[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6278321,"mediaKeyId","2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea","parentId",2641489,"title","Commissioners weigh raising Office of Public Defense pay to match prosecutor matrix; administrator to review","audioSeconds",753,"startMs",10591000,"endMs",11344000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea&start=10591&end=11344","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea/thumbnail_10591000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6278321/Franklin-County/Washington/Commissioners-weigh-raising-Office-of-Public-Defense-pay-to-match-prosecutor-matrix-administrator-to-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278321-0ab8ec101dc11ae65004f47d630aaa7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137055&Signature=Lk6aDbyYyb5fTApDm566CbaYlmVpFmSCNQYyPNxWcTFjwJH0WtjvotG5yiYYaGx8PiBjvAXt4R6-eUg9iJ0g8LpgH0w6tGHuHF2tdT2TTglyIt53AhELH21kclumy~jLj24Q4GuwiH2tb1nHJCHyyp2mu3j1L3c2NN7t-L46RBoDpWTqtBdezidipr2pAVSGnHMsXjbIdDDx9beZtd5iEoLcg-qQj7HToYHC9~yK63-pw0C5g5JUiACcupkjKH3IuQhveo9qQqSUWJeDKUeE81~M2rqNB8NLC6yBYEkvl2PAMHs7mE7LHub-lL64MYJ18e0a5aAgiSTdW12PhcZmWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Franklin County, WA","date","2025-03-13T07:46:46Z","article","FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.

County human-resources staff updated the Board of County Commissioners at the March 12 workshop about recruitment challenges in the Office of Public Defense (OPD) and proposed aligning two OPD attorney positions with recently approved pay increases in the prosecutor's (PA) office.

HR staff explained the background: the OPD manager role had been a contracted position from 2016 to 2024 and was budgeted as an in-house grade-23, step-7 role in the 2025 budget when the job was authorized. Two OPD attorney slots (one superior-court public defense counsel and one district-court public defense counsel) were converted from contractor roles into county positions in 2021'23; the district-court position had been classed at a lower grade historically and later aligned to a higher grade in 2023. HR reported both the OPD manager and the district-court PDC positions have been vacant for months and that recruitment returned few viable candidates at existing pay levels.

HR presented budget math showing the currently budgeted COLA-adjusted salary for the OPD manager (grade 23, step 7) at approximately $164,590 for 2025; the requested alignment to the PA matrix would increase that post-COLA figure to about $181,444 (a difference of roughly $21,661 on an annualized basis). For the district-court PDC, HR showed a COLA-adjusted budget figure near $123,600 and a requested alignment to a DPA-2 equivalent of about $136,611 (roughly a $12,000 annual difference). HR noted that vacancies so far this year had produced some temporary salary savings that could, if the board desired, be used to help absorb the higher pay in the short term while recruiting.

Several commissioners said they understand the need to stay competitive but asked the administrator and HR to analyze the management/case-load balance in the OPD manager job (currently a half-caseload in the job description) and to return with recommendations, including options that might preserve some managerial time in the role while keeping a caseload. Commissioners asked the administrator to consult with prior county leadership and prepare a recommended approach for the board.

Next steps: The county administrator agreed to research comparable county practices and to work with HR and outside counsel on appropriate job-comparable choices and a recommended path back to the board.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/12/2025 Franklin County WA Board of County Commissioners Meeting and Workshop session.","oneSentenceSummary","County HR reported March 12 that the Office of Public Defense manager and a district-court public defender position have been vacant and that raising pay to align with the county prosecutor matrix may broaden the applicant pool. Commissioners asked the administrator and HR to review options and report back.","taxTitle","Franklin County, Washington","taxId",5109,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278326,"Consultant outlines self-insurance and level-funded options; commissioners press for solutions to VEBA/cash-in-lieu costs",5254,5045000,10299000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea&start=5045&end=10299","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea/thumbnail_5045000.jpg","/articles/6278326/Franklin-County/Washington/Consultant-outlines-self-insurance-and-level-funded-options-commissioners-press-for-solutions-to-VEBAcash-in-lieu-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278326-6053377077f187beb32bd79b7c3a7d5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137055&Signature=g93-f1AUAh7yKJhUk98jrnJSq6JdAvjxYR3Pr2r3TVbUJ1CxFm1t7Yp8Ag~yo30j~LcJCkIguDdigspavMgFxaRUgPGp2N0S2Q8Gk~BWwhkSimndjZCKpgskyI-pGRQ-C4ZZde8zAyRN97FnTxQxqugPfhh20YgVgi4yf5KgW2sujajKzDZvbLhlSzXak6zf2uNeUz8NjiBRdRXdZBrUJSf-DKhMlihRb~BCNWbXOYRFtNwXKJdUHj5dZYkighOG4tXTdRqycBS3cedIjrPVR~853ed7gotc~xSHFmH8UOYgxLI-ZY2YGJxAt9TEW2c-uAFnITHeur8b7Oee2LZgSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.

