County staff circulate contract language guide to implement Access and Opportunity resolution

Washington County staff told the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 that they have drafted contract-language guidance to implement the board's recently adopted Access and Opportunity resolution and are sharing the draft with internal contract administrators and community partners.

The guidance is meant to help county contract writers and community-based organizations understand how civil-rights law (including ADA requirements) and the new resolution intersect with county contracts. County Counsel said staff and attorneys are working with departments to review and revise a large number of county contracts so they "meet the spirit of access and opportunity." Alex, County Counsel, said staff "have been working hard ... to develop language guidance for contracts to ensure they meet the spirit of access and opportunity."

County staff said the guidance has been distributed to the county leadership team and to contract administrators. A separate county speaker said the draft also has been shared with community-based organizations so that "there's no surprises once they start to receive county contracts" and to help clarify how the language relates to federal civil-rights law and ADA requirements.

Board members and staff described follow-up work: county attorneys will advise departments and contract administrators as contracts are revised; the guidance may need future amendments as more contracts are drafted or renewed. Commissioners at the meeting raised questions about how the guide will be used in practice and how it relates to the county's federal funding arrangements. Staff framed the guide as a tool for contract drafting and compliance rather than a new separate contract requirement.

The discussion included concerns from commissioners and staff about the relationship between the county and its community-based partners when contracts change. One commissioner said the discussion in a recent public meeting had been "very sensitive" and that participants raised questions about how prescriptive contract language would be. County staff emphasized that the guide is intended to anchor contract language to applicable law and to provide transparency to partners.

Next steps identified at the meeting included continued review by county counsel and contract administrators and additional outreach to community partners; staff did not present a final, board-adopted contract template or a formal vote on the guidance during the work session.

For the board: staff will continue contract review and are available to answer contract-drafting questions raised by departments and community partners.