Thurston County commissioners cancel public hearing on Board of Health ordinance amid pending state bill

Thurston County commissioners voted March 25 to cancel a public hearing that had been scheduled the same day on a proposed ordinance to adjust the composition of the Thurston County Board of Health.

The board's chair, Ty Metzer, and fellow commissioners agreed the hearing should be postponed while a state bill that could add tribal members to county boards moves through the Legislature. An unnamed commissioner moved to cancel the hearing; another commissioner seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous.

The county manager and clerk advised the board that the state bill — described in the meeting as likely to advance and to add tribal representation — could change the county’s approach and require the board to revise any ordinance it adopts. Amy Davis, clerk of the board, and county staff had prepared language for how to pause the hearing and notified the board that a formal motion was needed to remove the hearing from the agenda. Commissioners said they had been advised by the county’s lobbyists and that some tribal representatives had been consulted; the transcript records Ray Peters as responding that he was supportive of Spokane County’s efforts but that no tribal representatives raised objections to Thurston County joining the change.

The board did not take emergency action on the ordinance itself; rather, it directed the clerk to cancel the public hearing scheduled for this afternoon and deferred further work until the Legislature’s action is clearer.

The change will shorten the board’s business meeting later that day, the chair said, depending on public comment on other items.