At the March 12 workshop the county heard an extended presentation on employee health-benefit options from Matt Henderson, a benefits consultant with Marsh McLennan Agency. The presentation surveyed a range of approaches and flagged self-insurance and non-carrier level-funded models as the most promising long-term approaches to contain rising health-care costs.

Henderson explained pros and cons of several options commonly discussed by local governments: joining a large pool such as the Public Employees Benefits (PEB) board or a county insurance fund; adopting an individual coverage HRA (ICHRA) or other defined-contribution approach; continuing on a fully insured group plan; moving to a level-funded plan; or adopting traditional self-insurance with stop-loss protection. He emphasized that the largest long-term opportunities to restrain cost are program design, active risk-management initiatives, direct contracting or negotiated arrangements with local providers, and pharmacy-cost controls including international sourcing strategies and better rebate capture.

Key points from the briefing included:
- ICHRA: offers employee choice and defined-contribution cost control for employers, but exposes employees to individual-market price volatility and potentially limited provider networks outside the region. Henderson warned that the individual market in Washington can be volatile and may act effectively as a high-risk pool, with higher long-term costs for employers who subsidize individual plans.
- Fully insured: administratively simple but renewals are experience-rated and carriers control prices; repeated year-to-year carrier shopping can be counterproductive.
- Level-funded and self-insurance: give employers more control, allow creative plan designs (including steering to preferred high-value local providers), capture pharmacy rebates, and accrue claim reserves to smooth future increases. Henderson said his firm has clients that transitioned from high trend lines to single-digit or flat trends using risk-management programs and alternate contracting approaches.

Commissioners asked practical questions. A commissioner said the county currently pays substantial cash-in-lieu or VEBA distributions to employees and estimated the cost to the county at about $2.5 million per year; the board asked how a new strategy could address that legacy cost. Henderson said the transition path can be staged (tweaking plan design, adding an HRA, moving to level-funded, then to traditional self-insurance) and that recovering control of rising costs usually requires a combination of plan design, provider contracting and pharmacy strategies. He outlined network and stop-loss options to ensure access to specialty care and said local hospitals and providers can be asked to offer deeper discounts in exchange for preferred referrals.

Henderson recommended a multi-year approach to sustainability rather than a one-year renewal focus. Commissioners asked for follow-up information about how VEBA or cash-in-lieu balances can be used administratively to offset higher contribution needs and asked staff to bring more detailed proposals and vendor comparisons to a future meeting.","A benefits consultant from Marsh McLennan Agency briefed the board March 12 on public-employee health-plan options including PEB/PEBB pools, ICHRA, fully insured plans, level-funded plans and self-insurance; commissioners asked how to reduce county exposure from existing cash-in-lieu/VEBA payments reportedly costing the county millions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278332,"Commissioners approve consent agenda; finance staff explain road fund interfund loan extension and a $30,000 interbudget transfer",412,715000,1127000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea&start=715&end=1127","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea/thumbnail_715000.jpg","/articles/6278332/Franklin-County/Washington/Commissioners-approve-consent-agenda-finance-staff-explain-road-fund-interfund-loan-extension-and-a-30000-interbudget-transfer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278332-1b65984c21d2c07ec5fc97d8a6bbf237/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137055&Signature=M8YpvSxYIJBjeAmU6F9gvLz6EdQZKh57v6VXIINf1imvNXmdbcxQjzKp3de9lIPECf~mJl4-IKTT3Vy1ihkP3A3HCigeIbQlDO3OBIKAZwob6irO3~yAcoW4ypAxf56YDmlt1A0VY9NuW2IRrzpeuMH08DXkk~CKyeKNi8BqcyQiKxjR-jl7OWQeeQr7GaJG12xSAA3I85OM8k8YlPGZFYklClEJRfcI~z3SK77UE~YHpoeKTNYG2dlvK7APNKDcnSjwDyzErYNB9uY5R~KssGN4zoxC~xSF0cG7g375JHFnjeDADJ5C8Hy5PFQPLu3aE7tE2ihDfAV5peqjtIwkLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.

On March 12 the Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved the consent agenda (items 1 and 4 through 9) after pulling agenda items 2 and 3 for separate handling. The board also approved two fund-expenditure motions and discussed two consent items in detail: an extension of an interfund loan repayment tied to the County Road Fund and a 2024 interbudget transfer of $30,000 from the Kerning-Spence reserve fund to cover shortfalls in planning-and-building.

