's 70% of the non-emergent calls, I think, is what I heard right?
11:14:28 They call once or twice a week often. So this woman was not someone who's been calling frequently, but had fallen, and I think was feeling it wasn't more of a mental health
issue in the sense that she was feeling insecure or unstable, you know, literally like scared of walking cause she
11:14:49 had fallen a few times. So they kind of troubleshooted with her, and, you know, actually move some stuff in her house or so that she could get around easier.
11:15:02 And then asked her if she wanted one of those those necklaces you wear, that when you fall you push a button.
11:15:09 She did not want one of those she's very independent, which is awesome.
11:15:13 And so they landed on, helping her get a apple.
11:15:17 Watch, which does the same thing when she kind of wanted one of those anything.
11:15:22 So, you know, it's just really it's with each person.
11:15:25 It's kind of reading the water and coming up with what adjustments are gonna work for their life.
11:15:32 And whatever they're facing, and then there was a another couple more folks.
11:15:36 We just went to check on people. They'd seen previously.
11:15:40 A woman with dementia, and they were just concerned. She didn't have food in her fridge, and another woman who's was having trouble was her husband's kind of primary care provider,
not primary care provider, but primary support.
11:15:59 Network, right and couldn't lift him herself. So things like that where, you know, people just need supports and where they weren't coming to help her lift her husband.
11:16:09 They were coming to connect to the services that get her, the help that she needs they need as a family, and she declined help.
11:16:16 That that woman did. Yeah. So and the woman with dementia said, Why are you here?
11:16:22 And and then I was like, I'll go look in the fridge.
11:16:29 It's definitely an important service in our community and is, are these are people who would otherwise fall through the cracks right?
11:16:38 And the gentleman in in the hotel room specifically, are pointed to me was an example of someone who would really fall through the cracks, and was kind of in an acute phase
of if you felt it.
11:16:51 The cracks, you, you know, might die. So so yeah, that was my morning on Tuesday.
11:17:01 Do they establish a like a for lack of a better word, a client relationship with these folks?
11:17:07 I mean, do they have? What is their connection? What is their?
11:17:14 They get a list of people, you know, they it's a referral through 9, 1 1.
11:17:19 And so 9 1 one, I'll say this person's call about, you know, fall or I don't actually understand the mechanism that creates the referral.
11:17:29 But that's the primary way that this list is created is referrals to 9, 1 1.
11:17:34 Some of the people are repeat, they check back on. So I guess my question is, when they start checking back and they're functioning as essentially case managers.
11:17:43 I think that often, at least, in the mental health, sad world comes with.
11:17:48 There's legal protections, and you know, so you gotta sign paperwork.
11:17:53 And I'm wondering. Are they signing paperwork?
11:17:56 Are they doing a cute? I didn't. I wasn't with them on any initial visit, so I didn't see what they do.
11:18:02 Initially, but that would be a question for them. Okay, yeah.
11:18:10 Cool sounds, fascinating. Then I came back and went for a walk with my local courthouse.
11:18:16 Gaggle of walkers which I'm trying to do as many days as I can in the lunch hour, and then Nope and we don't go on Mondays, and then found a little video for our strategic planning
effort to go on our sharepoint
11:18:33 sites for the community, hoping that when they go there it'll welcome them to our survey and encourage people to take the survey, and then we had a strategic planning session
in the afternoon, and then I had the Marine Resources committee meeting in the evening so full day on
11:18:54 Tuesday. I just have to say I'm because they were just here.
11:18:58 I love the Marine Resources Committee. It's you know, the presentation we had last night was a gentleman who's doing this super advanced study of currents in the Straits of
one Nevuca and the Puget Sound, and you know the all the scientists in the room on the Mrc.
11:19:15 Are saying, oh, we could use this for this and you know they're thinking of all these applications of this guy's study to our local geography.
11:19:21 So that was cool. Wednesday. Had an encumbered lands, proviso work group meeting just to fill the proposal to fill us all in on where the legislative sessions going.
11:19:38 We had a strategic planning our weekly strategic planning short meeting in the afternoon.
11:19:46 Representative Kilmer's new Olympic Peninsula staff person came Hayley, and we gave her a Clock tower tour, and I met with her about a letter that Representative Kilmer is going
to write in support of a Forestry project that Mallory
11:20:02 Chickadee is working on with her colleague, Cory.
11:20:08 Yep, the swyers! So that's an exciting project.
11:20:12 And then Matt Cercily, from the planning commission, came in and brainstormed some eco.
11:20:20 Has eco a tou ideas kind of going to phase 2.
11:20:22 So brainstorming some ideas around that attended a Growler meeting on the effects of the noise of growlers underneath the water, on the marine environment.
11:20:35 Something. I've been paying somewhat close attention to the last couple of years, and then in the evening I had the Olympic Discovery Trail Board meeting.
11:20:47 When they talked a little bit about their L. Tech they got an altac grant from us, and they also got an L.
11:20:51 Tag Grant from, and they're kind of coordinating how they're gonna deploy those funds and get user counters on the trails and the hell Bates, how base viewpoint!
11:21:06 Yeah. Thursday. There were a couple of short meetings, one with Philip Hunsucker and you all, and another with other on a drainage issue, a residence having on his property,
and then the afternoon I went and testified remotely on the Senate bill 1460 which is the
11:21:29 Trust, Land Transfer Bill I think it's good to be exact out of the Senate Committee this Thursday, and we'll go to the floor and should pass I mean, it's had a lot of work.
11:21:41 Yeah, that's a serious work done. So I think that's gonna be that one's gonna pass this week.
11:21:51 And then it will go to the floor. And then in the evening, with you all attended the meeting at the fairgrounds, about the fair fair board.
11:22:02 Thought it was a productive meeting, and I especially like the second part, where we were actually brainstorming.
11:22:08 By kind of topic area, how to how to apply some communities support to the fair, the fair board and the fairgrounds, and I got to facilitate the fundraising discussion, which
was fun for me.
11:22:25 Friday. Most of the day I spent at the Red Cedar.
11:22:28 Hall and Glenn with the straight Environmental Restoration network, local integrating organization.
11:22:35 Talking about marine issues, and then.
11:22:44 That was Friday, and then I came back and did some catching up, catch up work.
11:22:50 And then Saturday night, I went to the Chimagum schools Asb auction, which was super fun.
11:22:57 We were dates with some of the School Board members.
11:23:02 So, and got a new sweatshirt and got my new yeah, I'm not Millanyard.
11:23:08 So anyway, that was last week. That's great busy week.
11:23:11 Long day for you last week. Bye, out of 6 nights last week went until 8 or 8 to 100'clock.
11:23:22 They were long days last week, I did not stay as long at the Fare Board meeting.
11:23:26 I didn't. Yeah for the breakout rooms, but I was with you there, and the fabulous job and kudos to her, and helping, you know, often hurting cast is what we do, and a lot of
different meetings.
11:23:43 And that was a master class. I had a it just worked on Tuesday, but no particular meetings or anything.
11:23:51 Tried and failed to dig up a hazelnut tree, beat me the first day I got it on Saturday, though on Wednesday we had no no to replant elsewhere, and just put it up.
11:24:05 I had a bunch of little babies and everything.
11:24:08 It was it was a nightmare. But the had Orca, the Personnel and Finance Committee.
11:24:15 We're, you know, have this problem, this issue with that, I think, comes up in a lot of places where we hired a new executive director of work last year he's just fantastic.
11:24:26 And so after the year we're review comes back, and you know, we really broke the banks to bring them on, and and then the inflationary cycle that we're in causes every especially
at the top level.
11:24:42 Well, I don't know. Do you need $20,000 more?
11:24:44 And you know I'm a huge fan of the work that he's doing.
11:24:48 But we had some tough conversations in the personnel committee about how do how do we reward executives when we're starting to come back on compensation increases for for line
staff and everything.
11:25:02 So found a compromise that worked pretty well, I think, but I I do.
11:25:08 I have a concern that we're in a bit of a spiral, that we're we end up feeding into the spiral by rewarding good work too much. Sometimes.
11:25:17 I don't know which is weird. Monetary compensation isn't the only reason we do that stuff, but he's doing a great job.
11:25:24 Had lunch with. I know Judge Mac on Wednesday, and met with Picky from the Housing Fund Board, getting ready for our Friday meeting, which I'll get to, and then first only Cat
Board meeting, where I am no longer the chair and Anna King our new chair is doing a fantastic
11:25:42 job, so really, really happy with that fresh blood is always good in these situations, and she's digging into our policies and love it.
11:25:51 Oh, we had a brief special meeting with Philip on Thursday.
11:25:54 You talked about, I met with with Joshua over at Dcd.
11:25:58 To talk about touchy permit issue, and then had a pretty unproductive conversation with that that applicant.
11:26:10 After that later met with Dcd. Again to kind of pre talk over some of the very complex issues down in Brennan for this Wednesday's Town Hall.
11:26:21 That's in Brennan that I'll be a panelist.
11:26:24 There along with, you know Tammy Pacorny and Josh, and and Amanda Christopherson.
11:26:30 And yeah, lots of different folks. So just trying to get all our ducks in a row agenda planning was Mark.
11:26:37 We had our Bhc. Meetings. I think there are actually set up till November, not August, which I might have previously reported.
11:26:45 I did talk a little bit about our conversation here last Monday, and the recommendation to keep it local.
11:26:54 And and you know, looking at Bhc. And Bhac on Friday.
11:27:02 At our first Jbat meeting in a little while.
11:27:06 Things are are starting to happen. Got a great update from Will O'donnell at at Pd.
11:27:15 And they're looking for more money to fill in those extra little gaps.
11:27:18 But they're feeling really, good about the subscription rate.
11:27:21 Most of the grant areas, just as a reminder to people.
11:27:23 If you're in one of the areas that Pud can put in 5 or 2, you should say yes.
11:27:30 Now either different grants are different, but the first either side or 70% or 70% of the population.
11:27:38 Thanks. 60 or 70. It's 60 is what is the one where I live?
11:27:43 Are free. And after that point they are not so.
11:27:50 Yeah, you want to be in that 60%. All of them are still under that mandatory subscription rate.
11:27:56 And they're looking for methods to to to help those folks that come in.
11:28:01 After that, 60%, too. I asked if they needed help amplifying that cause.
11:28:06 He said, no, we're doing pretty good every time we mention it we get a huge update.
11:28:10 Here I am talking about it, anyways. So the 20 people here can can sign up.
11:28:14 If you have it. One great thing is, there was some gaps created in some of the service areas because of the art off grants which went to sound wave.
11:28:24 I think maybe want to start a link. But those were like, even on my street, one side of the street was covered by art off, so was not able to be in the free coverage of the
fiber from the Pd.
11:28:37 But they've gotten clearance to move ahead on that.
11:28:42 So they can start applying to those and they're getting funds from a different grant.
11:28:48 Oh, now I'm might have to have Will here to say the actual words, cause I feel like I'm not characterizing this absolutely clearly, but they do have mechanisms that funds they're
either looking for or have to allow them to hit both sides of the streets when those
11:29:02 aren't off overlaps with the art off, would preempt and not allow them to be included in that grant so they're working on that went to that solid waste planning task force.
11:29:16 So I'd share one thing with you real quick.
11:29:19 And let me go back and share my screen. We talked about a lot of different things, but this the report card of the existing.
11:29:31 Facilities I found really illustrative. You see that a couple of these numbers changed, but and you know so they had.
11:29:43 They had a slightly updated map. Can you see where? My, oh, yeah.
11:29:46 So this is the existing footprint right here.
11:29:52 So just to go through them really quick. The grade scale you can see down here inadequate, critical. The lower.
11:30:01 It is, the worse it is, and we know about the issues.
11:30:04 The vehicle flow, capacity they can't put in those 2 layanes.
11:30:07 They just to tease out. I think they did show a slide that had a new, a new scales with, you know, separate scales in and out 2 lanes and a bypass lane on both sides that you
could just see they were teasing emergency storage is pretty good
11:30:25 it's site access. I think they actually changed to a 3.
11:30:29 But that intersection off Jaco Miller Road is pretty gnarly, and of course the long single road that prevents getting into the recycling when there's a queue, I think facility
maintenance costs they're oh, they're
11:30:44 they've been over the tonnage that this was designed for like oh, 15 years, 20 years!
11:30:52 Yeah, I guess we're at 1130 now, so maybe I won't go through all this yeah, I'll share it. But 2 of these numbers were changed in the actual presentation. So I think the site
access was changed to a 3, and the facility management cost was taken. To a 3.
11:31:07 Because they've done a good job managing it, not because it's built to raise standards.
11:31:14 But yeah, I'll share this with with everyone.
11:31:14 Cool. Okay. I'll stop that now, and we will go return to our regularly scheduled program.
11:31:20 And hopefully we have blaze and tammy online.
11:31:25 We could bring over. Well, let's bring Tammy over.
11:31:28 Let's see. Oh, yeah.
11:31:35 Morning Tammy.
11:31:37 Good morning. How are you all?
11:31:39 And do it doing well. It's good to see you.
11:31:42 Are we expecting Blaze to join us today, or anyone from the Land Trust?
11:31:45 Sarah State will be there in person very shortly if she is not there currently.
11:31:49 Okay. Okay. Great. Well, we will. We'll introduce Sarah when she comes.
11:31:57 Is there anything that you want to do to Ts off on the conversation, or heidi?
11:32:01 Sure. Yes, I would.
11:32:01 Do you want to introduce me? Happy with Tammy doing okay?
11:32:06 Go ahead, Terry. Sorry.
11:32:09 This will just get us started, I'm sure there'll be, there'll be more to say.
11:32:12 But just to begin in 2,009 the county received a 50 year.
11:32:16 Lease on 107 acres from the Department of Natural Resources, through its trust land transfer program.
11:32:22 The 3 properties for consideration today are known as Quimper West Baby Quimper, and Quimper East, and all have been stewarded by Jefferson Land Trust since the lease was acquired.
11:32:36 The lease also provided for an option to purchase the remainder of the fee.
11:32:40 Ownership interest. So then, an 2021 Jefferson County, in the Dnr.
11:32:49 Entered into an agency agreement to facilitate the transfer.
11:32:52 Then last year the Jefferson lantern applied to the conservation futures program for these properties, and the project was recommended to the to you all by the conservation
feature citizen Oversight Committee, and by resolution was a request awarded the requested maximum
11:33:12 amount, the public purchase price is $382,800.
11:33:20 The bulk of that is for Quimber West, which includes Baby Quimper for $367,000 in then Quimbur East the sales price would be $15,800.
11:33:31 So the Conservation Features program requires at least a 50% match.
11:33:50 Can I ask a question about that?
11:33:35 So believe the Land Trust will bring forward at least $191,400, and so an equivalent amount of conservation futures funding would match that up to 199 500 and the.
11:33:53 The, just in sale agreements before you today would, in exchange for this compensation that Dnr.
11:34:04 Would provide quickly in deeds that do reserve some mineral rights.
11:34:09 But otherwise transfer the properties in their entirety to the county.
11:34:17 I just like to add that the conservation futures program itself requires a language to ensure that the conservation values that were paid for by that program are protected in
perpetuity.
11:34:31 So there's still, I believe, 60 days to determine how best to incorporate all of these elements.
11:34:37 But and perhaps Sarah's arrive by now. But I hope hope that okay.
11:34:40 Yes, yeah, and, Sarah, you're welcome to join Mark at the table, or you can come up to the podium.
11:34:48 I mean I don't know. I have one question for Tammy, and then we'd love to hear from Land Trust as well. I just.
11:34:55 The appraisal was so fine, was reading it correctly.
11:34:59 It was way high, like a 1 million and a half initially, and then I guess I was just struggled to understand how it came down, or maybe I missed interpreted that.
11:35:07 But down to the 300 number. You know, my misinterpreting that story.
11:35:14 I'm happy to answer that.
11:35:20 So the appraisal that was completed was completed for Quimper, West, Baby Quimper included in Corporate West and Quimperis, and then the Thorndyke parcel, which was the third,
and it is the Thorndyke Parcel, that came in
11:35:35 far, higher than we anticipated. Quimper West and Quimper East were within the estimated values that we, the lattice said, estimated, and so we were thankful for that.
11:35:49 And at this point, because the Thorndyke parcel was out of line with what we thought we could do.
11:35:55 That's off the table. But it was also not included in the applications to conservation.
11:36:01 Gotcha. Thank you for that.
11:36:04 Oh, cool!
11:36:06 And I guess as long as you have the conscious there, is there anything else you want to add about this project?
11:36:11 Well, as you all know, it's been a long time in the making, and we're thrilled that the county has.
11:36:20 Actually, it was accounting that spearheaded this next phase several years ago, and the Land Trust is ready to go with the remaining funding.
11:36:30 As you know, we contributed $35,000, both for the appraisal that Dnr.
11:36:36 Conducted, and another 5,000 for their administrative fees, as well as will be contributing what the missing funding is after the use of the conservation feature funds I'll
just point out that we did include in that application $5,000 for stewardship
11:36:58 monitoring of the Quper properties.
11:37:02 And that's considered an O. And M. Request, and our goal is to continue your stewardship roles on the property.
11:37:12 But we would like to kind of revisit the agreement and the point person at the county that we would be working with on that, just so that we were kind of updating where we are
with those parcels.
11:37:23 I think Tammy was really spot on on pointing out that the conservation futures program requires deed restrictions as well as what Dnr.
11:37:35 Requiring which? Tammy reminded me that the current deed from the Dnr.
11:37:44 To the county, has some language that retains their right to come in and do mineral extraction.
11:37:52 But it doesn't really address the need for it to be permanently protected.
11:37:56 So I think the question is still out there. Would the county have a secondary date of right, or some sort of deed language that could be included in the Dnr data?
11:38:09 Whatever, just to ensure that, you know, some 2050 years down the road.
