2020-04-20 Business Meeting Minutes LEWIS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS(BOCC)
Business Meeting minutes
April 20, 2020
Present: Commissioner Stamper(remotely),Commissioner Fund (remotely), Commissioner Jackson
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Commissioner Jackson called the meeting to order at 3 p.m.,determined a quorum and then proceeded
with the flag salute.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No one spoke.
NOTICE ITEM
Commissioner Fund made a motion to approve Resolution 20-130. Commissioner Stamper seconded.
Resolution 20-130: Call for bids for the 2020 Countywide Base Stabilization Project, CRP 2189A. Bids
are due to the Clerk of the Board by 11 a.m. May 5, 2020.
Public Works Director Josh Metcalf spoke to the resolution. He said the project is for a base on
Tauscher Road.
Motion passed 3-0.
CONSENT ITEMS
Commissioner Stamper made a motion to approve minutes from the April 13, 2020, meeting as well as
Resolution 20-131. Commissioner Fund seconded.
Resolution 20-131 Approval of warrants/claims against the various county departments.
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Chief accountant Suzette Smith, representing the Auditor's Office,said warrants 827,691 through
828,034 and direct disbursement numbered 2076 were in April for payments against the county totaling
$1,722,556.07.Suzette said payroll/Automatic Deposits 10,173 through 10,741 also were approved for
payments totaling$1,618,853.45.
Suzette noted a skip in sequence for warrants 827,654 through 827,690, which were issued on behalf of
Special Purpose Districts.
Motion passed 3-0.
DELIBERATION ITEMS
Commissioner Fund made a motion to approve Resolutions 20-132 through 20-134. Commissioner
Stamper seconded.
Resolution 20-132: Ratify an executed amendment to the agreement between Lewis County and the
Department of Ecology for the Construction of Water Stations for Emergency Use in Lewis County.
Public Works Director Josh Metcalf spoke to the resolution. He said the amended contract reflects an
end date extension for the project.Josh said the water stations are located at three of the county's
shops.
Resolution 20-133:Approve a lease to Lewis County by Pope Resources for the use of Storm King
Mountain for a Telecommunications Site,and authorizing signatures thereon.
E911 Administrator Scott Smitherman spoke to the resolution. He said the agreement would be
through April 2025.
Resolution 20-134: Reject all bids for the re-bid of the purchase of a precast concrete slab/girder
bridge(Cousins Rd. MP 3.15,CMP 1502).
Public Works Director Josh Metcalf spoke to the resolution. He said the county didn't receive any bids
the first time the project was put out for bid.Josh said it was then put out to bid a second time and that
the county received only one bid and that the lone bid was 40 percent higher than the engineer's
estimate.Josh said the project is being put on hold.
Motion passed 3-0.
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HEARING
Resolution 20-135:Lewis County 2020 budget,emergency and supplemental appropriations to and
transfers within current expense and other funds.
Commissioner Jackson introduced the hearing.
County Manager Erik Martin and Budget Services Manager Becky Butler gave the staff report. Erik said
notice of the hearing was published in The Chronicle on April 7 and 14,2020. He gave an overview of the
budget amendment.
Budget Services Manager Becky Butler reviewed details of the budget amendment.
Commissioner Jackson asked if there were any questions.
Commissioner Fund expressed fears about the economic effects of COVID-19.
Erik Martin said the COVID-19 FIT team is working to identify what to expect during the next months and
years.
Commissioner Jackson then closed the question-and-answer portion of the hearing.
Erik Martin and Becky Butler asked that their previous comments be adopted into the record.
Commissioner Jackson asked if anyone wanted to speak for or against the resolution.
No one spoke.
Commissioner Jackson closed the hearing.
Commissioner Stamper made a motion to approve Resolution 20-135. Commissioner Fund seconded.
Motion passed 3-0.
COVID-19
John Abplanalp said Lewis County now has 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Lewis County's Public
Health Official, Dr. Rachel Wood,said the newest patient is in their 80s.
Commissioner Jackson discussed possibly petitioning the governor's office about giving counties local
control over when and how to ease restrictions.
Commissioner Fund said the low number of cases in Lewis County should give it the ability to make its
own decisions rather than continuing to group it with counties with high numbers of cases.
Commissioner Stamper said the commissioners are dealing with a medical crisis and a financial crisis. He
said he thinks the county needs to find a way to put people back to work.
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Commissioner Jackson said he has heard that Gov. Inslee won't budge on construction. He noted that
other counties have decided to allow it.
Erik said the Sheriff ultimately would make decisions on enforcement. He said Community Development
is accepting and processing permits.
Dr.Wood urged a unified approach. She said the next couple of months to the next year will be a
delicate balance of going back and forth.She discussed what would happen if there were to be a surge
in individuals needed care.She said Washington has done a remarkable job flattening the curve, but that
she feels the curve could go up quickly.She said it's important that the region have the supplies to
handle a resurgence of the virus. She said she understands that the closures hit the rural areas even
harder that metro areas. Dr. Wood noted that only 2 percent to 3 percent of individuals are immune to
COVID-19, so the rest of the population is at risk.She said there is a need to protect the elderly and
others at risk of death if they were to contract the disease.
JP Anderson said the statewide goal is 14,000 tests per day. He said it's important to learn what the
metrics are for reopening and to help the community prepare. He discussed mitigation requirements
such as how many masks and gloves businesses would need.
Dr. Wood said she has been talking with Health Officers and colleagues from across the state as
everyone tries to find the best balance to easing restrictions while saving lives.
Jonathan Meyer said he is curious as to what authority counties have to defy the governor's orders.
Jonathan noted that Dr.Wood can overrule any decisions the Lewis County Board of County
Commissioners makes.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Larry McGee said the PPE program is not working as it should. He noted that Harvard, which has a $40.9
billion endowment, had received $9 million in stimulus funding.
Commissioner Fund said Employment Security typically receives 7,000 unemployment claims daily and
that it now is seeing 10,000 a day.
Becky Butler discussed a draft of a letter regarding COVID-19 resources that is on the agenda for the
following day.
Commissioner Fund discussed a discussed drafting a letter regarding Historic Main Street programs.
ADJOURNMENT
The BOCC Business Meeting adjourned at 4:06 p.m.,with the next Business Meeting scheduled for
Monday, April 27, 2020, in the Commissioners' Hearing Room (Room 223).
Please note that minutes from the BOCC Business Meeting are not verbatim.A recording of the meeting may be
purchased at the BOCC office,or video footage can be viewed at no charge at LewisCountyWa.gov/bocc-meetings.
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Video footage of BOCC meetings also is aired on Comcast Channel 3 at 10 a.m.,2 p.m.,6 p.m.,and 10 p.m.daily.
Video footage also can be found on the Lewis County Commissioners'Facebook page.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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