County commission covers varied agenda

The Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners handled a variety of business at their weekly Tuesday morning meeting.

• Members of the Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group asked the commission to include funding in the 2022 county budgets to support the group, which is a non-profit group whose mission is to assist with animal problems throughout the county. Commissioners thanked the group for its presentation and said they would take the request into consideration.

• Commissioners approved requests from department heads to approve contracts with state agencies for defendant reimbursements and probationary services.

The commission also signed a contract for county Health and Human Services to return unused funds intended for community assistance from covid-19 impacts. H&HS spokesperson Julie Johnston said the state Department of Commerce failed to issue guidelines for use before the program expired.

However, the board also approved a contract with Commerce for Eviction Rent Assistance.

"It seems to be an easier grant," Johnston said, adding that it will last 21 months.

"We've had about 20-plus households that we've assisted since September, 2020," she said. "We've been using it, and hopefully things will get better and we won't need it any more."

Board Chair Gene Strong commented that he serves on the board of the Lower Columbia Community Action Program (CAP) which has funds for homeowners who might need assistance because of pandemic effects.

• Late in the meeting, council members briefly covered updates in the 2022 budget drafts and agreed to hold a special meeting next Wednesday to continue their in-depth review.