11:38:15 The county commissioners decide. This property isn't made our needs anymore.
11:38:22 So. So I think that's still an outstanding thing, and needs to satisfy the county's conservation futures program as well as the land trusts desire to see that they're permitted
does that language need to be in these purchases and sale agreements it's
11:38:38 not typically in a purchase and sale agreement.
11:38:42 It's typically in a data restriction. Or it's typically in the grant contract that goes between the Land Trust in the county and all their other cases.
11:38:53 But, as you know, this one's a little bit different, because the county is receiving money from the county so that's where I think we're all just kind of okay.
11:39:02 How do we navigate this as smoothly it would be simple. It's just to record it.
11:39:06 After all, the transactions are done, or maybe I guess I'd look to the county for for your thoughts on that.
11:39:13 And Tammy, you might have some ideas on that, too, or I don't know.
11:39:18 Yeah, I'd love to hear recommendations from you, Sarah and Tammy.
11:39:23 And how to achieve that. Yeah.
11:39:18 Well, I wonder what you all think about whether or not the Dnr.
11:39:29 Would need to review this language. It doesn't seem necessary, appropriate, to insert it into these purchase and sale agreements within the quick claim deed, portion, or anything
like that.
11:39:41 But since the Dnr. Is is retaining some rights, it seems as though they might need to review our standard language which I can provide any time.
11:39:53 What we normally include, say on cuper wildlife corridor.
11:39:58 Statutory warranty deeds with the city.
11:40:02 Okay.
11:40:01 Yeah, I mean, I don't. Conversations with Dnr.
11:40:06 It's been hard, because I've been in the middle I've been, and I keep passing the hot potato from the Land trust the Dnr.
11:40:13 To Tammy. And but you know I feel like they feel like this is us getting ownership of these parcels.
11:40:20 So I mean, I can ask Matthew and then he'll go out and ask his team.
11:40:25 Oh, well, if we want to, I can say to him, we want to put a deed restriction on the property, and we've also talked about wanting that deed restriction to allow for harvest
for forest health in the future.
11:40:39 And we were concerned that the in negotiating with Dnr.
11:40:43 That we might not have that ability. So we would want that deed restriction if we're gonna place it on ourselves to include that language to allow for, you know, maintaining
the health of those forests in the future.
11:40:55 Yeah.
11:40:58 Yeah, I think the only rights that I understand. Dnr.
11:41:03 To be retaining is the right for mineral extraction.
11:41:07 But I've also heard that the minerals underlying those lands are not.
11:41:12 They're not very valuable. They're not so I don't see it as a huge threat to the values of the property.
11:41:21 Go ahead. Thanks.
11:41:22 Oh, I was just curious, Sarah, do you recall in the conservation futures?
11:41:35 I!
11:41:28 Application. Was there mention of forest health, or any sort of harvest intention, or that would be the only optical, otherwise that I can imagine.
11:41:39 Yeah, I brought the application. I'd have to skim through it.
11:41:44 But you know, I think that that is something that yeah, here we go.
11:41:49 Jefferson County will be able to manage the properties using ecological forestry tools to enhance the habitat values and health of the forested properties which may result in
revenue from the harvest.
11:42:00 But forest harvest cannot happen with the primary purpose being revenue generation.
11:42:07 So that's under Number 10 on the application.
11:42:12 Perfect. Thank you.
11:42:12 Okay, we've heard from our our our legal team that the deed restriction can be part of the agreement between the county and the Land Trust in the future like we can do it after.
11:42:29 That is a question for you guys. I think that that is a question for you guys.
11:42:38 I think, okay, yeah, I, just yeah, I think.
11:42:42 Normally that I'm sorry to interact, John, but normally that sort of language wouldn't be in stewardship agreement.
11:42:50 It would be a deed restriction, so just declare.
11:42:53 Like at the time of the transaction, so hopefully we'd be able to have something at the time that the county acquired it.
11:43:03 I think that would satisfy your conservation futures, program requirements.
11:43:09 Okay. So I'm gonna look to Tammy to help with that. Then.
11:43:15 Okay.
11:43:15 I just may be misunderstanding, but I just wanted to clarify that the agreement with the Land Trust to my knowledge, has been about stewardship.
11:43:24 Okay.
11:43:27 Correct I will be the owners, I mean, we can just record it to our record.
11:43:33 To the property. Right? I mean. It seems alright great!
11:43:41 And I just yeah, kind of just apologize. Commissioner Dean had an engagement that she could not get out of.
11:43:48 But I know that she's fully supportive of this project, and has been from many years.
11:43:51 So I'm confident that we can. We can move forward forward forward with the quorum we have, and she'll catch up on a conversation later and I didn't know Sarah or Tammy if we
wanted to provide more context for the benefit.
11:44:04 I mean, this has been going on for since 2,009.
11:44:08 These, this specific parcels conversation about these specific parcels.
11:44:13 But so that's 14 years. But it's important.
11:44:18 It's these pieces are important to the entire Quimper wildlife.
11:44:24 Quarridor project, and I didn't know if you wanted to talk about that.
11:44:26 Briefly, Sarah, just for the benefit of folks who haven't don't really understand the importance of these parcels.
11:44:32 Yeah. Thanks. Heidi. Yes. This project was actually the first proactive project that Jefferson Land Trust embarked on, thanks to board members from a long time ago.
11:44:45 And I've been working on it since 1,996.
11:44:51 And when we started this project, there were these significant habitat areas that we were wanting to connect with one another.
11:45:00 And these significant habitat areas included the Quimper parcels, and for us to be at this point in time.
11:45:08 Now, where we can ensure that they're permanently protected.
11:45:11 For the amazing habitat that they provide, and honestly, Dnr.
11:45:17 Has done a really excellent job of managing the properties.
11:45:21 They did a selective cut back in 98, I believe, and it was very well done.
11:45:28 And now we're seeing a lot of diversity and structure and in habitat values, particularly on the clumper West.
11:45:35 Quimper. East, however, is one that we feel could really use some forest management for forest health to diversify species in age classes, and but to know that they will now
be permanently protected is just a huge win for the county for the land trust for this project and it's probably some of the best
11:45:59 habitat in the kumper, wildlife, porter.
11:46:01 So how many acres are already protected minus? Ps, yeah.
11:46:10 But minus these, I mean, it's part of them. It's about, you know, this.
11:46:12 The numbers are always challenging for me, because we've done it in so many.
11:46:17 Yeah, tiny little parcels. But just just within the last year and a half we've added another 30 parcels, 30 properties, and about 35 acres to it.
11:46:31 So I think that the total acreage protected, not including these is somewhere around 150, and then this will add another 107 so it's a significant portion of the corridor and
an internal conversations of the county.
11:46:47 We've been talking about. You know the these parcels, and I'm just been reminding folks are really important to that.
11:46:54 The entire overall wildlife corridor that the community has been working on for decades, and these parcels sit within the already protected lands to the west and east.
11:47:16 A critical, on the city portion of the corridor.
11:47:23 And there's the main 30 Ninth Street trail, and there were in one year alone.
11:47:25 There were over 14,000 Us. Visits. So Quimper West in particular, which has a system of trails in it.
11:47:35 It's it's I'm there almost every day, and a lot of other community members utilize it all the time.
11:47:42 So that's human visitors as human visitors as well.
11:47:50 So, that's human visitors as human visitors and other visitors, as well.
11:47:54 So, yeah, you're getting into the city as a lot of deer. I had some cougar visits there lately, which is, I think, it.
11:48:02 Yeah, so it's very valuable for bird habitat educational programs.
11:48:08 A lot of educational use by Cedar Root School, by the public schools.
11:48:12 We had blue hair in middle school, helping us with a bird inventory last year.
11:48:16 And just a huge community benefit. And I'd say that you know the county and the city and the community have been so supportive.
11:48:30 And we are also really thrilled to have State grant another state.
11:48:35 Grant or furthering project that we just were awarded a couple of weeks ago.
11:48:41 So we're gonna continue on.
11:48:43 Yeah, it's exciting.
11:48:45 Okay, well, this is, there's action asked for here.
11:48:50 So you're looking to approve these purchase and sale agreements.
11:48:54 I guess, Tammy, you're asking us to approve these purchase and sale agreements.
11:48:59 Correct. Yes, thank you.
11:49:02 Hey? Anything else you want to chat about?
11:49:11 You know the one communicating with Dnr. The most and at times it's been.
11:49:14 I've been like. Oh, come on, you know I just.
11:49:18 I feel sometimes feel impatient, but good things come to those who wait and work diligently.
11:49:29 Your support. With this and your help, and oh, sorry you know this is my jam.
11:49:32 Yeah, they do.
11:49:33 Yeah, I know. Very thankful.
11:49:37 All right. Well, would you like to make a motion? I would have moved that we approve, and signed both purchase and sale agreements for Quimper West and for Quimper East and
Baby Quimper is in there, too, and the respective Sellers disclosures hmm great I will second
11:49:55 that motion? Well, I think we've talked about it enough all in favor of the motion on the floor indicate by saying, Aye, hi!
11:50:04 Hi! That motion passes so the end is in sight. Well, the end of this process is inside. But now we're gonna have the wildlife quarter for perpetuity.
11:50:17 Yes, and I would just say that these leases you know, I've been flying even a the whole trust land transfer program discussion at the State.
11:50:22 And these leases were a moment in time. Within that program they did a few projects.
11:50:27 Via lease, and they proved to be really hard for Dnr.
11:50:31 To grapple with and deal with over the long haul.
11:50:34 So they're also relieved that we're moving forward with with these transactions and kind of taking these headaches off of their management, you know.
11:50:43 Regime. So thank you to everyone and to our partners at Dnr.
11:50:49 As well for flying along with us. On this everybody wins.
11:50:54 Yeah. Alright. Great. Well, thank you. Thank you for being here.
11:50:58 Sarah Tammy appreciate all your work on this.
11:51:00 No pressure.
11:51:00 I know this is represent a lot of effort and energy from from both of you as well as your staff.
11:51:07 So really appreciate it.
11:51:09 I'll look forward to reaching out to whoever would like to be involved in the next steps.
11:51:17 But I would like to be helpful to that. Yeah, okay, thank you for all of them.
11:51:24 Okay.
11:51:17 Yeah, he wants to. Yeah, I'm still there. Sammy. Yeah, I don't wanna arm wrestler again once a day is enough.
11:51:30 Okay, great. Well, thank you. Guys, thanks. Sarah.
11:51:35 I think we should arrange we need to arrange a field trip out there for our team.
11:51:43 Yup. Okay. Well, we have a few minutes left. Mark.
11:51:49 You want to take a look back and give us briefing about what you did last week.
11:51:54 Okay, of course, Monday is the sixth. We were.
11:52:02 Okay, a pretty robust discussion.
11:52:10 Having facilities, recording all the activities and I don't know if you know it's Greg.
11:52:14 But we're gonna talk about that kind of coordination meeting on Friday.
11:52:19 Yeah, that generates robust conversations. Okay, I'm sorry. Sorry.
11:52:28 That after that we had our risk management meeting, and then at 2 in the afternoon, we welcome John Morrow, the city manager, back from his length each trip to New Zealand I
don't know if you know this, but hurricane hit New Zealand while he was there and a 6
11:52:46 point 3 richter scale, earthquake. Wow! Both! While he was there when he left they said, Don't come back just kidding.
11:52:55 Following that, Chris Coe and I convened a meeting of staff from DC.
11:53:01 D And.
11:53:04 Environmental public health, to talk about energy. Gov, and we have a significant gap in capability that I need to work with you commissioners to.
11:53:14 In the capability of staff. Oh, need more database, managers!
11:53:20 Well, actually, we're doing okay on that front.
11:53:23 But we need some we need a unifying influence, Linda Atkins retired at a crucial moment, we're also suffering some critical staff losses, right, namely, oh, geez!
11:53:39 Tab. I mean she was critical to it yeah, our code compliance officer is leaving going to the city of Bobo, and Jodie Adams has given her notice going to the city of Bainbridge
Island, and then we lost Amber to Port Townsend.
11:53:59 And so anyway, I'll be working with you commissioners on how to fill that gap and it's going to require some resources.
11:54:07 And then it or 4. I think it was 4, 15.
11:54:12 Kate and I met with the fair board to prepare for the Thursday evening meeting.
11:54:16 And then on Wednesday we had our strategic planning team meeting I think we're making some pretty good progress.
11:54:24 I think Heidi we're up to 14% employee responses.
11:54:30 Thus far, but our yeah, if our wager is at 25% right well, 26, I win it 25. And below you win. So given the slope of that line, I think you need to figure out where we're gonna
go I'm taking him to lunch
11:54:52 if he wants, or he's taking me. 10'clock. The North Olympic City Manager County Administration, and that was a very nice conversation, especially with John back, and then at
20'clock, or shortly after 20'clock we had another child care project meeting and that's the Y.M.C.A.
11:55:11 Usda. Commerce funded childcare facility, and and I really have to hand it to Michael March.
11:55:18 He's he's doing a really good job.
11:55:20 Shepherding that a great deal of work for a single grant.
11:55:27 On Thursday, CEO. Breakfast with Cindy Brooks and the Edc.
11:55:34 And then, of course, we had the 8 30 special meeting with Mr.
11:55:38 Hunsucker that I had a grievance meeting at 9, met with finance staff.
11:55:45 So that would be Judy Shepherd Stacy, Preda, and Brenda Huntingford to sort of fix the Cba numbers that we'll take into negotiations we did come up with an approach within the
guidance that the board approved and then
11:56:02 agenda, planning at 1 30. We're Greg.
11:56:06 And then on Friday we had the healthier together, monthly planning meeting, where the more extensive briefing than we saw today was presented.
11:56:18 Much more detail on potential site configurations and financing, potential financing.
11:56:23 And then a virtual meeting was to have to prepare for the Brennan Community Town Hall this Wednesday evening, and then my monthly meeting or my weekly meeting with Brent Butler.
11:56:38 So that right wrapped up my week.
11:56:42 It sounds like you had a very busy week last week, too. I did. Yeah.
11:56:46 And I'm working on Arpa agreements.
11:56:47 I think I have 9 left. I've knocked out 6 of.
11:56:52 Right. You wanna just head right into this week and tell us about your week before a few minutes left to knock it out.
11:56:59 Okay. Of course, today, with you find folks tomorrow, I'm actually gonna meet with 2 of my senior managers one of the deficiencies that we've had here in personal management
as the senior management team has gone without performance appraisals.
11:57:14 For an extended period of time, and I'm fixing that problem so I'll sit down with 2 of my managers tomorrow and talk about performance. Meet with Chris.
11:57:25 Goy at 100'clock for a weekly check-in.
11:57:32 At 20'clock, and then I'll observe the Behavioral Health Advisory Committee meeting in the afternoon, and then I will attend the for Ordin Healthier together.
11:57:43 Community outreach meeting. Then on Wednesday, our weekly strategic plan team meeting.
11:57:53 I'm gonna have lunch with Chief Chief Black, he said.
11:57:58 The banana leaf had closed again. I don't know if anybody is aware whether there the banana leaf is still a going concern or not.
11:58:05 They had a stop work order. They were doing some renovations in there, and I saw a stop work order on their door when I walked by there the other day.
11:58:13 I see. Okay. Well, we moved to cool our. So I'll have to see if the banana leaf is actually still in business.
11:58:20 And then our regular childcare project team meeting in the afternoon and then, of course, the Brennan Town Hall and I will skip that, Greg, on your advice, and then on the sixteenth
we have a Perk event at noon what's the big potato event
11:58:42 $6 for all you can. Well, actually, 10 bucks for all you can eat adjacent planning with Greg at 1 30, and then on Friday, the our coordination meeting with county staff, and
we have a pretty beefy agenda for that and that's my and more
11:59:00 agreements, Arpa agreements, trying to get them all done by. So they're on the agenda for the 20 great. Thank you very much.
11:59:05 Mark, Hi, how's your week week? Look this week? Well, it doesn't look busy at night, but it looks busy every day instead. This week.
11:59:14 So tomorrow I have a meeting with Deb Murdoch to go over all of the cases she's working on in District 2 cause she's departing.
11:59:25 So I just wanna know the status of where everything's at.
11:59:28 Then I have a human services Round Table. I don't know if you were planning on attending that, but I have that on my calendar.
11:59:34 I think we you just got it. Oh, yeah, I'm not able to.
11:59:39 Okay? And then tourism coordinating counsel, and then behavioral health advisory Committee.
11:59:51 And then the following, on Wednesday I have a meeting with some folks from public works and human resources here to talk about Jimicum Job Fair, cause I'm gonna go help with
that.
12:00:05 That's coming up. Then we have it. Strategic planning, weekly meeting, and tomorrow I need to get out.
12:00:12 Get it. Send out that stakeholder email. Mark, I sent you an email about that sending out the stakeholder email.
12:00:20 All right about strategic planning, and then do that tomorrow.
12:00:26 And then let's see community Foundation check in. And then the community wildfire prevention, planning proposal reviews.
12:00:37 Have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, and then I'm gonna go down to that Brennan Town Holland, be a fly on the wall with the other Commissioners Thursday morning is
the land trust conservation breakfast which is virtual which I will be attending and i'm having
12:00:56 lunch with Brent Butler. Then I have our trust.
12:01:00 Land transfer work, group, check-in. But we might not be doing that, because that actually might be when the bill is being exact out of its committee.
12:01:10 I'm grateful for our legislators who've been helping.
12:01:14 There, you know Mike Chapman is chair of the house.
12:01:17 Natural Resources Committee, Kevin, Vandaigs, Chair of the Senate.
12:01:20 Natural Resources Committee. So they've been easy to get a hold of on this trust land transfer stuff as we move through the legislative session which many people have been saying,
it feels like a short session crammed or protracted into a long session the pace of it's been
12:01:37 insane. Seems like that. And then let's see what else?
