Skagit County commissioners approve consent agenda, ratify grants and advance housing, opioid-settlement actions

Skagit County commissioners approved a 19-item consent agenda and two miscellaneous public-health items during a short Aug. 18 meeting, voting unanimously among the two commissioners present to pass the consent items and voting 2-0 to approve the miscellaneous items.

The consent agenda (items 1–19) included multiple routine appointments and contracts. Commissioners approved the appointment of Dane Holbert to fill Position 4 on a special dike improvement district board and the appointment of Joel Dryden — identified in the meeting as representing Hill Truck Tree Farm and Pacific Denkman, forest landowners — to the county’s Forest Advisory Board to replace Chuck Parker, who is retiring before his term ended. The board also approved an award for a county website redesign and a professional services agreement with the Washington State Health Care Authority related to short-term housing subsidies for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness due to substance-use disorder.

Commissioner Browning described the housing-subsidy agreement as notable: "It's a very, very important program," he said, referring to the county's ability to keep people in some form of shelter through the state-managed funds.

The board also adopted a resolution authorizing the county to sign allocation agreements for Purdue Pharma (Sackler) opioid-settlement dollars. The presiding commissioner (name not specified in the public transcript) marked the action with a personal note: "Today is the eighth anniversary. Today is the real day 8 years ago that our son Patrick died from prescription drugs," the presiding commissioner said, and described the settlement allocations as significant to local response efforts.

Two items concerning the sheriff’s office — listed as consent items 17 and 18 — were ratifications of a previously accepted grant the transcript says had been accepted earlier in the year by a sheriff’s employee. The presiding commissioner said the awards were being ratified because the grant had been inadvertently accepted and the amount was $131,000. Commissioners acknowledged the county's role as a transit point in drug-distribution routes and praised the sheriff’s cooperation with surrounding agencies on high-intensity drug-area work.

Under miscellaneous business, the board approved two public-health items that the transcript notes are normally held for Commissioner Wiesen because he serves on the Community Action board and would otherwise recuse. The first is a resolution calling for a public hearing on the Home Consortium Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for fiscal year 2024. The second is a personal services agreement with Community Action of Skagit County to lease four transitional housing units in Mount Vernon to house homeless veterans through the VASH program; the presiding commissioner moved approval of both items and Commissioner Browning seconded; the motion passed 2-0.

The meeting record shows the consent agenda motion was made by Commissioner Browning and seconded by the presiding commissioner; participants verbally said "aye," and the chair declared the motion carried unanimously among those present. Miscellaneous items 1 and 2 were moved by the presiding commissioner, seconded by Browning, and approved 2-0.

The commissioners closed the meeting without public commenters online and noted they would reconvene the next morning for a Public Works hearing on surplusing county vehicles and equipment.

Votes at a glance: consent agenda items 1–19 — approved (motion by Commissioner Browning; second by presiding commissioner; recorded as unanimous among present commissioners). Miscellaneous agenda items 1 (CAPER public-hearing resolution) and 2 (personal services agreement with Community Action of Skagit County to lease four transitional housing units for VASH) — approved 2-0 (mover: presiding commissioner; second: Commissioner Browning).