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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022/11/04 - Special COUP Board of Mason County Commissioners rA Special Meeting Agenda—Leadership Breakfast Mason County Commissioners and Shelton City Council - _ 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m., November 4, 2022 rasa The Ridge Motorsports Park 1060 W Eells Hill Road, Shelton, WA 98584 1. Mark Neary called the meeting to order. 2. Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Agenda Items: a. Jail Discussion—potential changes to housing city inmates and future County jail options. Mark Neary,County Administrator,discussed staffing issues within the Jail and how that impacts the number of inmates that can be housed. Corrections Chief Hanson,Mason County Sheriff's Office, shared that 25 Corrections Deputies are needed to be fully staffed and to manage a jail population of 80. Currently, 18 positions are filled which means the inmate population must be reduced. Target population is 60 at this time and the City of Shelton contracts for 7 of those beds. The Jail is restricted to Class A and B felonies—driving under the influence,assault,domestic violence,eluding,etc. Other crimes are referred to the Courts. Jeff Niten,City Manager,shared concerns on the inability to get people into the Jail. If an inmate is held on both City and County charges,they cannot be booked until the warrant is confirmed. A contract with the Nisqually Jail for up to 20 beds per month is being considered for the City's 2023 budget to help hold individuals accountable. The City Council has preliminarily authorized the use of Reserve Funding through 2023. Undersheriff Adams,Mason County Sheriff s Office,discussed outsourcing and contracting with Nisqually. A discussion is needed for a long-term plan to resolve the increased need for more beds and a better Jail facility in Mason County. Mark gave a brief history on previous Jail proposals,partnering with neighboring Counties, and 2021 estimates between$35 million and$95 million. The most recent proposal is a public-private partnership—using private funds to build the Jail and then the County would lease-to-own the Jail from that private entity. Jail and corrections are a big issue and funding support is needed. Smaller counties need about$2 billion worth of funding help from the State. Mason County has a$10k hiring bonus for Corrections Deputies and is still having an issue filling positions. Jeff added that if an individual is sentenced for a longer term from the municipal court,Forks will bring a van to Mason and surrounding areas to take inmates to the Forks facility for a rate of$55 per day. Chief Hanson shared that,with staffing,Forks has 20 beds available and will do a once a week run. Mayor Eric Onisko,City of Shelton,added that even with a bigger facility there are still staffing issues. Chief Hanson shared that Nisqually deputies do not have to go to the Washington State Academy for training. Jeff asked if there are potential revenue sources associated with building a new Jail? Mark answered Real Estate Excise Tax(BEET) 1 is the main funding source for the majority of capital facilities. Road levy funds have been diverted to the General Fund to cover trafficking to open up General Funds for other sources. Cmmr. Shutty discussed a property tax levy in the RCWs that would be in five-or six-year increments and could generate about$25 million over the life of the levy. A few years ago,the 3/10t'and 1% Public Safety sales tax was put on the ballot and voted down 60/40. More conversation with the community and short-,medium-,and long-term approach is needed. Short-term would be a partnership with Nisqually or Forks or other outsourcing plan. The staffing issue is critical State-wide. What can we ask our constituents to contribute? The priority in Olympia is to move away from the incarceration model. Mason County has been a leader in implementing alternative sentencing programs,therapeutic programs,and electronic home monitoring. However,there is still a lack of accountability. ,g�N °°ter Board of Mason County Commissioners r-� Special Meeting Agenda-Leadership Breakfast Mason County Commissioners and Shelton City Council - _ - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., November 4, 2022 ie The Ridge Motorsports Park 1060 W Eells Hill Road, Shelton, WA 98584 Undersheriff Adams shared that the staffing issue is cyclical. There are a lot of open jobs on the market and the County is competing with the private sector. The County did a great job researching what the County needs in terms of a Jail,but not what to do to move forward. A lot of options were not explored. Facilities can be built in a modular fashion where the footprint for a large facility is in the infrastructure. A smaller holding area is built with the idea that you can expend out 10 or 20 years later as the need grows. There are people with amazing backgrounds in Mason County that would be willing to be on a committee for the Jail. This committee can look into options for construction and financing. Jeff mentioned that the City is about to begin construction for the C Street landfill cleanup which is a 15-acre site. Once cleaned up,the City may be willing to partner with the County to build a Jail facility there. For the Public Safety sales tax,could the County show that the revenue would go towards holding people accountable and outsourcing inmates? Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury added that the sentiment across Washington changes—people are against what law enforcement has recommended and now are tired of the mayhem that has created. When the current Jail was built, citizens were told that it would be a"never-ending"Jail with"never-ending"capacity and space. The day the Jail opened, it was overfull. City of Shelton Police Chief Carol Beason,regarding outsourcing to Nisqually,met with the Sheriff's department and would like a partnership on holding individuals accountable and make the community safer. Working together is far more effective and efficient. Sheriff Salisbury added that the Sheriff's Office outsourced in the past and it was extraordinarily expensive. However,it was the first time that the crime rate went down. Mark shared that his focus is to find a solution. Cmmr. Shutty asked what the population of inmates is pre-trial versus sentenced? Chief Hanson answered 2/3rds. The classification of inmates has changed,more require individual rooms which takes up the space of two beds. There are 93 beds with an operation capacity of 80 and enough staff for 60. The main issue is staffing. The lower classification crimes are the individuals that do laundry,litter crew,work release,home monitoring,etc.and do not take up extra resources. Only the high-risk inmates are booked. The trend right now is to not incarcerate but to put inmates in a program to get help. City of Shelton Deputy Mayor Joe Schmit shared that previously the council worked hard to establish a strong and conservative fiscal policy. A 20%Strategic Fund balance in the General Fund has been established. In 2023,that fund will be used to fund Jail services. In a year,the situation will be the same or worse than it is today and the community will be extremely frustrated. The City of Shelton budget book states,"adequate fund balances are maintained to allow the City to continue providing services to the community in case of unexpected emergencies,unfunded mandates, and/or economic downturns". The investment in Nisqually or Forks is not an unexpected emergency, unfunded mandate,or economic downturn. Sheriff Salisbury commented that the Jail issue always falls into the wrong cycle occurring in the community. Each time the County needs to go out for the Jail, another bond or levy issue is going on and it is never the right time,this is a perpetual cycle. It is hard for the community to vote yes for all levies. Miguel Gutierrez,City of Shelton Councilmember,added there is capacity but no staffing. The focus could be on staffing that is not law enforcement related, such as affordable housing in the labor contracts or below market rate housing for law officers and emergency providers. To break the cycle,a paradigm of creating a location where people want to live and work is needed. Not everyone is involved,representation is needed from the tribes. Steve Pierce, Central Mason Fire,asked what population in the Jail is suffering with mental illness? Chief Hanson answered at least 60%. There are programs and help available for both people in and out of the Jail. Money is available for peer counselors,reentry programs,and mental health counselor. A lot of programs are grant funded,the funding goes away. The individuals coming to Jail are high crime �goN CO Board of Mason County Commissioners Special Meeting Agenda—Leadership Breakfast Mason County Commissioners and Shelton City Council 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m., November 4, 2022 �Rs The Ridge Motorsports Park 1060 W Eells Hill Road, Shelton, WA 98584 individuals committing felonies. Booking restrictions prohibit low-level crimes. Steve shared that it has become law enforcement's job to deal with mental illness. But the real issue of mental illness is not being dealt with on a State level. Undersheriff Adams would like a commitment moving forward with a committee and is willing to start that process. Mark will follow up with the Commissioners at the next Briefing. b. County property located on Public Works Drive—update on market activity and discuss potential other uses. Mark shared that there are six parcels declared surplus by the County adjacent to the new Public Works facility. The market value has been received and the parcels have been actively marketed by Richard Beckman Real Estate. There has been interest in the parcels and earnest money put down. Individuals want to put a motel or RV parking potentially to support the raceway. Unfortunately,the funding did not come through. Other offers considerably below market value have been received. Other options and alternatives are being evaluated. Cmmr.Trask would like to see the parcels be used commercially, which would benefit the County,City,and constituents. The parcels should stay on the market. Deputy Mayor Schmit shared that three years ago the City was told by lobbyists about the economic stagnation along that corridor due to the latecomers' agreement in place by the State of Washington. The lobbyist worked with Representative Dan Griffey,Representative Drew MacEwen,and Senator Tim Sheldon to get those restrictions removed. It would be ideal for the property to be marketed and Deputy Mayor Schmit would be willing to help market it and look into sub-area plans or other things that may require an investment from the City. The additional revenue from potential development could be used to fund things like the Jail. Mayor Onisko asked if it would be possible to dedicate some of the land as a park? Jeff added that if a sub-area plan is put together for that general area in that Urban Growth Area(UGA)it will show investors that there is an identity to be seen. Cmmr. Neatherlin shared that the parcels have been marketed by both realtors and the Economic Development Council(EDC). The property is owned by the County's Road Department. To turn it into a park,the County would have to purchase the property at fair market value. The individuals making offers do not have the funding and are searching for investors. The demographics are huge for hotels and