12:01:43 Then we have Board of Health. Thursday afternoon, and then Friday is the Olympic Co.
12:01:51 Sanctuary Marine, sanctuary meeting you going out there.
12:01:55 I don't know yet. Might be too many so it's a long drive for a meeting.
12:02:03 It's in Port Angeles. It's not. Oh, actually, no, it's in Portlands this time. Yeah, I don't know.
12:02:07 I don't think so. I think I'm going to cause I have a lot of tasks to do.
12:02:13 Gotcha? Yeah. Okay. Well, it is 12. I don't think we have time I'll rip through my calendar little later in the meeting, hopefully.
12:02:20 But for now let's recess for lunch, and we'll see you guys back at 1 30 as a reminder.
12:02:25 We're gonna try to take the up the public newspaper at 3 30.
12:02:31 But we have a workshop with emergency management starting right at 1 30.
13:31:07 Okay, network.
13:31:12 But is that 80 ping, yeah, that's ABC, that's how much TV, just for the users.
13:31:23 So I have a week before my day. Welcome back, all right.
13:31:27 I will call this Board of Commissioners meeting back into back to order.
13:31:31 We're joined by Willie Bennett, Director of Emergency Management for a briefing on the workplan for 2,023 of emergency management.
13:31:39 With, really take it away. Well, thank you so much for having me this afternoon.
13:31:45 I want to start off by setting this scene a little bit for our twenty-twenty-three work plan with kind of our overall theme for the year 2,023, and the staff and some of the
volunteers in deem are getting sick of me saying this but our theme for
13:31:59 2023 is back to basics, and that's kind of what all of our work throughout the year is really kind of founded upon over the past 3 years.
13:32:09 For the Covid response. We've LED a lot of our normal programming atrophy a little bit we've ignored some pretty critical elements of our programming in favor of responding
to a massive global pandemic so we're trying to get back into more of a normal operational
13:32:26 rhythm, especially since I wasn't here in the department for a particularly long time.
13:32:32 A little over a year prior to Covid there was a little bit of turnover in some turmoil before that so everything we're doing is again trying to get back into a foundational
rhythm in 2,023.
13:32:44 So we've kind of weaved that throughout all of our programming for the year.
13:32:48 So back to basics, we're getting good at what we need to be good at.
13:32:51 We're getting good at the fundamentals. So keep that in mind as I kinda go throughout this program, a little bit of a refresher as I get into it as well.
13:32:59 I just couldn't help myself. This is the incident command system this is the operational paradigm that not just us at DM.
13:33:08 But all first responders in response agencies use across the nation.
13:33:12 It's the standardized emergency response system. I mean, it consists of a command staff which consists of incident command.
13:33:19 The boss. Some of their support in terms of public information, working with partner agencies, and then the General Staff down below the General Staff.
13:33:28 Consists of operations. So those are the folks that do stuff they're out in the field planning.
13:33:35 That's information management. They know stuff logistics is material support.
13:33:39 So they have the stuff, and then finance an admin, and they pay for the stuff.
13:33:45 So one of the first things we did coming out of Covid was actually rewrite our staff position, descriptions, our part-time clerk hires and kind of tweaked our org chart ever
so slightly to match the incident command system the stuff that we use during emergencies
13:33:59 so the current state of D. E. M. On myself, as the director we have Keppy Keplinger.
13:34:04 She's our Pio, where public Information Officer Dave Cody took on the role of Eoc Supervisor, and he's our operations lead and all of the positions within asterisk.
13:34:16 Those are our part-time clerk hires.
13:34:18 So Dave Cody and Kppy are both part timers.
13:34:21 We have Mj. Baker Scott, who became our planning coordinator in the in the New Year.
13:34:27 She is leaving at the end of the month. So I wanted to take this opportunity to thank her for her service.
13:34:32 She joined us in December of 2,020, during a lull in the Covid response, and we kind of thought we were going to have her work on planning and regular emergency management type
things within a week or 2 of her joining us we immediately had to put her on the Covid.
13:34:49 Response. She helped manage our call center so for folks watching at home who called in, and you got your vaccine appointment through the Eoc phone line.
13:34:58 That was all. Mj. Managing that she also was one of our prep.
13:35:01 MoD. The vaccine scheduling system one of our gurus. I'm supporting public health, and that so I wanted to thank her for a little over 2 years of service, so we will be recruiting
for that position here.
13:35:11 Shortly. We have John Ebner as our logistics coordinator, and then Anna Piaceki, who is our second full-time person.
13:35:20 She started back in November, just a second full-time staff member.
13:35:24 Here in DM. Couldn't join us today. She's often training, but she's been absolutely phenomenal thus far, and take another opportunity to thank you for supporting the department
with that much-needed full-time position. So DM.
13:35:38 Org chart as it stands and again, some of the tweaks to better align our stacking pattern with our mission, and Anna found a place to live right.
13:35:46 She's getting there. Okay, she has a she's set up for the intern, not permanent. But she is getting there. Okay.
13:35:55 So quarter one project, and some things that are initially underway.
13:36:01 I'm one of Anna's first projects was to update our badging and credentialing standard to better align.
13:36:07 I'm not just with our partners in Klaum and Kitsap, but align with nationwide national incident management standards.
13:36:13 So she just finished that last month right now she's working on updating or implementing a volume management database.
13:36:22 So rather than doing things just simply by excel spreadsheets.
13:36:25 We have a more formal volunteer management software. We'll be using.
13:36:30 We're also working with Parks to support their volunteer management needs working with public health to support some of their events with volunteers and I've started working
with Wcwsu extension on that as well.
13:36:43 So that'll be live by the end of the month, and then we can start recruiting, engaging, and deploying volunteers.
13:36:50 I'm centrally for the county through this new system, so very excited about that.
13:36:54 I've been working on some of the financial reimbursement and wrap up with Fema from all of our vaccine clinic activities.
13:37:01 That's still too easy to determine, since that's reliant on fema schedule.
13:37:05 And now have a lot on their plate I'm also continuing to work on inventorying our supplies.
13:37:10 All the medical equipment we're going to be caching on leftover from the Covid response.
13:37:15 Where do you cache it? We have some conex boxes on site at D. E.
13:37:20 M. We're also going to be working with public health stashing some things there and then, working with partners as well as some of our neighborhood volunteers.
13:37:27 To make sure we get it around the county. We currently have pending with Fema as well, an application to be granted.
13:37:36 A medical reserve court. So this is a group of volunteer that are all doctors, nurses to support medical operations during disaster response.
13:37:45 We obviously had that during the Covid response. But that's something we had to really kind of, not make up on the 5, but established sponaneously.
13:37:53 So Fema is reviewing our program, and we're hoping to be granted that status here in the next couple of weeks and then we'll have that formal program for retired doctors and
nurses to volunteer with us for the next potential pandemic we just last week.
13:38:08 Actually completed phase. One of a microgrid feasibility study with some students from the University of Washington.
13:38:15 Looking at the Eoc Jail and Gefcom campus to see what it would take to utilize solar power at that facility augmenting our existing generator.
13:38:26 Power. We don't have an infinite amount of power supply.
13:38:31 Should we lose some access to the grid? There. Our generator, we learned running at absolutely full capacity, can only support us for 16Â h with current Diesel stocks.
13:38:43 So looking at ways we can operate the Eoc more sustainably during a catastrophic emergency.
13:38:48 And finally, we are currently revamping our eoc activation levels.
13:38:53 We're calling them our conditions. So that describes our Eoc status.
13:38:57 So how much we're spending up for a particular response we feel this is going to better describe our current posture and what's needed from partners as well as what's needed
from the county administrator.
13:39:10 The Board of County commissioners, etc., so we'll be looking to you for some feedback on that here in a little bit, and hope that provides you with a kind of clear understanding
with what's going on during a bigger emergency.
13:39:20 Okay. Goodbye on this slide. My medical reserve core.
13:39:25 You mentioned that in reference, or into in the context of a future pandemic.
13:39:30 But would that also be you? Would they also be utilized in the instance of like a disaster?
13:39:36 Oh, absolutely! Okay. So that's not just. And I just don't want to do pandemic preparation, even though it's good to be prepared.
13:39:44 I mean, there are multiple purposes. It seems like for a group of well qualified folks like that.
13:39:48 Yeah, absolutely not limited to the next pandemic that's with an eye towards it.
13:39:52 Absolutely. But any disaster. Yeah, so fema's acronym, Mrc, cause we already have an Mrc, yeah, that is the nationally recognized fema acronym.
13:40:08 Sorry. That is the nationally recognized fema acronym. Sorry. My question is that just about the solar? I guess I was.
13:40:20 Do you anticipate with an emergency or plan that you can't get to any guest?
13:40:24 Tank fuel tanks are cut off, so that that our quote is with basically every light and every piece of equipment in that building on.
13:40:34 So that's an absolute 100% capacity. For example, during the November windstorm that generator ran pretty flawlessly for 72Â h and had more capacity from there because we weren't
every light wasn't on we weren't operating every piece of equipment
13:40:49 at once. That is something in terms of getting additional Diesel fuel during a catastrophic event.
13:40:55 That is a plan on our radar, and I'll talk about that.
13:40:59 I'm here in a little bit. Okay, thank you.
13:41:03 No one of our biggest projects that got started this quarter that's going to be pretty much active throughout the year.
13:41:11 We're revamping our neighborhood preparedness outreach program.
13:41:16 So in prep, our partnership with local 2,020, we had historically used a program called Map your Neighborhood.
13:41:22 That was supported by the State Emergency Management Division the State is no longer supporting that program, meaning we won't get free outreach material and support from them.
13:41:31 So we're taking the opportunity to revamp that program from the ground up it's consisting of really 3 core elements.
13:41:42 One is individual, preparedness. So, getting prepared at home with your family, we had historically recommended folks prepare for 30 days to be prepared for any sort of catastrophic
event here on the Peninsula, we're changing that to recommending good better best 3 days 2 weeks 30 days to show that it
13:42:00 is sequential. You can build capacity slowly, and we're doing that with an understanding that not everyone has the financial means.
13:42:08 Time, General Resources, to prepare for 30 days. So we want to lessen the barrier of entry for new folks starting to prepare individually.
13:42:15 We're talking about that. The neighborhood preparedness, level and building our own internal replacement, for that map your neighborhood where you get to know your neighbors,
you talk about what resources you have, etc.
13:42:26 And then at the community level, we're talking about these hubs.
13:42:31 We're calling, them. They're evacuated and gathering points to meet folks, provide a welcoming place after an emergency that's out of the tsunami inundation zone.
13:42:40 Etc. I mean, we're basing that off of programs.
13:42:44 I'm pretty successful programs in cattle and Portland so we're working with a steering committee of some of our more active neighborhood leads and volunteers, and will be working
on this project throughout the year with the target for a big rollout in august to coincide with
13:42:59 the all-counting picnic, which I'll also talk about here in a little bit designed and best practice to be able to shelter, and I guess shelter people I mean, what's the that's
one thing we're talking about right now?
13:43:18 We're not not 100% sure what ours will look like here.
13:43:19 Some in the larger cities are really aiming to only be active.
13:43:23 For the first 3 days to a week. Obviously here on the Peninsula, with our potential isolation, we're talking about longer. But that's kind of the subject of debate, and what
our local capacity will be to support that so more to come on that.
13:43:40 And finally one last big project. We have our first tabletop exercise of the year.
13:43:47 Next week, on March 20, s. That's a tsunami evacuation tabletop exercise in part of getting back to basics.
13:43:55 We will start holding quarterly tabletop exercises again.
13:44:00 Tabletops are just discussion based so we won't have, you know, emergency resources out in the field.
13:44:05 You won't hear lights and sirens, but this will be an opportunity for first responders and other partners to gather around the table and start to talk about our procedures and
important issues around emergency response so I'm kicking that off next week and we're particularly excited for that these aren't
13:44:21 all of the zones that are in the tsunami zone in the county.
13:44:24 These are just, Hi, then, so this is for the tsunami zones in Port Townsend.
13:44:30 From the recent Dnr map. But this is this is just in the city.
13:44:32 I just use it as an example.
13:44:37 Moving on to quarter 2 quarter 2 is when we will start our update of the comprehensive Emergency management plan or our Cemp , this is very dependent on when we get our planning
coordinator on board after Mj's departure so we're hoping we get
13:44:55 it started here in the next month or 2, we're also updating what we call a catastrophic play, which is a partner to the C.
13:45:03 Emp. So the Cemp is the document that describes basically all of our responsibilities for all hazards.
13:45:11 So any disaster response. All the roles, responsibilities, you know, relevant laws, things like that are in that document on the playbook is something we're plagiarizing from
the state of Oregon because we liked what they did that's kind of a shorter step.
13:45:25 By step, guide for folks to follow during a large catastrophe we're also hoping our planning coordinator will be able to help us out to get our local emergency planning committee
up and running.
13:45:36 That's a kind of a hazardous materials.
13:45:38 Review board that's designed for public engagement. So folks know what kind of hashardous materials are being stored in the county are being transported through the county,
etcetera.
13:45:49 So we currently don't have one up and running and are hoping to get that one up.
13:45:52 Next quarter, we're gonna be doing a lot of outreach to our emergency support functions within the Eoc.
13:45:59 And so the Esfs are functional groups of like emergency response functions.
13:46:06 So, for example, one is fire, and that's all. 5 fire districts.
13:46:09 And so we want to start resuming our regular Eoc training for those folks.
13:46:13 Going, pause during Covid. We want to start some targeted volunteer outreach to support some of those functions where we might be a little bit thin, due to recent departures
and lack of training.
13:46:24 Things like that. We're also, thanks to some support from the Courthouse Safety Committee and its new head.
13:46:31 Chris with central services. We hope to finalize our courthouse incident, guide and hold a vaccination drills for you all here at the courthouse, so very excited to start that
up again, and finally, we're partnering with environmental public health as well as the ems council to hold what we're
13:46:45 calling a heat summit prior to summer to talk about clean air shelters, to talk about potential heat shelters and other issues related to climate resiliency before the summer
months.
13:47:00 So that's gonna be in May.
13:47:03 One exciting thing for the general public. We're gonna resume cert or community emergency response training in quarter 2, I'm sir, is another fea program that teaches folks
basic emergency response skills like using a fire extinguisher some light search and rescue things like that we actually
13:47:21 have a group who started taking cert training in February of 2,020 pause.
13:47:30 Their training due to an incoming pandemic, and we still have not finished that training for those folks.
13:47:35 So obviously they're going to get a little bit of a refresher to get them back up to speed, and then we will open that up to the general public, and we have some specific commodities.
13:47:46 We want to target some organizations who've requested it, and then we'll have open meetings, for all we're also going to be establishing a course cert Response group, and we'll
incorporate the the new typing system from fema which actually at a certain level of
13:47:58 training enables certain members to deploy nationally to big disasters.
13:48:02 So we hope to start on engaging some folks locally and giving them that option as well.
13:48:08 And this, how long is the cert training?
13:48:11 The core cert training itself can be done in about a weekend.
13:48:15 It's a little over 16Â h, and includes a pressical exercise.
13:48:19 But for the, you know, to be able to deploy nationally, there's obviously some more that goes into that.
13:48:28 Our quarter, to tabletop will be in response to a wildfire evacuation.
13:48:35 So kind of following up our tsunami evacuation tabletop with a similar function.
13:48:39 Just a different hazard. I don't have a date for that yet, but that's what we're targeting.
13:48:45 Come, June, do you like? I do think about a little tabletop with a tsunami model on it and a wildfire on it, because that's whenever you say tabletop, I keep wanting to actually
put the disaster on a tabletop yeah, we actually will have we're working
13:48:58 Kevin Hitchcock, the Gis Guru has been an absolute phenomenal resource for us, and has put together large table sized maps that will have plexiglass on top of for people to
actually draw in in grease PIN over top of to actually literally tabletop through
13:49:14 the exercise. So that's exactly what it is.
13:49:18 I mean. June fourteenth. We were finally be able to express or formally express our appreciation for our Covid Volunteers.
13:49:28 We wrapped up our last clinics in October.
13:49:30 We're targeting a winter appreciation event but with Covid rates I'm still pretty high.
13:49:35 A lot of our folks were cautious about such a large gathering, because we have hundreds of folks who volunteered on tens of thousands of hours with us.
13:49:45 Over the pandemic. So that'll take place.
13:49:48 June fourteenth, to Hj. Carroll, a nice outdoor space to express our appreciation.
13:49:51 So also the army's birthday, also the army's birthday. So we'll be able to thank our volunteers for their work for the county and our army veterans for their services.
13:50:04 We'll kick off quarter 3 with a another large exercise.
13:50:09 It's called Thunder Run. It'll take place July eighth.
13:50:13 This will take place for us locally at the airport, but this is actually a region wide exercise it's a group called the Disaster Air Response Team, a private volunteer pilots
to transport goods after a cabinetastrophic disaster.
13:50:30 They're actually activated for California right now, with some of the storms they have going down on down there.
13:50:34 They also activate on the east coast every year. So the idea being, if we're cut off from the outside world, Hood, Canal bridges out, one on one is out we can leverage these
volunteers in their small aircraft to actually bring goods in and out for us so this exercise, food is
13:50:49 donated across the region it's gathered. It's floown in to catch points, and then don'ated to local food banks.
13:50:56 So we've been able to support the Jefferson County Food Bank Association with thousands of pounds of food over the past couple of years.
13:51:02 With this program so we'll have pilots flying into the airport.
13:51:06 We'll have cert members and imprep volunteers I'm learning about aircraft Safety.
13:51:09 Learning how to unload. Most importantly, learning the paperwork to track all of this stuff as well as exercising some communications around this, as well.
13:51:18 So that's going to take place. July the eighth.
