Essential Grays Harbor County employees working through the COVID-19 shutdown will receive a 5% raise, approved by the board of county commissioners Tuesday.
There was also a discussion about vacation rentals and why they have not been shut down in light of the governor’s stay-at-home orders.
“The 5% raise is for all essential employees as outlined by the governor,” said Commissioner Vickie Raines. “For us it will be Public Health, Environmental Health, corrections, criminal, facilities, emergency management, minimal staff in the Assessor’s, Auditor, Clerk, Courts, Treasurer (departments), etc.”
The raises are reimbursable through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Raines, and the Grays Harbor County raises are similar to what Mason County is doing for its essential employees. All three commissioners voted yes on the proposal.
The board also approved an additional 80 hours of administrative leave for employees who don’t fall under the Governor’s “essential” category and are unable to come to work.
“Some employees have the capability to work from home, others don’t, for various reasons,” said Raines. “The administrative leave is for those who cannot work from home” and don’t make the current list of “essential” employees.
Raines and Commissioner Randy Ross voted to approve the additional leave time, Commissioner Wes Cormier voted no.
When asked to explain the reason for his “no” vote, Cormier said because the details of the closed collective bargaining agreements sessions are not public yet and “there’s still a lot we are working on” he said he’d give his reasoning “in the coming weeks.” