HomeMy WebLinkAboutclosed_caption09:00:47 No.
09:01:01 Yeah.
09:01:05 Testing testing. I don't know Wendy, can you give us a acknowledgement if you can hear us.
09:01:10 I can hear you.
09:01:12 That's good.
09:01:17 Microphone. So when they do, At any point, can you text me if we lose audio?
09:01:23 You bet.
09:01:24 Thank you, Wendy.
09:01:28 All right, with that, hello everyone and I will call this July third meeting of the Board of County Commissioners into order.
09:01:36 Glad to have some folks in the audience with us and we will start this meeting as we always do with public comment.
09:01:43 So I'll ask the room and I'll ask the Zoom room. You could hit raise hand or start 9, but is there anyone that would like to make public comment today.
09:01:50 All right, come up. You have 3Â min. Please bring the microphone up so everyone at home can hear you as well and be to respond to all public comments after we've heard all public
comments.
09:01:59 And with that, we'll pass it over to you. Thank you. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
09:02:04 My name is Randy Kerley. My name is Randy Kerley. My name is Randy Kerley. That is CEAR LEY.
09:02:13 I am the area manager for TNT fireworks. And so as you probably guessed, the reason for Mom speaking today is the fire restriction that was put in place on Friday afternoon.
09:02:21 Before I get too further, II wanna just read a couple of quotes. The first one being from John Adams.
09:02:26 The second US president. To his wife, Abigail Adams, on July third, 1,776.
09:02:33 In regards to the celebration of the American independence. And I quote, it ought to be, commemorated.
09:02:41 As the day of deliverance. By solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.
09:02:46 It all ought to be solemnized with pump and parade. With shows, games, sports.
09:02:53 Guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent. To the other from this time forward and forever more.
09:03:04 End quote. The other one I would like to also quote is from Thomas Jefferson, who Jefferson County is named after.
09:03:12 He was a third US president. In an 1826 letter he wrote For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollection of these rights.
09:03:25 And and an undiminished devotion to them. End quote. The reason why I read those quotes is that those are the people that founded this great country.
09:03:37 And what we have done with this restriction. Would disappoint them and make them ashamed.
09:03:48 I spoke at a meeting about a year and a half ago at the beginning of 2022 where there was a recommendation.
09:03:55 To modify the the fireworks code in Jefferson County. And in the spirit of that, it was to give the fire marshal the ability to.
09:04:07 To help with the safety of fireworks inside Jefferson County. Because 2021 was so extreme it was extreme weather we can all admit that it was very extreme weather was heat bubble
Temperatures were high.
09:04:23 Humidity was low and it was very very dangerous file when it came to fires. But that is not this.
09:04:30 Yesterday's temperature. Was 75 degrees and 56% humidity. Today's forecast actually yesterday was 71.
09:04:41 Today's forecast is for 75 degrees and a 56% humidity. That is not the same as we had in 2021.
09:04:51 I understand. Why they want to do it, but that does not fall these requirements these restrictions or the the criteria does not fall under that same.
09:05:04 Emergency. Extreme fire danger as 2021. The in that declaration that was made a bunch of stuff was was put forward such as these wrap it up charcoal brickets tiki torches liquid
fuel candles a lantern gas propane burners, discharge of fireworks and firearms, yet
09:05:25 fireworks are the only ones that are being are being banned for sale. I don't care about T and T. Fireworks.
09:05:33 I'm I work for them, but it's not about me. I work for them, but it's not about me.
09:05:36 It's about the people that are behind me. That are the groups that are losing out on their funds for their night of their grad night.
09:05:44 So with that, I thank you so much. I would please implore this commissioner's group to overturn this fire restriction as it does not fall under the what, 2,021 was and not it
is not the spirit of this law.
09:05:58 Thank you so much for your time.
09:06:02 Hello. Good morning. I'm Kelly Liskey. Some of you know me.
09:06:05 I've lived in this community for 46 years. But I'm here today on behalf of Big Blue Boosters, which is the nonprofit organization that was running the fireworks stand.
09:06:14 To benefit the Chimincombe High School class of 2,024. And for those of you that don't know what Big Blue does in addition to providing gear to our athletes.
09:06:25 At no cost and doing the winter and spring and fall sports programs highly highlighting our athletes paying for them to go to camp bringing in trainers all of the things we
do with athletics.
09:06:34 Were also took on during COVID the celebration of the Chimcombe class and we do that with the fence banners that you see out in Chima Come.
09:06:44 We do it with a safe and sober grad night and all of our graduates get a gift bag on their way out the door to show our appreciation for their commitment to our community.
09:06:50 So this fundraiser is our major fundraiser for doing all of that. It costs us about $15,000.
09:06:58 12 to 15 depending on the size of the class. Although last year in working with the county we knew that this was a risk with this new ordinance.
09:07:06 We were assured that the county would act in good faith and follow the state guidelines and the guidelines that allow.
09:07:11 You all to make this decision and shut it down. So, you know, this is impacting about 40 graduates in Chimcombe.
09:07:19 We don't know if we'll be able to do Grad night without this celebration or this the ability to sell fireworks and we also can't send 12 girls to team camp on July sixteenth
for basketball.
09:07:30 So. This isn't just about me or our ability to raise funds. It really will have an impact.
09:07:38 And I just like to finish with My disappointment, the fire marshal came out on the 20 eighth.
09:07:43 Looked at our booth, signed off the permit, did all those things and not once said, Hey, by the way, On the thirtieth we might be having this meeting and we might be making
this decision so don't put all this time and effort into this fundraiser.
09:07:56 Like we have a lot of time and energy and parents and kids who came out to do this. So we would just ask that you reconsider your decision.
09:08:03 Thank you. Anyone else please? Good morning. My name is Rick Nelson.
09:08:12 I live at 31 coms place, directly above Beck at Point. And for the last few days, we've experienced a lot of fireworks going on as usual at this time of year and I'm not as
opposed to that.
09:08:25 I support the fireworks. My concern is restricting the sale of something in our county. That's allowed in the state of Washington legally.
09:08:33 And my understanding is the counties around Jefferson County. Don't have this restrictions. So I'm sure the reservations will be selling fireworks.
09:08:44 Excuse me. To restrict the keep the booster club from raising this money I think is penalizing them.
09:08:51 And it won't solve the problem. I do support the ban on fires and so forth during this time and as well as I think most citizens with would support that if we said We can sell
fireworks, but we can't use them right now.
09:09:06 And so I'd like you to take that into consideration. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else?
09:09:13 In the room, like to make public comment? Love to hear from you.
09:09:18 I'll ask online. Does anyone wanna make public comment online? You can click raise hand or start 9 if you are on the phone.
09:09:26 Love to hear from you.
09:09:32 All right, well, we'll keep public comment open till 9 30 in case anyone is moved to comments and we can start responding.
09:09:42 We do have, the fire marshal. Phil's sincere with us, but I don't know, Heidi, do you wanna?
09:09:48 Lead off the response. Was it March of 2022 we put in place an ordinance? I think it's, I have it here.
09:10:05 In chapter 8 dot 7 5 of the Jefferson County code. Updating the code to. Rely on the recommendations of both our fire chiefs and the state of Washington in terms of when we
move into high fire danger.
09:10:20 And so what triggered this event is that on Thursday the state of Washington moved into a high fire danger and on Friday We met with our fire chiefs and they unanimously agreed
that Jefferson County should be moved to high fire danger based on their analysis.
09:10:37 So we. Followed the the ordinance and unfortunately it led to our fire marshal. Coming out and closing down the fireworks boost.
09:10:51 There are 3 that were operating in Jefferson County. And Yeah, I think, you know, we were just.
09:10:58 Following the law that we had put in place.
09:11:02 So I don't. I have a question for. Kelly, what's the amount of revenue that you project to raise through the fireworks booth?
09:11:13 Well, if we've been open all of the days. Over your expenses. That's what we, that was our
09:11:27 I appreciate people coming out today. Andy and Kelly and Rick and everyone else and I. Communicate with others, you know.
09:11:34 Worked with the folks that. Set the large one of the large displays down in quilting that's consumer fireworks as well.
09:11:42 And you know, it's the short notice of this. It was hard, right? And I'm It's, it's just really tough.
09:11:53 I mean, I think we only had one house burned down last year. But it's kind of a 0 sum game too.
09:12:00 And as we go into. Times of more fired danger. This is the first application of this new code.
09:12:08 Took a year and a half for it to, get into. And. I think there's lessons to learn too.
09:12:17 I mean, we're gonna talk at about after our 1030 hearing we'll have fire chiefs with us and can dive into this more so even if you're not here i encourage you to join the Zoom
Meeting and you can watch that and make we'll make sure that there's public comments as well.
09:12:35 We don't really have the ability as far as I know to overrule this, right? We've set up the fire marshal.
09:12:43 The fire marshal worked with the chiefs on this and This is about, I mean, shutting down the stands to Rick's point.
09:12:49 Is it's it's tough to watch when you know clawle county mason county are still selling fireworks as far as I know and yeah, it's tough to watch when, you know, Clalin County,
Mason County are still selling fireworks as far as I know and yeah, they're still selling fireworks as far as I know and yeah the transport of them is impossible to actually police
right whether or not
09:13:06 it's I even allowed is I think it was said it wasn't allowed in the email that went out and I think there was I don't know I need to do more analysis on that.
09:13:13 But we do have the fire marshal with us. He can speak to some of that. It's a These it's just tough.
09:13:23 You know, there's half half the population right now is overjoyed that we aren't going to be having fireworks.
09:13:29 The other half is incensed that their ability to celebrate the fourth of July. You know, as John Adams wanted, is, abridged and that's a it's a tough to know where to draw that
line.
09:13:41 And we're relying on the fire professionals to keep us safe. I think we we Learn something about communication.
09:13:48 I think Kelly your point about you know giving a permit 2 days before. Pulling it is it's It's tough, you know, and it's wasn't I know that Phil did not like going around like
we can speak for himself but it was not a happy.
09:14:06 Task. He took no joy in it, I know. And but safety. You know, above all, you know, that's pretty much what we're saying at this point.
09:14:19 I have livestock guardian dogs. The one day they come inside every year is on the Fourth of July.
09:14:25 There's impacts that happen from fireworks. I don't mind fireworks. It's kind of nice to have the dog.
09:14:31 But, you know, I think here we are. I don't think that we have the authority, even if we were inclined to overrule the fire marshal's work with the fire chiefs.
09:14:46 But I think we can. Continue to develop better.
09:14:53 Skills. I mean, the high hazards. From DNR went in Friday, right? You know, yes, you can anticipate these things, the modeling gets can be used.
09:15:05 Perhaps more strategically, but As the law is now, it is always going to be a challenge to be able to sell and and discharge fireworks in Jefferson County.
09:15:16 I think it probably means it's more worthwhile to investigate. Professional displays if you have a permit you go through the professional display I believe it creates and we
can ask for this exactly but I think it creates a different, this ban wouldn't necessarily impact a professional fireworks display.
09:15:33 So I'm just thinking about future fundraisers, you know. Developing, hiring a professional to come and do a display and having people pay into that is something that might be,
you know, a more viable alternative as we go into if we continue to have drier and drier seasons, which is what it
09:15:51 sure looks like is happening. So. With that, I don't know. Phil, do you want to, weigh in?
09:16:00 Absolutely, I'd be more than happy to. So thank you commissioners for having me here this morning.
09:16:05 Yes, this was not something that, just to echo on what you had touched on, Commissioner Brotherton.
09:16:11 This was not, something that I took lightly. This is not something that I took any joy in doing, shutting down these fireworks stands.
09:16:18 The first time that fireworks are legal for sale. Per state whack is June 20 eighth.
09:16:26 So went around, you know, specifically, the TMT stand, specifically. We even had to do an expedited permitting, because of a, issue with, getting with some medals done there.
09:16:39 They are expedited permit for them so that they could open up, you know, had them up and go in by 20'clock.
09:16:46 I had no indication from the fire chiefs or from the state DNR that we would be escalating the Fire Danger.
09:16:56 Did take a look at some modeling of things like that, but there was nothing that was concrete that this was going to happen.
09:17:03 It was always gonna be a concern, you know, it was always gonna be a possibility. And unfortunately this year everything lined up with the metrics to, require a declaration
of high fire danger.
09:17:16 So we had a, unanimous decision among the fire chiefs that each district voted to.
09:17:22 To escalate and between that and our metric that we use for the DNR.
09:17:28 Everything lined up in order to bring this together this year for This being the first year kind of the inaugural run of, this ordinance.
09:17:36 And that's where we wound up. Again, I. I'm all about the the legal safe use of fireworks in Jefferson County.
09:17:49 But this year conditions. Dictated that we take another route. You are correct, Commissioner, Brotherton that The public display of fireworks would be exempt from this.
09:18:03 As is, you know, one of the restrictions, that will not apply in this particular one is to the storage or transportation of consumer fireworks.
09:18:11 And that's in 2 A of that. Of that code. So.
09:18:16 I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?
09:18:19 Absolutely. So the way that it works, I'll read it out here. So this is 8.7 5 0 4 0.
09:18:27 2 A. This is, I'll just read section 2 the limits and manufacture. Sail transportation, discharge storage or use of fireworks is prohibited during a declaration of high fire
hazard except as permitted in this chapter.
09:18:40 The discharge manufacturers sale, storage or transportation of fireworks. Is prohibited during a declaration of high fire dam danger.
09:18:47 High fire hazard declared in a regional responsibility provided however this restriction shall not apply to the storage or transportation of consumer fireworks.
09:18:56 And then if we scroll down to H. To the public display of fireworks by persons with the appropriate state licenses.
09:19:05 This year I did not receive any permits for a public display. And that would again require those entities to have the appropriate state licenses.
09:19:16 Well, I did not receive any permits for those as of this room.
09:19:21 Thank you, Phil. I mean the timing is the timing is super. F, frustrating.
09:19:30 And II love fireworks, so I'm You know, I'm disappointed too, but I've been talking with people who have done large private displays and they've decided not to they decided
earlier before this because they were kind of.
09:19:47 Assuming there would be high fire that danger by the time we got to the fourth of July they were not gonna make the investment.
09:19:53 Of the money in their private displays. So I mean, it's just really unfortunate timing.
09:20:01 I'm sorry, it's not a dialogue, but I will give you another opportunity.
09:20:07 But that's, just not what it's about. Sorry, Randy.
09:20:12 Yeah, so I mean, we did set the standard. Higher, than we did than it was before 2 years, year and a half ago.
09:20:21 And. Whether or not, you know, property lives are are safer is something that we're really seen right now and I think as we move forward if This is true restrictive.
09:20:37 We can change the law, but that's what we did was we set the law that empowered the fire professionals, the fire chiefs.
09:20:45 A fire marshal to make this determination. So we helped set the standard with the Fire Chiefs, but If we want to change that standard, we can do that.
09:20:56 We can't we can't do it immediately. But this decision we put in the hands of the professionals so right now.
09:21:01 So it's. It's disappointed I know and I'm sorry it's cool comfort but I think that's where we are.
09:21:09 I'll ask again anyone in the room that hasn't made public comment. Anyone online?
09:21:14 We'd love to hear from you. Yeah, the coordinates being. My name is Chan by the way.
09:21:20 I hold an ordinance being put in 2 days after these guys opened their sand, how can you not put it through, today or tomorrow?
09:21:24 So we can enjoy our Fourth of July if you did it in 2 days. Prior. Gave them their permits on the 20 eighth and then took it away on the thirtieth but you can't reissue us to
like rewrite the law as you were just saying to change it within the next 2 days.
09:21:42 That's too short of time for you. We didn't that permit is not the law. That's that's an administrator.
09:21:49 Changes group made it March 20Â s or March of 2028 and 21. They get their permits for their fireworks stand on the 20 eighth and then shut down on the 30 if something was already
in place on the 20Â s.
09:22:02 For this to be banned. If you guys were saying it was already talked about on the 20Â s to be put forth to be banned.