motels, however there are issues with the economy. Jae Hill,Community and Economic Development Director for City of Shelton,has successfully been able to do joint public-private development agreements when a City or County identified a particular property and wanted a certain use on it using long-term land leases and/or tax incentives. This could begin with a comprehensive plan,sub-area plan,and site plan and development agreement. Investors are looking at this area because of the federal tax credits. The City and County could come together to put together the right package for infrastructure components for investors. Cmmr. Shutty is open to conversation on a sub-area plan. There are a lot of space needs at the County,especially expanding the downtown campus. Being able to keep the County workforce downtown is important and can help generate revenue downtown during lunch hours or after work. The County is a revitalization partner in the sense that it can do capital investments that the private sector might not be able to do. Deputy Mayor Schmit is open to discussing downtown County campus needs. The biggest source of revenue to the City's General Fund is sales tax. When retail space is used by government it impacts that budget. Board of Mason County Commissioners Special Meeting Agenda-Leadership Breakfast Mason County Commissioners and Shelton City Council - - - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., November 4, 2022 1854 The Ridge Motorsports Park 1060 W Eells Hill Road, Shelton, WA 98584 c. Opportunities to collaborate on the Comprehensive Plan Update. Kell Rowen,Community Development Director for Mason County,shared that next June funding will be received to update the Comprehensive Plan. Funds have to be applied for but are noncompetitive. Kell and Jae have been working together on the Comprehensive Plan update,assessing needs,and will combine funds to go out for outside consulting services. The Jail discussion is the perfect example of why Comprehensive Planning is important. Jae added,there is the City of Shelton's needs and there is Mason County's needs. Where they overlap is the focus. This overlap includes County-wide planning policies and hiring only one consultant for data acquisition. Working together will be more efficient, save money,and produce a superior product that is easily integratable. Deputy Mayor Schmit shared that this stronger partnership is advantageous. Jeff shared in a lot of communities the Comprehensive Plan is completed once every eight or ten years. Working collaboratively gives a blueprint for how the City and the County will grow in the future. Everyone is going the same direction which is incredibly important for grant opportunities,economic development results,and for a better quality of life for residents. Jae added that vision is the most important perspective when developing a Comprehensive Plan. Deputy Mayor Schmit shared that one of the number one thing that came up at the Strategic Planning Retreat with the EDC is what do we want? There is no agreement between the County,the City,the Ports,the Tribes. Kell shared growth is going to happen and the vision needs figured out. Sheriff Salisbury shared that a strategic plan allows the City and County to stay focused. City of Shelton Councilmember Kathy McDowell added that the citizens have great ideas for the City and County to tap into. Cmmr.Neatherlin shared that the Comprehensive Plan scheme was created to keep "sideboards"on by entities that may not be agreed with. There are a lot of restrictions. Mark added there is a lot to plan for such as infrastructure and coordination,but there is a lot of benefit to the communities. d. City update on annexation plans and progress. Jeff gave a broad overview on the City's annexation plans and progress. Anything within the UGA,the City can annex. The current annexation is expanding 395 acres on the east side of Olympic College and is expected to produce about 1,200 new homes within a ten-year period. The City Council approved the 10%petition Resolution and the 60%petition Ordinance will be reviewed in February or March of 2023. Once certified,development can begin. Various other areas are being looked at as well. Jae added that if residents are seeking out City services,a no protest agreement must be signed stating that if there is an annexation they cannot fight that. Cmmr. Trask asked what the plan is for the property just logged by the Olympic College? Jeff answered for the portables at Cedar High School,safety reasons such as trees falling. Deputy Mayor Schmit is excited for the development which will be beneficial to the school district and the City. There are concerns about how the impact fees and general facilities charges are currently structured. e. Sewer capacity at the satellite treatment plant. Jeff shared that the City,over a 20-year horizon,is working on the expansion of the satellite treatment O�oK COP�rA Board of Mason County Commissioners Special Meeting Agenda—Leadership Breakfast Mason County Commissioners and Shelton City Council 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m., November 4, 2022 The Ridge Motorsports Park 1854 1060 W Eells Hill Road, Shelton, WA 98584 plant next to the Port to get away from discharging into Oakland Bay. The regulations and requirements for continued discharge will not get any easier and the City wants to help the shellfish growers and tribal partners to continue to maintain their industry and interest in that particular area. This could open closed areas for shellfish eventually. The focus is to transition all of the sewer to the satellite treatment plant over time. The City is in the middle of purchasing property that will allow them to put in a large pump station that the entire City