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Thurston County commissioners confirm CDBG representative, review assessor reclassification timing, and back DNR pause request
Summary
Thurston County commissioners confirmed a CDBG representative, asked staff to return assessor reclassification proposals after budget review, and expressed support for a letter asking the state lands commissioner to pause a parcel’s disposal.
Thurston County commissioners discussed several administrative and agenda items March 25, including confirmation of the county’s representative for a CDBG review, further review of assessor reclassification requests, and a proposed letter asking the state lands commissioner to include a specific parcel in a pause of disposals.
Commissioners confirmed that Commissioner Wayne Fournier will serve as the county’s representative on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) review process for South County projects. Fournier had previously served in the role and several commissioners said he has the local knowledge and relationships to advocate for qualifying unincorporated-area projects; commissioners noted that final project recommendations will return to the full board for approval.
On the assessor’s request to reclassify positions, county budget staff described extra time taken to reconcile personnel cost refreshes within the county’s two-year budget cycle. The budget team said it needed additional work to determine how off-cycle reclassifications affect salary and benefit truing; staff asked to bring a path forward to the next work session or committee meeting. Commissioners agreed to have the item returned for consideration; the board did not take immediate personnel action at the work session.
Commissioners also reviewed a draft letter to the Commissioner of Public Lands asking that a parcel the county had identified as mature forest be included in the state lands commissioner’s pause on land disposals. The board indicated support for sending the letter and discussed whether to send it directly to the commissioner of public lands rather than another office; one commissioner said the parcel had consistently been included in previous county requests and asked that the lands commissioner re-evaluate the classification.
Other administrative items covered in the meeting included recommendations to place several advisory-board appointments on the April 15 agenda (Board of Equalization reappointment of Ted May; three recommended appointments for the Treatment Sales Tax advisory committee), updates on several consent agenda items and contracts, and scheduling notes that the next full business meeting was April 15. Several items involved only staff briefings and no formal board vote at the work session.