09:22:08 Why'd you give him their stand on the 20 eighth and then take it away on the third? Finish your comment.
09:22:12 I'm happy to, I think I understand your question. So I can answer this one. Okay.
09:22:17 Have a seat. We'll listen to the other comments and I will we will answer your question. Oh, why don't we bring this ball over?
09:22:25 Hey, Gene, you have 3Â min to talk.
09:22:28 Good morning commissioners. I. You will know that by long standing opposition to recreational fireworks.
09:22:41 Because of the impact to livestock, the fire risk and the impacts to combat veterans who suffer from PTSD.
09:22:51 That aside, I do understand the, negative, implications for. Fundraising and for public displays and I support public displays.
09:23:06 I don't support people. Blowing stuff up in their backyards, but public displays I think is a good.
09:23:12 Pressure release for the general public to still engage in this recreational behavior and it it seems to me that it has potential to reduce the demand for backyard pyrotechnics.
09:23:29 I assume because of the things you've said this morning and my sort of big recollection of the process that the display and quil scene is not a permitted display because.
09:23:43 Well, because there was no permit or no license or both or whatever. And I hope that that can be remedied in the future.
09:23:50 What I would really like to know is, the The organization to which people in the public can make a donation to the organization that the young woman spoke about earlier.
09:24:04 So that we could maybe try to offset the impacts to the loss of revenue so if you would be so kind as to please tell me where I may send a contribution.
09:24:15 I would appreciate that. Thank you.
09:24:17 Thank you, Miss Ball. Well, does anyone else want to make public comment at this time?
09:24:22 Raise hand if you're online or raise your physical hand. I didn't use my 40Â min.
09:24:32 Well Sure.
09:24:38 We do have one at the fire danger, but you might not want to stick around that long. I'll, yes, you can go ahead and please, why don't you answer Jean's question if you do have
an answer to that.
09:24:50 Okay, the nonprofit organization is called Big Blue Boosters. And you can send a donate you can either donate online at BBB chimicum.
09:25:01 Dot com or by mailing a check to PO Box, 1491. Port hand lock.
09:25:10 And I just wanted to make a comment about, 2 things actually. One is in regards to the transport of fireworks.
09:25:17 The document that I received from Phil highlighted that we can't transport. In bold print and on his way out he let me know that he would notify the prosecuting attorney about
our conversation.
09:25:32 So I'm not going to move those fireworks. And bring them to a safe place, which they're not right now.
09:25:37 They're sitting in that building unattended. So if you really are worried about the fire danger, you might think about this.
09:25:43 I'm not moving them until I have something in the writing from the county. I'm not going to read the RCW.
09:25:47 Based on our conversation and him letting me know he was gonna let the prosecutor know I'm not moving him.
09:25:54 And then secondly, I don't understand how DNR has made a state declaration that doesn't affect Clle that's drier than us.
09:26:05 Kids app. Or island county, all the counties that surround us. So. It doesn't make sense to me.
09:26:12 Thank you. Thank you, Kelly. I will certainly reach out to bbcimicum.com myself.
09:26:20 If we can help, offset that loss. I think it's, it's a great community support.
09:26:25 So thank you, Regina, for that. Idea anyone else have a comment to make you can click raise hand.
09:26:30 Come on up
09:26:32 My name is Matthew Harting. I've been in this community for 47 years. The question I have is what do you plan to do?
09:26:40 When people go out of the county to the reservations, bring them back into Jefferson County and blow them off in their backyard anyway.
09:26:48 That's all I got. Thank you. It's a good question. Matthew, anyone else like to make public comment?
09:26:56 Okay.
09:27:00 Well, a couple more things to respond to you.
09:27:06 I don't know, Phil, can you speak to the transport and where, you know, I understand Kelly's trepidation about going against that, the email saying don't transport them.
09:27:21 Understood. So the D language in the declaration. Comes from directly out of our ordinance. This statement was approved by the processing attorney's office previously.
09:27:36 So the language that I am to understand. Is legally binding. And that states limits on the manufacture of sale transportation discharge storage or use of fireworks is prohibited
through a declaration of high fire hazard.
09:27:52 However, it continues on down below as I spoke of before the this restriction shall not apply. To the storage or transportation of consumer fireworks.
09:28:01 There also says a subsection G to the transportation of fireworks through the county as part of interstate commerce.
09:28:08 So there are a couple of exceptions there that allow for the transportation of this. And that maybe something that we need to define a little bit further in our ordinance, but
the language.
09:28:21 That was in the declaration is stated as it is in the
09:28:25 So Kelly probably should leave those right where they are really.
09:28:29 According to this to the storage of transportation consumer fireworks, it is a restriction that shall not apply. So I do believe that they can be transported safely out of the
county.
09:28:41 The email that we sent to have that whole clause.
09:28:46 The entire clause with all of the exceptions was not in the language for the declaration. No.
09:28:54 Well, maybe we should. No, update it if it's not accurate, I guess. I mean.
09:29:03 They're, stuck right now. I mean, there's storing the fireworks.
09:29:06 Or transporting. I mean there's What are they supposed to do? They do seem like they're between a rock and a hard place.
09:29:13 Understood. I'll coordinate with legal and make sure that we, we get that defined a little bit better.
09:29:18 Okay, and I will respond to the gentleman Mark. I'm not sure that right. Was asking kind of the distinction between the permit that the respective fireworks stands received
and the ordinance which Maybe I used to escape responsibility.
09:29:38 Not exactly, but a little bit. And that is in 22 we are the legislative body we are responsible and we work with the fire departments to create The rules that bound when we
as a county can.
09:29:52 Band fireworks on the small window that they're open throughout the year. And before, kind of in response to your question, I think it was based on Dnr's designating extreme
fire danger 1 one level above right one level above high on this kind of universal chart that that fire departments used.
09:30:15 So in going down to the high, we reduced the standard at which fire departments could put a fireworks ban on.
09:30:26 So we did. In 22 but we can't just overrule that. That law.
09:30:33 On there's an RCW that if you change fireworks laws it takes effect a year after year. A year in a day.
09:30:41 A year and a day after you create it. So even if we said, okay, everyone's right, we should go back to extreme.
09:30:46 I believe, oh maybe you can on maybe you could only.
09:30:53 Right. Well, at least if you make it more extreme, maybe if you lower the restriction, there's not a delay.
09:31:00 If you make it more extreme, maybe if you lower the restriction, there's not a delay. I'm not gonna argue.
09:31:04 Talk to the city and check well and talk to CDC. Thank you, Granny. No understand that that's a that information is.
09:31:12 Is not accurate. So I have the declaration here and it does say as a result of this declaration the discharge manufacturer sales storage or transportation of fireworks is prohibited
during the declaration of high fire hazard except as otherwise permitted in chapter 8.
09:31:32 7 5 of the Jefferson County code which Phil was just reading in chapter 8. Dot 7 5 of the Jefferson County Code, which Phil was just reading the exceptions.
09:31:38 Yeah, you'd have to go and actively look at the exception, right? Yeah, but they're in the code.
09:31:45 I mean, it's not. The next 3 pages.
09:31:52 So, gotcha. It does give you the reference where to find it. Okay.
09:31:59 In any event to finish the explanation and I'm not sure if we we might be able to as you say Randy lower the lower the threshold, but if you raise the threshold is certainly
a year delayed and a day that we've encountered.
09:32:14 But the permit that was, offered to the, that the, The firework stands got was an administrative permit from DCD that the fire marshal also was the one that, you know, as the
planning director, I guess, or the plans examiner.
09:32:31 They're kind of he's wearing 2 different hats when he when he went back And. I guess I think that is responds to Everything.
09:32:42 Do you have anything else? I don't. I mean we've seen the promise of things getting drier here and I've had conversations with various members of our fire department over the
last actually 3 years.
09:32:58 And I know there have been recent concerns and there was a fire in Iron Dale on Thursday night and I had a conversation with Assistant Chief Tracer at that.
09:33:08 Fire extinguish. You know, they're fighting the fire and we're talking about it and you know it's just it's really dry here right now even though it's cooler then it's not a
heat dome right now.
09:33:19 So I support our fire chiefs. They've been doing really Good analysis of the conditions here. And we're super thankful for their service and their leadership in our community
and we look to them.
09:33:36 To provide us with the information we need to make. These moves and it's really unfortunate timing.
09:33:50 Cool comfort, I know. I'm sorry. It doesn't seem like we're going to be able to help.
09:33:55 With, we'll have a and one other thing. I don't know. Phil, can you speak to what enforcement looks like if people use fireworks from from out of the county or that they have
been holding on to it for a year.
09:34:09 What are the What's the enforcement look like on the other end of this?
09:34:12 Absolutely. So the enforcement of the of this ordinance is through, the county sheriff or their destiny has the discretion to enforce this chapter.
09:34:23 This chapter does not create a duty on a part of the county, the county share of the county farmers or local fire officials.
09:34:28 To enforce the violations of this chapter. It also says particularly with the discharge of consumer fireworks and the violation of this chapter, public awareness and voluntary
compliance efforts.
09:34:40 Should be used prior to enforcement under this chapter. So the county sheriff is the. Or there doesn't need, has the discretion to enforce this chapter.
09:34:51 So it is through the sheriff's department. However, again, enforcement is kind of a the last key part of this you know the at the forefront will be public awareness and voluntary
compliance So.
09:35:07 Thank you and I think for fire departments we'll talk more about this I think at our meeting after our 1030 hearing with when we'll have.
09:35:14 Chief Black and Chief Tracer with us as well.
09:35:17 So, okay. I'll accept to come on up to the microphone. Go ahead, Rick. Well, real quick, I just wanted to say I'm trying to get it in my mind to distinguish between sales.
09:35:30 And use of fireworks. And I think most of us citizens would support. The ban on using fireworks, but I just can't get it in my mind banning the sales of fireworks.
09:35:42 Well, you're not supposed to hold on to. Consumer fireworks people do of course, but so they're they're for sale for a couple of days before the windows that they're open.
09:35:52 So there's a there's a great association. Enforcement, as Phil has explained, is it a challenge?
09:35:58 You know, I mean, it's not like you want to go writing tickets. So the easiest way to get people not to shoot out fireworks.
09:36:04 So the easiest way to get people not to shoot off fireworks is to. Stop people from buying fireworks locally.
09:36:07 I understand that. I just I don't Really the job he has and you know there's a lot of people at Beckett Point that probably don't even know what's going on right now.
09:36:16 Yeah, that are shooting fireworks. So anyway. Yeah, no, it's a challenge all around.
09:36:23 It's a challenge to enforce and it's you know it's
09:36:27 It's horrible when neighbors fight with each other about these things too and and unfortunately that is going to be
09:36:36 Probably going to happen more this year since there is you know you can complain about your neighbor if there shouldn't enough fireworks and you're gonna get a sheriff's deputy
to come out and say, hey, you gotta stop.
09:36:47 Yeah. Yeah, no, it's gonna be it's gonna be rough. Granted.
09:36:56 I don't know Mr. Hunsucker you're with us too. If you've got anything you wanna weigh in here, love to hear from you.
09:37:08 Yup, yep, write them on over.
09:37:18 Hi, Philip. Anything to add or correct any? Miss characterizations.
09:37:24 No, I think, the way you've described it. Is exactly how the ordinance was designed to work.
09:37:31 And, thank you, Commissioner Eisenhower for. Pointing out that the declaration of That the declaration did talk about the exceptions that are in the ordinance.
09:37:45 If we wanted to make the declaration 3 or 4 pages long, we could have included the whole ordinance, but it's there for everybody to see if they just go look at it.
09:37:54 And it's our earnest is online. So not that difficult.
09:37:59 So, but it does seem a little confusing. I mean, just to iteratively improve how we do things to forward saying you can't transport or store these things that we've stopped
the sale of at the same time that all of those actually can be.
09:38:16 So it just it whether or not it's It's good that it's defensible, but it's also it seems confusing from the intense because people can still transport and store consumer fireworks.
09:38:31 Well, you know, we could make it longer. No, no problem with that.
09:38:36 Okay, well I think maybe we should just to be clear as we as we go forward. All right, I'm sure there will be more communications coming out and maybe we can refine that at
our 101-03-0110'clock meeting.
09:38:51 Okay, I'll make one last call for public comments.
09:38:56 Sure.
09:39:02 With that, I will close public comment and we have.
09:39:04 With that.
09:39:19 Fine.
09:39:07 Got some. Okay, thanks. We've got a Dr. Barry and Willie Vince will be joining us for our monthly health update at 9 45 gives us 5Â min or so to take a look at the consent agenda
first.
09:39:30 Okay, in the consent agenda.
09:39:39 All right, any. Comments. Good stuff. I have a bit of an issue with the medical reserves core.
09:39:50 I know Willie's on the call. I believe MRC is already taken. In the count.
09:39:56 It can be, can't we just make one acronym or resources committee? Yeah. How about Merck?
09:40:00 Medical reserve core. I mean, it sounds a little tough. And maybe it's, but.
09:40:05 That's my suggestion. We don't have to change it for this. You know, it's, they're already establishing that this is really just to.
09:40:15 Use the Nacho funds, which I fully support both as an action and as an acronym.
09:40:21 And good job commissioner Brotherton. Are these your law enforcement officers and firefighters. I wish I could take credit.
09:40:32 No, they are these are reappointments of Gary and Howard who I've been. I'm a single member.
09:40:40 I. And the actual responsibilities are daunting. And we have another special meeting. We're doubling up for meetings this month on the left.
09:40:49 I didn't have any. Comments on the consent agenda. I'm happy to move to approve the consent agenda for for July third, 2023.
09:41:01 And, no further questions or comments. All in favor of approving the consent agenda and adopting it as presented indicate by saying aye.
09:41:11 All right, that motion passes. Okay, so we've got a few minutes you wanna. Take a look back at last week.
09:41:20 We should mention that Commissioner Dean. Is not with us today because she had a hitch in our giddy up on her travel yesterday because she had a hitch in our giddy up on her
travel yesterday. So.
09:41:35 Stuck out of the country. I somehow didn't make it back in time.
09:41:40 Yes, so she will be back with us next week.
09:41:47 Let's see. Are we just looking back one week at this point? Yeah.
09:41:54 So I'm happy to look back. I, was with you all on Monday.
09:42:03 And then on Tuesday I had a community foundation board meeting in the middle of the day. And a trust land transfer working group in the afternoon.
09:42:15 Implementing the program that we got through. I'm moving into a backseat role. And then Wednesday budget committee with a whole bunch of us.
09:42:30 Then we had our strategic planning. Weekly check-in, which was good. To do kind of the final approval of a few questions about the draft that came out of the leaders group meeting.
09:42:43 And so we've got a draft. And I think we've scheduled that maybe for the, was it the seventeenth of July to review that?
09:42:53 And then I had to check in with Mark and a few items I needed his, input on.
09:42:59 And then have a meeting with some constituents in Chemical middle of the day. And that was it for Wednesday, Thursday.
09:43:09 I went to the hood Canal. Vaughan lived the Kings meeting.
09:43:21 No, it was really great. A lot of information. Yeah, it was a huge group of people.
09:43:31 I was surprised how many people were there. So. Virtually. Yes.
09:43:36 There's add another trust and transfer work group meeting.
09:43:40 And we had the mental health advisory committee meeting.
09:43:45 And then I was double booked. I went to go to the Planning Commission meeting. Did you attend that?
09:43:50 And I didn't attend that because we had a sewer outreach meeting at the library and had lock at the same time.
09:43:57 So there's just a few people but they're targeting folks in the neighborhood that they're talking about, they're targeting folks in the neighborhood that they're talking about
the routing of the sewer coming up.
09:44:08 Matheson Randolph, is actually where I live. And they're just reaching out to those neighbors saying, well, we're gonna put a line up, Curtis, are you interested in hooking
in?
09:44:20 So there were a few people, but. And we're having another meeting on Thursday. Probably this meeting.
