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Mason County tables decision on Youth Connection homeless‑services contract after emotional public testimony
Summary
After weeks of monitoring concerns, Mason County staff recommended terminating a $1.9 million consolidated homeless grant contract. Youth Connection leaders and board members urged the commission to delay action; the board unanimously tabled the decision to June 23 to allow further review and possible alternatives.
Mason County commissioners on June 9 deferred a staff recommendation to cancel the Youth Connection consolidated homeless grant (CHG) contract after more than an hour of public testimony from the nonprofit’s leaders.
Melissa Casey, Mason County community health manager, told the board that monitoring raised fiscal and programmatic concerns and that staff could not verify the CHG funds were being spent in line with the contract. Casey said the county had awarded contract funds only for fiscal year 2026 and recommended terminating the contract effective July 1, 2026, for the following fiscal year. She also said the county met with the state Commerce Department on June 1 and was trying to ensure providers would be reimbursed when appropriate but that fiscal close timelines are short: “our deadline with…Commerce is July 10,” she said, calling for prompt resolution if any reimbursements are to be processed.
Susan Kirchoff, founder and executive director of Shelton Family Center (doing business as Youth Connection), addressed commissioners in an emotional statement opposing cancellation. Kirchoff said the agency had not been accused of fraud or intentional misconduct, described repeated efforts to resolve invoicing and budget‑approval issues, and said staff had submitted multiple revised budgets that were not approved. She added that Youth Connection had continued serving clients while waiting for reimbursement and listed recent outcomes: “We served 17 individuals representing 15 households in the rapid rehousing program…100% positive outcomes,” she said, urging the board to allow technical assistance and time to resolve disputes.
Mary Roblard, board chair for Youth Connection, echoed concerns about process and reputation, saying the board accepted monitoring findings and implemented corrective steps but requested clear, consistent communication from county staff before any cancellation. Roblard asked the board to document any separation as mutually agreed and not harmful to the organization’s ability to serve vulnerable youth.
Commissioners pressed staff about whether Youth Connection had been given notice and about why an April‑24 effective termination date had been referenced; staff said the April date was tied to a monitoring directive that asked the agency not to enroll new clients pending review. Commissioners also discussed the county’s obligation to follow state and federal rules for use of Commerce funds.
After discussion, a commissioner moved and the board seconded to table the termination recommendation to the June 23, 2026 meeting to allow staff time to continue working with Youth Connection and to explore alternative delivery options if needed. The motion passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: The CHG contract supports emergency housing, rapid rehousing and eviction prevention programs in Mason County. A termination or provider change before state reimbursement deadlines could disrupt services for people currently receiving assistance; tabling gives staff time to seek a solution while preserving program continuity in the near term.
Next steps: The board will reconsider the termination recommendation on June 23, and staff said they would continue working with Commerce and, if necessary, prepare options for centralizing rental assistance to another agency to prevent gaps in services.