Fund expenditures approved: two fund-expenditure motions were moved and approved during the meeting. Finance staff presented totals of $344,714.88 and $276,632.92 for those expenditures; each packet was noted as reviewed and signed by two representatives of the auditor's office and the county administrator.

Extension of interfund loan repayment (County Road Fund): County finance staff explained the requested authorization to extend repayment of an interfund loan from the 2023 Franklin County Reserve Funds (miscellaneous fund 100) to the 2023 County Road Fund. Staff said the County Road Fund is experiencing cash-flow pressure while finishing construction on a bridge and awaiting grant reimbursements; repeated past levy shifts have eroded carryover and left limited cash-on-hand. The loan had been reduced previously (from $2,000,000 to $1,000,000 then to $500,000) and staff said they expect to repay the balance by the end of the second quarter but that it might take up to a year. Commissioners and staff discussed the county's need to preserve road-project cash flow to avoid nonpayment to vendors.

2024 interbudget transfer (Kerning-Spence reserve): Commissioners also discussed a 2024 interbudget transfer of $30,000 from the Kerning-Spence reserve fund to cover unanticipated contract costs in planning and building after staff turnover and a need to hire consultants. County staff said the transfer was to avoid overexpenditure in the affected line items; the auditor's office will adjust financial statements for historical clarity.

Outcome: After discussion the board approved the consent agenda and the presented fund-expenditure motions. The minutes reflect board support for keeping road funds available for infrastructure and for using reserve transfers to avoid line-item overexpenditure where unanticipated staffing shortages forced contracted services.","The board approved consent items March 12 after pulling two items for separate handling. Commissioners discussed and authorized a temporary interfund loan repayment extension for the County Road Fund due to cash-flow pressures on road projects and approved a $30,000 2024 interbudget transfer to cover planning-and-building contract expenses.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278336,"Conservancy board warns Pasco transfers and Ecology's 50814 handling could reshape local water rights",2631,4757000,7388000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea&start=4757&end=7388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea/thumbnail_4757000.jpg","/articles/6278336/Franklin-County/Washington/Conservancy-board-warns-Pasco-transfers-and-Ecologys-50814-handling-could-reshape-local-water-rights","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278336-4b77d0e6620605a40bbb4f665079eb3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137055&Signature=W8zIzZDeE3Qu7gdstVy7AoIqO1bi5JF-jpuh5ML5oboHCBdRdZItxz5JmrPa-p2HcZax8uoTTuJ9JThrCs49apbNZBy6lbH1SjrBhC68WWs5tEQtoKGoCNnoLk0akBkAPUhS6dPlPyvmH8wIhZuvVjKEoFO8-2g1AbwONVLU9XuS~y4qbJ558dEFqrg3m4WQHQlCXe6U3mWPI6k6ErtPJIKiswdJG5UPV5DyM2Os65I15EKyskqvryDvOzszVmCuJFVJ8hC4n-pl2l5hou1IFB0rfNoakAQRjLgq~8taoX-ZzmQHFEYcl9ROO0k37aXrBx2pcOL8zaEaaNen5BC3aw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.

At a March 12 workshop the Franklin County Water Conservancy Board and invited guests briefed the county commissioners on a suite of water-right and river-operation issues they said could affect farms, municipalities and county planning.

Mark Nielsen, treasurer of the Franklin County Water Conservancy Board, and Lynn Hall, the board chair, reviewed recent transfers of irrigation water to municipal use, noting that Pasco submitted dozens of applications in recent years and that the transfers have economic consequences both where water is used and where it is reallocated. Dr. Daryl Olsen, chair of the Benton County Water Conservancy Board, joined the briefing and described parallel regional issues.

Nielsen said the board approved and transmitted roughly three dozen Pasco-area applications for changes and transfers in the past two years; roughly two-thirds of the transfers moved water from agricultural to municipal use. Board members warned that conversion of irrigation permits connected to the Columbia Basin project (commonly discussed in the briefing as the \"50814\" issue) could shift some existing users from permit status to Bureau of Reclamation-held rights, potentially subject to per-acre fees. That change, the board said, could have substantial fiscal consequences for water users and for the local economy.

The conservancy board also described a perceived rise in Department of Ecology denials on more recent transfer applications. Board members said Ecology's evolving technical interpretations, especially around groundwater-surface-water connectivity and hydraulic conductivity, have increased review times and produced more contested outcomes than in earlier decades.

Nielsen and Olsen urged the commissioners to help convene a multi-county meeting of affected conservancy boards and county officials to press Ecology to enter formal rule-making on key technical standards and to coordinate a regional response. County commissioners agreed to pursue organizing a meeting of Columbia-river-bordering counties and to work with county staff on logistics and invitations.

