Kittitas County health promotion staff to seek joint public hearing to add passport acceptance services

Abby Martinez, health promotion manager for Kittitas County Public Health, asked the Board of Health to schedule a joint public hearing with the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 18 to consider adding passport acceptance to the department's services.

Martinez said department staff completed passport acceptance training on July 8 and that all health promotion staff are now certified as passport acceptance agents. She told the board, "we are very excited, and we are really eager to start serving our community." Martinez said the remaining administrative step is to have the passport function included in the department's schedule.

A board member moved to set a joint public hearing for Sept. 18; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The transcript records the motion and a recorded "Aye" or voice approval; no roll-call tally or opposing votes were recorded in the meeting transcript.

The request is procedural: it schedules a public hearing to consider formally adding passport acceptance to the department schedule. The meeting did not include a substantive decision to begin accepting passports; that would follow the joint public hearing and any formal actions from both boards. Martinez did not specify anticipated fees, staffing hours for passport acceptance, or an effective start date beyond the proposed hearing date.

No members of the public made comments on the scheduling request at the meeting. Staff and commissioners present indicated support for moving the item to a joint hearing.