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Public speakers urge rejection of county takeover of SPOA as board approves Thrive contract change
Summary
Community advocates accused county officials of engineering a takeover of single-point-of-access services from Thrive Wellness and Recovery and warned of service disruption; the Legislature approved Resolution 57-2026 after debate and a failed motion to table, with one recorded 'no.'
Wyatt Wagner, executive director of Youth of Lewis County, used his five-minute public comment to urge legislators to reject Resolution 57-2026, which would modify the county's agreement with Thrive Wellness and Recovery and shift some Single Point of Access (SPOA) services toward county control.
"By voting yes to this resolution today, you are actively choosing to rock a ship that hasn't even set sail," Wagner said, arguing the Community Services Board was stacked with county employees and agency representatives and accusing county leaders of manufacturing a hiring path to place an unqualified director in office. Wagner alleged the change would defund a community partner by roughly $40,000 for the remainder of the year and reduce continuity of care for vulnerable youth.
Additional public testimony supported Wagner's concerns. Morgan Roberts, who identified himself as the husband of SPOA coordinator Jamie Roberts, described his wife's years building the SPOA and urged the Legislature to consider the personal and community consequences of moving the service.
At the meeting, legislators debated whether shifting SPOA functions from Thrive into county administration would create cost savings or simply move the cost onto payroll. Anna (county staff) explained the plan relies on state aid (not a one-time grant) for certain positions and that civil-service hiring and posting requirements would apply. She said the county had spoken with Thrive's director and the State Office of Mental Health about the change.
Several legislators said their priority was avoiding any lapse in services. One member asked whether the contractor at Thrive was supportive; the chair confirmed the director of Thrive had been contacted and was said to be in agreement with the course of action. County staff described an expected reduction in taxpayer-funded personal-services costs of roughly $40,000 to $70,000 annually when combined with a separate state-aid-funded position.
A motion to table Resolution 57-2026 and return it to committee failed. The original resolution was then put to a vote; one legislator was recorded opposed (Barry) and the resolution carried.
The meeting record shows the action is procedural and does not include an implementation timetable or the final personnel posting language. When asked about qualifications and civil-service requirements, county staff said those details would follow the required posting and testing processes for civil-service positions.
What happens next: the resolution passed, and more specific hiring and implementation steps (including civil-service postings and any formal transition plan for SPOA services) were discussed as items for staff to complete. The public speakers asked the Legislature to preserve independence for SPOA and guard against conflicts of interest.