will pump to. Additional property and funding are needed. Membrane bioreactors are very expensive. The City is talking with the Port about acquiring additional property next to the existing satellite plant. It is important to have treatment capacity that is necessary for the industrial land to develop. The industrial land will produce living wage jobs for people in the community. Reclaimed water is also important,it helps tribal partners because the aquifer is replenished and stream flows increased. The spray field is located close by. A lagoon attracts birds which is not necessarily good near the airfield. This project will be submitted to State delegation around January. Water storage capacity is another priority. f. Opportunities to collaborate with the creation of Designated Crisis Responders(DCRs) efforts. Dave Windom,Public Health Director for Mason County,would like to have a DCR dedicated to responding in Mason County. That asset would have to be at the Olympic Area of Recover Services (OARS). The purpose of a DCR is to evaluate an individual for involuntary commitment. Jeff shared that the City applied for grant funding through the Association of Washington Cities. A homelessness task force convened over the summer and recommended a DCR. This funding would go towards a year -long program to gather data to see if this program would be worth funding. The City would partner with Mason Health because the DCR must be associated with a medical facility to provide service to the community. The City would partner with the County for its needs. Deputy Chief Greg Yates shared one of the biggest challenges is,once it is decided that an individual needs help,where to take them. His crews have to call Thurston County,Kitsap County,etc. Deputy Chief Yates asked if the grant will help with the housing of individuals? If Mason County had an intake facility,protocols could be written that allows EMS to provide medical clearance in the field. At this time medical clearance must be done at an emergency facility. Sometimes the individual does not meet the medical criteria to be admitted to the Emergency Room. If a DCR is not involved,often there is no place to take them. They are left on the street. This is a huge problem on multiple levels. Dave shared the DCR's job is to evaluate an individual,not find a facility to house them. Chief Beason included that the first responders stay with that individual until a suitable place for them is found. A person in crisis who does not get proper resources ultimately ends up back in crisis. Councilmember Gutierrez added that these individuals often end up at Community Lifeline which does not have the facilities to care for them medically or psychologically. A respite shelter is needed. Mayor Onisko shared an article was written for Seattle Times in March stating that 500 beds will be added to Western State hospital,but that does not help involuntary or voluntary commitment. The telecare facility downtown was meant to be a Thurston- Mason County facility but is now State-wide. Dave added that in Pend Oreille County individuals were put in the hospital to get them out of the ER and back into clinical settings which was cost effective. $160,000 was invested in this program and it saved the hospital$660,000 in the first year. Representative Dan Griffey urges everyone to look into a designated crisis receiving facility. It would give individuals a 72 hour hold in a therapeutic setting. A mental health system needs built from Board of Mason County Commissioners Special Meeting Agenda-Leadership Breakfast Mason County Commissioners and Shelton City Council - - - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., November 4, 2022 78 The Ridge Motorsports Park 1060 W Eells Hill Road, Shelton, WA 98584 the ground up. The crisis receiving facility would help with individuals having a mental health break or substance abuse. The State has funds for construction and operation. Cmmr. Shutty wants to make sure action is targeted. DCR is a term in State statute as a specific role to get a person involuntarily committed which is a civil commitment court process. A mobile crisis team that works with law enforcement is needed to help with evaluation and provide peer support. There is also a case management component. A voluntary facility should be considered. Those are capped at 16 beds per federal law. There is a facility in Spokane that offers 16 detox beds and 16 substance abuse and mental health beds. This is one facility that shares one medical team. Capital funding is available,but a partner to be a provider is needed. Blending services may help make it sustainable. 1,100-1,500 people would need to go through the facility per year. The concern is not having 1,500 people. People may come from Thurston,Kitsap,and Grays Harbor County. What is the comfort level of bringing in all of those individuals? Olympic Health and Recovery Services(OHRS)and the Thurston-Mason Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organization(TM BHASO)should be included in the next meeting. Currently we are under the TM BHASO model which is a managed care organization,so Medicaid and insurance providers manage the majority share of funding. Our region went from about$60 million in flexible funding down to about$10 million. The only place that provides designated crisis responder services is OHRS through TM BHASO. To build programming,the models in place that are working need to be looked at. Cmmr.Neatherlin added that the economy scale is at the bottom of everything that is done. 4. Closing Comments 5. Adjourn BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ATTEST: MASON CO ASHINGTON Kevin Shu , hair McKenzie Smbfi, Cl k of the Board Sharon Trask Vice-Chair Rand eathe ' , Commissioner