The briefing also flagged recent Corps of Engineers interim procedures for Columbia River operations. Conservancy-board speakers said the Corps' interim operation curves could lead to larger, more frequent drawdowns at John Day Pool and that drawdowns of several feet could affect irrigation pumping and river-dependent infrastructure; the board scheduled a focused briefing on April 3, and urged elected officials and irrigators to attend.

Why it matters: water-right transfers from agricultural to municipal uses reshape land values, available irrigation acreage and long-term farming operations; technical rule changes or reinterpretations by Ecology could change who pays for water and under what conditions. The conservancy board asked county leadership to help coordinate multi-county outreach to clarify technical standards and encourage public rule-making.","Franklin County Water Conservancy Board members told commissioners March 12 that recent municipal water-right transfers to Pasco, rising denials from the Department of Ecology and planned changes to Columbia River operations could have large economic effects on local irrigators and county water users.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6278340,"Franklin County commissioners adopt property-management ordinance enabling installment sales and expanded inventory of leased property",288,1486000,1774000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea&start=1486&end=1774","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2641489-ae47366711ea4aaafec01cee9dce62ea/thumbnail_1486000.jpg","/articles/6278340/Franklin-County/Washington/Franklin-County-commissioners-adopt-property-management-ordinance-enabling-installment-sales-and-expanded-inventory-of-leased-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278340-79423b0bb2c8182efa208a5aa292a864/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137055&Signature=Fkm6L7Md73OIo1KraApaoP8SYiEDHkyz6Vex7TYTQ5fkCblsUZizOdFcVMZOsdKd1Af2low60BGIxHWnUndrn0pK3GKkHUd7ZNLd3K5gefmT7tzvcqDlJmxt7B1w92-mi9~ozpxpzJlv2lKV~Az-E7b7CTOywxFCFyj77b0zxs-mcFdLnOkmm4R-v~RF4dV-PMakvj~mjZfue-p1xzPveCOFODVqHGnJoCnIOQ~32aHkun2gZL~HL1rlM0cYNAu-BfMXEuciapiS5VRuwsPag4a2BgQmtDsTpC-Bm-4Xx2nG8O11PonXPnCZ5loY13umgrrOcfs87EpWRBC48ClZXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","FRANKLIN COUNTY, Wash.

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on March 12 adopted Ordinance O1-2025, a new property-management policy that requires the county to inventory property the county owns and property the county leases and gives the county authority to use negotiated sales and installment contracts when selling county property. The measure passed after a public hearing and a brief discussion among commissioners and staff.

The ordinance was revised since the last workshop series to add language specifying that the county's inventory should cover property \"owned, leased or with the county\" so leases the county holds from third parties are tracked as well as county-owned parcels. County staff also inserted language clarifying that negotiated sales may include seller-financed installment agreements or contracts by which the buyer pays purchase price plus interest in installments over time. The ordinance preserves an ability for staff to correct scrivener errors when the code is codified.

County staffer Mr. Briggs introduced the ordinance at the public hearing, described the changes made after three prior workshops and noted the added language permitting leases and installment-sale provisions. Commissioner Balin praised Briggs for his work and said the revised document gave the county more flexibility than earlier drafts. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

After the hearing Commissioner Balin moved to approve the ordinance; the motion was seconded and the board voted to adopt Ordinance O1-2025. County staff said the ordinance is intended to be a practical tool to enable the county to manage, lease or sell surplus property with greater flexibility, including carrying forward purchase-and-sale agreements and offering installment payment terms when appropriate.

What the ordinance does and what it does not: the policy requires a fuller inventory of county property including county-held leases; it expressly authorizes negotiated sale terms including installment payments; it allows correction of minor scrivener errors during codification. It does not itself identify specific parcels for sale or lease and does not, by text of the ordinance, transfer or sell particular property without later, separate action.

Next steps: County staff said they would proceed with codification and implementation and will present any specific sale, lease or installment-sale transactions to the board for authorization when those arise.","On March 12 the Franklin County Board of Commissioners adopted Ordinance O1-2025, a new county property-management policy that expands the county's inventory rules to include leased property and permits negotiated sales with installment agreements or lease options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners weigh raising Office of Public Defense pay to match prosecutor matrix; administrator to review

Consultant outlines self-insurance and level-funded options; commissioners press for solutions to VEBA/cash-in-lieu costs

Commissioners approve consent agenda; finance staff explain road fund interfund loan extension and a $30,000 interbudget transfer

Conservancy board warns Pasco transfers and Ecology's 50814 handling could reshape local water rights

Franklin County commissioners adopt property-management ordinance enabling installment sales and expanded inventory of leased property