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Commissioners approve two unpaid interns for Grant office, 3-2, pending legal review
Summary
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 to allow two unpaid interns to work in Commissioner Rachel Grant’s office while the prosecuting attorney reviews a site agreement with Evergreen State College. The vote followed extended debate over who may bind the county to agreements, HR procedures and use of county resources.
Commissioner Rachel Grant moved to approve two unpaid interns for her office, subject to review by the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The board voted 3-2 to carry the motion.
Grant said she recruited two students from Evergreen State College and completed the academic independent-study contracts required by the college to grant students credit. “I moved to approve 2 interns for Commissioner Grant's office following the current internship guidelines,” Grant said as she introduced the motion.
The board’s debate focused on two issues: whether an individual commissioner may sign or otherwise initiate a site agreement that binds the county, and whether the county has an adequate standard process for interns and volunteers. County staff and the county manager said parts of the onboarding materials used by Grant—badge checklists, orientation packets and a “volunteer/intern” guide—exist in county files but that site agreements with outside institutions (including Evergreen State College) may require formal board approval.
Commissioner Wayne Fournier urged caution about unilateral agreements. “We cannot have individual commissioners signing things unilaterally on the county’s behalf,” Fournier said, arguing that unauthorized signatures could expose officials to legal or financial risk.
HR director Maria Ponti and the county manager described the operational steps needed to onboard interns (ID badges, IT accounts, orientation and time-tracking) and said those steps had been followed for the students now proposed. Maria Ponti described the county’s existing volunteer/intern packet and onboarding checklist used by departments to ensure compliance with labor and safety rules.
Opponents of immediately approving the interns asked for a formal legal review and argued for a countywide standard operating procedure so the board would have an equitable, transparent process for any commissioner who wants to host interns. Supporters said they did not want students’ financial aid or coursework interrupted while internal procedures were clarified.
The motion as recorded directed that the two interns be allowed to proceed under the 2025 volunteer/internship guidelines and temporary-employee orientation packet already circulating in HR, and that the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office review any site agreement and advise whether formal board approval is required. The clerk announced the vote carried 3–2.
The board did not record a roll-call vote on the record; commissioners present were Tim Enser (Chair), Wayne Fournier (Vice Chair), Rachel Grant (mover), Emily Clouse and Commissioner Mejia (on Zoom). The record lists a 3–2 tally in favor.
