Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Disability Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pasco Transition Center students press Franklin County for plan after human-services changes
Summary
Dozens of students and staff from the Pasco Transition Center urged Franklin County commissioners to explain how disability support services will continue after recent changes to the county’s human services contract. County administrator Bridal Danzel said talks with Benton County are ongoing and that veterans’ vouchers are being processed.
Dozens of students from the Pasco Transition Center told Franklin County commissioners on Sept. 24 that disability support programs — including job foundations, school-to-work, child development services and Special Olympics participation — are essential to their transition to adulthood and they want clarity about future county support.
Many students took turns at the microphone. Lily Miller, a Pasco Transition Center student, said, “These services are very important to my success as an adult.” Jacob Campbell and several other students made similar statements, asking the board to “share your plan for how these services will be provided” to Franklin County residents.
The comments followed an agenda change earlier in the meeting and public concern about the county’s relationship with a human-services contractor shared with neighboring Benton County. Bridal Danzel, Franklin County’s administrator, told the meeting he had met with Benton County staff and that “they're going to continue to process all the vouchers and payments to all the programs, but, particularly the veterans.” He said county leaders plan to “sit down in a good faith effort to renegotiate the human services contract” and that both sides acknowledged communications could have been better.
Danzel also said the county had arranged for veterans to receive services after recent disruptions: “We talked about this very thing. And we agreed to another meeting to sit down and discuss the issues,” he said, adding that veterans are currently receiving full service.
Commissioners and staff did not adopt a new policy or vote on changes to disability programs during the meeting. Commissioners encouraged dialogue with Benton County and thanked the students for presenting; the board recessed briefly to allow commissioners to meet students informally.
The Pasco Transition Center students who spoke listed programs they rely on — job foundations, transition services, child development services, school-to-work supports and Special Olympics — and asked the board to state how Franklin County will provide or fund those services going forward. The county administrator described negotiations with Benton County and said the county is exploring options, but he did not announce a finalized plan for disability services.
The comments were part of a longer public-comment period that also included proposals from other residents suggesting regional “Envision Center” concepts or workforce investment approaches. No action on the specific disability-service requests was taken at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to continue discussions and review options.
