RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS

OKANOGAN COUNTY

JANUARY 23, 2018

AMENDED FEBRUARY 5, 2018


The Okanogan County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on January 23, 2018, Chairman Commissioner Jim DeTro, Commissioner Chris Branch, and Laleña Johns, Clerk of the Board, present.

Commissioners convened the board at 9:00 a.m.

Member of the public, George Thornton, arrived at 9:00 a.m. taking notes.

Commissioners’ Staff Meeting
Dennis Rabidou, Perry Huston, Tanya Craig, Debi Hilts, Joe Poulin, David Gecas

Mr. Rabidou stated a no earlier than delivery date and suggested ordering the Juvenile Vehicle now with a no earlier than date of. Commissioner Hover would like to first discuss this with the Auditor and Treasurer for a deliver date of mid-May 15. It would be paid from Juvenile budget and paid back from fund #160 when the fund starts receiving cash. The plan is to purchase an Interceptor with standard package. Mr. Rabidou stated heated seats are standard feature. Commissioner Hover would Mr. Rabidou to share the quote with the board. Mr. Rabidou left the meeting at 9:02 a.m.

Commissioner Hover discussed with Director Huston who the best person would be to write the grant that would help pay the costs of the scoping work for???. Director Huston stated he would be the best person to write the grant.

A letter was received from ATS regarding Sole Source designation. Mr. Gecas stated a questionnaire is used by other cities or counties to determine sole source. He suggested the county provide a form for dept. to submit for determination. Commissioner Hover asked Mr. Gecas to draft the form. He asked what process departments should go through. Departments would work with Mr. Gecas on the sole source designation for ATS. That should be the process for all departments. The Clerk of the Board will disperse the form once the attorney drafts it. Commissioner Hover asked MS. Craig where it would fall in the county policies. She stated the personnel manual is a Hodge podge of different policies. Director Huston stated he is reviewing the draft Purchasing Policy and would be where that language would reside. She is working on pulling out things like credit card use etc….to clean it up. We are one county and should be universal and cohesive with our policies.

Mr. Poulin discussed the need for a gun locker in the courthouse. Mr. Rabidou had made the request. There are some in the Jail but the condition is poor with some broken or missing locks. Poulin is researching the requirements via RCW. He thinks we could replace the lockers in the Jail then use them for holding guns or things that are not allowed in the courts. There are a couple different sizes. Commissioners thought a lock smith could rekey the lockers we have. Ms. Craig explained we need courthouse security to identify those with weapons and ask them to put in locker. We don’t have staff that can monitor people for weapons. Commissioner Hover explained Mr. Rabidou discussed yesterday the need for a special appointment for Marshall. The issues are many and ongoing.

**Ms. Craig updated the board on the county’s website not being ADA assessable. There is certain criterion considered i.e. mobile friendly, able to store pictures, font size, able to increase font, the list goes on. The current person for web master is giving what we pay for. Ms. Craig is working with Central Services to obtain quotes. There would be an annual maintenance fee. A company contacted, listed all the items out of compliance and provided information about integration of information. It would cost around $21,000 upfront and $2,500 annually. The company is EVO.GOV. Ms. Craig explained the approach was to address ADA accessibility. The company is well versed and familiar with county government. They also do permitting submissions etc…..It overlaps with what Seamless.gov does. She will see if it can be merged. Commissioners approved going forward with quotes. The relevant information was provided during a previous meeting.

Ms. Hilts explained she polled people on bringing back in house the public safety testing. Currently the county contracts for this. We can use the school for some of the physical agility examines. She explained grievances she is involved in.

Mr. Gecas updated the board on advice provided to the auditor.

Director Huston requested executive session at 9:55 a.m.

Motion Executive Session RCW 42.30.110 (1)(i)
Commissioner Hover moved to go into executive session at 9:55 a.m. for 10 minutes inviting Attorney Gecas and Perry Huston to discuss legal matters to which the county may be a party. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Executive session ended at 10:05 no decisions were made.

