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Committee okays staff to pursue lease with Sirona Recovery after questions about 'social justice' language; attorney to draft protections
Summary
Health and Human Services received committee consensus to pursue a two-year lease with Sirona Recovery for vacant UW Extension space; supervisors asked the county attorney to include contract protections after questions about Sirona's use of 'social justice' language.
County staff asked for committee permission to pursue a two-year lease with Sirona Recovery for the soon-to-be-vacant UW Extension space at the Public Agency Center. Julie Driscoll said Sirona has grown local staff who need permanent workspace and that the organization would be offered the space at the same cost as UW Extension with an option to renew.
Supervisor Bailey said she reviewed Sirona’s website and raised concerns about the organization's use of "social justice" terminology, describing some material she viewed as raising "red flags" and asking how Sirona defines the phrase. "I didn't I did see some that are red flags for me because they push racism and gender ideology... I don't want these ideologies pushed on our community," Bailey said.
Driscoll responded that in the social-work field "social justice" is commonly used to describe efforts to meet people where they are and to pursue systemic change that focuses on recovery, housing and health; she said Sirona emphasizes individual stabilization and service delivery, not broad policy advocacy. Driscoll noted that the county retains oversight of contracted staff and can require removal of individual employees or void a contract for cause.
Several supervisors asked whether the lease and any related contract can include a code of conduct or voiding provisions. Driscoll said the county attorney is drafting lease language and can include provisions to protect the county and address conduct concerns. The committee offered a thumbs-up consensus for staff to pursue the lease negotiations; the group clarified that this was not a formal resolution and that final contractual documents will return for formal consideration as needed.
Next steps: staff will work with the county attorney to draft lease and contract provisions addressing code-of-conduct and termination/voiding clauses, and return with formal documents if the county elects to finalize a lease.