13:51:23 Our target for finalizing and rolling out that new neighborhood preparedness program is August twentieth, which will be our eleventh annual.
13:51:34 All county picnic. We hope to incorporate some kind of emergency hub exercise.
13:51:40 With the picnic as well, but for the time being definitely put that date on your calendar.
13:51:46 We're excited to not only hold another all-county picnic, but this one should look as it did prior to Covid.
13:51:54 We've been doing things virtually over the past couple of years.
13:51:57 Last year we had an in-person picnic, but at a very reduced mode.
13:52:01 So this we're looking to be back in bigger and better than ever.
13:52:05 And the hostile bridge will be closed. Yeah, good.
13:52:10 Yeah, mobilize dart to get some food here which well, I it's actually almost a perfect timing for us, since it's a stark reminder of the potential for isolation it's a good
reminder for our community to come together.
13:52:21 And talk about these issues, since we won't be able to go shopping in Silverdale.
13:52:26 The whole weekend. So yeah, make and limit that a limit or eliminate out of limits.
13:52:32 There are, gonna get the cool. Well, it's not quite yeah. We might be able to fly some in.
13:52:40 We could boot it in as well. We have options.
13:52:44 We also can just go during the week. Our quarter 3 tabletop.
13:52:48 We want to focus on cyber security. So working with central services and information services on that we want to have our comprehensive emergency management plan finalized and
adopted by then, we also hope to integrate volunteer group called critical Incident stress management under D E Ms Umbrella That's a
13:53:08 group of firefighters, law enforcement officers who are trained to provide mental health support to one another.
13:53:15 Since a lot of times. It helps the most to be able to talk to a peer about a traumatic incident.
13:53:22 So it's been under the Fire Chiefs Association.
13:53:23 Been under the sheriff's department in the past, and we want to make it a deployable resource under D.
13:53:29 Em, since it is multidisciplinary. So we'll be focusing on that on quarter 3.
13:53:35 Quarter for Great Washington. Shakeout is October nineteenth. That's when we hope to have our large Eoc exercise that day as well as doing a lot of outreach to community partners,
encouraging participation in the shake out.
13:53:51 And come. November our quarter, for tabletop will be a winter storm response, and much like we hope to do before summer.
13:54:00 We hope to have a pre winter kind of cordination summit I'm to talk about issues relating to the cold and talk about our heating shelters.
13:54:10 Talk about response to vulnerable populations as well as response around snow, flooding all that kind of fun stuff that's associated with winter.
13:54:19 Of course, we have our ongoing activities in deem we have our duty officer that's available 24, 7, 3, 65.
13:54:29 We're always available for our response partners for Nixel and other emergency messaging.
13:54:33 We're constantly recruiting and engaging volunteers on a wide variety of projects.
13:54:38 On conducting community outreach and education to different folks, and we're there for emergency plan, assistance and mentorship.
13:54:46 And that's something Keppie has been working on quite a bit recently.
13:54:49 I'm working with a few assisted living centers on helping them write their emergency and their continuity plans.
13:54:54 So I'm always have a number of things number of irons in the fire on that as well.
13:55:03 Oh, so the duty, officer, that is our on call position within.
13:55:08 DM, so I mean it's accessible through Jeffcom that we have 2 folks on call at any given time.
13:55:14 So, whether it is a if there's been an accident and a nixel is needed to inform the community.
13:55:19 Doy officer gets alerted. They send the Nixel, or if something else that requires DM, intention or potentially an eoc activation, it's the principal point of contact for us
and they're always on call and that's through Jeff that's through.
13:55:33 Yep.
13:55:37 That's where my New Zealands come from.
13:55:40 Yeah. Now you know who to yell at so potential plan updates as we're approaching the end here.
13:55:49 One thing Mj. Is leaving as a paid staff member, but we'll be staying on as a volunteer, and we're hoping to get an animal response plan.
13:55:56 We have a number of folks coming forward to who want to help out on that, both in terms of animal evacuation we want to help out on that, both in terms of animal evacuation
and animal sheltering.
13:56:04 We also are looking at beginning a fuel management plan to Commissioner Brotherton's question that would help us understand what feel.
13:56:11 Assets are available in the county, how we get them, and most importantly, how we treatage and prioritize who gets what, since there is a really limited supply, and all those
emergency response vehicles, all those generators will need to be fueled during a catastrophic incident
13:56:28 something that remains on my radar. I'm a continuity of government slash operations plan and training for departments again, as we get back to basics, we have a lot of things.
13:56:39 Obviously, we're focusing on directly, but at the very least that's something I want to start focusing on in 2,024.
13:56:44 Especially as we had a lot of lessons learned coming out of Covid on how to operate remotely, and how to tweak our operations to fit certain confines.
13:56:53 So oops!
13:56:57 So questions, any final comments. I'm also always happy when, where, and how would you like to be engaged with some of these projects?
13:57:05 Are there there any training that you would like to see? I had conducted some incident command system, training prior to Covid?
13:57:14 I think Commissioner Dean was the only one who was present for that, as we've had some turnover, some projects not listed were really wanted.
13:57:19 Work more closely with the city as well, and their respons structure want to get policy management group training for not just the Commissioners, but that group as a whole.
13:57:28 And then my next kind of ask from you guys will be to review our Eoc condition and activation level so that you have a good understanding of as we're ramping up what that means.
13:57:39 What that means for you, and what that means for our partners.
13:57:43 So that's our work plan as it is. Again, feedback questions.
13:57:47 Anything else. Great. Thank you, Willie. Questions, comments, one question, and this is largely because we didn't connect on this a week or 2 ago.
13:57:57 But the I'm curious. Just since we talked about the hood Canal bridge closures and Chief Black's request for a yeah, is that something that you see?
13:58:13 Participating in, or how to organize, or what do you see?
13:58:18 Your role being there? Speaker one, yeah, absolutely. We'll be helping organize that.
13:58:23 We'll be determining our exact posture as we get a little bit closer right now.
13:58:26 We're talking to individual partners, seeing what they're capable of doing to ramp up and support with right now we have.
13:58:33 There's a March 20. Third meeting that washed out is actually hosting for first responders.
13:58:38 Specifically and then we'll formally kick off our planning process.
13:58:42 April fifth, we have the Washd regional Emergency manager coming to our emergency Operations Center team meeting and so we'll start talking through issues and again determining
our exact Eoc posture for that event.
13:58:57 At the very least, what we will be doing is putting together an incident action plan that will document who's doing what? What?
13:59:05 The who to contact for certain resources and what our contingencies are.
13:59:08 For if and when things go wrong so yep, we'll be central coordinating point for that which is the Eocs purpose.
13:59:15 But I'm still very much determining the exact level of of our of our activation as as we get closer.
13:59:21 Thank you. I've said this before, but now I'm excited to know that you're kind of revitalizing in prep so I think you've said this to your neighbor. We're both interested in
propping our neighborhoods, and I looked at the map.
13:59:35 The old version of the map, and there wasn't somebody assigned to where I live.
13:59:42 So I would. Good question. I would like to know when that's you know, to be involved in that whatever email list or however you're gonna communicate about that can do. Yeah.
13:59:52 And part of this is revitalizing it. Lower the barrier of entry a little bit, because it is pretty intimidating to go, and that the map your neighborhood program relied on,
you you know, knocking on every door really it was a big time commitment and you had
14:00:05 to really put yourself out there. This still encourages that, but gives you some other options for engaging maybe a smaller core group of volunteers and kind of better defining
what you can do to help everyone else.
14:00:15 We also to Commissioner Brotherton. We are very much not forgetting South County.
14:00:21 We have someone on our steering committee who is specifically our kind of South County representative, making sure that we can tweak this as appropriate.
14:00:29 Since a lot of these these hub, these gathering points are going to be more optimal in a more densely populated environment.
14:00:38 But we want to make sure this works for the entire county, including the South and the West.
14:00:41 Glad. Here is the West End, too, absolutely!
14:00:45 Speaking of West End. There, there was talk of formalizing more mutual aid agreements for West End is that moving along?
14:00:54 Or is that one still slowly, kind of always always slowly, but always moving along on there. That was a conversation at the fire Chiefs Association meeting this morning as well.
14:01:04 So it's on folks. Minds. So it's there's progress.
14:01:10 Never as much as any of us would like it to be, but it is still ever present I'm glad to see that you're planning to do evacuation drills for the courthouse.
14:01:17 It's something that I, a leadership role in at the maritime center and making that and.
14:01:24 I've always felt like it's a lac here, so I think it's something that should be a big prior.
14:01:29 I guess high priority and I'll have happy to help or be, you know, point whatever you need.
14:01:37 However, I can help. Excellent. Yeah, thank you. Well, the safety committee has very much been kind of revitalized recently, and so we've gotten a lot more support there.
14:01:47 We may need some of your help around scheduling it, because I used to schedule evacuation.
14:01:51 Drills at the university I worked at, and you inevitably annoyed someone when that fire alarm was pulled.
14:01:57 So maybe I just send people your way.
14:02:07 We can take. I've been wanted to try the walk and talk meeting.
14:02:09 We'll just take the open meeting outdoors with us.
14:02:12 It's just it's your selfie stick range on Wi-fi.
14:02:18 That's good. Continuity of government plan. Right? There. Yeah, exactly.
14:02:21 Great, this is great. I look forward to you, working more with the incident command, and you know, I think I we still were starting that training, but we got, you know, a real
application of that, too, as the chair in 2,020, when we hopped right into Eoc and policy.
14:02:37 Management, and I guess I'm wondering. Is there a robust, sorry?
14:02:42 Heidi, a robust pandemic section in the in the new plan.
14:02:48 Yeah, I mean, if we know how to do anything at this point, right? Well, there, there will be.
14:02:54 We haven't really fully started digging into that plan yet, but obviously we have a great deal of lessons learned.
14:02:59 That will be incorporated and I will say I think the C Emp is going to be much better because of some of those growing pains.
14:03:06 Great one question I have, when you hold up the org chart.
14:03:12 It just reminded me that, like for better or for worse, you're my first Goto.
14:03:19 I have a question about emergency management and is that is that an appropriate chain of command that we go directly to you?
14:03:29 Or would you rather be going through Keppie, or I'm just not sure I always unclear where we plug in to your work chart?
14:03:36 So yeah, you you can come to me Kepy is the deputy director, so she is my first backup and then, now that we have a second full time, staff member, Anna is always there as well.
And then now that we have a second full time staff. Member Anna is always there as well.
14:03:52 John Edner has been with the Department for 15 years, and Dave is absolutely phenomenal.
14:03:56 I couldn't have been able to grab a more perfect person first to help run our vaccine clinics and then to act as Eoc Supervisors.
14:04:02 So come to me first in line. I'm Keppie again. It is my backup.
14:04:04 But really you can't go wrong within the department, and then, if you ever have, there's the you know.
14:04:10 Oh, shoot moment! You need to get a hold of someone right then and there.
14:04:14 That's what our 24, 7 duty officers for.
14:04:16 So he just have that option as well. But in the meantime you're welcome to pick on me.
14:04:20 And then, flipping the question around that you were asking on the screen of you know how.
14:04:26 How do you want asking us how we want to be engaged?
14:04:32 How do you want us to be engaged? Well, I would love to engage you at one of the tabletop exercises after we get you some some training and some orientation, or we can talk
about incorporating some of the lessons learned from from the work with the policy management group during the
14:04:44 pandemic, and then have you engaged? Have you seen how?
14:04:48 Because there's a difference between, you know. DM, is just that small department you saw up there.
14:04:56 The Eoc is the sum of all the parts, all the different response agencies and organizations in that full org chart is absolutely massive, and so I would love for you to be able
to just sit back in and kind of see how that big team works together.
14:05:07 So you have a little bit more of an understanding on the role they play, and then start incorporating the policy group into some of those exercises to give you some reps in
that seat, and to really foster some coordination between those 2 groups, because that was a piece of feedback
14:05:24 I got coming out of the pandemic was that you know I would go, and be working with the Eoc group.
14:05:29 Then I would leave, and I would come, and I join and help run the policy management group meeting, and I could have done a better job connecting the 2 and letting you know what
was going on at the Eoc Level letting the Eoc know what was going on at the policy Group level so I'm making more
14:05:42 of that connection, I think, and doing that through some of those training and exercises, great.
14:05:47 Well, I know I'd love to participate in one of the tabletop exercises.
14:05:51 That sounds sounds great, and are they replacing, or are you going to start the quarterly meetings as well?
14:05:57 I saw they were quarterly scheduled, but use.
14:05:59 We used to have quarterly I forgot what they were called J. Prepp.
14:06:04 Yeah, yes, we wentll be starting those up. We missed the date for the quarter one Jprap meeting will probably start in quarter 2. We'll be starting those up.
14:06:17 We missed the date for the quarter one J prep. Meeting will probably start in quarter 2.
14:06:19 We kept those going, and for those who don't know jay prep is our we call it our whole community preparedness.
14:06:20 So anyone and everyone can come to that meeting, and we'll have everyone from the sheriff to someone who, you know, moved to the county a week ago and just wants to learn more.
14:06:25 And that's to foster relationship building and share emergency information during the pandemic.
14:06:31 We just weren't getting the engagement and the relationship building we would have liked via Zoom.
14:06:36 So we pause those for the interim, and we'll start them up again once we can actually get, you know, 50 people safely and comfortably in a room, including again, you know, public
safety officials and some of our more vulnerable populations, and some of our more vulnerable populations so still a little time to go before we
14:06:51 get that!
14:06:53 Okay. Well, we have a couple of of of your Dave and John are with us.
14:07:00 So thank you for all your service, gentlemen, and everyone else, and thank you very much.
14:07:06 Willie really appreciate the update and look forward to to diving into this work with you.
14:07:11 Take a long trip down. Yeah, I know. You're not on zoom now.
14:07:21 Yeah, I know you're not on zoom now.
14:07:21 Yeah, all right. Don't be a stranger.
14:07:24 Okay. Great. Well, we've got lots going on where we've got a few minutes before the executive session.
14:07:33 So you said we do the paper and we're planning at 3, 30, so we won't move that up and Tcc.
14:07:42 We don't have a set time, either. A discrete piece of business that sure. How long do we have?
14:07:51 20Â min more time than I need. We have been asked to take a position on a bill separate from chat with you guys about it, yeah, let's talk about okay.
14:08:05 It's House Bill 1628, you can share my screen if that's helpful.
14:08:11 Bill report here. So.
14:08:17 Former Speaker, the House, Frank Chop sponsored this bill, that is interested in finding local governments who are willing to support it.
14:08:24 I did talk about with you last week. It's the the reit bill, so increasing the States tax on sales above 5 million dollars from 2 and a half to 4%, some new distribution formats,
including new developmental disabilities.
14:08:47 Trust account to be part of the State's portion of that reit would go towards that.
14:08:52 There's a councilmanic additional 20.2 5% real estate tax that.
14:09:00 Local governments could choose to add to their reach, not mandatory by any means.
14:09:12 Yeah. Removes the expiration date, local reach.
14:09:21 I'm actually not familiar with that expiration date.
14:09:25 That's not something I have come across. I don't know if others have.
14:09:33 We're moving the 1 million dollar limit that applies to us.
14:09:46 And some reach exemptions. Or if there's a community benefit.
14:09:56 So. Yes, I'll tell you the status of it. Do we have a sense of how this would have to.
14:10:06 It looks like a lot of it. Yeah. So both the the treasure I did reach out to Stacy and Jeff about this.
14:10:20 They, their associations, have stayed neutral on it.
14:10:23 There are very few sales with some sales above 5 million, so it would affect those.
14:10:30 The optional reach is not concerning at this point, but you know, ability to leverage that I think they have some concerns about that.
14:10:40 Some of the mechanics of the bill. Haven't actually implemented.
14:10:47 So, and Wasack Is Wasack was was, of course, very divided on it.
14:10:57 He ended up taking a neutral position because of that division, and allowing counties to weigh in individually, since it's so largely, you know.
14:11:06 Local control, issue, right? With the exception of the small state, reach, increase.
14:11:16 Can you put it back up there? Sure. Yeah. Sorry. I was trained to find the the status of the oh, sorry.
14:11:24 No, that's okay. It separately.
14:11:29 What are the benefits, of the Jefferson County on sales over 5 million?
14:11:38 The State would get that portion, but we could choose to leverage that additional quarter percent.
14:11:45 Of rates.
14:11:48 Yeah, so it would be another funding stream.
14:11:55 For housing, and how many sales they have. That's all that's on.
14:12:04 That was over 5. The State's portion. Ids, okay, yeah.
14:12:11 The affordable Homes act. The names are always funny.
14:12:21 You know, it's interesting that the of course you know housing does incrementally get more expensive with things like this, although this seems like such a minor increase in
comparison to the market just going crazy with the cost inflation.
14:12:37 And so in some ways it seems like great to have another option for helping to subsidize affordable housing.
14:12:45 Is it 2 quarter of percent real estate taxes?
14:12:52 So I saw one in the bullet above, and then I see another one.
14:12:54 We already have 2 in place and this adds another one.
14:12:59 Does it add another one, or let I know?
14:13:03 That's 100% I'm just saying, we have already have 2 yeah, quarter percent rate.
14:13:11 We have exercised both that are allowed some counties only exercise one, but we have exercise both.
14:13:18 We have the ability. Yeah.
14:13:22 Hmm!
14:13:25 That list.
14:13:28 And do you have an opinion on this? You're bringing it forward because you think it's worth recommending.
14:13:35 We were asked to, so I thought I there been a couple bills recently that I have been unwilling to take a position without checking in with you guys.
14:13:44 First. So this is one generally. I would support it.
14:13:52 The over sales over 5 million. I am totally comfortable texting those higher and then having the option to consider another local option is, I generally support, you know, the
tough part is, I think, that percentages applied to the selling price, not the net.
