Delay and dithering rules in Jefferson County. Eight counties have already applied to enter phase 2 now, the next step in Governor Inslee’s reopening of Washington’s economy. Local officials instead have opted to add additional procedural steps not required by the Governor’s order. This will drag out deliberations until May 26 at the earliest.

That is just days before the benefits of an “early open” variance would expire and the Governor’s phase 2 is slated to be taking effect statewide anyway.

Kittatas, Columbia, Garfield, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Kitsap and Stevens Counties were able quickly to deliberate and approve their Public Health Officer’s and Board of Health’s proposal to move into phase 2. The first six counties, like Jefferson, were identified by Governor Inslee as among the ten counties with such low COVID risk and adequate public health preparations that they could start reopening additional businesses before the rest of the state. Businesses that could get back to work could include new home construction, home remodeling, manufacturing, retail, some restaurant operations and other services.

[UPDATE: Late Friday Governor Inslee announced that the applications for Columbia, Garfield, Ferry, Lincoln and Pend Oreille were approved.] 

Kitsap and Stevens were not on the Governor’s top ten list. They are so eager to help their local businesses and workers that they submitted applications pre-emptively, making the case to the Governor that they should be permitted to enter phase 2 now because they also are low COVID risk counties.

Jefferson County officials likewise could have taken action to blunt the crushing economic blows befalling what was already a poor rural county that had an unemployment rate not only above the national average, but also above the chronically higher average black unemployment rate.

Local officials here did not convene to even discuss accepting the Governor’s invitation until nearly a week had passed. A joint on-line convocation  of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners, the Port Townsend City Council and the Jefferson County Board of Health met last night for four hours. Such a step is not required by the Governor. The City of Port Townsend, under his order, has no role to play in applying for a variance.

Some participants in the meeting, most notably those from Port Townsend city government, wanted no part of an early reopening our economy. They won.

The decision to delay is as much a substantive policy decision as would have been approval last night of a variance application.  The county’s public health officer could have submitted a simple list of businesses he believes should reopen (he said he already has some in mind). With the Board of Health convened and with a quorum, it could have approved that proposal. Instantly, the County Commission, also convened with a quorum, could have, in turn, voted approval. The variance request could have been delivered to the Governor in the morning. Such an accelerated process is likely how the other counties were able to move so quickly.

The only action by our local leaders was to schedule more meetings:

1. Next week, by Tuesday, the county’s public health official, Dr. Thomas Locke, will deliver the list of business activities he believes should or should not be opened. They will be ranked from most eligible to open to least, based on ease or difficulty of virus control he sees in the activity.
2. On Thursday, May 14, a special meeting of the Board of Health will  consider and possibly vote to accept or reject Dr. Locke’s proposal, in whole or in part. If the Board of Health votes affirmatively to seek some sort of variance, that resolution will be passed onto the County Commission for action.
3.  Before the County Commission meets, however, some sort of “stakeholders” forum will he held to receive comment from businesses and members of the public. That may take place on May 19. The procedures  and participants for that forum remain to be decided, and the technical challenges such a wide-open on-line forum will present will be considerable.  Regardless, it was recognized that forum can have no legal effect on the previous week’s action by the public health officer and Board of Health. This is another procedural step not required by the Governor’s order.
4.  On May 26, assuming that the Board of Health has voted for some variance application, the Board of County Commissioners may decide to accept their variance proposal. No amendments or changes are permitted under the Governor’s order. If the Board of Health’s variance application is approved, probably on May 27 it will then be transmitted to the state for processing, review and approval, a process which apparently takes at least several days. That is based on the experience thus far of those counties that already submitted their variance applications, all of which as of this time are still pending with Inslee’s administration. [Note those approved late Friday, per the Update above].
5. Phase 2 for the entire state could go into effect June 1, at which time restaurants may operate at 50% capacity, hair salons and barbers may reopen, in-home domestic services may resume, retail can reopen, and office-based business can start back up. But the Governor has reserved the authority to further delay phase 2, something that would make having a variance in hand that much more valuable to the lucky county, its businesses and workers.

Jim Scarantino

Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our “About” page for more information.