09:44:29 No, Samantha, Samantha Harper. Yeah. That's great. And then Friday I was I had a meeting with the Fire Chiefs to hear about their recommendation that we move to a high fire
hazard.
09:44:44 And they unanimously approved the declaration. And that. Feel, Phil was there of course, mobilize the communications apparatus after that and got the word out and I know that
Chief Black is going on.
09:45:03 KPD Z at 1030 this morning and then we'll have the conversation after our hearing at 1030.
09:45:10 With some of the folks who were involved in that decision. So it's.
09:45:15 Super compressed timeline for that decision and. But it is implementing the ordinance that we put in place last year.
09:45:24 Nice. And then, oh, Karen and I had a meeting with Ollie, to talk about the low income solid waste fee.
09:45:35 For the update to the solid waste Oh, yeah, yeah, 1030 today. And so we've got a plan to get a low income program in place.
09:45:46 And it turns out, or it sounds like it's gonna be a lot more straightforward than Al even thought originally.
09:45:53 So, Yeah, you could use existing cards or. Letters. Okay. So, anyway.
09:46:04 That was last week and I think we should wrap it up. Let's add invite Dr. Barry over.
09:46:13 I know we're going to have a special special topic today with Dr. Barry. I believe is that still accurate?
09:46:23 Hi there, sorry I was just coming over as a panelist so I didn't quite hear your question.
09:46:27 Oh, are you going to have kind of a different, Subject matter that you're going to focus on a little bit today.
09:46:34 Yes, so today we'll do a little bit of COVID up front. And then we're gonna be talking primarily about the opioid overdose crisis and some of our responses to it, including
a little bit about harm reduction.
09:46:47 Great. I know we asked KPTZ to, solicit questions and the big question is, so what's harm reduction?
09:46:53 So.
09:46:57 Okay.
09:46:53 So we we can definitely cover that today. So to follow our traditional norms, we'll start with just a little bit of COVID update.
09:47:04 Thankfully the the picture on COVID continues to look better. One of the questions that we did receive was how, how can we monitor the situation with COVID with less and less
data coming out around it?
09:47:16 And what the most consistent measure that we can look at is hospital admissions for Covid-nineteen or with COVID.
09:47:25 19 that helps us pick up people who are sick enough to need to be in the hospital and people who are incidentally found to have COVID when they were in the hospital.
09:47:32 And that continues to downtrend at the state and national level. So that's very hopeful on our end when we do see possible admissions for COVID.
09:47:41 19. They are predominantly in folks over, over 65 over 70 in fact is the biggest group that we see, for admissions for COVID.
09:47:51 19 at this point. In Jefferson County we've had a total of 2 hospitalizations for COVID.
09:47:56 19 in the last month. We do still separate hospital admission for versus hospital admission with and those are folks who were hospitalized because of their COVID.
09:48:06 They were people in their seventys and eighties and they both had multiple underlying conditions and that is kind of a consistent with the pattern that we're seeing at this
point.
09:48:16 People who are 70 and over who are who have underline conditions are still at risk for severe disease from COVID.
09:48:23 19, which is why it's particularly worthwhile to make sure you're up to date on your vaccines if you're in that group.
09:48:30 Thankfully we've had no new deaths due to COVID-19 so total of 39 deaths in our region over the totality of our COVID.
09:48:38 19 response. At this point it's still predominantly XBB 1.5 as the variant that we're seeing.
09:48:45 That has stayed really relatively stable throughout all of 2023. We do think by the time we get to fall, XBB, 1.1 6, which is just part of the XBB sub lineage is going to be
the dominant, some variant.
09:49:01 All that means is they get a little bit more contagious every time that's how they overtake each other.
09:49:06 But we don't see any increase in severe disease related to that. And that's important because, that, stability of XBB is part of what's helping us decide how to manage vaccination
going forward.
09:49:21 And the CDC and, ISIP, which is a advisory community on, on immunizations are likely to recommend an additional booster come fall the same time we get our flu vaccines specifically
tailored to XPB and then it would move into likely an annual vaccine from there.
09:49:42 When they move forward with that we're likely to see a prioritization of people over 65 for that first round and then kind of opening up to everyone else.
09:49:50 So that's that's what we expect. To come forward, which plays in a couple of the questions that we did receive.
09:49:57 One question was basically if I haven't gotten my second booster yet. One question was basically if I haven't gotten my second booster yet, should I?
09:50:10 This person is who asked this question was basically if I haven't gotten my second booster yet, should I?
09:50:12 This person is who asked this question is 70 and healthy. And that really plays into that decision matrix.
09:50:14 If you are 65 and over and have multiple underlying conditions and you haven't gotten your second booster yet, I would recommend you do because it's really important to maintain
that protection if you're in that very high risk group.
09:50:22 If your only risk factor is age though and you are otherwise very healthy living your life, getting out there exercising and everything looks good.
09:50:30 And you haven't gotten your second booster, but you've completed all the rest of your series.
09:50:33 And in this case, this person actually had COVID in the past as well. So they've got all of that accumulated.
09:50:39 I think it actually makes sense at this point to wait until the fall because we are likely to wait until the fall because we are likely to see a recommendation of about of 2
to 4 months between your last booster and your next one.
09:50:50 So it really depends on your underlying conditions. If you have a lot of underlying conditions. Think about getting that additional booster sooner rather than later.
09:51:02 Otherwise if you're healthy and your only risk factor is age reasonable to wait until the So any questions on COVID before we move into opioids?
09:51:13 I had one but you just answered it. Thank you.
09:51:15 Okay, fair enough. So this is, our first, KPC where we're taking on some other public health topics that we work on.
09:51:26 Public Health has been working on a wide variety of issues in our community since long before the COVID pandemic and will continue to after.
09:51:33 And one thing that we've been working on a lot for the last several years is the opioid overdose crisis.
09:51:39 In our region and in many regions throughout the country that really started with prescription opioids. It used to be really even as not that long ago as the early 20 tens that
the primary driver of opioid overdoses in our community was pills.
09:51:58 Was actually people were dying with Oxycontin or, or Percocet in their body.
09:52:05 That was the primary thing that was killing folks. Then somewhere around the 2015, 2016 range we started seeing a rise of heroin in our community.
09:52:15 A common misconception is that happened when we started scaling back prescription narcotics and then actually predated that.
09:52:23 But folks started switching to heroin because their prescription they started to develop such tolerance that their prescriptions wouldn't get the job done anymore.
09:52:32 So we started seeing that transition even before we were formed prescribing practices. Then about 2 years ago in our region that Nell showed up.
09:52:42 It showed up in other parts of the country a little bit before then. But in Jefferson and Clowham counties, we really didn't see it until around 2020 21.
09:52:50 And that has dramatically changed the rates of opiate overdoses in our community. We've actually seen opiate overdoses double in our region in the last couple of years and that's
really pretty much exclusively due to fentanyl.
09:53:05 Fentanyl is an opioid. It's an incredibly strong opioid and it's something that people in our community are not used to working with.
09:53:12 And it's one of the challenges of fentanyl is it doesn't last very long.
09:53:18 So people who are addicted in narcotics. Common misconception about people who are addicted narcotics is that they use to get high.
09:53:24 And that's often where it starts. But after a year or so of using the biggest reason people continue to use is to make their withdrawals go away.
09:53:33 Once you've developed a tolerance to opioids when they leave your body, you feel terrible.
09:53:38 You feel nauseous, you feel achy. People say it's the worst they've ever felt in their life and people will do anything they can to make that feeling go away.
09:53:47 And so people who got addicted to pills or heroin now really the only thing on the market in the in the illicit market is fentanyl and so they have to use to make those symptoms
go away and they use they have to use many many more times over the course of the day because it's a rapid on and wrap it
09:54:04 off. And each time they use, they're more likely to die because it's so strong and it's so variable.
09:54:14 So you can use, use what you think is the same amount, but it might be a stronger little bit.
09:54:17 And you could overdose and die from that. So it's a it's a very dangerous space out there for folks who are addicted to narcotics.
09:54:27 One hopeful part of that is since most people use to make their withdrawals go away. When we interview folks who are accessing harm reduction services at the health department.
09:54:35 70% of them actually want to quit. They wanna reduce their use. They wanna stop using, but there's some gap happening between them and treatment.
09:54:45 And so one of the things we work really hard to do is fill that gap. So to answer the question of one of our listeners, what is harm reduction?
09:54:55 Harm reduction is the commitment to reducing the harms related to a given activity or disease. Even before you cure it.
09:55:06 And what I say about harm reduction is that it is it's a commitment to the person in front of you that they are worth saving is worth preventing infectious diseases for them,
regardless of whether or not they're sober.
09:55:17 Harvard production is actually how we do everything else in medicine. It's only we only give it a special name because we have such a long history of stigmatizing the treatment
of people who are addicted to drugs.
09:55:29 When I, if you came to see me in my clinic, I'm still a regular family doc and you had diabetes.
09:55:38 I wouldn't say I'm not gonna see you until you cure this yourself. I wouldn't say, you know, go change your diet and your exercise and come back and see me in a year and if
you're all better then we can talk.
09:55:47 I would say I'm gonna do everything I can help you be okay. If you need insulin we're gonna do that if we need medication we're gonna do that and we're gonna talk about diet
and exercise but I don't make you meet a bar before I treat you.
09:55:59 And the same thing should go for substance use disorder is I'm gonna take care of you. I don't want you to get HIV or hepatitis C.
09:56:09 I don't want you to die. I absolutely want you to get sober. But until you're ready to do that, I'm gonna help protect you from these other things.
09:56:16 A common misconception about harm reduction is that it makes people more likely to use and in fact the opposite is true.
09:56:23 You are 3 times as likely to get sober if you're engaged in a harm reduction program than if you're not.
09:56:31 And the primary reason for that is we become that bridge for folks to treatment and so we build that relationship we build comfort we show them that we care about them, then
very commonly after that happens at some point in that relationship building they say you know I'm ready and we say great.
09:56:49 I'm gonna get you there. And we help get them past those barriers to treatment. And there are a lot of barriers.
09:56:54 Many people who access our services live outside. Many of them don't have an idea. And if you, if you've ever started to see a doctor before, one of the first things they asked
for is your ID. One of the first things they asked for is your ID.
09:57:14 And if you don't know how to navigate that system, you get those things that they need will sign them up for Medicaid if they qualify and most folks do.
09:57:20 And then we get them into their treatment providers. We help them navigate the stigma that they've experienced often.
09:57:25 So that's a lot of what we do. Common examples of harm reduction include things like Narcan, distributing the locks and making sure people, can reverse an overdose in the community.
09:57:40 Well, they wait for EMS to arrive, which is really important. Especially in a rural community like ours where the distance between you and your nearest fire station might be
quite long.
09:57:50 So taking care of books in that intervening time is really important. That also includes things like safe syringes.
09:57:56 So making sure that while you're using, you don't get HIV and hepatitis C that you have clean syringes available.
09:58:03 It also includes things like safer smoking supplies, which is somewhat newer since the rise of fentanyl.
09:58:09 And the primary, that primary reason we do that is because one reusing smoking supplies can give you hepatitis C.
09:58:16 Another reason that we do that. Is because we have found that if we give people access to smoking supplies, they're more likely to switch off of needles.
09:58:25 And so what's even better than clean needles is no needles at all. And we also know that you are more likely, you are less likely to overdose if you're smoking than if you're
injecting.
09:58:38 All of those things together are why we do that. There's a lot of other things we do like testing folks for hepatitis C and HIV and getting them treatment if they turn positive.
09:58:46 But those are all kind of in the realm of harm reduction. And so with that, I'm happy to take any questions from our commissioners.
09:58:56 Questions?
09:58:59 How, how easy is it to learn how to use, or to carry and use Narcan?
09:59:06 Pretty easy. So thankfully, Naloxone now comes in a nasal spring.
09:59:12 So it's, easy to use. We do have it available at our department. So, money through Friday, you can come on by, and just ask for, money through Friday.
09:59:23 You can come on by, and just ask for, you can come on by, and just ask for, you, you can come on by, and just ask for, some of the lesson and we'll give you a brief training
and how to use it and distribute some. It's free.
09:59:37 You can also, you can also purchase it at local pharmacies. There is a standing order so you can just say, Hey, I need some naloxone.
09:59:39 No questions asked and they can get The other thing we're working on doing is getting some Naloxone into South County.
09:59:45 Particularly at at some locations in South County and I gotta look up actually exactly where it is unless Commissioner Brotherton knows.
09:59:52 He's sent from.
09:59:52 But we started talking about how, you know, in many public places we have AEDs, right?
09:59:57 And those are preparation for if someone has a heart attack. And really you're about as likely to come across an overdose as you are to come across a heart attack.
10:00:06 So let's make sure those are available too. We got some wall boxes that say Narcan with a little, you know, hospital cross on them.
10:00:13 So that we can put them up around town, potentially at fire stations, community centers, things like that, so that anyone can access those.
10:00:21 We've had a lot of success in neighboring, County. We started with actually just a mailbox where we put, the, just outside of our department because we unfortunately found that
people were were bringing folks with overdoses to our department after hours.
10:00:45 We unfortunately found that people were bringing folks with overdoses to our department after hours. And not to the ED.
10:00:49 And the primary reason for that is they'd add a lot of, you know, difficult experiences with the ED and they trusted us. But we're not a 24 7 operation.
10:00:51 And so we didn't want anyone to lack for services and that's been a heavily used mailbox.
10:00:53 People come and access that pretty regularly. So we're all about thinking of ways to reduce those barriers to accessing that.
10:01:05 But it's very easy. Basically it's very easy. Basically if you use to tell folks now, if you see someone down on the street, the first thing you want to tell folks now, if you
see someone down on the street, the first thing you want to do is check, check first and see if
10:01:11 they're rousable. Now if you see someone down on the street, the first thing you want to do is check, check first and see if they're rousable. Sometimes folks are just sleeping.
10:01:15 Sometimes folks have a little too much to drink. There's a lot of reasons that can happen. So please check and see if they're arousable first.
10:01:17 But if they're not rousable with stimulation and they're either not breathing or breathing shallowly, you want to think about an overdose.
10:01:25 And so if you have the lots of available, you go and you actually spray it in your house.
10:01:31 And generally folks will come back within about 2Â min. 2Â min feels like a very long time.
10:01:36 When you're looking at someone who's not breathing, but generally you wanna wait that 2Â min, they don't come back. You can give them the other spray.
10:01:44 Usually they come in packs of 2. And you want to call 900, and one to get them the support that they need.
10:01:48 You can also turn them into what's called a recovery position. Put them on their side. We do recommend giving rescue breaths, but not everybody's gonna feel comfortable giving
rescue breaths to an individual they've never met before, especially if they don't have a barrier available.
10:02:05 And so don't let that keep you from giving arcanan calling 9 1 one. And then EMS will come and take over from there.
10:02:11 So that's the main basics of of Naloxone. We're happy to connect anyone who needs it with Naloxone.
10:02:26 Yeah.
10:02:17 I got some in my car. I've seen it save a life. You know, you see it save a life one time and You recognize that no one wants to take it because it's not fun for the person
taking it.
10:02:30 And the other key thing in know about Naloxone is it's not dangerous if you don't need it.
10:02:30 What do you mean? Shut down the opioid receptor.
10:02:34 So what it does is it kicks the opioids off your receptors. If you don't have opioids on board, if it turns out you passed out from something else, it doesn't do anything to
you.
10:02:44 And so it's a really safe thing to give, to the general population. I did want to touch on one other common misconception I hear about Fentanyl, which is there's a lot of kind
of media attention to the idea that fentanyl is dangerous to even touch or be in the same room
10:02:59 with. And that's actually not true. Fentanyl is wildly dangerous to put into your body, but it's actually very poorly absorbed through your skin.
10:03:06 So you could actually being in the same room or touching it is not gonna cause you to overdose from, fentanyl.
10:03:14 Most of the time when you see media reports about that it's actually a person who passed out, who had what's called a basal vehicle reaction.