14:14:14 That somebody walks away from, and that has a dramatic reducing effect on the net.
14:14:20 So if somebody wants to sell a house here and then buy in Spokane, then their ability to buy in Spokane is dramatically reduced by that.
14:14:33 Reduced by this dramatically reduced, I mean, 4% of oh, if you're gonna forget your 5 million dollar house. And if you've only got 400,000 inequity, yeah, half of it goes away,
yeah, it's a big house.
14:14:51 But yeah, yeah, I hear you.
14:14:57 I mean, my initial thought is sure. I mean, you know, I don't think it's gonna have a huge impact on, you know.
14:15:07 It's it's like, Yeah, they can't afford it.
14:15:11 I mean, if you're selling your 5 million dollar house, yeah, and a little extra hit is the way that our time policy should go. That's so.
14:15:16 I supported philosophically, I don't know if we would take advantage of the we've been waiting on on our residence heavy already, so I'm not sure if I'd recommend doing that
kind of wanna see what it would come to.
14:15:29 But you know it's always good to have there was in the quiver.
14:15:31 So it's yeah. I I could find support. This.
14:15:38 And if you support it, you don't necessarily have to impose the additional order that right now I'm not sure right.
14:15:45 Got it. Yeah, we have number one and number 2 in this would be the third. Yes, this would.
14:15:55 Yeah, there's a bunch of components to read.
14:16:02 Stacy didn't sprint downstairs again.
14:16:10 Is she in with us? Yeah, if if she or Jeffrey with us?
14:16:19 I have a thing where I'm not safe. Yeah, we're gonna bring a treasure prade over.
14:16:27 That's an incorporated.
14:16:30 Hello! Stacey! Thanks for joining us. I thought we'd see you in person.
14:16:36 But yeah, do you have an opinion? About 162-58-1628.
14:16:42 1Â s audio.
14:16:53 We can thank you.
14:16:51 Okay. Can you hear me? All right. Okay, thanks. So I was writing an email to get to you.
14:17:00 So it's point 2 5%. So 5 million dollar house, it would be another 12,500.
14:17:07 Well, if it was 5 million dollar house, then the States portion would kick in also the increase in the State's portion, and if we were to exercise the quarter of a percent,
that would be the 12,500 low to the local rate right.
14:17:22 Right right, but not half of a $400,000.
14:17:32 Do you want to?
14:17:32 So sorry I was kinda half on this 1Â s. I think my sound is wrong.
14:17:36 That's okay. We can hear you clearly. You sound like you're in your headset.
14:17:41 Yeah, I think I just needed to get bigger. Okay? Sorry.
14:17:46 Go ahead, Kate!
14:17:47 You had you, you kindly responded when I asked you and Jeff about this, but 10 days ago or so has your position.
14:17:57 Or the associations position changed on it. You, still neutral with some implementation, concerns.
14:18:04 Yeah, it's the same thing of you know. They as soon as they went to a graduated rate schedule, we had a lot of issues with our our implementation the first year, and you know,
now they're going from 4 to 5 thresholds.
14:18:23 I think you know for us. It's it's simpler.
14:18:27 Locally, because we have the same in the city and the county, and I apologize.
14:18:33 I am in Doug deep into this. But you know there are other counties on at least our system that are able to, you know, address the differences in different locations just means
you can't sell something in the same.
14:18:52 Rate, that is in 2 different tax areas.
14:18:59 I don't know that doesn't really matter.
14:19:01 But yeah.
14:19:05 Can you scroll back up here? I will see where the money? Nope, the yeah.
14:19:10 Down to the summary where the money is gone, apple health and Homes.
14:19:18 Gotcha!
14:19:24 Do they talk about how much money this might raise? Let's see to the.
14:19:38 Hmm!
14:19:44 Recent, one.
14:19:46 Provision.
14:19:53 So!
14:19:56 22 million for the Buy Innums, about 111 million for local governments.
14:20:04 Exercise it.
14:20:07 Highly unlikely.
14:20:12 40 million is the States portion. Let me just scroll down here, goes up 10 times that in the next biennium.
14:20:30 This kind of goes back. But just one item is that we do not have a lot of sales over 5 million.
14:20:36 Right.
14:20:44 Just to see the.
14:20:44 Sorry for scrolling over. That's okay. I I opened the document.
14:20:49 I'm reading it.
14:20:58 Okay.
14:20:55 And I think you answered this, Kate. But basically there's 5 options.
14:21:01 And this, we're using 2. And this would allow us to have 3 locally.
14:21:06 Correct. Yeah.
14:21:06 And so it could be point 7 5% locally.
14:21:13 Yeah, we already have the okay.
14:21:15 Okay.
14:21:22 Oh, good!
14:21:18 While we were debating it in Wasack. It was very handy to go to your chart, Stacy, and I was able to find that we had already exercised both.
14:21:27 That makes me so happy.
14:21:26 Thank you. How much is the do you know offhand how much the point 5 generate locally?
14:21:37 Look!
14:21:41 Cause this would be on all sales, not just homes or.
14:21:46 We exercise that? Yeah, yeah.
14:21:48 Okay. I'll look real quick.
14:21:53 And we would have to exercise.
14:21:56 Yes, giving us the the ability.
14:22:04 Reiterate, yeah, same with the 1% removing the 1% cap right?
14:22:11 Ability. It's a hard case to make when our revenues are really Umhm.
14:22:20 Well, I mean, basically, locally, it would be 50% more.
14:22:26 So in our charts we've got like last year.
14:22:30 It was 1.9 8 million, so that would raise it to 2,900,000 year before was a real high with the 2 million over 2 million but we are having a lot fewer sales right now.
14:22:49 We're really coming in a lot under what we budgeted.
14:22:56 So last year today we had twice the amount of revenue, as we do the first 2 months of this year.
14:23:07 So interesting. We have so many cash sales, but it's still just the culture gets washed with stuff.
14:23:14 It's interesting. So it sounds similar to some of our one tenth to 1% revenues.
14:23:20 And that, you know, maybe 700,000 800,000 ish dollars a year.
14:23:24 So it would be another hefty chunk for yeah.
14:23:28 Affordable. Yeah. Hmm, so, Stacey, would you have concerns about us supporting this?
14:23:37 I do not. It's just the the implementation timing to allow us to have our software vendor update that and make sure it works, cause it doesn't always.
14:23:50 Yeah. And I'm looking at the estimated cash receipts of curious to go back and look at the implementation, because you're right. 40 million.
14:24:00 In the first biennium, and then 629 million on the second pandemic.
14:24:04 Yeah, so I'm guessing it's not to be implemented until implemented.
14:24:11 A second.
14:24:11 2520, 24, typically or even later.
14:24:13 Yeah, I'm guessing. Alright. Yeah, right? Exactly.
14:24:25 Great. Well, yeah, I think it's we're supporting.
14:24:29 I don't see a lot of downside. Okay. Yeah.
14:24:33 I just run through all the the bill documents.
14:24:37 Okay. Great, I think, having local governments say that they support the concept is is helpful.
14:24:44 And just for what it's worth, I think, you know, to start the ability to use funds for more items than they were before, even without doing the point 2 5% is, I think, appropriate
for local jurisdictions to determine.
14:25:05 Hmm, yeah.
14:25:06 Shall I leave you?
14:25:09 Thanks for joining us. So sorry I didn't get some more steps in, though.
14:25:13 Thank you. Alright! Bye, bye!
14:25:18 I think we need to. We don't generally take action on positions of support or not.
14:25:29 Do we have time for one more Bill? To sure. Okay, 5Â min.
14:25:33 Okay, sure. So Housebo, 1775, was basically written for Jefferson County.
14:25:41 And it's a relates to a legal issue which I don't want to go into too much detail about.
14:25:48 But it is Bill. I could share my screen again.
14:25:56 Sorry, Parento. It is the providing some protection from liability on regional fisheries, enhancement groups.
14:26:13 Sponsored by chat, and harvest. Chatman.
14:26:19 Yep, and look who's very involved.
14:26:21 Rf, egs, so it's interesting.
14:26:27 Our CEO. It protects itself from any liability for the projects that it funds, and yet property owners and the fisheries, groups like Nas are not protected, and so there is
currently a case that a legal challenge that is is just really problematic.
14:26:49 This is something that could be used to prevent restoration projects from happening.
14:26:54 The real concern is that groups like Nas will not be able to get life liability, insurance or that it would be so costly.
14:27:05 So this is a legislative fix to make that easier, I signed in personally in support of this bill, just to support our local fisheries Enhancement group today and wanted you
to be aware of it.
14:27:21 Yeah, I mean, it's too slow to impact this particular case.
14:27:24 I'm sure, which, of course, is, I believe, quite close to other work that we saw this morning.
14:27:36 What are the certain conditions in which they still have liability?
14:27:44 It's more, I think the certain conditions are. If if these criteria are met, items here.
14:28:21 Really trying to in store that the riskiest components of restoration projects are addressed through.
14:28:31 Yeah, licensed engineers and.
14:28:34 Engineering on that large wood placement and such. Okay, great.
14:28:46 I can do more than just say I support it. When you ask me to thank you.
14:28:52 Those were 2 time, sensitive things, legislatively.
14:28:56 I wanted to get to all right.
14:28:59 Great! Well, next up is our exact. Is that right? My, yes, okay.
14:29:05 So why don't we get that queued up?
14:29:07 We're gonna go into an 2Â min. Wait! I have 1Â min.
14:29:13 The clocks. They they were aligned this morning, or they were, I guess I just looked.
14:29:19 I can I'll read very slowly, we're gonna go into the executive session with the county administrator, Chief Civil Deputy prosecuting Attorney Department of Community Development,
Dcd.
14:29:32 Director, Environmental Health and quality manager and co-compliance coordinator regarding potential litigation.
14:29:38 Exemption as outlined in the Open Public Meetings Act, Rcw.
14:29:42 42 dot 3 0 dot 1 1 0 parentheses, one parentheses.
14:29:49 I, and we will, if we come out with any action we'll have a public comments and opportunity for public comments.
14:29:55 We will go in in just a moment. At 2 30, and we will come out at 3 P.
14:30:03 M. And you guys, if you want to go hop over to the other meeting, you can so we gotta leave this one.
15:01:40 I can hear. Can you hear me?
15:01:41 Okay. Yep, we can hear you.
15:01:44 Okay. And we're going. Thanks for your patience. Everyone.
15:01:49 We're coming back into regular session. We have no action to take on on the executive session, so we won't have any public comments, and we will move straight into a discussion
about the upcoming opioid settlements, and we will have a public comment at the
15:02:06 end of this, and we'll we'll turn it over to Philip to talk about this second tranche of opioid settlements.
15:02:14 Thank you, commissioners. Happy to be here. We've now been at this since 2,007, 2,018, I think, in terms of opioid litigation.
15:02:26 This is the second bunch of money, as Commissioner Brotherton said, this piece is with 5 big pharmacies and it's a big deal in terms of a national settlement.
15:02:44 We, we're likely to get the same percentage.
15:02:49 In each one of these settlements, and that percentage is point (441) 781-7380.
15:02:58 That's our percentage. That's something that was negotiated a long time ago.
15:03:08 And there are several agreements that we've entered into that are for sure, going to apply to every other opioid settlement, except for the ones that are coming out of bankruptcy.
15:03:26 That's the one Washington Mou and the clown, Jefferson and County Ila, both of which are discussed in detail in the agenda request for today the appendix A to the agenda request
shows what our lawyers are estimating will
15:03:51 be the return on these 5 pharmacy settlements, and I can put that up if it makes sense or.
15:04:01 I think it would be great. It's really helpful to see.
15:04:05 And I actually had one question about it, too. So.
15:04:06 Sure. Sure you want. You want me to put it up. Okay?
15:04:10 Yes, please, and maybe just walk off the walk, the public and us through it. One more time.
15:04:15 Sure!
15:04:22 Okay, so.
15:04:27 It. Open air pharmacy. No, it's I'm kidding.
15:04:33 Do. I have the right thing up?
15:04:33 I was joking with a standalone. Yeah.
15:04:35 There we go. No! Is that it or not? I'm sorry okay, I'll get there.
15:04:39 Oh, no, that's it! That's it. Sorry just on the wrong page.
15:04:43 Sorry about that. Oh, okay.
15:04:44 It's on page 6.
15:04:46 Yep. Yep. Yep. Okay.
15:04:53 So!
15:05:03 It looks great.
15:05:00 Make this a little bit smaller, I guess. So. Okay, there we go.
15:05:06 Oh, we can't see the total, the bottom line. Sorry. Go up.
15:05:09 Oh, yeah, sure.
15:05:09 We we could lose the title.
15:05:12 How's that?
15:05:13 Perfect.
15:05:16 So those. So there are the numbers. The Walmart number, in terms of how it may be distributed is not really set in stone. I think.
15:05:25 The actual number may not be set in stone either, but I think this is the least.
15:05:30 It's going to be coming to us. So these are the numbers that they expect to be paid to us over time, and for some reason each of the agreements have a different payout.
15:05:45 You know timeframe. That's I would say that if you're looking at individual settlements that's pretty normal.
15:05:52 They're usually have different terms and conditions and these are all separate settlement documents.
15:05:58 So when we get to the end of the day, in order to benefit from these someone on behalf of Jefferson County will have to sign 5 separate documents to get into these and for the
distributors settlements, we had 100% participation by the counties and
15:06:21 cities, over 10,000 population, which was remarkable, and so that got us the Macum amount in those settlements.
15:06:31 I'm hit. I with that history. I expect the same thing to happen here.
15:06:37 So that's what we're looking about in terms of a probable recoveries.
15:06:43 And Philip just to make it very clear. The distributor column on the left there is the existing one that we're we just talked to the Vhs. So about last week.
15:06:51 Correct.
15:06:54 And the first year is a double payment year.
15:06:56 Yeah, I was actually surprised to see that escalating. I thought it was kind of fixed at 35 or something. I was surprised to see that jumping up.
15:07:04 I think it has to do with. When the attorneys, fees, portions are cut off.
15:07:10 Gotcha. Okay.
15:07:13 And it's different, for each one. Is that what's the variation and timing of each one?
15:07:19 I'm sorry.
15:07:20 You're talking about the ones. Yeah, the new ones. Yeah.
15:07:26 Are you talking about the ones? Yeah, the new ones, the distributor. I was talking about the distributor saying that that number fluctuates.
15:07:33 So!
15:07:31 So hmm, so why does that term temporal term very so much for the different pharmacies?
15:07:40 Is that just separate agreements?
15:07:43 Temporary agreements, separate interest, separate numbers. They came to separate things that perhaps the pharmacies wanted in terms of how long they wanted to pay out just sort.
15:07:53 Okay.
15:07:54 I mean, I'll just say it's normal negotiations for these kinds of agreements.
15:07:58 Okay.
15:07:59 It's not. It seems weird when you look at them all aggregated. But but it's really not that strange.
15:08:07 And it looks like these 5 add up to almost the same as the distributor.
15:08:13 It's almost the same number.
15:08:18 Great. You can probably stop sharing so we can see each other.
15:08:23 But I appreciate you bringing it up and walking us through that.
15:08:24 You bet!
15:08:31 Okay, so is is that it are you?
15:08:36 We need.
15:08:36 So what we're looking what we're looking for is is a motion to authorize.
15:08:42 Probably the chair to to work with me, to sign on all the necessary documents to effectuate these 5 settlements.
15:08:53 I'm I'm happy to make a motion to authorize the chair, to sign all the necessary documents to effectiate the 5 settlements on behalf of Jefferson County.
15:09:06 Working with the Civil deputy prosecuting attorney.
15:09:11 Yeah. And then they can. Okay, I'll second that great you guys wanna talk about it anymore to get that.
15:09:19 Carolyn, yeah, okay, it's been moved and seconded to authorize me to work with the Chief Civil Deputy prosecuting attorney.
15:09:28 On getting these agreements signed and sent back in.
15:09:33 You wanna take public comment. Now, Commissioner.
15:09:32 So we can participate in this elements. Yes, thank you. We'll open it up for public comment.
15:09:39 Anyone that would like to comment on this action in particular. Please click, raise hand or star 9.
15:09:45 If you're on the phone we don't have anyone in person with us right now, and I can't see all the attendees again.
15:09:51 Oh, wait! I can't see him again. So strange. Yeah.
15:09:55 Star 9. If you're on the phone, can raise your hand.
15:10:01 Thanks for all your work on these, Phillip. I know it's been a ton of work.
15:10:08 Not compared to some other things we've recently talked about.
15:10:11 Yes.
15:10:12 I mean, I'm gonna have to sign a bunch of documents.
15:10:16 It sounds like, okay.
15:10:17 It's been a bunch of work for our lawyers.
15:10:20 They've really done a ton of work on this. Our out lawyers.
15:10:25 Yep. Okay. Seeing no public comment, I will close public comment and call the question all in favor of the motion on the floor indicate by saying, Aye, hi!
15:10:38 Hi all right! That motion passes. Thanks so much, Philip, and good.
15:10:43 Get all good. Limber up and get ready to sign documents at at your conveyance.
15:10:50 Yeah, boom, jeeze, talk about Mike drops alright.
15:10:57 Okay, well, we said we would wait till 3 30 to talk about the newspaper, so I don't know the Tcc.
15:11:08 Item, Mark, how long do you think we should? Should we dive right into that?
15:11:13 Or or we can kind of. Well, if you dive in.
15:11:15 I would expect we'd have to pause at 3 30 to do the other.
15:11:20 It'll take a little longer than that. Well, yeah, I can't do.
15:11:25 Do we have public comment?
15:11:30 Yeah, oh, sure. Yeah. Let's talk about the letters.
15:11:34 There we go!
15:11:38 Is the foreign trade zone thing.
