Legislative Meeting - Regular Meeting

Commissioner Brooks uh joining us virtually and then in the conference room or the hearing room we have commissioners Jordan, Waldruff, French and Karns. Uh I do want to state for the record we do have one by item that will be by resolution number eight when we get to that. Um there was no written comment received on any of the uh leg on any of the consent agenda today. So I will ask everybody who is present to please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Right. We have a couple of folks who have signed up ahead of time for open public forum. So, we will start with Susie Hokinson. Thanks, Susie. You know the drill. Name and address and we'll get your three minutes queued up for you.

Susie Hokinson. I live at 1315 West Woodside, just outside the city limits, but really enjoy all of you county commissioners. So, today I'm here to invite you to come to the Pauline Flet Powow, middle school pow-wow. It's this coming Saturday and it's an amazing event. I went last year and they have an opening grand circle. Got to read it. grand entry at 12 and another one at five o'clock and a free meal at four o'clock. And it's just exciting to be there. And I have h handouts for each of you. And of course, I'm still hoping that one of these days soon you will do a land acknowledgement. It's just a simple thing to celebrate the land that we are on. And as most of you know, I've now visited all 29 reservations in the state. And I just love being part of it. and I've attended POW House at Nespers and um Cordelane which are both outside of the state but they have tribal land hunting and fishing. So I do want to share two brief land acknowledgements and I just went online and went to short land acknowledgements and this one came up. We are grateful to the traditional owners of the land of the Spokane County and we pay our respects to the original stewards of the land and the one I personally use a lot I just created that says as a visitor on this land I recognize how incredibly grateful I am to be here. I am committed to pushing for systematic changes and decolonization to support our indigenous learners and communities. I just love being on reservations. I just love the connectedness and we've got so much going on. So, and also I do want to pass out the um Eastern this year is going to have a rand dance called Spirit of the Eagle. So, that's going to be on

Saturday, May 30th. Last year I went to seven pow-wows and I finally learned to go early, take a chair to be comfortable and just sit and absorb it all and it's just wonderful to see. Um, we have so much to learn from the tribes and we live in such a wonderful country and a lot of the history is pretty tragic. Anyway, thanks. How'd I do? Susie, you always come in under time. You know what you're doing. All right. Uh, Naen Burgess.

Thank you. I'll also be under time. Naen Burgess, 6603 North Idaho Road in Newman Lake. And I came to say thank you so much for your thoughtful consideration. I know you were bombarded with a lot of communication regarding our beloved dog park at the Gateway State Line exit uh that was there for 19 years honoring most recently Patricia Simonette and just it's a really great community place and so I appreciate that you've listened and come up with a solution so we have time as community members to also be part of the solution. So, if there's things that we can do as people who use the park, we would like to do that. We don't want to just come with an ask. We want to say thank you. And I also wanted to share that many of the people that use the park are now getting registered with scraps as volunteers. So, that way we can contribute there to the park. And so, everything we can do to be part of it. I just wanted to say thank you so much. We appreciate each and every one of you. Thanks.

Thank you. Uh is there anyone else here who would like to participate in open public forum? If so, come on down. Second call. Anyone online? Third and final call. Seeing no one else wishing to participate in open public forum, we will close open public forum and we'll move on to a proclamation and I will look to my fellow commissioner for that.

All right. Well, we have some guests here today. Um, I'm going to read the proclamation in the form of a motion and then we'll ask you to come forward and share a little bit about your work and uh talk about mental health awareness month. So, in the matter of proclaiming May 2026 as behavioral health awareness month in Spokane County, Washington, whereas Spokane County recognizes the importance of behavioral health needs of individuals and families to the overall well-being of our communities. And whereas in 2024, more than 16% of Spokane County residents reported experiencing 14 or more days of poor mental health in a 30-day period. And whereas behavioral health functioning directly affects economic and public health well-being, where untreated behavioral health conditions increase health care costs, impact community health and vitality, and strain public services. Investing in prevention, timely treatment, and recovery supports a healthier community, lowers long-term costs, and bolsters economic resilience in Spokane County. And whereas the county recognizes the tireless dedication of behavioral health professionals, crisis responders, and peer support specialists who provide essential care and services to individuals and families experiencing behavioral health challenges. And whereas Spokane County has a continued commitment to expand and strengthen behavioral health treatment services, advocate for sustainable funding, and work with regional and state partners to address the behavioral health needs of our communities. Now, therefore, we, the Spokane County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the citizens of Spokane County, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as behavioral health awareness month. And we call upon all residents to foster an environment of support, inclusion, and access to care