Update – Human Resources/Risk Management – Tanya Craig and/or Debi Hilts

Motion Executive Session RCW 42.30.110 (1)(g)
Commissioner Hover moved to go into executive session at 10:10 a.m. for 10 minutes to discuss the performance of a public employee inviting Tanya Craig. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Executive session ended at 10:20 a.m. no decisions were made.

Motion Oroville Rural EMS District
Commissioner Hover moved to adjourn as the BOCC and reconvene as the Oroville Rural EMS District. Motion was seconded all were in favor, motion carried.

Commissioner Hover moved to approve the Oroville Rural EMS District vouchers in the amount of $9,680. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Commissioner Hover moved to adjourn as the Oroville Rural EMS and Reconvene as the BOCC Motion was seconded all were in favor, motion carried.

Language for RFP for fixing the well at the fairgrounds. Pull pump, pull screen, develop the well, and put proper size screen in.

Motion Staff Direction RFP Fairgrounds Well
Commissioner Hover moved to direct the Clerk of the Board to submit an RFQ for repairing the collapsed well at the fairgrounds. The proposal should include replacement of the screen with a proper sized one, and the develop the well accordingly. Motion was seconded all were in favor, motion carried. RFQ calls by the end of the week with Bids to be received by mid-February.

Update – Public Works – Josh Thomson, Ben Rough

Ben Rough provided his agenda.

Position Status
Mr. Rough discussed the open position status of the various positions being filled. The lead mechanic position is open. Lead Finance Tech position was discussed. A new lead position was created. Mr. Rough explained it was done through the Union Negotiation process and it was agreed to by the Union and those involved that the process for reclassification would be done away with for this position. Mr. Rough is drafting the job description. The Grade would change from 16 to grade 18 as a team lead position. Mr. Rough explained being notified by DOT on required testing for CDL endorsed drivers, but that won’t change. A question from the drug testing contractor has asked how they should treat all the other employees for testing. The Public Works pre-employment testing policy and which class of employee would be required to test. He is working with HR on a language for the policy. Whatever we do everything should be consistent with past practice and union agreements. Ms. Hilts explained needed amendments to the notification and employment application for Public Works.

Road crew and Solid Waste contracts were discussed. Mr. Rough stated numerous employees with CDL’s do not fall under the contracts to reimburse the employee for CDL renewals. Commissioner Hover explained he wants to ensure we aren’t just doing something, but rather open the conversation up with the Unions to say what we intend to do. Mr. Rough stated the decision would be done by resolution if the commissioners support it. Then he would go to the union and let them know the commissioners support it. Perhaps an MOU would state the details.

Leachate Ponds
Mr. Rough stated the ponds are getting full. Procedures to reduce the leachate were discussed.

Engineer Thomson provided his agenda.

Maintenance and road conditions were provided.

Gravel Crushing Project

Lost River Rd FLAP Project

Elmway March 16 w& Mazama Levees – USACE Projects
Engineer Thomson explained the group would meet on the Elmway Levee on March 13 at 6 p.m. Notices will go out to adjacent property owners of the meeting. He explained the coordination of meetings he is doing with the residents for both levees.


Methow Trails Easement for enhanced parking
Engineer Thomson explained plans he received from James DeSalvo, MVSTA, to enhance the trail parking lot.

WSDOT US 97 Okanogan River Bridge Deck rehab project planned for 2018
Engineer Thomson received information from DOT regarding Hwy 97 bridge closure and detour. The bridge will need to be closed for around 12 days to perform the rehab of the bridge. The truck traffic will go through Okanogan and Omak using the county’s road system for the detour. The project start time is August to September between the Stampede and the Fair.

Engineer Thomson discussed next week’s consent agenda with a resolution for commissioners’ consideration that acknowledges the changes made to the 6-year transportation program.

The board adjourned for lunch at 12:00.

Commissioners Branch and Hover returned at 1:30 p.m. from their lunch break.

Member of the public, George Thornton, taking hand written notes.

Citizen Comment Period
No citizens wished to comment.

Discussion – 2018 Homeless Housing Fund RFP Coalition
Jim Novelli, Lael Ducan, Sue Edick, Nancy Nash Mendez, Margo Amelong, Elana Mainer via conference call.