15:11:41 Yeah, so Mark we'll wait. We'll talk about the letters right now.
15:11:44 And we'll come back to Tcc after the newspaper.
15:11:49 Okay, mark, okay, all right. So we have 3.
15:12:03 Oh, right, yeah. And that. Oh, yeah, that's for the community.
15:12:09 Health and wellness center you, the the Commission approved and signed a letter from the Murray to ago.
15:12:18 The Senator Murray, and this is simply a clone of that letter.
15:12:24 Yep. Going to 2 other of our elected representatives, if let's since we have any made it available to the public, throw it up there.
15:12:32 Someone has it handy, so we can share our screens and look at it.
15:12:35 But I mean, yeah, that's the same thing.
15:12:38 We had before right.
15:12:41 Yeah, I don't have the final letter. I have a.
15:12:52 Or I could find my.
15:12:58 Language the word draft before it.
15:13:13 Yeah. Alright.
15:13:18 Want me to share mine if you haven't handed it yet.
15:13:24 The same letter twice right?
15:13:35 Hmm, so this is a a letter that we sent to Senator Murray, and we would just swap out the address E, and the the current day on it.
15:13:46 Was this the one that the city provided us? Okay, I rewrote that I have that the one we approve I'll stop sharing.
15:13:57 Have it open.
15:14:02 I'm not sure. Then.
15:14:05 The one that you have Carolyn is not Kate's free right?
15:14:10 So yeah, that's on me. Cause they were talking about it.
15:14:15 Hmm! Is that the one in the chat mark that you just opened?
15:14:24 Yeah.
15:14:33 So they, if you rewrote the letter, they need to see that.
15:14:37 Yeah, it's just that. It's the same language we provided for.
15:14:42 Murray. Is that bad? No, no, just that.
15:14:48 Whatever they're working on in the office right now is not.
15:14:53 So. But you're gonna this is kid sharing.
15:15:12 It should have that language.
15:15:23 No, that was a different one. That was about the different project.
15:15:31 Yup. This is the language that we sent today this is just in the word format, not I don't know.
15:15:36 The one that was put on letterhead and signed.
15:15:41 But we did not make any changes to them. Language that I remember.
15:15:55 You want me to scroll down. Go ahead!
15:16:21 Yeah.
15:16:27 I'll move that we oh, I'm sorry. 1Â s Cbs.
15:16:31 As an I mean, we spell out the acronym before you use it above, and then down below, you know the very last paragraph.
15:16:38 County Board of County Commissioners. Bocc. Community health assessment, sure.
15:16:44 And then, if you scroll down, I mean maybe they know what Cds, it's their program. Yeah, I know.
15:16:51 Okay.
15:16:54 Fair enough. Okay, go ahead. I move that we approve sending letters using this same language to Senator account wells, appropriations.
15:17:06 Well are we setting it to office? Submit to Senator Camp Wells appropriation portal as well as Representative Kilmers?
15:17:19 Hold a second back. Okay, and I'll make a quick call if there's any public comments.
15:17:28 Since this was this price. Why don't we bring Mr. Sher over?
15:17:34 Forgot the last 2 paragraphs also.
15:17:40 Welcome again, Mr. Tiersh. I'd love to hear from you.
15:17:45 Thank you. I think there might be still a few, a few minor typos.
15:17:52 I think there's a hyphen floating around in the middle of a paragraph above where we're currently seeing it on the screen right after Y.M.C.A.
15:18:01 But to the substance of the of the letter.
15:18:04 I do not agree that the community health assessment showed that those particular 5 things as being the highest priority.
15:18:13 Those were questions that were asked. Those were topics, but the survey results did not show that that may be your interpretation of it, but that's certainly not my takeaway
from that particular study, and, as I said earlier, that study was the thing that got this whole thing rolling.
15:18:29 So, yeah, just to be factual. You know, you can ask for money, but you know, why not ask for the whole?
15:18:36 The whole amount. Why, just let it to 1 million, I mean 1 million. 10 million.
15:18:42 That's nothing to the Federal Government, I mean. Come on, let's get them on the hook for the whole thing. Thank you.
15:18:47 Thank you, Mr. You see the dash after the Y.M.C.A.
15:18:51 Well, but it's listing the partners. Oh!
15:18:57 Yep. Okay.
15:19:02 And the 1 million correct? Yes, and then appropriations are generally limited to that one to 2 million.
15:19:14 I'll Cantwell staff today. Said they would. Might be considering 3 to 4 million dollars project proposals.
15:19:21 But the this project is not ready to seek construction dollars.
15:19:27 Yet it would not be considered for funding at this point because of the where we are.
15:19:33 You need to get way closer to shovel, ready to do that.
15:19:36 So, if indeed, in the feasibility study, we decided to move ahead with this.
15:19:41 This would provide us funding to do, for example, architectural and engineering.
15:19:47 It's kind of good clarification.
15:19:52 No, we already set similar template. One goes to can't.
15:19:56 Well, one goes to count while one goes to killers. Yeah, they all have separate portals for their appropriations, requests.
15:20:05 Okay. And I, you know, I didn't participate in the community health assessment.
15:20:11 I. Those are. I have not looked at it as recently as you and Mr.
15:20:15 Tiers have, but those are absolutely they jive with everything that.
15:20:19 But I recall is take away from that. Really it was a robust.
15:20:30 Yeah, yeah, I think we we fundamentally, I fundamentally disagree with Mr.
15:20:34 Tiers on the value of this project. So that's sometimes we're gonna come to a different conclusion.
15:20:42 Yeah.
15:20:45 Okay. So a motion was already on the table. Anyone else like to make public comments?
15:20:54 Seeing no other public comment, I will call the question all in favor of sending these 2 letters of support to the Kilmer and Kent Wells, Cds.
15:21:08 Portals indicate by saying, I bye. Bye right, that motion passes.
15:21:12 Shall we look to the foreign trade zone, application?
15:21:18 And you've convinced me last week explaining how it would have positive benefits for us.
15:21:23 So I'm I'm comfortable with the language in here.
15:21:31 I'm largely unfamiliar with this program, and I admittedly didn't have time to do the research I normally would.
15:21:45 I did notice. It's I'm curious if it's really centric, or if it no it, there's a proposed service area, and it includes Jefferson County, Claon, San Juan Island, Kitzap Grace
Harbor, Mason Skadget and Snohomas
15:22:08 Snowomish county. Pardon me essentially what this would do it would designate the Porta Port-a-talis as a foreign trade zone, and it would open up or in trade to companies within
their zone.
15:22:26 And it. It would provide those companies with custom, customs, duty, savings, and logistical benefits, Sec can help encourage foreign trade.
15:22:37 So I spent a bunch of time reading about this yesterday like a couple of hours, and I'm glad Stacy is here, and I don't know if I don't.
15:22:45 Well, here come running down the stairs, or still turn on our camera.
15:22:48 Maybe I was trying to understand what the potential tax implications to the county are activities that take place in this in-person proposed foreign trade zone, and I found
this memo from the Department of Revenue, and you know it says activities engaged in within a foreign trade zone.
15:23:07 Are subject to Washington. State taxes in the same manner as if the trade zone did not exist.
15:23:13 But then it goes on to say things which I felt conflicted with that first sentence, so I found it confusing.
15:23:24 The act does not prohibit the State from imposing excise.
15:23:27 Excise taxes on the activities of a taxpayer operating in a trade zone.
15:23:32 Washington may impose tax as long as the tax may tax.
15:23:36 Payer may establish nexus with Washington and engages in activities, subjects to taxation.
15:23:43 In this state. I mean it so. Where? Where?
15:23:48 They say on one hand, that.
15:23:51 Activities in the zone are subject to the same State taxes as if it is. If they weren't in the zone, then it says, Washington may impose tax as long as so it's I didn't.
15:24:04 I felt like it was the memo itself was conflicted, conflicting.
15:24:06 Itself in the language of the memo. So Stacey, do you have any more familiarity with the concept of foreign trade zones?
15:24:17 Then.
15:24:19 I'm sorry I don't. I was gonna try to get from you what exactly you're looking at and try to do a little research.
15:24:38 Okay.
15:24:27 It's an it's a department of revenue excise, tax advisory, and it's eta 3, 1 0 8 dot 2,009, issued February second, 2,009.
15:24:41 So it looks like the benefits are deferral, or elimination of duties, tariffs, and that's what they say.
15:24:49 They say there's no taxes and exemption from state and local property taxes, but what they say is in their letter to us.
15:24:59 They said, regarding any local taxes for which collections may be affected by Ftz.
15:25:03 Designation of sites. Ftz-clawon County Slash, North Olympic Peninsula.
15:25:09 Application to establish its service area under the altar site.
15:25:11 Framework does not propose any specific new Ftz sites, and therefore can have no impact on tax collections.
15:25:19 But then there is a new site proposed. Contact. The parties affected.
15:25:28 It's a foreign trade zone, but not a site.
15:25:31 I'm still, I guess, fairly hazy.
15:25:32 Aren't they proposing a foreign trade zone for the Port Port Angeles, with this letter?
15:25:40 So I have a simple definition up on the screen here from the foreign Trade administration, which is a Federal agency, and so yeah, I looked at this yesterday.
15:25:51 I was trying to figure out the tax implications, not the definition of that.
15:25:59 Well, but what this does is it will. It allows domestic activity.
15:25:59 So you can import, and you don't pay customs duties on, and then you can re-export them, which helps offset advantages that foreign companies have over American company, State
and local property taxes.
15:26:23 So the only thing I can think of right away would be the rule that you pay excise taxes on the first location port of entry, and I know, like Grant County got a lot of money
for someone who stopped at their airport and fueled up before they went to their final destination in Washington d
15:26:47 state. So it seems like this is addressing this type thing.
15:26:59 And so here are the purported benefits, public benefits or trade administration says that designating Ftz zones creates but they're not making a new site right?
15:27:14 No, they're creating a zone.
15:27:19 So they could bring Ftc. Designation to any company within our proposed service area.
15:27:25 Which includes Jefferson County and all the other counties that would be in the Zone but is it these the tax implications you're talking about?
15:27:34 How do you come from creating a new Ftc site?
15:27:38 Businesses importing foreign goods are re-anufacturing foreign-made goods may operate within an Ftz.
15:27:44 To realize substantial tax and duty, burnt benefits, including deferral or elimination of duties inverted.
15:27:50 Tariffs and exemption from state and local property taxes.
15:27:54 The Federal Foreign Trade Zones Act especially preempts the State from imposing Adilarm taxes on foreign goods, and an Ftz.
15:28:02 For an eventual importer export, or on domestic goods held for export.
15:28:07 However, the a act does not prohibit the State from imposing excise taxes on the activities of tax payer. Bare operating in an Ftz.
15:28:18 I mean, this was specific to Washington taxes. It's interesting. Yeah.
15:28:23 And the first paragraph, Federal law only preempts state and local property taxes on certain goods within an Ftz.
15:28:35 I'm sorry I'm so late to the game on this, but like I'm seeing a page for port of Bellingham that looks at what the savings are, because they're an Ftz.
15:28:48 Not that I can. Reading.
15:28:52 Process.
15:28:52 Discern it quick, but they have a web page that, you know talks about what it is and benefits, and the duty, exemption, and the duty.
15:29:06 Reduction shows an estimator spreadsheet for it.
15:29:16 I'm sorry I am not ever encountered this before.
15:29:21 No, and I wasn't expecting any of us would have.
15:29:24 But I wonder if Jeff is familiar, since it is dealing with property tax and I'll read the next sentence after that, when I read at the time their letter to us at the time that
any specific new site is proposed for Ftz designation as opposed to just a
15:29:42 zone will contact parties potentially affected by the site's proposed designation, such as the county government, so that they can indicate their views on the impact on tax
collections related to the proposed designation.
15:29:55 I don't know this distinction between a zone and a site in his own, but I think maybe we are ready to send a letter off March twentieth. This kind of the cut off on this right.
15:30:07 Should we invite Caleb out here? I'm sharing my screen with the memo I found, which I felt like was.
15:30:15 3108!
15:30:20 That's the entirety of it right there. So it's not.
15:30:24 Yeah, a lot of.
15:30:29 So it sounds like the it's the the goods portion of real property assessed in property tax that.
15:30:39 So the port of Bellingham. One. It has a comparative here.
15:30:45 Grantee of Ftz. Number 1, 29.
15:30:48 The port modified Ftz to provide a new benefit for businesses, and Whatcom County Porta Bellingham. Iftz is under the alternative site framework.
15:30:58 This will allow any newer existing companies within Whatcom County to secure Ftc.
15:31:05 Status for warehousing and distribution operations within 30 days from the time and application is accepted, manufacturing applications can be approved into, and 20 days.
15:31:18 This is a new process that requires basic information on the company.
15:31:19 It's operations and location businesses can now secure approval for ftzone.
15:31:25 Designation more quickly and for a lower cost.
15:31:31 Which seems like what the port of praise is trying to do is a secure, that designation but I was trying to understand what the implications of that designation would be on Jefferson
County cause.
15:31:44 It's part of their proposal we are. We are part of their proposal so that's that's and I, you know, I feel like what I was saying about this 3 pagraph memo. I'm sharing.
15:31:56 Is that I felt like I was internally inconsistent. Language.
15:31:59 But I'm maybe not reading it accurately where it says that.
15:32:11 Federal law only preem state and local property taxes on certain goods within an Ftz.
15:32:16 It does not affect the imposition of other state taxes.
15:32:21 But then, if you go down to the second paragraph, the middle sentences, businesses importing foreign goods.
15:32:29 Are remanufacturing foreign-made goods may operate within an Fdz.
15:32:34 To realize substantial tax and duty benefits, including deferral or elimination of duties inverted tariffs, and exemption from state and local property taxes.
15:32:42 But just that certain goods, portion of local property. What about inviting?
15:32:49 Maybe Aaron, or Aaron Burger, or Cindy Brooks and Caleb.
15:32:54 Next week.
15:32:56 But they need this letter by when next Monday, and Jeff Chordon, it would be good to understand.
15:33:07 Yeah. What if any implications there are?
15:33:10 Cause. If this is something new and we're laying groundwork for the future.
15:33:19 Yeah, and I think I think Pete Langley said he was interested in this.
15:33:25 So, and I don't wanna assume that there isn't.
15:33:31 Interestingly, bye.
15:33:36 I believe it was. We talked about at the Endc meeting.
15:33:40 That's where it said that who is interested in? Maybe the Edc.
15:33:42 Did a workshop on it as well.
15:33:47 So you can join us next week. Yeah, if she knows about it.
15:33:53 I'm not sure if it was through her or through.
15:33:57 Let me see, that's it, all right.
15:34:01 Well, I can touch base with Cindy and Erin.
15:34:05 I can contact the director of the Port Director of Economic Development.
15:34:10 There, have them meet with us on Monday, the twentieth and we can have the letter ready to sign if you choose to sign in.
15:34:21 Yeah, it just would be good to know what we aren't signing away, you know. Yeah.
15:34:25 Well, you know the significant advantages to having this zone designated for stimulating employment and business.
15:34:36 But all the material I've seen. I've not seen anything that talks about property, tax reductions.
15:34:43 Okay.
15:34:43 Well, I mean, I don't know if they also mean like, or you know, real property versus personal property.
15:34:52 So you know things they have there could be subject to personal property that they're referring to.
15:35:01 But I again I don't know.
15:35:04 Hmm!
15:35:05 Okay, sounds like, we have a plan. Okay, next week that'd be great. Mark.
15:35:11 Thank you. Thanks, Stacy. We'll let you know when it is too.
15:35:11 Hey!
15:35:13 If you have, if you'd like to contribute to the conversation, we'd love to have you there.
15:35:21 Hello!
15:35:16 I am sorry to say, but happy to say I will be out of town next week, so I do look forward to hearing what you find out.
15:35:24 If you, if you have any insight between now and when you leave, do share it with us, and have a great time, talk to you later.
15:35:29 Will do. Thanks. Thank you. Bye!
15:35:33 Okay, it is 3, 30. When I think we said we would, we're going to take on the paper record back there.
15:35:44 Yeah, it is really 6. Man today.
15:35:51 Hold on. But you do need a microphone. I was gonna say, I don't think I have to talk too much on this.
15:36:01 Everything is kind of included in the bid. Award tabulation.
15:36:04 There. The big comparison. I'm sorry if you have any questions I'm here to answer it.
15:36:11 I also have a sample as they submitted, if you wanted to look at it otherwise, the amounts that they have created for each of the ads is in that table.
15:36:24 Thanks for all the homework. Carolyn. Yeah, we go through this every year right?
15:36:32 So thoughts!
15:36:36 As usual. It, you know. It looks like the leader is significantly more expensive, but when you account for the big difference in circulation, there's a likelihood that it is
reaching a lot more people I used to think it was a feature that pdn was 6 days a week.
15:36:59 Cause, then we could. It could add more flexibility. It did not end up adding more flexibility to the way that we do the work of governments, and I I personally find one newspaper
a week that you can find all the public notices, and is actually more helpful.
15:37:14 Too, I agree with all of your analysis as well. Heidi.
15:37:17 What are your thoughts? I agree with the I think consensus feeling that there's more distribution in Jefferson, in East Jefferson County specifically and it doesn't look like
necessarily in forks.
15:37:35 Of the leader significantly, more, and I have heard the argument that maybe everyone's clicking on the legal ads online.
15:37:44 But I'm not sure. I curious how many people are reading legal notices at all.
15:37:52 This antiquated system this we don't have a cryer, I mean, if you look at the electric electric electronic circulation and readership.
15:38:02 Pdn. Has far more. But that's their entire circulation.
15:38:08 Correct. Carolyn, okay, electronic circulation and readership table it's all pure, pure electronics.
15:38:18 So, no no physical papers, just so. All the Pt. Leader.
15:38:21 It all comes with one. So there's not that many people that are.
