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5/25/21 MINUTES 1 <br /> <br />COMMISSIONERS' MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON WEBEX SPECIAL MEETING <br /> TUESDAY 3:30 P.M. MAY 25, 2021 <br />Board members present via Webex: Chairman Brett Wachsmith, Vice- <br />Chairman Laura Osiadacz, and Commissioner Cory Wright. <br /> <br />Others via Webex: Julie Kjorsvik, Clerk of the Board; Jerry Pettit, <br />Auditor; Greg Zempel, Prosecutor; Elishia Harvill, Chief <br />Administrator; Jodi Hammond, Chief Criminal Deputy; Chris Horner, <br />Deputy Prosecutor III; Amy Cziske, Treasurer; Stephanie Hartung, <br />Deputy Prosecutor III; Judy Pless, Budget & Finance Manager; Val <br />Barschaw, Clerk; Barb Demory, Lower County District Court <br />Administrator; Sarah Keith, Superior Court Administrator. SPECIAL MEETING BLAKE DECISION PROSECUTOR <br />At 3:30 p.m. Chairman Wachsmith opened a Special Meeting to receive <br />an update on the Blake decision and process for reimbursing legal <br />financial obligations. <br /> <br />Greg Zempel, Prosecutor reviewed the recent Blake decision and the <br />possible financial impacts to the State, as well as local impacts. <br />He indicated the meeting was just to provide an update to the Board <br />on what he is currently aware of. He said the State has said they <br />would be responsible for funding the reimbursements back to the <br />Counties and Cities, but the exact details are unknown at this time. <br />There are cases that date back to 1971 in which people can claim <br />reimbursement for fines they have paid relating to the Blake <br />decision made by the Supreme Court. Mr. Zempel said they began <br />working on this as soon as the decision was made, even though they <br />are already backlogged due to COVID-19. He said they have been <br />internally discussing the reimbursement process and determined <br />people will need to file a Claim for Damages form with the Auditor’s <br />office. By filing it as a Claim for Damages, it will allow for <br />internal tracking and providing documentation to the State for <br />reimbursement. <br /> <br />Jerry Pettit, Auditor said the claims process would work best for <br />their office as well. Val Barschaw, Clerk provided some history of <br />fines, their records, and noted she had not seen what the Claim for <br />Damages form looks like. She felt the claims process would take <br />additional time for her Staff to process. Barb Demory, Lower County <br />Administrator said their system does not go back prior to 2005. Mr. <br />Zempel said the farther back people request reimbursement of their <br />fines, the more difficult it will be to find information, but the