The Clark County Council got to focus on some good news for the county during Wednesday’s Board of Health and council time meetings.
Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick reported the local and statewide seven-day case and hospitalization rates have seen significant declines.
However, he said, the data still shows case, hospitalization and death rates remain several times higher among those unvaccinated compared to those fully vaccinated.
He noted case investigations and contact tracing is becoming less relevant and less useful because of the increase in asymptomatic cases, at home testing and unreported cases along with an increase in variants.
The county council approved a resolution in support of health care workers and public health employees.
The resolution to “recognize, thank, and commend all health care workers and public health employees throughout Clark County for their tireless efforts to provide the best possible care for our residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite extremely difficult conditions and personal risk to themselves” was passed unanimously. (Councilor Temple Lentz was absent while she attends a council-related conference.)
Council Chair Karen Bowerman said she had been asked by a constituent whether council members are still paid during unexcused absences, particularly for extended, unexcused absences. While Bowerman did not say if the question was directed at a specific council member, Bowerman and Councilor Gary Medvigy voiced their frustration with Lentz’s lack of availability at the last council meeting on March 2.
During that meeting, Lentz said she would be unavailable for two weeks during March. Although she did not say why she would be unavailable, she did note some of that time would be spent on county business.
Lindsey Hueer,senior policy analyst for the county, said state law addresses withholding compensation if a council seat is abandoned but not if they’re absent for only one or two meetings.
“Say a person is out unexcused for maybe a couple of weeks now and a couple of weeks another time. Is that where they are continued to be paid as if all is well?” Bowerman asked.
Hueer noted the councilor would continue to be paid in that circumstance.
“This is a more complicated legal question that goes beyond what we can do locally with elected officials,” Medvigy said. “Basically the state law’s looking at those that are incapacitated or those that have, in fact, abandoned their job… We’d have to get a legal review of this, but I don’t think the Prosecuting Attorney’s office would find that we have the local authority.”
The next county council meeting is at 10 a.m. on March 15. For an agenda or links to the meeting, go to https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings.
