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Public works asks commissioners to authorize enabling documents for COG executive director and Chamber funding
Summary
Kittitas County public works told commissioners a COG executive-director position (up to $300,000 one-time/startup) and a $211,200 annual Chamber contract meet 0.09 fund criteria and asked the board to direct staff to prepare enabling contract documents.
Kittitas County Public Works presented a plan to use 0.09 distressed county sales-and-use-tax funds to seed two economic-development items: up to $300,000 to establish and onboard an executive director for the Conference of Governments (COG) and $211,200 to continue an annual contract with the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce.
"These are the distressed county sales and use tax funds," Public Works project lead Josh Preverson told the board, saying the COG had discussed a not-to-exceed $300,000 amount to cover salary, benefits, recruiting and initial office setup. He said the $211,200 amount would continue annual Chamber work that currently helps carry out certain economic-development duties.
The presentation explained the $300,000 figure is an up-to or not-to-exceed startup estimate — not a posted single-year salary — and would cover recruitment and onboarding costs as well as the first-year compensation package. Preverson said COG and its partners expect duties to shift as the executive-director role and the partnership evolve.
A public commenter, identified in the transcript as Pat Gallagher Schallensberger, criticized the funding plan and the Chamber’s role, saying figures had grown and calling the Chamber an "opaque private organization in Kittitas County." The comment was not followed by a formal response in the study session.
A commissioner moved to direct staff to prepare the enabling documents and contracts necessary to bring the executive-director and Chamber funding items back to the board for formal consideration; the motion was seconded. No formal board vote or tally was recorded in the study session transcript; Preverson said he would bring the items forward at a future meeting for the board’s formal action.
Next steps outlined by staff include preparing contract documents and returning the item to the board with finalized recommendations and costs. The board treated the discussion as direction to staff in a study-session context rather than a binding award.
Authorities mentioned: Kittitas County Code (chapter 12) and the local use of 0.09 distressed county sales-and-use-tax funds. The board did not adopt contracts or award funds during the study session; staff was asked to prepare materials for a future meeting.
