Thurston County commissioners approve two unpaid interns for Commissioner Grant’s office after legal review condition

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners approved a motion on April 15 to permit two unpaid, for-credit interns to work in Commissioner Rachel Grant’s office, contingent on a Prosecuting Attorney’s Office review of the internship site agreement.

The motion — moved by Commissioner Rachel Grant — passed 3 to 2 after more than an hour of discussion about whether a single commissioner may sign agreements that bind the county, the difference between paid and unpaid internships, and risks to students’ financial aid if onboarding were paused. Commissioners Tim Enser, Wayne Fournier and Grant voted in favor; Commissioners Emily Clouse and Mejia voted no.

Grant told the board she had recruited two Evergreen State College students and completed independent study contracts required by the college so the students could receive academic credit and financial aid. She said Human Resources staff had provided an onboarding checklist and an updated “volunteer/internship” packet and that the students had already begun work on outreach materials and preparation for a June community learning collaborative the interns were helping plan.

Other commissioners and county staff raised procedural and legal concerns. County Manager Leonard Hernandez and HR Director Maria Ponti said the county lacks a uniform, board-approved process for internships and volunteers; Ponti confirmed the packet she provided collates existing policies for temporary workers and volunteers but is not itself a board-adopted ordinance. Board members and HR staff warned that unpaid internships still consume county resources (badge issuance, IT setup, workspace and staff supervision) and that those resources must be tracked and managed.

Several commissioners and the county manager emphasized that interagency or “site” agreements with external schools (for example, Evergreen State College) are intergovernmental agreements that typically require board approval. A Prosecuting Attorney’s Office attorney present in the meeting advised that an intergovernmental site agreement normally needs board approval; the motion explicitly required PAO review and return to the board if PAO determined board authorization was needed.

Sheriff’s Office and HR staff described operational steps already taken for the two students and confirmed the students’ academic independent-study contracts (agreements among faculty sponsor, field supervisor and student) are routine at colleges and do not themselves bind the county in the same way a site agreement would. Commissioners who opposed the motion said they were willing to support the interns’ continued work only after a formal, county-wide policy and a transparent process ensuring equitable access to internship opportunities for all commissioners and departments.

The board voted to allow the two interns to continue under the conditions in the motion: follow the 2025 volunteer/internship guidance packet used by HR and have the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office review the internship site agreement and advise whether board approval is required. If PAO advises board approval is required, the site agreement will be returned to the Board of County Commissioners for formal action.

The decision closes the immediate issue for the two students while prompting direction from commissioners for a countywide standard operating procedure on internships and volunteer engagement.

Speakers quoted or summarized above include Commissioner Rachel Grant; Chair Tim Enser; Vice Chair Wayne Fournier; Commissioner Emily Clouse; Commissioner Mejia; County Manager Leonard Hernandez; HR Director Maria Ponti; Clerk of the Board Amy Davis; and an attorney from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.