10:03:22 Seeing someone overdosing is very, very stressful and some folks pass out when they're super stressed.
10:03:27 But when we've actually subsequently investigated these cases, they never turn out to be overdosing.
10:03:34 They don't actually have opiates in their system. They just got scared and passed out, which is okay.
10:03:39 It's a scary thing. But I don't want you to be afraid of you being in a room or fentanyl laws or potentially touching it or anything like that.
10:03:47 Those are not dangerous. Just wash your hands. But what is dangerous is taking it into your body.
10:03:54 And so things like found pills are more dangerous than they used to be. And so having that conversation with the kids in your life about that kind of risk.
10:04:04 And storing all of your medication safely, including if you use opium.
10:04:13 Hmm.
10:04:10 Dr. Barry, can you tell us a little bit about the history? I mean, my understanding of that like the clinical applications of fentanyl in the first place kind of explain why
it's the you know, you constantly need more and can you just give us a 1Â min history about how we got here to where it is overtaken
10:04:31 Sure.
10:04:29 all other narcotics into the illicit supply here? Including the addition of the other compound I can't pronounce.
10:04:37 Yeah, thanks.
10:04:36 Silasene? Yes, we can talk about silencing. Sure. So, fentanyl in the medical realm is the most common place that you'll see it actually is in.
10:04:48 So we use it for paying control for surgical patients. And it is relatively rapid on relatively rapid off, which is what we want in surgery.
10:04:59 And it is relatively rapid on relatively rapid off, which is what we want in surgery. We don't want you to stay in that position for a very long period of time.
10:05:03 The other time you might have come across it in the medical community isn't, is for cancer pain.
10:05:08 So end of life care. In that case, it actually is often a patch, but that's a specially formulated type of fennel that's very different than what's out in the world.
10:05:20 And we have to make chemical changes to it to make it absorbable through your skin. That is not what you're gonna see in a community. In the community, it's generally powder.
10:05:31 Or it's in these little blue The primary reason we think it overtook the drug supply is really because it's it's cheap and easy to manufacture and generally out of this country.
10:05:38 But it is also so strong that to move very powerful amounts of fennel across borders takes a smaller space.
10:05:47 And so it's easier to move, illicitly, across borders than, than other opiates that came before.
10:05:54 But interestingly, most of most of my patients when one day a week I work at Jamestown treating folks who are addicted in narcotics.
10:06:02 Most of my patients actually would prefer to go back to heroin if they could. But they just can't because there isn't any.
10:06:09 They don't like having to use 10 times a day. Which when it comes to treatment means we can offer them something really helpful.
10:06:15 They just want to make their withdrawals go away and we have medicine for that. Methadone, buprenorphine, both work much better to make your withdrawals go in are much, much
safer.
10:06:25 And so patients, if we can get their withdrawals gone with medication, then can do the really hard work of recovery of repairing relationships, dealing with the trauma that
often got them into that position in the first place.
10:06:37 And so that's what we do. As far as Zylazine, who is a horse tranquilizer.
10:06:44 That has made its way into our drug supply really just in the last year in this community. Looking at the US we've gotten from from treatment facilities around our 2 counties
about 5 to 10% have been coming positive for The really scary thing about Zylazine is it appears to last a very long time.
10:07:05 And it doesn't respond to Narkin. Now we still, if you see someone down, we still want you to give them Narcan because most commonly this is mixed with fennel.
10:07:15 So if you can get the fentanyl board, sometimes that can be enough. But that's part of why it's so important to call 9 1 one when you give anarcan is because if something like,
on board the the nautilus's not gonna be enough.
10:07:30 Naloxone is the generic term for anarkin, which is the brand name. Which is why you hear me switching back and forth between them.
10:07:36 So if you see someone not coming out, you really need to have, EMS onboard because really the only treatment for Zealand that we have right now is supportive care and often
that means actually intubation.
10:07:48 That's not something that the rest of us can do. So we need the professionals around when that happens.
10:07:52 Can't carry that in your purse.
10:07:54 No, no, not an option.
10:07:58 And I've heard that. Overdoses are cumulatively. Dangerous to the body.
10:08:05 Yeah.
10:08:04 Is that, I mean, I've got to use this. Can you talk about what is What's your response to that when you hear that, you know, you're facilitating with with harm reduction this
negative downward spiral.
10:08:19 I mean, I guess the option is death, right?
10:08:18 Sure. Yeah, I, yeah, that's the biggest response. So I do hear that you hear that, like, you know, that's the biggest response.
10:08:28 So I do hear that you hear that, like, you know, by distributing the locks on where, you know, fulfilling people, facilitating people continue to use.
10:08:32 And what I always say is that without that they're just dead. And I think most people would prefer to be not dead.
10:08:39 But when given the 2 choices. But again, I think the biggest, the biggest selling point of harm reduction is that it actually doesn't make you more likely to use.
10:08:48 It makes you more likely to get sober. A lot of people think that because we do this work, we think it's okay to use drugs.
10:08:54 And we don't really care and it quite the opposite. You know, as a doctor, I would prefer you'd be so.
10:09:05 You know, as a doctor, I would prefer you'd be sober. That, you know, as a doctor, I would prefer you'd be sober. That would be better for you.
10:09:10 But we know that the transition to sobriety is a process. It often takes years for someone to move through that process. Sobriety is a process. It often takes years for someone
to move through that process.
10:09:19 Relapse is a common part of it is a process. It often takes years for someone to move through that process. Relapse is a common part of it.
10:09:22 And so we but yeah, overdosing repeatedly is not good for you. Anytime that you don't get oxygen to your brain.
10:09:28 Farm should bring. And so there is a lot more work we need to do for kind of aftercare after overdose and how to reduce subsequent overdose.
10:09:39 There's some interesting work going on in some other counties about EMS giving leave behind the lock zone or even giving buprenorphine to take away those withdrawals.
10:09:49 And we're starting to bring some of that work into Clown County as well. I'm happy to work with our EMS colleagues in Jefferson, to bring that same work here.
10:09:58 But how do, how do we break that cycle in that moment where someone has overdosed. How do we take care of their symptoms so they don't feel very strong desire to use again?
10:10:06 And then how do we use that as a teachable moment to say, hey, you almost died? Can I help you make some different decisions and make sure that transition is smooth?
10:10:15 And I think that's a place where we could do some more work.
10:10:18 Can you talk a little bit about the use the availability and use of fentanyl test strips?
10:10:24 Sure.
10:10:24 I feel like I've heard. Conflicting reports about those.
10:10:27 So we do have fennel test strips at the health department. They're not generally widely available in the community for use, but we do have them, for folks who are accessing
home reduction services here.
10:10:41 Generally back in the day, even just a couple of years ago. The primary reason to use a fentanyl test trip was to figure out if there was fentanyl in your narcotics.
10:10:50 Now we know there is fentanyl in your narcotics. And so they're not as beneficial there.
10:10:55 But another place we've started to see fentanyl show up as in methamphetamines.
10:10:59 And we didn't talk that much about math today. But we have had incidences where individuals who are using methamphetamines not planning on using opioids actually end up getting
exposed to fennel and that's very risky because they have no tolerance.
10:11:13 And so that's, the most common use for fentanyl test trips is to figure out if you have contaminated methamphetamines and then not to use them.
10:11:21 But we also then use that as a teachable moment for why it's important for even if you're not planning on using narcotics.
10:11:27 If you're using illicit substances in the community, you should carry some narkin because you never know what's in in what you get.
10:11:35 The other thing that's just starting to be available is siloing test trips as well, which is to figure out if that style is income compound is available.
10:11:43 But yeah, I hear from folks concerned that people are using fentanyl districts to find the fentanyl.
10:11:49 They don't have to. It's everywhere. And so there's not, it's not that folks are seeking out fentanyl to try to get a stronger high.
10:11:58 There is trying to not feel terrible. And they'll take whatever they need to not feel terrible, but we can help that.
10:12:05 Another actually one other common misconception I hear about Fentanyl is that it's causing more new addictions.
10:12:12 Or even this idea that we're causing more addictions among children. And that's actually not true.
10:12:17 When you look at our healthy youth survey data. Our opiate misuse among tenth graders, which is who's interviewed for that one.
10:12:23 It's going down. We're not seeing increased use among the broader population but what we are seeing is those who are already addicted in their products are just dying more frequently
because of how risky the substances are.
10:12:38 Can I, can I, I guess push harm reduction to some of the other ways that we deal with, with substance use as well.
10:12:47 Yeah.
10:12:47 Therapeutic courts, drug court, which has been fairly effective. Where do you see the positive union between you know more of the I guess stick approach and harm reduction.
10:12:59 Sure.
10:13:01 I'd see I see them in real tension with each other and I'm wondering if there's a harmony that can be found there.
10:13:06 Yeah, I think there is room for a lot of collaboration. One of the things that I am grateful for in the communities in which I work is that we have a norm of collaborating with
law enforcement collaborating with the court system and actually working together.
10:13:20 I don't think they're mutually exclusive. Even when you're in the drug court system, we know the people relapse in that system.
10:13:29 And so how do we make sure they don't die when that system. And so how do we make sure they don't die when that happens?
10:13:34 You know, we make sure they don't die when that happens. You know, we can teach about Naloxone and things like that in that space.
10:13:37 Most of our law enforcement carry. The lock zone. So that they can reverse overdoses if they're the first on scene.
10:13:44 I think, I think they're not mutually exclusive. I think One of our hopes in as physicians who take care of folks who are who have opiate use disorder is that we lean more towards
treatment.
10:13:59 For folks who their primary problem is that they're using. Then, locking folks up.
10:14:04 We know that just putting someone in prison without treatment doesn't solve the problem. In fact, it increases their risk of death.
10:14:11 Because it decreases their tolerance to the drug. And if you don't deal with their addiction while they're there.
10:14:18 They're gonna come right out and use and then they're gonna die. There has been some good work on bringing medication for opiate use disorder into the jail.
10:14:25 So we can start that treatment process even while folks are in jail. I think the other common tension that I hear sometimes is that Harm reduction is an absence of accountability
and for those of us in the who work in treatment we know that part of long term treatment and sobriety includes accountability, you know, but you can't get there while you're
10:14:46 just way deep in your addiction when you're not thinking straight, we can't get to accountability.
10:14:51 But when we can get you free from withdrawals, get your mind clear, then you can start to do that really hard work of taking accountability for your actions, changing unhealthy
patterns that you might have picked up.
10:15:01 So they're not mutually exclusive. And one thing I always tell the, the law enforcement officers I work with is we still expect and support accountability for misbehavior while
you're using.
10:15:14 Opioids don't make you violent. They make you sleepy. And so if you if you have someone who's using opioids and being violent, one of those actually didn't cause the other.
10:15:24 And so you still have to work through kind of normal accountability procedures for violence because opioids actually don't make that happen.
10:15:33 Right. Thank you. Very, very thought-provoking.
10:15:37 I guess just to follow up on one thing you said talked about medical assisted treatment and jails which we've been doing in Jefferson County for years and it seems to have great
outcomes.
10:15:51 I've been, doing in Jefferson County for years and it seems to have great, great outcomes.
10:15:53 I'm wondering about what we've been doing in Jefferson County for years and it seems to have great, great outcomes.
10:15:57 Yeah.
10:15:54 I'm wondering about the hand off positive that you've Got experience with or read about that make a warmer hand off when folks are exiting jail and then it's so easy to just.
10:16:03 Jump jump back into the opioids unfortunately.
10:16:06 Yeah, I think we know that coming out of jail is a really high risk time for folks. Often they move right back in the same housing situation that they were in before or they're
homeless.
10:16:16 And both of those are very high spacious for using because the environment around them often has not changed while they were on them often has not changed while they were, while
they were in jail.
10:16:27 We've had a lot of success with the actually the MoD program and it's because We make sure people have enough medication to get them to their next visit.
10:16:35 We actually schedule them a treatment visit. So they already have an appointment when they leave and we have a hand off program where there are generally folks with lived experience
who are now sober who will drive them there.
10:16:47 That ride is really, really critical. That was a gap we were finding many folks coming out of jail don't have cars.
10:16:54 And often the only person they know in their life who has a car is their dealer. Which is not ideal for keeping them sober.
10:17:02 So getting them a ride and a person who cares about them, getting someone who will call them, on the day of their team and say, hey, I'm gonna pick you up, be there in 15, and
really shepherding them to that.
10:17:14 Breaking down any of those additional barriers that might keep them from coming. That's been wildly successful.
10:17:19 So since instituting that program at the Clown County Jail, there have been no overdoses of people coming out of jail, which used to be one of our primary drivers of overdoses.
10:17:29 And I know a lot of similar work is kind of in processed in Jefferson, but maybe not quite as far along.
10:17:35 But I think that that smooth handoff and that person who will give you a ride, call you and say they care about you.
10:17:42 They also usually have sandwich. And that actually is really important. All of those things together have helped help people more successful.
10:17:49 Great. Very educational. Thank you, Dr. Barry.
10:17:52 Thank you.
10:17:56 I believe so.
10:17:54 Did you address all the questions or the listening questions already? Okay, great. Okay, if no more questions for Dr.
10:18:02 Barry. Thank you very much and we'll pass it over to Willie.
10:18:06 Okay, good morning everyone. First off I heard Commissioner Brotherton I heard your comment about the MRC the Metal Reserve Corps versus the Marine Resources Committee.
10:18:17 Our Medical Reserve Court, that is a nationally recognized program under the Federal Department of Health and Human Services.
10:18:23 So unfortunately we can't change that act of we had to apply for its usage and get recognized as a program.
10:18:32 So, there'll be a little bit of acronym confusion, maybe a little bit of competition there, but we'll do our best to avoid that.
10:18:38 So sorry about that. But we're really excited.
10:18:36 Maybe we can change, maybe we can change MRC to MRC. Oh, that's good.
10:18:45 That's a good dad joke from, Commissioner Eisenhower. That's a good dad joke from, Commissioner Eisenhower.
10:18:54 Bye.
10:18:54 I appreciate the pun as much as I appreciate the clarity. So that may work. I'm very glad that we've had Phil S the fire marshal here as well as we're gonna be joined I know
by the East Jeff chiefs here in a little bit so I won't talk too much about the East
10:19:09 Jeff, chiefs here in a little bit. So I won't talk too much about the burn ban.
10:19:10 I't talk too much about the burn ban. I'll let you hear it from the experts.
10:19:24 I know some of the comments I've been hearing. I'm folks seen that, you know, we haven't been this proactive in years past.
10:19:29 This is a little bit new to us. I mean, that's very much true because we are living in a very different world than we previously lived in with climate change, the risk of wildfire
continues to grow and especially human-caused wildfires.
10:19:44 According to National Park Service, over the past 20 years and approximately 85%. Of the wildfires in the US were started by humans as opposed to naturally caused, via, you
know, thunder or volcanoes even.
10:19:59 And human cause wildfires tend to spread faster and therefore be more destructive than their natural counterparts.
10:20:06 So we have the ability to nip this into in the bud to prevent the destruction of property to prevent the potential loss of life.
10:20:13 So we really need to take these proactive steps. Apart from the burn band, which of course restricts, you know, debris burning, camp fires.
10:20:22 I mean, of course, fireworks, the, the subject of today. And there are a few other things that folks can do to help prevent, starting wildfires.
10:20:33 I'm very, very small things that aren't necessarily called out in the burn band. You should do this anyway, but be mindful of your cigarette butts and dispose of them properly.
10:20:40 I think a lot of folks as you're hitching up your boat or trailer do mind your chains on as those dragging on the road can throw sparks.
10:20:50 And cause wildfires. And then for those folks visiting the park, I know during a busy time of year it's often tough to find parking.
10:20:52 Yeah.
10:20:56 So a lot of folks will then decide to park off on the side of the road often in tall grass.
10:21:02 And actually the heat from your muffler from your vehicle can cause, very dry conditions. Can spark a fire and that can spread, especially since you're parking in a park area,
very rural area.
