Skagit County commissioners approve consent agenda including recovery residences, park agreement and debris removal contract

The Skagit County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 9, 2026 approved its consent agenda, authorizing a suite of contracts that include personal services to operate three recovery residences, an agreement for Big Rock Park services, and a vendor contract for debris removal on North Fork Bridge and Best Road.

The approvals came during the board’s regular meeting, after Commissioner Joe Burns flagged multiple consent items and moved the consent agenda. Commissioner Browning seconded the motion and commissioners recorded ayes; the board announced the consent agenda passed.

Why it matters: the agreements commit county authority and funding to housing and services projects that county officials said will support people in recovery, expand community recreation access at Big Rock Park and address public-safety needs related to bridge and road debris. Staff readings recorded contract maximums and timeframes that will govern the work.

Commissioner Joe Burns, who spoke while the board reviewed the consent items, highlighted the personal services agreement with New Earth Recovery, saying the contract will "help people seeking to maintain recovery from substance use disorders" and give residents "a place to stay as they are transitioning back into normal life." He praised the program as "really helpful for people in our community." Burns also noted a vendor agreement with Carlson Construction to remove debris from the North Fork Bridge and Best Road.

Commissioner Browning discussed the board’s appointment of a doctor of osteopathy to serve as the county’s EMS physician director in a backup capacity, saying the county’s EMS program is "spectacular" and that the physician-director role is important for updating and institutionalizing medical processes. Browning characterized DOs as holding the same training as MDs while sometimes taking a different, more holistic path.

Browning also described recent public-policy friction, criticizing repeated legal challenges he said are attempting to remove judges and challenge officials’ swearing-in. "They're trying to get us to remove… some of our judges," Browning said, calling the repeated efforts inappropriate and saying public records could identify the people filing such actions.

The clerk read contract details included in the consent package: a HOME-funded program (through the Skagit Home Consortium) with a maximum not to exceed $66,734.29, effective Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2027; a personal service agreement with Community Access to provide management, staffing and programming (access to dental care, adult education and East County Resource Center) with compensation not to exceed $104,000 for 2026; and a Community Access agreement for the Concrete community center with compensation not to exceed $167,400 for 2026.

Commissioner Browning opened the public comment period for agenda-related items but reported no online commenters. He confirmed there would be no executive session that afternoon and said the board would reconvene Feb. 10 at 8:30 a.m. to meet with Public Works before adjourning.

Actions recorded at the meeting included a motion by Commissioner Joe Burns and a second by Commissioner Browning to approve consent agenda items 1–14; the board recorded ayes and declared the consent agenda passed. A separate motion to approve miscellaneous agenda items 2–5 was moved and seconded; the transcript records the motion and that the clerk called for online comments and prepared to call the vote.

What's next: the board scheduled a meeting with Public Works the next morning. Contract start and end dates, maximum compensation amounts and funding sources are recorded in the county’s consent documents and will govern each agreement’s implementation.