Ms. Duncan handed out the Coalition’s new responses for 2018 Homeless Housing Funds. It includes the Professional Services amount OCCAC receives. She thanked the board for allowing use of the recording dollars.

Ms. Ducan explained the amount requested ($223,735) is less than in previous years.

Ms. Duncan stated there is still a big funding shortfall and asked the board to consider providing any additional funds the county has.

Ms. Mendez explained that her request stayed the same. Okanogan Housing Authority may not spend down the entire allocation depending on the need.

Ms. Duncan explained comments were being collected on the new Homeless Housing Plan which were developed after a series of meetings with the coalition. She hasn’t had much input other than the work Room One did with youth homelessness. Once the document is in front of people it will provide the commentary. Best practices language she has found in other plans was used. The primary focus in the plan are basically brief, rare and one time stays and arches over all homelessness. We need to develop more of an emergency response which provides an opportunity to address the ancillary issues the homeless person or family is experiencing.

Ms. Duncan explained she is providing case management for the Oroville shelter to help the people set goals.

Ms. Mendez discussed the plan will help provide the framework where the group will focus on years to come. How to move the coalition forward and she likes the plan so far.

Elana Mainer commented that the plan is 276 pages long. She thought the work of the coalition would move forward to address higher goals. She believes the plan is moving in the right direction. The pages are reference pages. Elana Mainer would like to ensure opportunity for feedback is used.

Commissioner Hover asked who provides input that goes into the plan. Ms. Duncan waved around that the whole coalition was included in the process. Was the original outline of the ten year plan followed in the same way this new plan was put together? Ms. Duncan replied no, the original requirements around the plan have changed. Ms. Mendez said they are working on the portal where people experiencing homelessness can enter their needs and then be assessed. She is hoping other agencies will utilize the portal access. This is a new process for gathering the information.

Commissioner Hover asked if the proposals were ranked. Ms. Duncan stated they could not think of which program to cut. All the work to be accomplished is important.

Administratively, input about the plan is coming to her for plan completion, coordinating the point in time count, and reporting. At one time the contract did not have an end date, but does now.

Commissioner Branch asked about hotel vouchers. Ms. Duncan stated they are moving away from the overnight solution because the funds can be used to help keep people from becoming homeless. There are certain populations they see over and over and it wasn’t providing them with long term solutions to homelessness. Commissioner Branch said yes there are populations that are homeless and they tend to find somewhere to stay on their own.

Commissioner Hover asked when the requests are submitted is the coalition using a justification process. Ms. Duncan replied that they do not create the proposals together but they do go over them once submitted.

Commissioner Hover discussed using the funds for ongoing rental vouchers or can the funds be leveraged to do more for more people to prevent homelessness.

Ms. Mendez stated the people staying in the section 8 housing have jobs, but those that do not work cannot work.

Commission Branch expressed that everyone is feeling a certain level of frustration. Yes, everyone feels that way. Is there something we have not identified yet? He is looking for longer term solutions and yet still be able to provide emergency short term solutions when they occur. The long term homeless populations are not seen by members of the coalition for assistance.

Ms. Duncan stated there is a bill 1570 moving forward that would allow the county to receive a portion of the state sales tax. There are other bills that allow use of bonding. It is a huge issue that impacts everyone in the county and its economy and systems. The housing crisis is an integral part of homelessness.

Commissioner Hover asked about Ms. Duncan’s professional service hours and whether those are broken down into specific tasks and presented to the coalition. Ms. Duncan stated yes those were provided to the coalition.

The group is willing to work within the funds allocated and they are prepared to reduce spending if funds are not available.

The affordable housing dollars can assist those moving out of homelessness and into affordable housing. Ms. Mendez stated the group did want that fund to build up so it could be used to leverage larger projects. OCCAC case management encourages folks to set goals, and OCCAC helps them accomplish and access services that help them meet their goals. Commissioner Hover said currently the Affordable housing fund as $84,000 and we expect to collect around $73,000 in 2018. Expenditures from the fund should be well planned out and in accordance with the plan and laws.