15:38:25 Right. But the Pdn. I think subscription numbers were just in Jefferson County, right?
15:38:31 No, no, those are the total.
15:38:43 Okay, well, sounds like we are of one mine.
15:38:50 But we have some public. We'll give an opportunity for public comment after we make our.
15:38:56 Motion. If anyone is so moved. Hi, I know that we award the bid of the official county and newspaper to the port towns, and Jefferson County leader.
15:39:05 Second, that motion. Okay, it's been moved and seconded to award the bid for official candidate newspaper to the Port Townsend and Jefferson County leader, and I'll open the
the floor for any public comment Stephen's here to ask us to make the Free press.
15:39:22 Sorry for you.
15:39:29 Mark will be back. Oh, yeah, I will. They'll thank you. Yeah. We want to give them a session.
15:39:36 Yes, thanks a lot. Hello. Sorry. You can also move it back to the podium if you want microphone we're just letting Steven use a microphone for public comment.
15:39:51 It's interesting. Let me get you in.
15:39:59 Wheels are coming off, the wheels are falling off for sure.
15:40:04 Okay.
15:40:08 So thanks a lot. So.
15:40:13 Thanks, so.
15:40:17 Yeah, I'm a little bit confident.
15:40:20 Let's see, I've double conflict of interest, in a sense, because I was.
15:40:25 I had long connections and appreciation, affiliation for the leader they I was the co-founder of their online newspaper.
15:40:35 And and anyway, so I really like and support the leader.
15:40:40 On the other hand, during this sort of censorship situation, a number of us partially on board with the portrait of Free Press because of of problems with the leader and part
of the problem is, I mean, like we see right now that there's only 3% representation in the county from the peninsula daily
15:40:57 news so I sort of fig like, you know, how is that even really doing anything?
15:41:03 The leaders at 16%, which isn't a huge amount, and to some extent I feel like there, you know, I'm not.
15:41:10 I'm not. I think they're representing a majority, let us say, of Port Townsendites or Jefferson County people, but not necessarily going to everyone.
15:41:18 But you know that, said I to me, I totally support this resolution to award this to them.
15:41:24 Who else should it go to but I do kind of wonder about a couple of factors.
15:41:30 One factor I had raised earlier was, you know, how do you even find it on their website? And, Greg, you're totally right.
15:41:36 If you go to classified ads, and then it's a subcategory under classified ads.
15:41:40 I hadn't guessed that, you know. But what about the county's website on the county's website?
15:41:47 I was trying to find it there, and I'm still not sure I've actually found it.
15:41:51 I did find something under Government departments, a toe community development services and payments, public notices and so I think that might be what that might be.
15:42:03 And but you know you search for it. You don't find it, or at least I you know.
15:42:08 At least I wasn't finding it very expertly. So you know, I do feel like, you know, what is actually the public interest being served by this whole thing.
15:42:15 Is this just to, you know, check a box that is required.
15:42:19 And so we got to do it. I mean, if that's all and we don't really care about it, then maybe just sort of find the cheapest possible, you know, outlet just to to be legally,
you know.
15:42:29 But if you're actually trying to be informing the public, and if this is actually valuable information, whether it not, it seems like the county website should have it be front
and center in a way that you could find it and you know I think the way the leaders handling it is is adequate and I
15:42:44 think that they're our county newspaper and and they should get this.
15:42:46 So, okay, thanks for hearing my comment. Thank you, Stephen.
15:42:51 Anyone else would like to make public comment on this decision raise your hand or hit Star 9.
15:42:56 If you're on the phone.
15:43:01 Okay. See no other public comments. I will close public comment, and Carolyn is, I mean, our public notices are just on the homebage under quick links, aren't they? No, not
always okay.
15:43:16 I just searched special meetings. I just searched legal notice on our website in the one I got came up for 2017.
15:43:34 But let's we don't have to answer this now, but your points taken, Stephen, I mean we do.
15:43:38 It's. It is a mandate that we check this box and choose a newspaper, but we do also want these public notices to be as available as possible.
15:43:46 So it looks like, obviously, we have some improvement to do on our own website about making that easy to find public notices which can incorporate a lot of different things.
15:43:55 And it looks like they might have gotten siphoned into the particular department that it's coming from, which wasn't the easiest way to isn't the most the best way to do it.
15:44:03 I would say off the cuff we'll continue to look at that, and doesn't really.
15:44:08 It's not pertinent to the question on the floor, but thank you for your comment and your scrutiny.
15:44:13 I? Yeah, I'm not sure that we wanna clutter our website with legal notices.
15:44:20 There's many of them are very specific to contractors who are licensed and bonded for certain types of projects, and they know where to look for things like that.
15:44:30 I do think we could ask the leader to make legal notices.
15:44:34 Easier to find as part of our contract in formally or informally cause.
15:44:42 We don't want it to be a barrier.
15:44:46 So classified, then legal ads. It's not that.
15:44:49 It's not that hard I didn't. Yeah like that. Was that hard?
15:44:51 I clicked on classified, and there they were. I mean, it would be just a a link on our website, too. It's not like they have to clutter it to have public.
15:45:01 I mean the same thing as you're putting it sending a newspaper. You send it into one page with a quick link to it. I don't.
15:45:04 It shouldn't flatter it, I don't think but it's a good idea we won't, you know, finish that conversation today.
15:45:09 I don't think, yeah. Okay. Great. Well, I will call the question.
15:45:15 It's been moved and seconded that we appoint the Porttown as Jefferson County leader.
15:45:20 As the official newspaper of Jefferson County for public notices all in favor indicate by St.
15:45:26 Aye, bye, bye, that motion passes!
15:45:30 Okay. Whipping through a busy day. What's up next?
15:45:36 Last track. Tcc, okay. Great, thank you. Take it away.
15:45:42 Is there anyone we should bring over for this conversation I didn't invite anybody.
15:45:50 I think this is a preliminary discussion with the Board.
15:45:53 There could be action today, but there may not be the board hasn't had a chance to discuss this with each other, and that's what the session is designed to do.
15:46:04 So in the fall we were notified that Bill, Rooney, who's been a managing the gateway Visitor Center for at least a decade, has chosen to retire and, concurrent with his retirement,
the Historical Society that has acted much like a fiscal
15:46:28 agent for the Visitor Center, receiving monies from the lodging Tax Advisory Committee to operate the Visitor Center.
15:46:37 They've decided that they no longer wanna act as the fiscal agent for that.
15:46:43 And so, in response to that, the county issued an Rfp.
15:46:47 I'm seeking proposals from interested parties to manage the facility, and while that Rp.
15:46:56 Was out. I had discussions with some folks from Tcc.
15:47:02 And I had discussions with our Allen, the local Chamber of Commerce, direct.
15:47:10 And was hoping that we would receive a number of proposals.
15:47:14 However, we only received one, and that was from the tourism coordinating council, otherwise known as Tcc.
15:47:22 Their proposal went well beyond what we were actually looking for.
15:47:29 We were hoping that we would get a proposal that would maintain the visitor center pretty much in a status quo.
15:47:41 And Tcc's proposal went well. Beyond that they actually proposed 3 phase transition Phase.
15:47:50 One would be sort of business as usual, using these existing budget allocations.
15:47:53 Page 2 would be a significant ramp up with a doubling that staff hours essentially having a second staff member, either a full time employee or 2 half times, and they also indicated
that they would like the the county to invest some capital dollars in paving the parking area and making some
15:48:17 improvements to the structure there and then. Phase 3 is an aspirational phase which would move the visitor Center across Highway 19 to the property.
15:48:26 The county owns that we've recently discussed regarding the solid waste modernization effort.
15:48:37 They propose a rather sophisticated site. They're employing a number of funding sources, many of which would be very difficult to obtain.
15:48:52 And so I wanna open that. The forward to 2 questions for the board number one and I think I've heard this from at least 2 of you regarding whether or not the county in these
modern times with digital communication methods.
15:49:08 And so on. Do we need a physical visitor center at the gateway to the county, into the Olympic peninsula?
15:49:15 And if we do, then how do we look at Tcc's proposal?
15:49:20 And their their various phases, and so I'd like to turn it over to the board for discussion.
15:49:27 We love off the cup discussion. Yeah. So in addition to that question which?
15:49:39 So getting at the question that Mark just pose to us.
15:49:44 I wish we had more data about the number of people that are drawn to East Jefferson County by, you know, digital digital means versus how many people visit the gateway visitor
center.
15:50:01 Now I don't see that in the proposal, but maybe it is.
15:50:05 Part of our grant is, we have good numbers about how many visitors are there on the call with the gateway.
15:50:13 I mean, it's like I'm gonna that would just be casting. I know it wasn't. It just wasn't in here. It seems like if you're responding to a proposal. You know, you're proposing
in response to an Rfp, you would on a safe.
15:50:26 The statistics that support your proposal right? Because one thing is.
15:50:33 This proposal goes outside the scope of what we were asking for.
15:50:39 A response to so it's a question for this board whether we wanna, you know, have a planning process to develop a larger proposal across the street from the current gateway.
15:50:49 Visitor Center, that's a that's a that's more than us.
15:50:53 Just approving this proposal, and then, if we were to do that, you know, I would want an assessment of is that the best intersection?
15:51:03 Because I got the I was looking at something else, and I had gotten the vehicles per day.
15:51:09 Statistics from Kevin and the intersection of 101 and 19 around where they're gonna put the holocaust viewpoint gets 2 or 3,000 more vehicles a day than the 104 and 19 intersection,
you know.
15:51:25 So it's those kinds of things that you would wanna look at gateway really is the gateway to the cause.
15:51:33 You're turning off of the road to many places where you go there, right? Really?
15:51:37 Right. Take a right, and then you the idea is that you would continue further. Maybe the roundabout changes that dynamic.
15:51:42 But a lot more people go. And are we trying to divert people that might be going to Portlands or further afield?
15:51:48 To also explore the peninsula. At the same time, I mean, yeah, this is really hard for me.
15:51:54 It all seems very squishy. Well, it seems like it needs a. This proposal that we've received begs a larger question than what we were asking, and.
15:52:09 I don't feel like supporting this proposal.
15:52:13 At least years 2 and 3 of it, without some more pretty, significant homework.
15:52:20 As to what our you know. Long term goals and plan are.
15:52:27 Yeah. So I have long thought and actually given a lot of thought.
15:52:37 And even some work on this with petty Charnis, and in relation to the Navy's purchase of conservation.
15:52:46 Easements in this area. I mean, I think it really is kind of a part of a very long term question of what is the future of that whole part of the county?
15:52:56 It is an area that has enormous potential because of the number of cars.
15:53:02 Going through to, you know, Patty and I used to always joke that.
15:53:09 You have to work very hard to spend a dime in Jefferson County.
15:53:13 If you're driving on 104 like it's there are very few opportunities to deal with which is kind of crazy.
15:53:22 Yeah, yeah, I mean, I I'm and yet it the same time. I think we we are missing.
15:53:32 Some revenue. That's but at the same time I'm not especially interested in investing in gas stations, and, you know, like, in a big transition transportation works and economies
work.
15:53:50 I hope, and so I don't want to double down on for that charging station.
15:53:54 There people will stop absolutely, although part of the challenge of that site is, there's not there's no eyes on the oh, eyes on the street.
15:54:05 And so there's we have a lot of vandalism and the zoning is very limited.
15:54:12 I mean, it's just that we've just done no planning for what we want this area to be.
15:54:14 So I appreciate that we are backing up and using this as an opportunity to say, What do we want?
15:54:20 This part of the county which happens to have a ton of traffic going through it to look like, and there was some planning done.
15:54:27 You know what? 2,003, 2,005 which is? This is kind of trying to reinvigorate right?
15:54:32 But.
15:54:38 So, maybe I'd like us to be able to continue our conversation.
15:54:41 Yeah, yeah. And I don't know if you guys have seen the feasibility report, I have a copy of it in my office for the yeah.
15:54:50 But you know it does. Look at the well and septic capacity, you know.
15:54:56 I don't think that we are in a position the county is in a position to invest, but you know it is property that could be valuable for other uses.
15:55:07 I appreciate the bill, you know, for your years sent us the visitor data.
15:55:13 I will say anecdotally, I drive by there a lot and I don't see a lot of use of that facility which worries me again.
15:55:21 I think people are getting information from other places, but I do think it's probably a real lifesaver for a lot of people who are driving through and going where the heck
am.
15:55:28 I quite a wilderness, a dark wilderness you drive into on the Peninsula.
15:55:34 I use the Porta-potties there all the time, so there's great value in that.
15:55:40 Okay, so yeah, I'm really torn. I think there's a lot of value in having a presence there because of the kind of very remote nature of it.
15:55:50 And mentioned that some, a number of kind of I mean.
15:55:56 I know things like transit dropbox, but I could have even some, you know.
15:56:01 Flat tires and bathroom breaks. You know it does provide a spot that's a little more safe, a little better lets than anywhere else nearby.
15:56:10 So maybe it's fine to keep it as it is until we decide on another use.
15:56:21 Insert that question into, you know, just how should visitor centers look, you know, in rural outposts, as we, as we move forward.
15:56:30 I think there is, you know, to to your point.
15:56:33 I think, steady as she goes for a little bit, you know.
15:56:37 We'll grant you the one year contract before phase one, maybe for a couple of years, while we do a little bit more planning, we're going to and solid waste planning and capital
facilities, planning I mean a lot of the planning that we're doing including our own strategic planning and
15:56:50 the Comp plan. All this stuff will feed what we should do at that.
15:56:55 At that intersection, and the roundabout 2. And who knows how that roundabout changes the dynamic?
15:57:00 And I don't think we have to do other work.
15:57:03 That responds to the roundabout before the roundabout is in right. Then.
15:57:08 So I think it's I appreciate this being brought up.
15:57:12 I have to say I like it. I like the idea. I like the vision.
15:57:14 I'm I think, with Mark a little bit, but I'm not sure if in person visitor centers are, or a sound investment at this point, you know, I mean, would we do better with the good?
15:57:29 I think a good app, you know. I mean, yeah, no, I agree.
15:57:35 And yet, you know, I think about a couple of years ago we had somebody approach us wanting to do a coffee stand there, and that seems like a great use of that land.
15:57:44 The zoning wouldn't allow for it, but you know, I'm gonna actually like having a place for people to stop.
15:57:50 And yeah, to be an asset and amenities.
15:57:54 Like a parking ride with a bathroom, and that you know, I mean there, I mean all that.
15:58:01 Yeah, yeah, if we had a little coffee. Chaos there, that would be eyes on it as well for a lot more times, you know, just to yeah.
15:58:11 Very interesting. Yeah, yeah. Oh, and can I just say to you, you reminded me, you know, ideally, we would have a sense of what with that property, with the roundabout going
in so that it could be planned for.
15:58:28 But that's probably yeah. Yeah, no, I just don't think we can get ahead of that.
15:58:31 So like, kind of, yeah, just reacting. I don't know.
15:58:35 It. It seems quick, I would. I would be very reluctant to pay that, given the unknown certainty about what we want to do in the future, Gotcha, that it gets so ready.
15:58:51 You just throw $10,000 a year at it to, you know.
15:58:54 Fill up some potholes. They're gonna instantly be discovered again.
15:58:57 I don't know. I probably disagree with you there, I'd rather put thirtyk forward. Kk.
15:59:02 Into paving, and so it's at least flat and just.
15:59:06 Oh, we lost no!
15:59:14 Well, should we? Do you guys want it here from folks at Tcc?
15:59:18 I'll see that.
15:59:24 Transit with us, as well well.
15:59:32 There any Tcc. Members are in that? Are in the audience would love to engage you in the conversation.
15:59:38 You can click, star 9. If you're on the phone or raise hand.
15:59:42 If you'd like to dialogue with us about this proposal.
15:59:49 Let's keep it to kind of just the salivating.
15:59:55 There's no public comment yeah, we're still just we're at early days in talking about this.
16:00:00 So no action is going to be taken.
16:00:03 Oh, never come back, Stephen. Sorry. Oh, well, okay. Hmm.
16:00:13 Feel bad after you left. Hmm!
16:00:18 Well!
16:00:22 So have you talked to them at all? Mark Tcc. About.
16:00:29 Would they be amenable to just the phase one?
16:00:32 At this point I'm with a one year contract. No, I have not.
16:00:37 And that was a question I was gonna ask the board today, would you be interested in a status quo arrangement for some length of time?
16:00:45 While the future of the site is pondered.
16:00:51 I would say, I do this. I appreciate Tcc's desire to keep investing here, and you know, maybe we could consider asking for I mean, I think they did keep pretty good data.
16:01:05 It just wasn't provided. Here. Yeah, I maybe there'll be a question as to whether it's of interest to them to take it on cause.
16:01:15 I'm not sure we wanna offer more than a year or 2.
16:01:21 But yeah, I think in good faith, since we put it out there, and we don't have any other ideas for the use of the property that I I would argue for status quo and Tcc.
16:01:32 Is not a not incorporated right now.
16:01:37 I do not know their form of organization. I think.
16:01:44 Their an Advisory board, I think. Well, we would have. We just rolled.
16:01:50 We do hand over 200,000 a year for them, but we can illustrate.
16:01:55 We just change that so it's a straight contracting with their with the subcontractor, didn't we?
16:02:02 Well, I know Steve Shylie. We had a separate contract with him, but that's been rolled under the larger Tcc.
16:02:10 Umbrella. Now, hmm! At the end of last year Mr.
16:02:15 Shiva. I think he was operating as S. 3 Communications.
16:02:21 I mean it's it talked about getting a new enterprise nonprofit, and I mean that doesn't exist yet.
16:02:30 Because, was the implication I read in the proposal.
16:02:45 Yeah, organizing as in dependent nonprofit.