for all individuals affected by behavioral health conditions. Second. We have a motion and a second. Any comments? All in favor say I. I. I. Motion passes unanimously. Right now, we do have some guests here. Um we have uh Ashley McGee, uh Dr. David Crump, uh, Sean Cross, and Shantel Lisk. So, if you could all please come forward. Um, we'd love to hear from you. And then afterwards, we do have the proclamation. We would like to get a photograph with you all up here as well.

Wonderful. Thank you. Good afternoon, commissioners. It is I'm thankful for the opportunity to be here today as you recognize May as behavioral health awareness month. As we know, this proclamation is more than symbolic. It reflects a meaningful commitment to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and ensuring that individuals in our community can access the behavioral health services they need. It also reinforces the county's role in supporting a system that meets individuals where they are and connects them to care early when we know it can make the greatest difference. Commissioners, your leadership and continued investments have allowed us to not only build and strengthen a more responsive and connected system, one that prioritizes early intervention and community based care, but also to develop innovative solutions and treatment pathways that meet the needs we are seeing in our community. And though we continue to see ongoing needs, we are also seeing the impacts of these investments you've supported. So, thank you. I also want to quickly extend our greatest gratitude to all of our behavioral health providers because it's their compassion and daily dedication which is often unseen that makes this system work. And today I'm honored to introduce three of our locally funded partners who are doing critical work in our community. Shantelky with Miami Spokane, Dr. David Crump for Spokane Public Schools, and Sean Cross from Mattiey's Place. And they're going to go ahead and say a few words. Thank you.

Good afternoon. I'm Shantel Liski with NAMI Spokane. Um, I want to thank the county commissioners for this proclamation and your commiti continued commitment to mental health and well-being of every person in our community. At NAMI Spokane, we know that no one should have to face mental health conditions alone. And because of your ongoing support, fewer people in Spokane have to. Your investment in mental health resources, your willingness to have these conversations in public settings. Your partnership with organizations like ours sends a powerful message to every family, every neighbor, and every individual and individual quietly struggling with mental health that you are seen, you are heard, and there's help here. This May, as we celebrate behavioral health awareness month, we are reminded that healing happens in community. Healing happens when a friend shows up, when a stranger offers a kind word, when a county government stands at a podium and says, "Mental health matters here." That's exactly what we're here doing today. On behalf of NAMI Spokane and the thousands of Spokane County residents living with a mental health condition and substance use challenge and their families, we thank you. Your support reminds us that we are not alone and that together healing is possible. Thank you. Hello. Uh, David Crown, Spokane Public Schools, Behavioral Health. Uh, we don't have to look very far to see behavioral health challenges in our lives. It can be our loved ones, our family, or even in ourselves. And you have the privilege to take care of sacred funds. and under your scope of responsibility. And what I want to do is I want to share with you what you are investing in has paid rich dividends

and I was helping a lot of people and in the first two quarters of the current year our four mental health therapists have screened a combined total of 536 students. But what's most amazing is that about our investment in behavioral health in the ISW program, which is the initiative for student wellness program is what we call it ISW. It's finding students who were not on anyone's radar and would not otherwise we wouldn't know about them. Now the dollars and programs are precisely addressing early intervention and getting individuals the service they need before costly intervention is required. Issues of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideiation and trauma are found in school, workplace, and homes. Through this program and other behavioral health services, we're able to intervene and connect individuals to appropriate services. We offer individual group and family Uh we also work with Spokane County Reach program to facilitate individuals in getting ongoing services and support in the community. I want to thank you for making time to listen and to hear that behavioral health challenges are real and your investment, support, and funding are making a difference in the lives of our community, the ISW program. And thank you for your support for that and others. And thank you Hello, uh, County Commissioner, Chair Brooks, and fellow county commissioners. My name is Sean Cross. I wrote this down because there's no way I will speak for 60 seconds without a script. It'll run over, but I'm proud today to speak on behalf of Mattiey's Place. It's simple