Commissioner Hover would like the coalition and Board to develop guidelines to create the framework for administering the Affordable Housing funds. Commissioner Branch would like to first discuss the criteria.

Ms. Mainer was impressed with the questions the board is asking of the coalition. She discussed that she felt good about the direction the coalition is moving in. We need clarity and long term vision for Affordable Housing. How do we move forward? If someone is dedicated to Affordable Housing director. She encouraged moving forward with a bold new strategy that isn’t just providing short term solutions. Ms. Duncan explained the overarching would include Roni Holder Deifenbach as the Economic Alliance Director. Get stakeholders involved and discussing what Affordable Housing means to them, then come back to commissioners and try to work out the frame work. Mr. Novelli explained housing is bigger than everyone at the table. He suggested a need for someone who is a housing guru that can really coordinate and can identify what is available is what is needed.

Commissioner Branch reminded there is business on the table for decision.

Ms. Edick said 80% of the median income is the income requirement used.

Ms. Mendez is looking at Caribou Trails as more of an affordable housing situation. She wants to be intentional about how the homeless funds are used. She is already starting to work with other funders to transfer funds to other programs. That will take time and is uncertain. If the county allows her to receive the funds from 2060 funds if they allow her to transfer and use the other funds. Ms. Mendez said if the Housing Authority is allowed to move the TIBRA contracts to use other funds she would not need all the $46,800. Commissioner Hover thought since Housing Authority rental vouchers are more eligible under Affordable Housing and the short fall of $30,000 he suggested allowing Affordable Housing funds to be used for that.

Ms. Duncan will coordinate the Affordable Housing and Homeless Housing Plan overview meeting with the community and will work with the Clerk of the Board on which dates would be best.

Approve Consent Agenda
Commissioner Hover moved to approve the consent agenda items 1-3. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

1. Commissioners Proceedings January 16th, 2018
2. Levy Certification – 2018 Road Levy Certification for CRAB
3. Materials Testing Agreement – Highway 7 (Bridge South) – Re-Bid – North Central Testing & Inspection

Motion Agreement –Lodging Tax-Winthrop Auditorium
Commissioner Hover moved to approve the Lodging Tax agreement with Winthrop Auditorium “The Barn” for 2018 hotel motel tax revenue the entity applied for use of. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Motion Agreement Amendment #1 – The Oroville Housing Authority
Commissioner Hover moved to approve Amendment No. 1 of the Homeless Housing agreement with Oroville Housing Authority which extends the contract term date to April 30, 2018. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Motion – Service Agreement Dispatch Services -Aero Methow
Commissioner Hover moved to approve the Dispatch Services Agreement with Aero Methow which terminates December 31, 2018. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Motion Approve Purchas of In County Refreshments for 2018 Re Cert Classes/Tours
Commissioner Hover moved to approve the in-county meals purchases for Noxious Weed Recertification classes and tours in 2018 and authorized the vice chairman to sign. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

The Clerk of the Board went over the Methow Valley EMS audit entrance document with the board. She explained the area of concern was contract compliance. The Aero Methow manager bills the district every month,12 equally divided monthly invoices, the amount is the same each month and based on the certified levy collections for the year. There was a difference of around $26,000.

The Clerk of the Board discussed TV District #1 vacancies. The District secretary had submitted letters of interest from Heather Findlay and Victoria Velategui in addition to a district resolution recommending appointment.

Commissioner Hover moved to submit a letter requesting Okanogan County be included in the pilot program regarding the HB2756. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Motion Methow Watershed Council Re-appointment
Commissioner Hover moved to approve the reappointments of Gregg Nott to position #1 and Mike Forte to position #2 on the Methow Watershed Council. Motion was seconded, all were in favor, motion carried.

Commissioners discussed the Local Records Grant Program and if the county applies and is awarded the grant funding it could pay salary to someone to scan documents for archival. The board discussed the county not having a grant writer to find grants for our projects. Commissioner Branch explained he has written grants before and volunteered to take a look at any the county wishes to apply for.

The board adjourned at 4:33 p.m.