10:21:15 Can spread very quickly. So I'm gonna appreciate the work. I appreciate the attention from citizens.
10:21:20 And this is an issue that, again, it's in a changing world. It's becoming more and more prevalent.
10:21:26 So appreciate everyone's attention to this and doing on everything from the big things, altering our Fourth of July celebrations, which I know is rough.
10:21:36 To the little things, dispose of your cigarette butts, mind your chains and little things like that.
10:21:38 So a lot of appreciation. On that front. Otherwise, as part of this, the fire restrictions.
10:21:50 I know Commissioner Eisenhower mentioned we're not in a you know a heat dome type scenario we're not experiencing extreme heat but our heat risk is ever so slightly elevated
and especially tomorrow and Wednesday.
10:21:58 For folks who want to dig in a little bit deeper to this, we do use a metric called the heat risk brought to us by the National Weather Service.
10:22:07 And if you just Google that, you can find that metric which uses a variety of data points to determine the overall threat to the population.
10:22:14 Given how hot it is, how human it is, how early or late in the season it is.
10:22:21 So we're at a very slightly elevated level for that. We're not at our action phase as of yet.
10:22:25 We've been doing a lot of planning with the environmental public health department and working with them to determine the appropriate steps at each level of that heat risk.
10:22:32 Not at action phase yet, but at that slightly elevated level. It's still important for those, especially those who are really sensitive to the heat.
10:22:41 To keep a close watch on themselves on their friends and family members and take some proactive steps on drink lots of water.
10:22:48 Maybe modify or even cancel activities that are out indirect sunlight for long periods of time. And then certainly know the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
10:22:59 Heat exhaustion is your body kind of working overtime to try to cool itself. You may see excessive redness, excessive sweating.
10:23:05 I'm experienced muscle cramps or fatigue on maybe headache. I'm at the heat stroke level, that's when your body is actually starting to shut down.
10:23:15 So it's gone into overdrive to try to cool itself. And now it's actually shutting down and giving up and that is indeed life threatening.
10:23:22 And so at that point, folks actually stop sweating. And they're gonna experienced an alternate, an alternate state of consciousness or an altered state of consciousness where
they're not all there.
10:23:32 They may have difficulty answering basic questions. And again, as their body starts to shut down. So really keep an eye on those during these times of elevated heat risk.
10:23:42 Who might be sensitive to the heat? So young, the elderly, folks with certain medical conditions on and check up on them and put them in the shade, get them in ideally a cool
building, and if at all possible, have them drink lots of water, an electrolyte beverage if available. All that kind of fun stuff.
10:23:58 So. And something we're definitely keeping, much more close eye on here in DEM.
10:24:04 Okay.
10:24:04 I'm in concert with environmental public health. We're working with some entities to provide, cooling options if and when that becomes necessary.
10:24:13 But in the meantime, with the slightly elevated risk, just encouraging folks to keep an eye out on the weather, keep an eye out on those vulnerable in your life.
10:24:21 And of course, exercise a lot of caution. Over the coming months with this elevated fire risk.
10:24:27 So, nope, no KPTZ questions from me, so I'll be happy to take any from the commissioners.
10:24:34 Otherwise that seemed to my report.
10:24:34 Thank you, Willie. I just think this is an opportunity to mention the All County picnic.
10:24:40 Want to remind us the date of that and what's a PSA for all counting picnic.
10:24:44 So the all-county picnic is our annual big celebration of community resilience and we bring folks together from a wide variety of organizations, a wide variety of volunteer
operations, to really can celebrate the fact that we can come together as a community and make ourselves stronger.
10:25:04 In the face of climate change in the face of major disasters, all that kind of fun stuff.
10:25:09 So I'm that scheduled to take place at HJ Carroll Park on Sunday. From about 11 to 4 that day.
10:25:16 We'll have a ton of different organizations there and present. This year we are planning on lining up some demonstrations for folks brought to you in part by our newly founded
medical reserve core the MR Letter C.
10:25:33 So folks will have an option to potentially learn some basic first aid, some hands-only CPR and there'll be demonstrations from our community emergency response team.
10:25:44 In prep will be out in full force if you have questions about organizing your neighborhood and we'll be debuting a new program within Nprep we've been working on over the past
couple of months.
10:25:53 This is our first all county picnic that we are back. To somewhat normal operations since COVID.
10:26:01 And we had what we called picnic in place during COVID where we had presentations virtually. I'm gonna encourage folks to have small outdoor socially distanced gatherings.
10:26:10 Last year we had a very small, kind of a half picnic at HJ Carroll Park.
10:26:18 This year we're gonna have our big full-fledged, like we did before COVID.
10:26:21 I'm hopefully getting, we'd always normally approach a thousand people or so. So hoping to get back to those numbers, but come on out.
10:26:28 There'll be free corn on the cob. I'm as there always have been.
10:26:30 Even, during the COVID years, we'd make sure folks will get free corn on the cob.
10:26:35 So I'm looking forward to seeing folks in. I'll make sure to plug it over the next few months.
10:26:35 There was a big COVID shortage though. Wasn't there a big, corn shortage last year?
10:26:41 There was a cord shortage. Huge shout out our partners at the All County picnic.
10:26:48 The production Alliance help us put it on. Megan and Danny do absolutely phenomenal work and even though we experienced a little bit of a corn shortage due to a rough season.
10:26:57 We were still able to supply everyone with corn despite that. So fingers crossed we have a little bit better luck this year.
10:27:02 I got some zucchini mixed in with my corn last year. I'm like, it just doesn't go as well with the Jimmy.
10:27:09 Okay. Great. Well, Dr. Barry, thank you for the, the insight and harm reduction as well as the COVID update and Willie.
10:27:17 Thanks for your, I guess, reiteration of the good work we're doing and recognizing a changing climate that we live in in our beautiful Jefferson County.
10:27:24 Thanks everyone.
10:27:26 Onward. Have a great week and thank you to the listeners from KPTZ and we'll return you to your regular program and we're going to take just a 3Â min break before we continue
our hearing from last week on the the fee ordinance and the resolution on fees for solid waste.
10:31:11 Wow.
10:31:16 Close to
10:31:22 All right, we will, I'll call this meeting of the Board of County Commissioners back into session and, welcome.
10:31:29 Al to turn on your screen so we can see you on the meeting here. Oh yes, please come over, Monty.
10:31:34 Great. And, welcome everyone to this public hearing that has been continued from June 20 sixth, 2,023 regarding solid waste fees to include potential approval of an ordinance
regarding Department of Public Works, solid waste, division fee schedules and fee schedule and fee policy.
10:31:52 I'm ending Title 8, JCC, an appendix free schedules, repealing and replacing ordinance number 6, dash 1125, 13 and potential approval of a resolution that will adopt a fee schedule
for the Department of Public Works.
10:32:07 Okay.
10:32:06 Solid Waste Division. If you've joined this meeting via phone or zoom and wish to provide hearing testimony, please stand online and you'll be provided an opportunity to speak
during the testimony.
10:32:16 Thank you for being here and before we open for public testimony we'll listen to a staff presentation from Public Works Director Monty Rhiners and solid voice manager Al Cairns.
10:32:25 So, Monty, Al, you wanna. Remind us how we got here. Well, I think I'm Monty the public works director.
10:32:33 I think I'll turn it over to Al hopefully. Who is joining us online this morning.
10:32:38 So.
10:32:40 Certainly, and can everyone hear me?
10:32:40 Getting out We can hear you just fine. Yep.
10:32:44 Thereific. Thanks and, apologies for not being there in person. Homesteading hasn't been kind to me in the last couple of weeks.
10:32:53 Oh no.
10:32:57 Oh, no.
10:32:54 So I've got bulging disc right now. So. Bear with me.
10:33:00 I haven't taken any pain medications this morning. I'm waiting till after the meeting.
10:33:07 No.
10:33:05 So I might be somewhat lucid here. So what's brought us here? 2 things have brought us here.
10:33:12 We've spent down the solid waste reserve fund balance. To the lowest level that we see as.
10:33:20 Appropriate for our fund balance. We've done that in order to keep the fee.
10:33:26 The same both for the minimum fee and also for the per ton fee. Since 2019 we simply can't do that anymore.
10:33:37 With, identified that the fund balances the benchmarks may not be. Adequate, for the reserve.
10:33:45 So we've requested that we move them. they are those benchmarks are based on the cash fund balance and also the capital reserve balance anticipating that we will be building
a new transfer station.
10:34:00 Within the next 5 to 6 years we've asked to bump the benchmark from, 12% of capital facility replacement costs, to 25%.
10:34:11 Such that we can I'll be 8 upwards of 25% of of the debt service.
10:34:19 Once we move into building a new facility. And then on the minimum fee, as anybody that's been in the transfer station in the last few months, probably has seen we've got, some
serious congestion issues where extremely limited in into whatever capital investments we can make to create.
10:34:41 more capacity at the transfer station we're bounded by a property line very close to the entrance and exit road to the north in a wetland to the south.
10:34:51 And it would probably be unwise to make major capital improvements at this time. Were we not facing those obstacles given that our planning process is still about 6 months away
from being completed and so we still don't know what kind of facility we would build or where we would build it.
10:35:11 So we're running about well we're running at 50 54% over design capacity right now.
10:35:20 We can we can manage the tonnage but we can't manage the customer demand, the customer accounts that we're seeing.
10:35:27 We're far over capacity for that. We have a limited amount of tools to use one of them being the minimum fee.
10:35:35 And so we have, requested that we move that fee upward. From $10 to $20 in order to curb that high customer demand 45% of our customers are currently ringing less than 120 pounds
to the transfer station.
10:35:52 And it's simply untenable now and it will grow more untenable. As we move into a period of, engineering and then finally facility replacement which is again you know, 5 to 6,
maybe even 7 years out into the future.
10:36:11 Great. Thank you so much, Al. I think that's great explanation of why we're adjusting the fees.
10:36:17 I want to kind of also go back a little bit and just talk about the ordinance that we extended the hearing to today and how we're kind of slowly shifting each of our departments
away from this pretty non-transparent and yet very cumbersome way of listing our fees and expressing them to the public and update them.
10:36:35 So. We had a hearing with public works that Parks Direct Department already about fees and moving it out of ordinance into a resolution.
10:36:45 This is kind of phase 2 of that and will continue to move through different departments making sure that they get their fees on their website and away from the hidden appendix
A.
10:36:55 We, because we didn't get the resolution clearly posted last week, we wanted to make sure we continued.
10:37:01 I'm curious, Carolyn, do we get any other written testimony in the past? So we did not get any more written testimony in the past week.
10:37:08 So we did not get any more written testimony, but we do want to give folks an opportunity to talk first about the ordinance and we'll conclude our hearing and then we will take
action on the resolution, right?
10:37:16 Do I have that ordered correctly? Yeah, we've set them up as 2 separate agenda items, but obviously linked.
10:37:25 The ordinance first so that you were able to set fees by resolution and then the resolution second. Yeah.
10:37:35 And we're still for solid waste as well as parks and wreck and the other departments we get to.
10:37:41 We'll still have, you know, a public conversation about it. We still reserve that right to the Board of County Commissioners to make the final approval for those recommendations
to make the final approval for those recommendations.
10:37:49 So I guess I just. Well, I think that the resolution method just, you know, we've often found ourselves and maybe other departments have as well.
10:37:59 In a situation where we're looking at our Fee schedule and maybe there's one fee on there that needs to be adjusted or a fee that needs to be added.
10:38:10 Sometimes to make things less expensive. So we have more categories of fees in certain areas or to account for something that wasn't happening when we set the fees well you
know to have a you know, go through a complete hearing advertisement and hearing process every time you need to.
10:38:30 Update fee processes just like you said kind of cumbersome. So this way. I mean, we could come back to the board.
10:38:37 More than once a year. As often as needed. With a resolution to update a wanna do that all the time but For example, Al is looking into, a low income discount program which
you know we would be the second county in the state that would have something like that.
10:39:02 But he still has a little bit more research to do on that. In the meantime, you know, we wanna get our solid waste fee schedule established, but then come back to you with that.
10:39:15 Again, that's an example where we can just come back with another resolution. I would suggest that we do those resolutions in a regular session on consent so that there can
be discourse about it in dialogue.
10:39:30 But, anyway, that's the reason for that shift. Great. Thank you for that.
10:39:36 And I guess we will. The hearing is still open. So I will I will ask if if we have anyone with us.
10:39:47 We would love to have hear testimony about the ordinance explicitly, which moves the fees out of, into a resolution and we'll take public comment, I guess after that on the
fee, the feed modification itself.
10:40:03 So it does anyone have any testimony they would like to give to the feed modification itself. So it does anyone have any testimony they would like to give to the ordinance regarding
the.
10:40:09 Gosh, what's, sorry, ordnance recording the, the solid waste fee schedules and fee schedule and policy.
10:40:16 I'm ending title 8, Jefferson County Code and. And repealing and replacing ordinance 6, 1125, 13.
10:40:26 We don't have anyone in the chambers with us, but you can hit raise hand or star 9 if you're on the phone and we would love to hear from you.
10:40:34 Because it is a hearing you'll need to identify yourself and where you live and you'll have 3Â min to speak.
10:40:42 Let me make one more call for testimony on the ordinance. One question.
10:40:52 Okay, seen no hands and nobody in the room. I will close this hearing on the ordinance and I guess.
10:41:00 We've, I'm not sure if Monty and Al but, Commissioner Dean had travel.
10:41:05 Travel complications come up so it is unable to join us today, but I'm confident we can move forward on this, but I'm confident we can move forward on this.
10:41:12 She's been a participant we can move forward on this. She's been a participant in the hearing last week when we began as well as the updates that we've had throughout this process.
10:41:17 Thank you, Al, for the keeping us in the loop as we go through the hole. Whole process.
10:41:24 I'm happy to make a motion. To adopt an ordinance regarding public Department of Public Works, solid waste division fee schedules.
10:41:31 And fee schedule and fee policy, amending title 8. JCC and appendix fee schedules for appealing and replacing ordinance number.
10:41:41 1 1 2 5 dash 1 3. I will second. Any further questions or comments?
10:41:51 Okay, seeing none, I will call the question all in favor of the motion on the floor indicate by saying aye.
10:41:57 Hi. All right, that ordinance passes. And we will move straight on to the resolution, which is attached as a separate attachment on our AV capture agenda today.
10:42:09 And which contains a resolution which does have the the fees that that Mr. Cairns was speaking specifically to the rationale behind.
10:42:20 I think we've we've had a lot of conversation on this. I don't know, Alec, anything else you wanted to add or were you ready to move forward?
10:42:26 Yeah, I'd mentioned that it's a Franz Kafka's, birthday today, 1883.
10:42:33 Okay.
10:42:31 Bronze Kafka was born today. Seems to have refo given the machinations for this.
10:42:36 Alright. Well, I'm glad you're not a homesteading cockroach.
10:42:44 Okay, well. I will I guess we'll take a motion then I'll open it for public comments.
10:42:57 Yeah, I'm happy to move that we adopt a resolution adopting a fee schedule for the Department of Public Works solid waste division.
10:43:02 All right, I will second it and then we will open. Public comment to hear anybody with any thoughts about the proposed fee schedule we are considering here.
10:43:14 And I mean, just to reiterate really quickly, it's a adds a 2.5%.
10:43:20 Escalator going forward to solid waste fees it raises the fees kind of appropriately it seems like and it does add the $20 minimum which doesn't which is just the minimum you
it takes to kind of go through the gates basically and then you talked about the need for that and I think that's been the only issue that I heard
10:43:40 any contention about, but I just wanna. Okay, put the cards on the table. And without anyone have public comment to share.
10:43:47 You do not have to identify yourself if you don't want to in this, but we would still love to hear from you.
10:43:51 You can click raise hand. Star 9 if you're on the phone.
10:43:58 Did Mr. Tooth raise his hand? OK, great, Mr. Tish, when you get yourself unmuted, you have 3Â min.
