Commissioners preview contract extensions, homeless-housing plan hearing and a $1 million affordable-housing request
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Summary
County staff previewed consent and motion agenda items: contract extensions with service providers, a two‑year contract proposal for the county health officer, a $550,000 security contract coming for approval, a required public hearing on the local homeless housing plan, and a potential $1 million county contribution toward a West Longview affordable-housing project.
County staff outlined several agenda items the board expected to consider in coming meetings, including contract renewals, a required public hearing on the local homeless housing plan and a preview of a security contract renewal.
Gina (county staff) said consent-agenda extensions would push contract end dates for Lower Columbia CAP and Cowlitz County Habitat for Humanity through Dec. 2026 with no additional funding. She described a proposed two-year contract for the county health officer (Dr. Kroeger) through Dec. 2027; staff said the health officer signs birth and death certificates, provides technical assistance to nursing staff on communicable-disease cases and advises on food-establishment and solid-waste authority issues.
Gina described a Washington State Health Care Authority contract to fund criminal-justice treatment services; pass-through contracts to Columbia Wellness and Cowlitz Family Health Center would provide services to people in therapeutic-court programs, including drug court and mental-health court.
Brad (speaker 7) previewed a Northwest Enforcement security contract scheduled for consideration the next day: about $550,000 annually to cover five armed officers and a vehicle between the Hall of Justice, jail courtroom and juvenile courtroom; the contract uses CPI adjustments (presenter stated a 2.7% increase for the year).
Gina said the board will hold a required public hearing at 9:30 a.m. the next day on the county’s local homeless housing plan as required by the Washington State Department of Commerce; the plan may be revised after public comment and will return for final consideration. She also previewed a Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington presentation seeking roughly $1,000,000 from county sources (document-recording fees and possibly a portion of affordable-housing sales/use tax) for a West Longview affordable-housing project.
Gina asked whether the board wanted additional oversight language attached to coordinated-entry pass-through contracts; commissioners discussed the option of a workshop or an amendment at contract renewal. No votes were taken; several items are scheduled for future meetings.