16:02:51 Okay. Once you bring them over. And you know, we're gonna we're trying to get the one, the number of the public back.
16:02:59 Sure the Tcc. Was established by board resid Resolution 780.
16:03:03 3, and its members are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners.
16:03:08 So we'd be take it over ourself. Really.
16:03:13 Essentially.
16:03:18 Okay. Well, why don't we why don't we bring the phone call over and we are gonna take public comment on this.
16:03:24 I'm sorry I was in headed on the agenda, and I did not look whether or not you're with Tcc.
16:03:30 We'd love to hear from. Hmm! That bill. Oh, Hi, Steve!
16:03:36 Hi! This is Steve Chiling with Tcc.
16:03:39 Yes, thanks for being with us.
16:03:42 Thank you. Thank you for discussing this issue, and sorry for presenting a bigger challenge than what you had anticipated.
16:03:55 Yeah, our goal is to maintain the what we feel is the critical value of a physical visitor service as a part of the entire story.
16:04:06 Arc of tourism for Olympic Peninsula, and particularly Jefferson County.
16:04:13 Oh, sounds like they would be open to a status quo arrangement.
16:04:18 Yeah, can we put you on the spot, Steve? And you know, I've been following the conversation.
16:04:24 It sounds like we're not quite comfortable to jump to phase 2 or phase 3 at this point, though open to the conversation, eager, I would say, for the conversation.
16:04:36 Would a phase one approach for the next couple of years be amenable to Tcc.
16:04:43 I think it would, because it, as you pointed out, yes, Tcc.
16:04:48 In order to operate beyond its current advisory status, would propose spinning off a independence.
16:04:59 Nonprofits that would do more than once the Jefferson County Historic Society has done through the years as being just the fiscal agent.
16:05:11 But we would be then we feel appropriate as a standalone to be able to help the county actionalize and realize those greater purposes and and larger roles.
16:05:30 Because yes, but Tcc is not interested in just another 10 years of maintaining the same pothole process.
16:05:39 There on its current existing facility, we would aspirationally desire for something bigger and better, in something much more keeping with the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula
and the Glimper Peninsula, noted.
16:05:56 It's it's mine district. 3 prejudice there I have a couple of I did notice in the I think it was in year 2.
16:06:07 I'm not sure the there are. There are some care and maintenance of that building.
16:06:12 There's some rotting wood on the billing. We might want to, you know.
16:06:16 Think about what a budget would take to allocate to get the repairs that are needed to that building down.
16:06:21 And the other thing, Steve, I'm not sure you heard us talking about it, but we're in the midst of a number of transportation improvements in Jefferson County, as you know, through
the Department of Transportation and then we're also in the midst of a couple of are just kind of embarking on a
16:06:36 couple of planning processes, and we don't really want to forgo the conclusion of those by, you know, laying track for a growing facility at this or the site across the street
without letting those planning processes.
16:06:53 You know, guide us in that direction as well. But no!
16:06:57 Completely completely agree. Commissioner Eisenhower. Yes, I completely agree, Commissioner. I would also encourage the county to think beyond just the county, because Wash
Dot has indicated the value of roadside rest and transportation, as you've mentioned as well, and so yes, that's
16:07:20 gateway center should be considered in larger service than just.
16:07:27 It's current niche.
16:07:29 Yup!
16:07:32 Great Steve, I'd say. Thank you for broadening the conversation no need to apologize, because it's something that we've needed to do for a while, but it doesn't give you a lot
of certainty.
16:07:45 I realize. So I'm curious. I mean, given our inability to commit long term to a plan.
16:07:55 Is it worthwhile for Tcc to go through the effort of incorporating and kind of doing this gear shifting to take over this facility?
16:08:07 If it were only for one year or 2 years.
16:08:13 A very good question, Commissioner Dean. I would think that Tcc.
16:08:23 Yeah.
16:08:17 Would certainly have to think about that. Gcc goal is to stay on track with its primary mission, which is to be the the tourism marketing coordinator for the county and akin
to Jefferson County, historic so we do see the capacity to be the fiscal pass-through
16:08:39 agenda, but just as the gateway leadership currently has said, finding new means for volunteers, finding a new means for partnerships and funding is probably paramount to sustainability
because they themselves don't see longongevity and status
16:09:03 quo of of the past transition, past leadership.
16:09:10 As we transition that leadership through retirement and so forth.
16:09:13 So we will be thinking of new ways to do things beyond just a custodial same Osama.
16:09:21 Yeah, and I appreciate the vision that you brought to the proposal.
16:09:26 I like the idea of the store to buy. Discover passes Northwest Forest Pass, and there's some real need right there for those kinds of services.
16:09:38 Right and to your point, to your, to your point. The current site has its limitations.
16:09:46 Both aesthetically as well as it's infrastructure as far as well.
16:09:51 Sewer capacity. Things like that. The site across Highway 19, which was sites surveyed and a study from 2,003, commissioned by the county, does envision that site.
16:10:10 It does incorporate, as we know, a lower campground is becoming becoming the victim of climate change and sea rise.
16:10:19 Had a conversation with Matt Tyler on the topic of additional campground space and things like that.
16:10:29 And there are other examples that we had included in our aspirational, where A.
16:10:37 A true gateway. Visitor Center is a destination in and of itself, and our opinioninsula is complete with arrival.
16:10:52 Visitor centers of those that are at the conclusion of your route we do not have on the Olympic Peninsula a a welcome station as of yet.
16:11:04 That's allows people to discover plan and disperse to those clay lock beach top of Hurricane Ridge, down to the center of the Hood Canal or Port Townsend kind of side trips
or destinations.
16:11:24 All of our visitor centers are now at the end of the road, so to speak, from visitor parlance, and and I think that this site is is prime for providing that service.
16:11:44 You guys talk about models that show these kind of gateway center can be.
16:11:49 I think the word is financially autonomous. Can you talk about what kind of model could allow a visitor center to be financially sustainable?
16:11:59 Yes, I'm currently slogging down. I 5, going to Olympia to testify on behalf of Tourism Bill. That's with the Legislature.
16:12:09 So apology that I don't have any thing in front of me other than the steering wheel.
16:12:13 But there are examples that we give an odd to in our phase.
16:12:24 3 of the proposal, and the ones that I can think of at top my head are those that the flagship store of Rei in Seattle has a ask a ranger station on the second floor.
16:12:39 It is populated by a revolving schedule of natural resource facilitators and experts.
16:12:48 And that's where not only can you buy your discover, pass and ask those questions and do the trip planning, but you also.
16:12:54 Then have coming alongside it overall.
16:13:01 Your providers, of course, which folds in perfectly tomorrow. Our AI. Is all about in Walla Walla. At the wine country they have a standing.
16:13:13 Welcome to the growing region and the they have a sampling of all of the teaming rooms that there, and that's a revolving enterprise in and of itself, and so they have a bottle
shop that many people will wait until the conclusion of their trip and and pick
16:13:32 up, their mixed case of wine. As for departing the area, the same could be possibly done for our near world.
16:13:43 Famous Uhider route, down through the and the Port Townsend area, with Eagle mounts, Alpen Fire and Finn River as far as those kind of taste, and those kind of experiences of
what you're gonna see there, and those are the kind of things
16:14:02 that where they are happening they're happening in a very successful and in a revenue cross-neutral, if not a profit center.
16:14:14 Thank you, Steve. Have you been to that one in Walla? Walla?
16:14:20 Yes, I have.
16:14:22 Where is it?
16:14:29 Yeah.
16:14:27 It's a far from where I am right now, stuck on the this quality a grade, but it is as your.
16:14:41 Okay, okay, I just, I go there a lot, and I've never encountered it.
16:14:39 I can get you there, Heidi, but I cannot give you directions at this point. Yeah.
16:14:45 So I'm just trying to picture where it is. I'm a little disappointed.
16:14:48 Okay.
16:14:48 I have to say that our tourism expert is not taking the beautiful highway 101, down to Olympia, but.
16:14:54 Well, you know, and I probably could have instructed done that, but I was relying on this meeting, since you all, it did not have it. Agenda eyes.
16:15:04 Oh!
16:15:07 Gotcha!
16:15:07 I knew I needed to be in cell service, at least to be able to raise my hand and respond. So that's why I did it.
16:15:11 All right. Well, I'll take the hip. That one.
16:15:15 Then I know that well, and also a rainy day is always risky, for mudslides. On one.
16:15:18 Oh, one!
16:15:19 That's.
16:15:22 No, I've got good sales service right now. I've got nothing but headlights or tail lights in front of me.
16:15:28 So. Yes, I'm doing just fine.
16:15:30 Great. Well, really appreciate you prioritizing, being able to join the conversation, Steve, and we're really, as Kate said, it's exciting to just kind of chew on this idea,
and I think that we're interested in chewing more.
16:15:44 I'm glad you guys are receptive to, you know.
16:15:46 Maybe a bit of a slow play from the Commissioner side.
16:15:49 And that's fine. I completely understand. There was a lot of stuff, as you mentioned.
16:15:55 There was a lot of moving parts and dynamics, and we even, as you know, submitted a conditional Arpa Grant request, along with what 47 others, because the window is open and
the timing wasn't succinct and wasn't in the order that we would like it to be but we
16:16:14 didn't the opportunity to be missed if if it was appropriate?
16:16:19 So. So we are thinking, and we are in and advancing and continuing to advance the tourism product.
16:16:26 And and we do believe that the physical visitors center and print still has a place in people's overall decision making and the value added to their experiences.
16:16:42 Once they are in market.
16:16:44 Great.
16:16:47 Okay, well, does, that sounds like we're kind of on a path.
16:16:51 I guess I will when I open it up for public comment, which was on our agenda.
16:16:56 Sorry to send you off, Mr. Schumacher, but glad they caught you.
16:16:59 Please. You can have 3Â min to talk about this. A little comment which was on our agenda. Sorry to send you off, Mr.
16:17:06 Schumacher, but I'm glad they caught you. Please.
16:17:09 You know, but gladly caught you, please. You can have 3Â min to talk about this. But anyway, thank you. I totally feel good about everything.
16:17:19 I've heard from everybody on this, and I, Greg, Kate, a lot with what you were saying. You know, I mean, I feel like even worse case scenario.
16:17:26 I feel like there should be connections and all sorts of things.
16:17:28 So even if it's not, you know, exciting. I think that it bare minimum.
16:17:34 It's it's super valuable to just have some presence there and I was initially kind of skeptical about the idea of like turning it in some like happening, you know, place or
whatever.
16:17:42 But I appreciate what the other Steve was saying about this and that, you know.
16:17:46 Maybe maybe it could be done. Maybe. I also wonder whether some kind of commercial development, you know whether it's gas stations, charging stations, restaurants, other things
could be part of it as opposed to making it solely.
16:17:57 You know, whatever I think of something like walled drugs or something you know, like I can't really imagine. You know.
16:18:06 I also just sort of you know, I think of something like walled drugs or something, you know, I can't really imagine, you know. Well, we got to make a special trip to go to this
location. But who knows?
16:18:12 Maybe it could be done. I you know that said I don't know that we'll want to sync huge amounts of resources on hope and a prayer that if you build it they'll come. But you know.
But anyway, I could imagine being good so anyway, thank you very much.
16:18:23 For my house for the perfect piece of time. Sometimes it's the right thing.
16:18:28 It's not far from your house. Closes anything, I I also live in the middle of nowhere.
16:18:37 So oh! Great!
16:18:40 Oh, I wonder if that was Mr. Rony? Well, if we are, gonna we're open.
16:18:47 We've got just 12Â min left before we have to in the day as the courthouse closes.
16:18:51 But, Nicole, do you want to weigh in on this conversation?
16:19:02 You're unmuted now, but we can't hear you.
16:19:09 Nicole, you might need to click on the up arrow by your mute, unmute button and check that your inputs are correct.
16:19:16 For some reason my microphone isn't working. Yeah, we see the text.
16:19:19 If you click on the up arrow by the mute button, and just make sure that the appropriate microphone is selected going between different virtual meetings.
16:19:30 Can you hear me now?
16:19:31 Yes, we can. We can.
16:19:34 Okay, thank you very much for the the zoom lesson.
16:19:38 I appreciate it. So first in transit, is interested in this whole conversation.
16:19:44 Mainly because our very popular number 14 Kingston express route does make a stop at the visitor center.
16:19:53 My hope is, that whomever takes over the the responsibility of operating the visitors Center would consider having to for some transit, remained a partner in in bringing folks
to and from the visitor center so I I don't have much more to say than that other
16:20:15 than please in your thoughts. Consider that Jefferson transit.
16:20:19 Does use the visitor center there. They've been a great partner, and we we do pick up and drop people off at that visitor center regularly.
16:20:29 Thanks, Nicole I think we could make that a condition of the agreement.
16:20:35 That is where I most often get the bus.
16:20:39 Thank you.
16:20:42 Okay, yeah. Go ahead. Oh, well, at some point I need to ask for guidance.
16:20:48 So I think we're getting close. Okay, we'll get it to you.
16:20:51 Yeah, within 10Â min. Yeah, I feel like we're moving towards the status quo option.
16:21:02 The. I am getting excited about thinking about what are the relatively low cost ways we could really improve the utility of that place and given Tcc's interests.
16:21:15 That's awesome cause we have operator, which is often the challenge.
16:21:21 Sure, but in thinking I mean I could see I just jotted down like a few amenities that I think would add a lot to that space, so that the vault toilet says or toilets of some
sort.
16:21:36 The idea of maybe covered transit. Stop. Maybe picnic tables.
16:21:43 Require some improvement of the parking surface.
16:21:48 Obviously ev chargers. Then to have the visitor center, the ability for them to have maybe coffee or some basic refreshments.
16:21:59 Like all of those don't seem like huge investments.
16:22:05 And yet, even to get to that point, you need a change of zoning and water.
16:22:14 You need to change your zoning if we're just expanding all those things could be under a visitor center that you just described, there.
16:22:20 Okay. I know that the coffee stands.
16:22:25 We're giving away free coffee like they do it.
16:22:26 Visitors like that, and they do it. Rest stops, and everything.
16:22:28 I'm just I mean the coffee stand. Yes, if it's a coffee stand, you know, free coffee that always makes me so.
16:22:34 Yeah, I, yeah. I'm not sure when we could look back and see how we got to that.
16:22:39 Opinion. But anyway, so I think you know, I can get excited.
16:22:45 But I can also get to, a quarter of a 1 million dollars really quickly.
16:22:49 In the really simple vision. So it sounds like status quo is. Oh, let's go ahead and bring Jesse over pla.
16:23:05 Hello, Jesse! Welcome.
16:23:07 Hi! Diana had to leave it for so, but she we were glad that Steve managed to Colin about charging stations.
16:23:18 There's one wash dot they do their Pb.
16:23:26 Charging grants on a 2 year, 2 year schedule, and I think and it just went out.
16:23:33 So, if that was something you wanted to add, you would probably that closes in May.
16:23:41 So that's also a time. Sensitive thing for that.
16:23:48 You know, for that amount of funds.
16:23:51 Thank you so much.
16:23:56 Okay, well, that's maybe with should give that mark something here.
16:24:00 I mean, I think what what I'm hearing without taking.
16:24:03 I'm not sure if you want to. An actual.
16:24:10 So what I hear is from Steve Shively is that they would entertain well, they're gonna have a discussion about whether to incorporate as a nonprofit, but in the meantime, to
facilitate the retirement of Mr.
16:24:24 Rooney, and relieving the Historical Society of the Mission of managing the gateway.
16:24:30 A visitor Center. You know the Board could give me guidance to prepare an agreement with Tcc.
16:24:39 To manage it until they incorporate, which is time we would have to enter into a new agreement with the new entity.
16:24:47 If that sounds like what the Board would like to see, I'm prepared to do that.
16:24:52 Yup, I think that sounds good. I'm curious how it works since Tcc.
16:24:58 Is an advisory board. I guess we have. We have agreements with them already, so we can be done.
16:25:03 We would just have a companion agreement for this purpose that would take us through the end of 2023.
16:25:12 I think that's the funding cycle for Ltac is calendar year, and so they would need to apply later this year for funding for 20 for 2024.
16:25:25 No, it. We did. 2 year. You're right, right, and you know, Mr.
16:25:33 Shivly still with us, said Steve. Does that sound acceptable?
16:25:41 Yes, it's on the agenda for Tcc.
16:25:46 Tomorrow to authorize within our bylaws, which are, of course, yours, since we're a advisory committee of Poc.
16:26:00 So to reengage that small committee or a special committee.
16:26:07 That's responded to this Rfp. And and ask them to investigate the process and start the procedures for creating a independent nonprofits.
16:26:20 And I to your point. Market would probably take the balance of 2023 to get that launched, and and that could be the entity that would apply to Ltac for 2024 funding.
16:26:35 Okay, sounds like, we have a an arrangement that we all agree to sounds like a path.
16:26:43 All right. Well, thank you guys for the robust conversation and I don't think you need a motion for that.
16:26:48 Do you? Alright? I don't. Okay. Sorry. I'm sorry. On the 2 year thing. I was mixing it up with another funding board.
16:27:02 Never hear the end of it. Okay, hmm. Great anything else for for the good of the order.
16:27:10 Okay. Well, it's been a busy day. It was. That was so.
16:27:16 It was a sprint all day long, but I got 3Â min to spare. Oh, I know!
16:27:19 Well, you know what? What's that legislative update? Oh, yeah, right, we didn't do the legislative update.
16:27:25 Oh, yeah, right, we didn't do the legislative oh, yeah, right, we didn't do the legislative all right.
16:27:29 You got 3Â min no, I'll have more. This is an Olympia week. So okay, next week.
16:27:32 Okay. Coming to the end of the road. Okay, we're gonna have to make that our legislative update for today today.
16:27:40 And this meeting at the Board of County Commissioners is adjourned.