10:44:04 Okay, good morning. Again, commissioners. Staff. First of all, I wanna say that I, regarding this, proposed fee schedule, I'm not opposed at all to increasing the tonnage rate.
10:44:20 The It seems, sensible given the increase in costs. But I'm once again going to say that I think it's a mistake to double the, the minimum fee.
10:44:31 For, for going through for cellphone users. It It's a it's a very regressive measure in the first place and it is going to be financial problem for some people.
10:44:47 There are, you know, there was some discussion at the last meeting about this, by Commissioner Eisenhower who would have mentioned that oh Yes, of course the wages, the allowed
weight under that minimum fee is being doubled to 240 pounds.
10:45:01 So it's not really an increase in in the per ton rate. Well, that's true.
10:45:05 But I wrote you an email about this. How many people can fit 240 pounds in their car?
10:45:13 I can't. I've got a big sedan. You know, unless you've got a trailer or a pickup truck, increasing the amount of weight allowed for that $20 is is basically irrelevant.
10:45:23 It just doesn't matter. And I think it's really misleading. To make that there.
10:45:30 I mean, yeah, of course you shouldn't you should increase it so that the amount of weight but the point is you can't carry that amount of weight in your car so it's just really
a shame that that's being used as an excuse.
10:45:42 You know what what we've got here is a problem of demand management i mean solid waste has stated that the self hall the minimum fee is not about finances it's about demand
management And I understand that.
10:45:56 At demand management however has there's a lot of different ways to address demand management there's for example congestion pricing where you charge higher fees only when the
demand exceeds the cap to the capacity.
10:46:09 That is used commonly all over the place and all sorts of facilities including things like the ferry system where there's a 25% summer surcharge.
10:46:20 If, if you go down a toll road. The amount that you pay per mile increases when the amount of traffic increases.
10:46:28 Same thing. That might be a little bit too sophisticated to do here, but there are other ways of managing demand.
10:46:35 Other than this blunt force doubling of fees. I'm gonna once again mentioned that if you were simply to try a $5 increase instead of a $10 tried for 6 months measure the results
compared the the traffic to previous years of the same period and report.
10:46:56 As Mr. Reinders just said, using this resolution method allows you to come back to the commission more than once a year if you need to change it after 6 months if you cheat.
10:47:07 Find that you need to add another $5. Fine. If the if the actual numbers show that.
10:47:11 Great. But you know, once you put a $10 increase in place, they're for sure not gonna come back and say, oh yeah, we have plenty of capacity now.
10:47:22 We're gonna reduce the fee. That's not going to happen. So, you know, go slow.
10:47:26 Try an actual experiment that you can measure the results instead of this untested hypothesis. That just doubling the fee is gonna solve all the problems.
10:47:37 You know. You have the opportunity to do this. You have you can do it once. Very simple change.
10:47:42 But, if you let it go, you know, it's gonna be there for ever.
10:47:48 And I just think that you should try to be a little more careful in how this is done. So that's it.
10:47:56 Thanks.
10:47:56 Thank you, Mr. Tears. Well, I'll just say I brought this concern up about people with limited capacity in cars and in the first conversation I had about this.
10:48:09 Be changed, but you know, as I mentioned earlier, I and I wasn't stating the fact that the 240 equates to a doubling of the poundage as well.
10:48:20 I was I was just stating that as a fact. I wasn't using that as an excuse, but.
10:48:27 You know, it was it is a little bit of a hanging chat for me, but it's one that I'm willing to.
10:48:33 Support because I experienced the lines at the transfer station. Frequently and I believe that this action will reduce those lines.
10:48:44 And so that's why I'm supporting it. Thank you. I think this is right that we should.
10:48:53 Track this change. I mean, I'm not. I mean we could always go down it's gonna be I think he's probably right mr.
10:49:01 Chase that we're the public works is not gonna come back and say oh $15 is enough but I would love to see some data on how this doubleling of the minimum impacts the the scales
I guess you know the line of getting people to the tipping floor.
10:49:17 It, it seems reasonable to me and I've one of the things that I've taken away from working with Monty these past years is how much psychology there is in public works, the way
people speed up immediately after crossing over a speed bump and everything.
10:49:31 So it's, you know, there's a lot of a strategy that goes into this and it seems like a very logical strategy to get people to take more garbage per load and it's gonna take
adaptation which is you know Luckily, a real strength of humanity to, you know.
10:49:49 Make make a you know trash buddy find a trash buddy. I mean there's lots of different ways to do it.
10:49:54 And I think that the smaller the change that we make. The less impact that we'll have and I too have sat in that line for ages as people throw, you know.
10:50:05 A garbage bag out of their car and it's it has real impact on everyone else so II support staff and I think that this change while impacting some negatively will benefit the
social fabric.
10:50:17 So. I'm supportive of the change as presented. And I also really appreciate Al, hearing my concern about low income folks who the doubling of the minimum fee as you know even
more of a hardship and we're we're coming up with a solution.
10:50:33 And I really appreciate that. So. Every question I've had has been answered wonderfully and I appreciate staff's work and I'm sorry.
10:50:46 It's good.
10:50:42 Your back is out, Al, and you have to be on Zoom with us right now. I can't imagine anything more painful or awkward in this moment, but.
10:50:50 I'm happy to, there, do you wanna make one more call for comments or? Sure.
10:50:58 We've already had the, do you want to make one more call for comments or? Sure. We've already had the motion, but go ahead, Monty.
10:51:01 I would just, I appreciate Mr. Tush's comments that he acknowledged the issue we're trying to solve and also the support for the annual increase in the ton rate.
10:51:16 The concept of demand pricing we have discussed that and still may use that in the future as a.
10:51:24 As a tool it is a possible option to even go higher than 20 on certain days to really and make that a day when the people with the biggest loads the contractors are gonna see
you know shorter lines and then the people who still want $20 if that's what we're about to do here can come in
10:51:48 on different days. So we'll continue to monitor this situation and. See if we need to make those additional.
10:51:56 Adjustments but I just wanted to again say that that was a concept we had discussed. But $20 being around the regional average.
10:52:11 And I've provided the list to everyone of what other people are charging in Western Washington for garbage service.
10:52:20 $20 is about the average. Tan is. About the lowest. Like a lot of things in port towns and in Jefferson County, sewer rates and other things tend seem to be on the low end of
the ranges as we've studied what to charge it for the Don't look locally, cause
10:52:43 Man. It's just a it's a it's not a great bar. But anyway, those are my additional comments.
10:52:53 Just time.
10:52:57 Thank you. With that, I will I'll make one last call, any public comment.
10:53:04 And hit Ray's hand or star 9.
10:53:09 Okay, so now I'll call the question. All in favor of the motion on the floor supporting this resolution as presented indicate by saying aye.
10:53:16 All right. That motion passes. Thank you very much, Monty. Al, go, you know, curl up on a bed.
10:53:25 Okay. Yes.
10:53:26 Isn't that where Gregor was? Yeah, alright. Start 60 days from now, correct, Al.
10:53:35 September.
10:53:35 That's correct. I think we're, I think we are looking at September 4.
10:53:39 So that will be. Ample time to advertise this computer board outside solid waste mailer's internet website garbage bills for those who sign up for.
10:53:52 Self hall or not likely to change much obviously with only raising the per ton. Price by 2 and a half percent but If.
10:54:03 They do make that modest adjustment then that will be noticed in the garbage, bills by the holler as well.
10:54:10 Okay, and then. Also, I think the city still.
10:54:17 Contemplating their yard waste fee. I thought they predict it over to us. We put it in ours, right?
10:54:25 Well, we have the minimum fee of $20 whether it's yard waste or anything else but the per ton fee is still something they are talking about adjusting.
10:54:32 Whether they do or not. I guess it doesn't matter until they do it's still what it is correct now.
10:54:38 That's correct. We've also enquired and we haven't heard back yet.
10:54:43 On whether or not they will apply the discount rate for yard debris customers. I would anticipate they would want to do that.
10:54:51 You mean for a low income discount?
10:54:52 But, yeah. That's correct.
10:54:57 It's again, about the lowest yard waste fee you'll find yardways typically if it's even accepted at a transfer station tends to be.
10:55:08 Over a hundred a ton right now and It's 48 a ton here. Or whatever the garbage rate is, which typically is over a hundred dollars a ton.
10:55:21 There's for some reason Pierce County will take it for free, but other than that.
10:55:27 Garbage or excuse me. Yardways debris rates tend to run a lot higher than what our county is currently charging for them as well.
10:55:38 Our city, I should say that's a city program. But, we'll see what they do with that rate.
10:55:44 Until then it's 48 a ton. But $20 now minimum starting 60 days from now to get in.
10:55:51 Okay, sounds good. Thank you very much. Good to see you.
10:55:57 Thanks everyone.
10:55:59 Alright, I will. Officially close the hearing and the, okay good. Reclose it. I didn't.
10:56:08 I didn't open it accidentally. Okay, we will move on to a briefing out regarding the high fire danger declaration and some of the.
10:56:18 Ancillary. Impacts of it. So we'll welcome Wendy Davis and think we added Phil's this year as well as Chief Black and and Assistant Chief Tracer.
10:56:33 Okay. Great. Good to see you.
10:56:43 All right.
10:56:39 Yeah, I'm your guy. Yeah, Chief Black is, I believe on KPTZ.
10:56:48 Oh, right.
10:56:50 At the moment live in concert and chief tracer is out of the district on vacation this week So, I'm here just to, obviously represent not only he's Jefferson.
10:57:03 But also. The Jeff's County Fire Chiefs and Fire Agencies, Brennan Will seen.
10:57:13 Awesome.
10:57:10 And discovery Bay along with these Jefferson. And, I You know, I'll just start off, collectively the fire chiefs, met at an emergency session the other day with Commissioner
Eisenhower and we We rise in support of the fire marshal and the decision that was made on
10:57:31 Friday. Strictly from the perspective of life safety risk reduction property conservation and public education and we know that throughout the state, even within the past 24Â h,
there's been a significant increase in DNR fires throughout the state from Snohomish County to Spokane.
10:57:57 County and of course the Sutherland fire just completed, last week. Over near.
10:58:04 In cloudown County. And, that was significant fire growth, early in the season.
10:58:11 Generally the season is heightened around August and September. However, you know, we plan for contingencies.
10:58:20 The worst case scenario and, is, how we operate collectively. And, the worst case scenario for a long holiday weekend, we look at this as from Friday night through Wednesday
morning and beyond even though the week of many many people traveling over the bridge.
10:58:42 To Jefferson County and into Flelem counties and beyond. Just the other day I was traveling the bridge going, eastbound and the RV traffic and population of seasonal population
was backed up all the way to the interchange in falls And so, and there wasn't even a bridge
10:59:02 Yes.
10:59:05 open. So you know that that influx of seasonal population. Will impact the fire services here in Jefferson County.
10:59:14 We have up staff meeting we have hired back 2 additional personnel to put another unit in service today.
10:59:21 And tomorrow we we take our weather information from many sources DNR being one chief don't semi retired down in quilting is very very Watch the subject matter expertise in
the region, if not the state.
10:59:41 For specific fuel modeling and weather modeling of the impact. Of not only today, but forecasting out for the week.
10:59:50 And, I also want to clarify that in regards to the fireworks. issue you know we don't we don't have a collective input one way or the other in regards to the economic factors
of what drives that.
11:00:09 What we look at is the end user of using fireworks and whether in a safe environment controlled or in a non controlled environment it's usually the window of 24 to 48Â h after.
11:00:24 Where Aaron you know devices go off into rooftops into brush and they sold her and Wednesday, Thursday we have the potential of you know a significant fire event.
11:00:41 Getting back to, you know, what we look for, and planning is What we really try to educate the entire community is Jefferson County specifically has such a vast amount of micro
climates.
11:00:58 From the. The north end of the peninsula. A north beach area.
11:01:06 Into the Chimicon Valley. Down south. Up and over Mount Walker. The micro climates are so extreme in terms of the topography.
11:01:17 The slope exposure and the wind and the wind is one of the things that we We really look at that over temperature per say because right now outside my house there's a good breeze
of about 10 miles an hour.
11:01:33 And the The weather report in Port Townsend may say. 7 miles an hour. The weather report in Britain may say 10 miles an hour, but again, it's all focused on that.
11:01:44 That micro climate the exposure different temperatures and the wind. That is the factor. I'll reference a couple local events in the past 48Â h, as mentioned earlier, the meeting.
11:02:00 There was a, what could have turned into a very significant event. On Thursday night. There was an RV fire in Irondale.
11:02:10 And, just the way that that fire took off was the fuels that were surrounding it.
11:02:16 3 other vehicles caught on fire. Fuels what we call latter fuels the trees the tree top started igniting into crown fuels which Transfers that fire.
11:02:29 Into other trees. And fortunately with the staffing that we had at that time, no other calls going on.
11:02:38 We, we mitigated that problem collectively and put the fire out. Moving into the next day, something that was caused by infrastructure.
11:02:49 There were power lines down in Cape George. And again, totally different. Fuel modeling and topography.
11:02:55 The wind off of Cape George. Took that fire and sent it downstream. Within about 10Â min it tripled in size.
11:03:05 And so additional resources arrive. And we mitigated that event to, and I prior to my, arriving here 5 years ago.
11:03:15 I think we often refer to the event that occurred at Cape George. Roughly 10 years ago Wendy is that correct there was a huge you know wild and while an urban interface event
that was the wake up call and that was within 10 years.
11:03:30 So
11:03:30 And that was caused by fireworks, right?
11:03:33 That I don't know. I honestly don't know. I was I was living in the county at the time but not working for each Jefferson but I do recall that that was a very very significant
event and again wind driven the aspect of the slope on discovery bay there in the peninsula was very, very
11:03:50 extreme. So, you know, That's really the summary, the overview.
11:03:59 I don't, I can answer any questions you have or attempt to answer any questions. But again, we, rise in support and, we, work together.
11:04:08 Very well as, our local fire agencies. We're very tight-knit and we help each other out.
11:04:17 Any event is a big event. In regards to wildland or wildland interface and I say interface meaning fires within an urban environment.
11:04:26 Cape George, Chimicum. All that. You bet.
11:03:35 We have Thank you, Chief. Before we jump into questions, I don't know, Heidi, I don't know if you or Phil, do you want to share anything else?
11:04:38 I mean, you talked a little bit about it, but you did a lot. No, I just, I just, yeah, but I just want to, thank Chief Bramble for being here.
11:04:48 We, as I mentioned earlier, we did have a meeting, with all the collective fire chiefs, both Bill and I were there.
11:04:56 And Wendy as well. And. They voted unanimously to move us to a high fire danger.
11:05:04 Which triggered the ban on open fires via, you know, the list of bands in the ordinance.
11:05:13 I appreciate the work that both, Chiefs Vedic and Chief Tracer have done.
11:05:19 To characterize the conditions in our community and it you know from what I heard On Friday, it's scary, you know, it's not nothing to be taken lightly.
11:05:30 And so we had some folks in here this morning just for Chief Brummel and Wendy's benefit.
11:05:38 Asking a number of questions and you know resisting the declaration of high fire hazard, but you know a lot of analysis.
11:05:49 And long review went into making that recommendation. It wasn't made. Quickly or flippantly. So and it, you know, I, didn't know it was coming.
11:06:01 I knew that the, Chief Tracer had mentioned to me. You know, a couple weeks before that they were looking to the this, early July for potential.
11:06:14 Increase to the fire risk in Jefferson County, but we didn't know that was coming.
11:06:19 So it was unfortunate for the. The fireworks selling boots that You know, they got their permits on the 20 eighth and then we had to shut them down as the ordinance, directs.
11:06:31 But I fully support every action we've taken. Out of an abundance of caution.
11:06:39 And I did drive by, I was on my way into town on Thursday. When, I got a text from Chief Black saying you might wanna.
11:06:49 Give me a call, so he told me about the Iron Del Fire and I was right in the vicinity and drove over and met up with, I think it was Justin who was the firefighter who worked
all night to put that fire out.