to say that Matty's Place is open today because of the support it's received from Spokane County. That's not an exaggeration. We admitted our 187th uh infant this afternoon and we provided treatment services to over 200 of their families and their parents and many of them are together today about 90% that are in recovery uh and in custody and housed uh because of your commitment and your investment. Not only has Spokane County invested in an integrated care model that addresses substance use, mental health, and behavioral health, the county has provided a lifeline to the most vulnerable of populations in our community, babies born, substance exposed, and their families. Under your leadership, Spokane County has made thoughtful, innovative, strategic investments in the regional provider network, breaking down silos and barriers to care. Thank you for highlighting behavioral health awareness with your proclamation today. But what I really salute you for is for backing up your proclamation with real tangible action. Thank you so much. All right. And we invite you to please come up here to the DAS. We we'd love to get a photograph.

All right. Um, we are going to take the bye resolution. Uh right now the BLE resolution is in the matter of authorizing the drafting and signing of a letter of support in conjunction with Inland Northwest Land Consery grant application to the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to acquire a conservation easement on a two on the two lakes ranch property RCO grant application number 26-1634. Now this uh because this is a by leave resolution uh we do need to open this up for a public hearing. Uh so if there is anyone in the audience who would like to come down and testify on by leave resolution number eight please come forward. Second call, third and final call. Seeing no one wishing to testify, we will close the public hearing and I will look to my fellow commissioners for a motion. So, uh, Mr. Vice Chair, I would move uh to approve uh our BIE item and the matter of authorizing the drafting and signing of a letter of support in conjunction with Inland Northwest Land Conservancy grant application to Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to acquire a conservation easement on the Two Lakes Ranch Property RCO grant application number 26-1634. Second motion and a second all in any additional discussion. Commissioner Walder,

I just wanted to uh thank the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy for reaching out. They do really good work to try and work with land owners to put their land in in conservation. And this particular property sounds like a really good property near the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. So, I wish them luck with getting the grant to um preserve that land um for the benefit of the wildlife in the area. All in favor say I. I. I. I.

Motion passes unanimously. Okay, that will bring us to the remainder of our consent agenda. Items four, five, and six. Is there a motion? Mr. Vice Chair, I would move to approve items four, five, and six as they appear in today's agenda. Second. All right. Motion and a second for items four, five, and six, including all sub items. Any discussion? Commissioner,

make a brief comment on 6A. This is the essential public facilities application that we talked about this morning. I think this is, as I see it, initiating some important due diligence around sites for potential uh facility improvements in our justice and behavioral health system. The process has extensive public input pieces to it. So, there will be plentiful opportunities for public hearings going forward. I'm looking forward to the recommendations that we will be receiving I believe in May or we're anticipated to receive from the safe and healthy task force. It's a regional uh group involving a diverse array of stakeholders that is looking at our criminal justice and behavioral health systems in a holistic way, making recommendations for how we can improve. Um, so I anticipate that we will be looking hard at those recommendations and taking that into account going forward as we talk about ways we can improve our system. So happy to support that item.

Okay. All in favor on the motion say I. I. I. I. Motion passes unanimously. All right. That does it for our printed agenda and our buy items. So I will look down the dis to Mr. Folsome and Mr. Simmons. Anything anything for us? Okay, we have a miscellaneous item. Martha Louu.

Yes, commissioners. I come to you asking for your indulgence. Under miscellaneous, uh, jail commander Hooper has requested a proclamation for next Tuesday for National Corrections Officers and Employees Week. This will bring the total of proclamations you have next Tuesday to three if you approve this. Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. Nothing further for me commissioner Mr. Falsam

one executive session item under pending and potential litigation. No action will be taken approximately 20 minutes like Matt Folsome, Scott Simmons and Jeff Mcorris present. Okay, we will go into executive session for the purpose stated. It is 2:24. We'll give folks a couple minutes to clear the room. Um, at the conclusion of the executive session, we will be adjourned for the day. Thanks for coming down and we'll see you next