LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council November 12, 2024

||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS |||

Department heads introduced new staff members: a courthouse facilitator who will help people navigate legal processes and three recent additions to the Assessor’s Office. During public access, five residents spoke in support of the Cultural Access Initiative. Two residents spoke in favor of the resolution on the Tribal Engagement Framework.

After a public hearing the council approved three ordinances setting levies for land conservation, county roads and current expense for 2025. The Council approved the SJC Tribal Engagement Framework and asked staff to work on some revisions to a letter to tribal governments about the resolution. They set a public hearing for December 10thto move a parcel on Lopez from Farm and Agricultural Use to Farm and Ag Conservation. They set a public hearing for December 10 to consider adding docket amendment requests to the DCD work plan.

They did second touch reviews of the 2024 budget amendments, the 2025 and Six-Year Capital Improvement Plans, the 2025 budget mid-biennium review, and canceling prior year’s unclaimed warrants.

The Council heard the one-year report on the 32-Hour work week which is now posted HERE.  The data continues to show improved retention and recruitment of staff with fewer and shorter vacancies and less use of sick time. However, most exempt (non-union) staff either work the same or more hours than before. Toy Toal actual hours worked fell only eight percent, in part because more positions were filled. There is continued interest in having a more uniform county-wide schedule to reduce confusion and support cross department collaboration. The county will continue to track staff and resident feedback.

The Council approved setting a public hearing for December 10 for the Cultural Access initiative. Council member Fuller abstained. The prosecuting attorney presented a progress report on the planning code revisions. The first step in progress is reorganizing the Code to keep all references to specific areas together. This will help in finding conflicts and make the code easier for users and planners to navigate. The Council set a Hearing for December 10 to approve the proposed organization of topics. Actual amendments to the code will take place later in the process.

Council Members and the county manager will attend the Washington counties conference next week.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.