11:07:02 And. Chief Tracer was just getting on the scene and The Sheriff's Office was coming to do the investigation, but you know it was fully contained but it was almost that whole
lot.
11:07:15 That it burned and it was a scary scene and anyway, so I think we all made the right decision for the community.
11:07:25 And I'm gonna miss, I'm not sure I'm gonna miss fireworks. I'm sure some people are still gonna miss fireworks.
11:07:34 I'm sure some people are still gonna be out there. I'm sure some people are still gonna be out there lighting them off but I am, you know, I've participated in a few community
gatherings over the years and I'm gonna miss.
11:07:42 You know, that. Experience tomorrow but Happy to forego it because I would rather have a quiet evening or a relatively quiet evening with my family.
11:07:55 Instead of trying to get out and help fight fires, which I would do.
11:08:00 And I'd also like to clarify too that you know public safety and public officials were always in front of the court of public opinion.
11:08:10 And, you know, this is a classic opportunity to reinforce the ounce of prevention.
11:08:16 Is far much better than a pound of cure. And so, we are proactive and I achieve, I appreciate.
11:08:25 Willie Benson's comments about, yeah, we're really leaning forward.
11:08:30 In a very proactive approach and the popularity maybe 51 to 49 but the fact is we are preserving our our community from what potentially could be, you know, significant fire
safety events as conditions get warmer and windier over the next couple days.
11:08:55 And obviously throughout the summer and beyond. It looks like Chief Black just showed up.
11:09:01 Yeah.
11:08:57 That's a good. That's a good point the wind chief Bramo there's been a lot of late early and late afternoon wind the last few days and that would be the worst conditions.
11:09:10 In this heat, even though it's not 90 degrees here, it's felt hot. I've been out crabbing.
11:09:15 It's been, it's felt hot out in the sun and on the water and and as we get off the water and then the wind comes up and I can just imagine the conditions that that sets us up
for.
11:09:26 Yep.
11:09:28 Great and we can welcome Chief Black over to and I do have a couple questions and just thinking about kind of almost an after action here and wondering how long this high fire
declarations anticipated to go and what are those impacts.
11:09:47 But I guess first I want to give Phil and Wendy and Chief Black. Well, Chief Black, maybe you want to listen for a second since we've been talking already, but an opportunity
to weigh in anything else that you want to share.
11:09:53 Takeaways from the process.
11:09:57 Anything?
11:09:59 Go ahead, Phil. Just.
11:10:00 Oh, thank you. So, I think everything's been summed up very, very well.
11:10:05 One of the things I do wanna note that what put this all into motion, you know, for the fire chiefs to get together and how they're emergency session and everything was an escalation
of.
11:10:15 Fire activity fire a danger by the DNR. So this was the state agency. It's one of the metrics that we use that kind of kicks off the.
11:10:25 Discussion as the whether we need to meet and whether we need to. Talk about escalating, to a high fire, declaration.
11:10:34 High fire hazard declaration. And, that Just kind of aligned this time. It was, unfortunate timing of it before the holiday.
11:10:43 But this wasn't something that like, Commissioner Eisenhower had mentioned that we took lightly or that was done quickly.
11:10:50 This was something that, we went through all the proper protocols and all of the metrics.
11:10:56 Were tripped that required us to get together and have this conversation with which resulted in the declaration.
11:11:03 Okay, thanks. Wendy, any takeaways that you wanna share? No obligation to, but what worked, what didn't work?
11:11:10 Just a little short comment. I've been keeping an eye on kind of My piece of things since we posted on Friday afternoon and I would say that
11:11:22 From what I've seen my perspective that I see is probably Sorry, I have a dog barking.
11:11:30 75%. Happy, 25% maybe not so happy and I feel like people are really weighing in that.
11:11:39 They, you know, kind of similar to Commissioner Eisenhower as They appreciate. The cautiousness they will miss on some things but are in support of what's going on here.
11:11:53 So. That's about it.
11:11:56 Great. Thank you. And, Chief Black, if you've got something you want to lead off with, that's fine.
11:12:01 But we've kind of just started the conversation. I don't know. I know you're on the radio.
11:12:08 It was great. And, if you don't mind me just cutting, tagging on, I think, one of the elements that I talked.
11:12:16 About on the interview with KPD Z was the art word risk. And that is really what all of us are charged with doing is being mindful of the risk that is apparent.
11:12:29 We are a resource-deficient community, not just for 9 1 one services, but for all services.
11:12:36 And, but for this topic, we only have 13 firefighters from Port Townsend all the way to the bridge.
11:12:42 And we can easily get over task with multiple incidents at the same time. And that is really, you know, what leads to these kind of announcement prevention.
11:12:54 I think I heard a few minutes ago type. Efforts is we're trying to make sure that we have enough resources to continue to go to our normal 9 1 one we're you know demand we're
only staff for what the normal demand is we're not staff for peak events.
11:13:09 Usually we luckily we're able to get a couple more people. Working over the next few days.
11:13:15 But, you know, several simultaneous incidents. In the county could easily bring us down to 0 units available and that's what we're trying to do we're trying to make sure the
community is safe and We still have, you know, a bench to respond.
11:13:32 Thank you, Chief. I guess my questions are kind of. Just logistical and implementation. How can we improve?
11:13:41 This is really the first time that we've you know, use the new ordinance to to drive our response and the preventive response that we've, taken.
11:13:52 I'm curious what are the fire departments gonna help with enforcement? Is what's gonna be what's it gonna look like when folks are say, hey, my neighbor's shooting off fireworks?
11:14:02 I mean, we don't wanna start. You know, with a bunch of 9 1 one calls or something. But what's, what do you guys anticipate to look like?
11:14:10 Go ahead, Chief.
11:14:11 Yeah, well, as we discussed, the other day on Friday with, under shared first Steiner that, you know, as well as the meeting this morning, the comments, public awareness.
11:14:33 Yeah.
11:14:23 And voluntary compliance is step one. And, number 2 is. The law enforcement side of things, the sheriff's office and Port Townsend police are the the enforcement side of it
for any types of disputes however, you know, speaking for the sheriff's office, you know, staffing
11:14:48 is limited as well. They're just as. You know staff
11:14:55 You know, shorted as we are. For deputies to cover an entire county. The fire department, Chief Black, you know, I'll speak on behalf of these Jefferson.
11:15:05 We're not gonna get in the way of our personal safety when we respond to incidents. We'll mitigate and manage the fire risk if there's fire involved or.
11:15:17 In the case of EMS where there's injuries due to fireworks being being lived and and we see many injuries on an annual basis from the trauma involved, but the hands, legs, face.
11:15:34 Etc. You know, we will do everything we can to help the public. In a time and need but we generally don't we're not gonna get involved in a dispute between hey they shouldn't
do it or or, no, we wanna do it.
11:15:51 Chief Black comment on that.
11:15:54 Yeah, I think, I've had this question among my neighbors, about a dozen times in past 24Â h, you know, are we calling you?
11:16:03 Yeah.
11:16:04 You know, you just live down the street and And my response is, look, if you know that there's somebody that's a habitual, you know, firework, you know, participant.
11:16:12 The best way to start the, you know, the solution is just. Start a conversation and you know I think that is once we start talking about they're like oh yeah I guess I could
just talk to them and explain to them you know the impact to me and the community and the risk that we spoke about earlier and my pets you know
11:16:30 always hate fireworks. And I think that's what I would ask customers or excuse me, community members.
11:16:37 To start with is just engage your neighbors proactively before the fourth and you know try to come up with a mutual respect and understanding that we're we're all subjected
to the same risk and I think that's really the best way to start the process.
11:16:54 Think there's an emergency and you think a firework is you know you is you know, you know, being dangerously used or you see a fire or smoke that you can't tell where it's coming
from.
11:17:06 Call 9 1 one. But before we get to that point, I think if we're all little proactive to make people aware of the risk that people's decisions are exposing all of us to.
11:17:15 That's really the best place to start. And then, the other thing real quick, if you don't mind me, taking a step back, Commissioner Brotherton, to the timeline question that
you posed.
11:17:26 I think all of the fire chiefs in the fire marshal we were all kind of huddling in June early June saying what do you think about the fourth and You know, we had those really
moist mornings, sometimes a little precipitation in early June and Yeah, we didn't see the model changing and it
11:17:41 wasn't and you know weather is a is a hard thing to predict with certainty and usually when you're at the 7 day mark you have a higher degree of certainty than we had early
in June and that's that is the paradigm that we live with in our business is the weather is Hard to predict more than 7 to 10
11:17:59 days out with certainty and the products. That we use are not home baked or home cooked. We use math and science that are produced by the NBCC, the national or the northwestern,
coordination center and, the National Interagency Fire Center that also declare the region, at the high level.
11:18:18 So. Yeah, the decision was made locally with, consultation and a lot of wisdom in the room, but We are pointing to objective metrics.
11:18:27 I think I heard Phil say that and that's really what we're trying to do and I would love to be able to give a month's notice or months notice.
11:18:33 But I never see, I'm not probably ever gonna see that as a reality unless the weather modeling becomes more accurate.
11:18:41 But Chief Black, the standard that we're applying those metrics to is a lower standard than we used to, right?
11:18:49 I mean, we're talking about high fire danger compared to very high or was it extreme before it was extreme?
11:18:55 I guess what I'm thinking is that any permit given to a fireworks stand in the future should probably have a pretty hefty caveat with it.
11:19:05 Hey, you know. History has shown that this this standard is pretty easy to meet. I mean, II might have shaken my fist once or twice after the burn ban and that week of rain
we had when I had my big burn that I needed to do, but you know.
11:18:54 Yes, Yep.
11:19:19 I follow the rules and everything and you know it's weather is not going to just fall in line with that decisions that we make.
11:19:37 Yep.
11:19:28 That doesn't mean we don't have to make decisions. I'm just thinking of the impacts to the businesses and the you know the booster club that was here this morning and as we
look at the new standards that we're applying to these metrics, be conscientious about recognizing what the impacts are gonna be.
11:19:50 You know, I mean, maybe this means focusing on New Year's. It's very unlikely that we're gonna have a little bit.
11:19:54 You know, I mean, maybe this means focusing on New Year's. It's very unlikely that we're gonna have a high high fire hazard and at the end of December I would
11:19:58 I would say you're more than probably right. But I in other states, I have been on the fire line front line on Christmas before.
11:20:09 I doubt that would ever happen here, but I mean, it does happen in some places. And that is any sort of cryptic forecasting that's what's gonna happen here but we have to be
reactive to the conditions that are presented to us and I think we can always be better to your point at marketing
11:20:23 and messaging and I look forward to the CWPP helping with some of that as well and where again we're using the risk sequencing model.
11:20:31 Putting that together to where the community has a role to play at the outreach that we do and through the various partners to make sure that our messaging and marketing is
on point.
11:20:44 And I think, yeah, we, if we had to redo some things, I would say, yeah, let's put that on the permit and maybe some other you know benchmarks that we're gonna look at so that
the those important nonprofits are aware of the implications.
11:20:59 Of you know the weather changing unpredictably. I feel we talked about it when we made the decision that's like, you know, this is their livelihood, but We have to balance risk
sometimes against, you know, I think people all said it against the economic impact and that's really what we're trying to do here.
11:21:16 It's not to punish people or that we're not the fun killers.
11:21:22 The fun killer is that's gonna Yes, to say. Alright. Great.
11:21:30 I don't know. Chris, anything to add? No, I just wanna thank, you know, Friday it was a little bit of a Dust storm getting getting to our communications plan and we got there
and we needed a great job of corralling and press release and getting it out widely.
11:21:47 We got the chief on the radio today, you know, just trying to get the word out as broadly as possible.
11:21:55 I've seen it on Facebook a number of you know, people sharing it and I agree Wendy I've seen a lot of more positive comments and thank yous than negative comments.
11:22:05 I my only Kind of lingering regret is the. Fundraiser for the school kids and so Maybe there's something we can do as a county to support help back fill that hole that we.
11:22:25 Or it is a person, you know, and I would not have bought any fireworks there, but I'll, I'll, I'll go with it BBB 3 Bs and shimmikum.
11:22:32 Dot com. Worth had lock Washington, 93, three-nine for donations. To the big blue boosters.
11:22:43 So. Anyway, thanks you guys. Appreciate you all being here. Phil, I appreciate you being on the front lines of mobilizing these declarations.
11:22:53 That was not an easy task. So we all we all grabbed an orange and my favorite metaphor will remain my favorite metaphor of the long vote.
11:23:02 And it takes everyone rowing together in the same direction to get to where we need to go and I feel like this was an instance where there were a lot of folks rowing in a direction
together.
11:23:12 So I appreciate all of you. I think we'll have a safer fourth. So thank you guys.
11:23:16 Have to find, you know, there's lots of ways to celebrate there. Our great country and I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July.
11:23:25 Oh yeah, let's thank you for the reminder. And while we have everyone let's we don't have anyone in the chambers with us but invite anyone that's joined us online or via the
phone.
11:23:36 You can hit raise hand or star 9. To share your thoughts. You don't have to share your name or where you are, but we would love to hear from you if you have something to contribute.
11:23:46 We've got one hand raised when we bring Miss Ball over.
11:23:58 Gene, you'll need to accept the promotion to panelists and we can hear from you.
11:24:13 Looks like we might have lost her. Here she is. Oh, there we go. The travel the trips sometimes sometimes it takes a little while.
11:24:22 Greetings you have you have 3Â min Jane
11:24:23 Okay. Thanks, it took a minute. So thank you very much for hosting this very informative in depth and comprehensive review of the decision making process and the various intricacies
at play which impact the decision.
11:24:41 And I know it was a difficult decision to make and I do not envy any of these career professionals.
11:24:48 In having to be forced to make such a perceptibly unpopular decision. I think it is prudent.
11:24:57 I think it was the right decision. And I thank you for your service.
11:25:03 Thank you, Jane. Anyone else like to make public comment?
11:25:11 Yeah, raise hand or star 9.
11:25:17 All right, see no one else. I will close public comment and you know. Kate and Heidi and I are politicians and we had a big hand in what transpired here in helping set up the
policies and the.
11:25:34 The legislation that allows it and But the goal has always been to make this a decision that is not a political decision, right?
11:25:42 You need you want to do something for the safety and losing houses, losing folks unnecessarily. It's just a 0 sum game.
11:25:51 I appreciate the fire chiefs making the tough call. I appreciate Phil. And forced in the tough call and you know ask that the public respect it and you know we don't have the
enforcement capacity it's quite quite clear to force everyone to you know keep their hands at their hips and not shoot off fireworks, You know, I
11:26:15 think Chief Clock had it right. Talk to your neighbors first, try to find. Common ground in preserving the safety and recognizing the risk that is more and more prevalent with
fireworks unfortunately.
11:26:29 So. Okay. Great. Well, thank you, Phil.
11:26:37 Thank you, Chief Blatt. Chief Brummel for being with us. Wendy, thank you very much.
11:26:40 For that quick quick response and getting the word out. I think I have to admit I pretty much avoided Facebook this weekend, but I did make sure that it got out there and I
heard from folks.
11:26:53 So the message got out there. Thank you.
11:26:56 Okay, well that takes us to I believe the end of our posted agenda we have not quite finished briefings and such so we'll Keep on with that and then probably.
11:27:11 I think unless there's some burning work that we have to do probably adjourn at the lunch hour
11:27:19 So I think I cut you off as you were kind of wrapping up your last week. I mean, I could tell you that, I went crabbing.
11:27:37 So apparently I was kind of trying to snoop around why it was so good. Apparently the recreational season opened before the commercial seasons this year.
11:27:47 Nice. So it's been. Good. That Iron Dale?
11:27:57 You mean have that? Well, you there's a doc there. I saw I see the dog and you can go to the port and get a I see the dog and you can go to the port and get a sticker for your
doc if you want to go to the port and get a sticker for your doc if you want to leave your
11:28:07 boat. Okay. Long term, like for a month. Okay. Long term, like for a month. Okay.
