2021-12-07-minutes-public-hearing-mental-health-tax

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12/07/2021 MINUTES 3 said the law allows for the legislative body to enact the tax in order to deal with issues on a local level. NICOLE MATTHEWS AND TYLER MATHEWS expressed their support of the tax and expressed concerns with the increase of homelessness in the community. PAMELA TUGGLE said the community was in crisis and she fully supported the tax. ROBIN READ explained how mental health issues can be very hard, scary, and an extremely tough situation for people and when there is nowhere to go when in crisis, they tend to just fall through the cracks. She felt there’s been a lot of opportunity for the public to speak and now is the time to approve the tax. TIFFANY CRISMAN referenced Commissioner Wrights comments from the public hearing that was held back in April, when he felt most of the community was probably unaware of the proposed tax, and that the Board should allow the community an opportunity to vote on it. ABIGAIL RABEL thanked the Board for supporting kids in the community. ARLEIN ANDERSON said she was a Republican and felt it was time to approve the proposed tax as the community needs help. She didn’t want to lose more people and encouraged the Board to enact the tax. DR. MARK LARSON expressed his support of the tax. He reviewed results from surveys that were done in the community by youth and how there was a high amount of students who claim they’ve attempted suicide and those feelings of hopelessness. He also addressed the significant problem with those who are incarcerated and need for resources. GREG ZEMPEL, PROSECUTOR said statistics support the action that is being asked of the Board of County Commissioners to approve the tax. JINGER HABERER, ELLENSBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT supported the proposed tax and said there’s an extreme increase in mental health needs in the school system, including students in the younger grades. THERE BEING NO OTHERS REQUESTING TO TESTIFY, THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THE HEARING WAS CLOSED. NEIL CAULKINS, DEPUTY PROSECUTOR reviewed the statute and said there were wrinkles found in the previous Ordinance. He said in order to enact the tax it needed to be approved by the legislative authority and not an advisory vote. ORDINANCE 2021-013 REPEAL ORDINANCE 2021-005 COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER WRIGHT moved to approve Ordinance No. 2021-013, Repealing Ordinance No. 2021-005, and to direct Staff to prepare enabling documents enacting the provisions of RCW 823.14.460 in Kittitas County Code, additionally such documents shall specify an expiration date of six (6) years following enactment unless further authorized by the legislative body approval prior to expiration. CHAIRMAN WACHSMITH seconded. COMMISSIONER WRIGHT expressed his appreciation for everyone’s testimony. He commented on the recent loss of life at an early stage, stating it was unprecedented. He said the statistics were piling up and the County needed to start somewhere., and while the