Cowlitz County commissioners approve minutes, consent agenda, health and public-defense agreements

At a Tuesday meeting, the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners approved the Jan. 21 meeting minutes and a consent agenda that included affidavits cancelling uncollected personal property taxes and set a public hearing on the county's first 2025 budget amendment for Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.

The consent agenda included a resolution to accept an affidavit from the Cowlitz County Treasurer to cancel uncollected personal-property taxes. County staff described one item in the affidavit as about $86,000 tied largely to closed businesses and removed mobile homes; a separate set of senior-exemption corrections listed in the packet totaled about $844,000. Commissioners voted to approve the consent agenda by voice vote.

The board also approved an amendment to the county's consolidated contract with the Washington State Department of Health. Gina James of Cowlitz County Health and Human Services told commissioners the amendment adds several funding streams: a little over $31,000 for public-health emergency preparedness work with the regional Department of Emergency Management, a little over $25,000 for work on Group B water systems (permitting and testing), and what James described as the county's annual foundational public-health-services allocation — discussed in the meeting as roughly $1.4 million on an annual basis, with the state using a different fiscal calendar and the county required to return unused portions at the end of the state fiscal year. "If we don't utilize it by the end of the fiscal year, then we send back to the state what's not been utilized," James said. The board approved the contract amendment by voice vote.

The commissioners also approved an Office of Public Defense agreement to fund conflict counsel for 2025. Iain Marr, director of the Cowlitz County Office of Public Defense, described the contract as paying roughly $1,200 per felony appointment; based on historical caseloads he said the county expects an average of about $12,000 per month and about $144,000 for the year to cover three locally based conflict attorneys. Marr said the contract is longstanding and intended to ensure court-appointed counsel is available locally when the public defender's office has a conflict. The board approved the agreement with Morgan Law (attorneys identified in the agenda as Joshua Gooday and Edward DeBray) by voice vote.

Votes at the meeting were recorded by voice and the commissioners indicated agreement with the motions; there were no recorded no votes or abstentions on the items discussed.

The board briefly discussed operational matters in the auditor's office and announced upcoming appearances from the Department of Ecology and the Mount St. Helens Institute on future agendas before adjourning.

Items approved at a glance: - Motion to approve minutes of Jan. 21 — approved by voice vote. - Consent agenda (including resolution accepting Cowlitz County Treasurer affidavit to cancel uncollected personal property; call for 2025 budget-amendment hearing Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.) — approved by voice vote. - Contract amendment with Washington State Department of Health adding emergency-preparedness, Group B system, and foundational public-health-services funding — approved by voice vote. - Office of Public Defense agreement with Morgan Law for conflict counsel (budgeted at roughly $1,200 per felony appointment; ~ $144,000/year estimated) — approved by voice vote.