11:28:18 On the doc, you can only buy them in month how long do you leave your pot down there?
11:28:21 It depends. Sometimes. 4Â h sometimes overnight just depends on the schedule of what else is going on with my my my team crab camp we call ourselves Okay, got my license.
11:28:39 We've gotten the unused crab pot out and, we wanna take advantage of the season this year.
11:28:42 So I don't have a good boat though. I've got like a giant canoe. I don't know.
11:28:47 No, no easy way. It works. One pot in a canoe. Trailer it out there.
11:28:52 Alright, well why don't I look at my past week? Good to the right week here.
11:29:00 Let's see fairly light. I met with Mr. Goys joined us here and under Sheriff Andy Princeton and I'm at court from Facilities, talk about that potential South County Annex and
you know, with additional staffing, it's a good option without it seems like it's
11:29:20 probably a superfluous option. So I think that's kind of on the back burner for the time being.
11:29:25 The budget committee meeting with everyone of course on Wednesday the housing fund board was good getting ready for our next the RFP for all of those for the 1 48 and 1 49 and
1590 is gonna come out in September so work on that and everything's moving well.
11:29:45 Kind of new energy in the data and needs assessments committee and Yeah, really positive meeting. Feel like we are working the whole time.
11:29:54 I miss the Hoot Canal Bridge meeting, so I'm glad you were there. I'm glad I we weren't both there because then I don't get to agree on who can talk, I guess.
11:30:04 Agenda planning. The big meeting last week was the special meeting of the planning commission that I went to on Thursday evening.
11:30:13 Well, I think it went pretty well. Yeah, Burke is great and as you might recall, this has been a long process.
11:30:26 So before you were 18, right? No, 20 late 2019, early 2020 first we had to do the critical areas ordinance update and we did a task force kind of separate from the Planning
Commission and then did that again.
11:30:38 With the SNP update. Worked with our ecology partner, you know, we had one staff member and we had 3 planning commission members.
11:30:48 On that task force, which was a Really good table of, you know, a culturist and environmentalists and shoreline neighbors and everything made a bunch of recommendations under
the are I forget what the resolution is like 1913 our regulatory reform resolution which is trying to make regulations lower barriers and regulations as much as possible.
11:31:09 And, Then just as a bit of a history after that. Went to the planning commission they had a hearing in 2020 Did not come to us for approval.
11:31:22 It went on to ecology. A college you had it for a year. We sat on for another 6 months.
11:31:26 So we've not at the BOC seen it at all. It's never come in front of us.
11:31:32 This update that was started in late 2019 early 2020. Most everything is great. I think and you know making things like mooring buoys a substantial development permit rather
than a conditional use permit and and with the public hearing which we were like the only county that had that those that's kind of in line.
11:31:51 What we are doing. One kind of troubling one to me is the Planning Commission added after the task force was over, a lot of aquaculture.
11:32:02 Rules on to it. And I had a long talk with Gordon King and we heard from many of the proponents for that.
11:32:09 Had the meeting last week at the meeting on Thursday and I went back and I looked at the hearing as well and looked at the meeting last week at the meeting on Thursday and I
went back and I looked at the hearing as well and looked at the changes and there it's not come in front of us for review yet.
11:32:23 but, Basically, we kind of took Kitsap County's Opal Culture section and added it to ours.
11:32:29 As specifically about GUI Dex, which there is a lot after the task force had finished their work after the task force had finished their work after the task force. The task
force. The task force was done at that time.
11:32:40 They made recommendations. The task force. The task force. The task force was done at that time. They made recommendations.
11:32:43 Planning Commission got it, had a lot of very strong opinions about who we deck farming specifically. Perhaps motivated primarily by one bad, you know that in that you know
as you know there's those big PVs and those start washing up it's no fun.
11:32:58 I mean, and those start washing up. It's no fun. Right. I mean, microplastic.
11:33:01 That's a macro plastic. It's no fun. Right. I mean, microplastics, that's a macro plastic. Yeah.
11:33:03 So it' I encourage is Gordon still on the MRC? Yeah. That's the Marine Resources Committee, not the Medical Reserve.
11:33:10 I encourage you guys, I guess, at the MRC. To consider some of these changes and consider making a recommendation before it comes to the BOC or I mean, probably not before the
planning commission hearing, which is happening in 2 weeks or something, but I would love to hear.
11:33:28 That robust table, the MRCs, thoughts about. The SMP in general, the aquaculture.
11:33:36 Section specifically. I mean, what we're effectively doing, I think, is making saying no more Dewey that's times and II mean II remember kind of seeing it go through at the
time and I don't.
11:33:49 Like gooey duck so I you know it wasn't a big deal to me but I think recognizing that you know aquaculture is 10 times the size of agriculture in Jefferson County when we talk
about food resilience and everything and the sustainability of community.
11:34:05 I think it would be. Irresponsible not to hear lots of voices on this pretty substantial change.
11:34:12 So what's the? Every once in a while every once in a while still I get to ask a question for the first.
11:34:24 So I have not been involved in one of these task forces. What's the
11:34:28 R they make a recommendation to the Planning Commission. Planning Commission takes it or doesn't. Well, there will there is some tension.
11:34:38 I will admit between the 2 tasks force that, I helped push and the Planning Commission Planning Commission definitely felt circumvented with the task force.
11:34:46 I see. And but the task force mandate and I went back and reviewed it is to They went through everything they did like.
11:34:56 10 weeks of, you know. I have pretty intense, you know, going through it with Burke and this book in this case or just a volunteer in the previous with the critical areas ordinance.
11:35:07 Made a bunch of recommendations kind of under the Stubri, the rubric of the regulatory reform ordinance and made recommendations Planning Commission listened to that made their
changes.
11:35:21 Not sure why, I don't know. I feel like it should have come to us. That's maybe why I'm stopping my feet a little bit because we didn't get a a look at it and it went straight
to Ecology who was our partner on the shoreline master program.
11:35:35 So after the Planning Commission hearing, it went straight there. I even had Julie look around. I was really confused until I went and reminded talked to Lisa Greer, the consultant
with Burke.
11:35:45 And yeah, it just, I don't know, didn't come to us. So. That seems
11:35:53 I know wholesale changes made to one section and I think. But the task force worked it was done.
11:36:01 Some of the task force are pretty stunned now too because the consultant reached out to them and said, hey, we love your input on this.
11:36:06 And I'm like, oh, now you want our input? What do you mean? Right? That, you know, we just want the rubber stamp and, I understand that sort of feeling, but I Like I'm talking
to Gordon, I encourage them to come out and contribute to, you know, there's still
11:36:21 everyone's voices still has the same weight. So the task force. Completed its mandate which was providing recommendations to the to the planning commission so it's done And
then task forces are short.
11:36:34 You know, could take him or not. Accept them, ask for something different, send them back to come up with a different recommendation.
11:36:44 So yeah, that's where we are. Interesting. Developments.
11:36:51 And the game is a foot.
11:36:52 And then. Met with some residents working on food bank down in quilting on Friday. And then HUD canceled our meeting.
11:37:04 As happens often in the middle of summer. And that was my last week. Built a couple of kiosks in my off time and put some art up.
11:37:15 So some of the, Jacob Cohen arc is up in Quilting now. As you drive around Quilting, you should look at the parking lot in the school.
11:37:20 Or the posting village store. My brother's store that. Did not see a lot of benefit from the fireworks stand there, but hopefully we'll see some benefit from the art that is
now up in front of the story.
11:37:33 Can't wait to see it. Fun stuff. Yeah, it looks pretty cool. With that, Chris, you want to share us some some high points of your last week with us?
11:37:42 I would love to share some high points. Last Monday. I had a good meeting with cheap black and the ladders evacuation modeling software that we have purchased along with our
community wildfire perception plan.
11:37:56 Modeling for the sheriff's sheriff's office and public works and other folks what it would look like for them to be able to.
11:38:07 Use this software in their. Emergency management planning. Tuesday we had the budget committee Wednesday We met with very done as part of our strategic plan.
11:38:22 With Commissioner Eisenhower Thursday. I had my weekly meeting with County County Administrative McCauley.
11:38:30 As well as that a monthly all staff facilities meeting and Friday met with Kathy Bonderant, I think is from last name.
11:38:40 She's the new building manager over at 7. Just nice. Good neighbors. That was when we they got the garbage worked out over there.
11:38:51 To be continued. To be continued on that one. Good. It's difficult.
11:38:58 Sometimes the assumptions that we we make are quite There isn't really a good place. Put the dumpster.
11:39:07 Yeah, I think if I had gone back to the drawing board I maybe would have design things a little bit differently but nevertheless their really diligent about pulling in the dumpsters
as soon as it.
11:39:21 And take it up, but. How's that for answer?
11:39:31 Okay. Great. Well, thank you very much. I guess why don't we take do a little calendaring this week.
11:39:41 We'll be joined by Commissioner Dean next week and of course the holiday tomorrow, but you wanna start Chris?
11:39:50 What else do you have going on this week? Sure. Wednesday we've got our weekly strategic plan meeting.
11:39:56 Also visiting the transfer station with, director. Rhiners and Al Karen's just to visit one of our most important customers Thursday We're doing some interviews for the facilities
maintenance position that we just opened up.
11:40:12 And on Friday I have my biweekly meeting with, my facilities. Great.
11:40:21 Can I ask for one of the consent agenda items today was about the ERNR funds and everything.
11:40:27 It's about the ERNR funds and everything. It's pretty complicated. I would love a kind of a. It's pretty complicated.
11:40:33 I would love a kind of a workshop at your leisure to just kind of break down the fleet system and ERR and how that all works.
11:40:37 I would love a kind of a workshop at your leisure to just kind of break down the fleet system and ERR and how It's a complex system for sure.
11:40:39 And there's some smart people that keep it running. Right. Yeah, it's definitely a system system thinkers.
11:40:47 It's a it's worth revisiting for sure. Happy to plan that. Great.
11:40:52 Heidi, what's your week look like? Weeks ago I said my intention was to not be here at all this week.
11:41:00 Here I am. No, I'm in person, you know, but I was like, well, I feel like I should be there.
11:41:05 So. I need to learn how to. Control myself a little bit. Other than Getting my truck and responding to fires if they happen if I hear him in my neighborhood or just you know
being in support.
11:41:30 Wednesday the only I think I'm not gonna come to the strategic planning session on Wednesday. But I am gonna attend my uncle's coming.
11:41:41 For just for an overnighter on Wednesday and so I'm gonna attend the JTA Jefferson Transit Authority.
11:41:47 Finance committee meeting. Wednesday afternoon. Thursday I'll mostly be off. Although there's another, sewer outreach neighborhood meeting Thursday evening at the library.
11:42:01 I'll attend that. Friday I plan to not. Doing the county business. And.
11:42:10 Sunday is Chiminum interdependence day. Call that out for folks. It mostly happens at Fen River.
11:42:18 And there's a talent show which is super fun to witness. I don't have a talent to share.
11:42:27 I don't have a talent to share. I bet you do. I've gotten as far as Mary had a little am I like 12 instruments.
11:42:36 Or I mean, you know, all my things are exponential, so it's hard to.
11:42:41 Get up and in a small space and Anyway, so yeah, not a lot going on this week, but.
11:42:49 Just wanna say I did look at this calendar and the next MRC meeting is August first.
11:42:56 So I'll get with Monica and Gordon and great.
11:42:59 Maybe have, I know he's been attending all these meetings, so. He could brief us on it.
11:43:06 But in general the summer is really gotten really crazy busy. And so. The week of July seventeenth.
11:43:18 I'll be here for the commissioners meeting and Tuesday and Wednesday we have that community outreach meeting in the evening and then after the community outreach meeting in
the evening.
11:43:27 I'm gonna drive to Seattle and fly to
11:43:31 Texas for the National Association of Counties Conference. Right. So I mean, I'm, I feel like I'm gone a lot over the next.
11:43:39 Well, just mostly that, but it just feels like a big hole. Conference coming up soon too.
11:43:46 Yeah, in August. So there's big things on the horizon, I guess is what I'm trying to say in a nutshell.
11:43:51 Great. I also am taking a pretty light week this week. Tomorrow I am going to the antiracist class that I'm putting on a pretty light week this week.
11:44:04 Tomorrow I'm going to the antiracist class that I'm putting on and excited about it.
11:44:04 I'm not excited about The majority opinions coming out of the Supreme Court right now. But I am halfway through.
11:44:13 Brown Jackson's dissent to the affirmative action case and it is a must read for everyone. It is very powerful. Yes.
11:44:20 And a great history of, you know, What a affirmative action was for, you know? So really, really powerful.
11:44:31 I think we'll be talking about that and, Yeah, that's pretty powerful stuff.
11:44:38 I'm really Got some strong ladies on the Supreme Court right now and they are using their voices. I think even in the sense it's important to recognize when.
11:44:47 People stand up for. For the people they represent. And on Wednesday, I have the, Olympic area agency on Aging Council of Governments meeting virtually and then we'll do agenda
planning with Mark, my daughter's at base camp all week, so I'm I'll be doing everything virtually as I'm I'll be doing everything virtually as I maintain the the home front
11:45:11 and keep the farm safe by my mere presence. Saturday if I'm not going down to see her final presentation I'll join the Quilts and Fire Department's annual barbecue.
11:45:23 And probably build another kiosk on the ninth. We've got family in town too, so I will enjoy family and celebrate our country by, Reading Catoni Brown Jackson's descent and
probably Sonia so to my ears as well.
11:45:41 All right, Elena Kagan, I mean, Elena Kagan, I think.
11:45:46 That's my week. You've already shared. Okay, any other business that we need to take care of today?
11:45:59 Can't feature calendar items. A couple of.
11:46:04 There were a number of KPTZ schedule cancellations due to syndrome Friday concerts.
11:46:11 Upcoming and I updated your calendar, Greg. This is the calendar you shared with us. Let me see, make sure it actually.
11:46:21 Saved. Going back. Okay. Go on.
11:46:28 Just that was something where we're all kind of involved so I thought just to let you know that they they just got canceled 4 of our shows.
11:46:41 Yes, I saw. And maybe we should look at our list of topics and prioritize what you know is timely.
11:46:45 They seem to only have canceled your your radio shows. Yeah, which is fine. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. No, it's fine with me.
11:46:55 The dates, you know I think the Seattle Theater group still pretty timely. And I can do Jefferson Transit and then we'll just bring you back on 8 11 basically right Yeah.
11:47:06 So. I the And I think you in Nicole know that I could do the 20 first yeah it's not it's not on the goal schedule but you'll need to coordinate with them.
11:47:20 We'll do. Make sure it's not wheels on the bus. That would be the worst song to play out.
11:47:27 Yeah. 2 on the nose. Okay, that is another thing on for Kate, but I'll just get her with her on that one.
11:47:37 She's back. Back, yup, for next week. Cool, so we'll make an adjustment.
11:47:41 I didn't know they played all the the noon shows on the radio I might actually listen to that 1230 slot.
11:47:49 Yeah, that's a community service announcement. You won't have to listen to us on Fridays.
11:47:57 Right, right. Yeah, freedom. You can instead do the great, fiddle tunes or jazz. Yeah, freedom.
11:48:05 You can instead do the great, fiddle tunes or jazz p, acoustic blues Okay, were the, were the, event to get bumped for I have to say.
11:48:12 Okay, no other conflicts. Are you sure you're okay for the Thursday meeting the sewer group meeting?
11:48:19 I mean you've got more subject matter expertise but I could I could fill in if you were. Oh yeah, but I yeah, and I've been helping it.
11:48:25 Samantha was a little bit of outreach. And so yeah, I'm fully on board for that.
11:48:29 Great. Anything else for the good of the order?
11:48:34 All right, well, a short one today. We'll see you on the tenth at the same time, 9 a.
11:48:41 M. And this meeting of the Board of County Commissioners is adjourned. Have a great week.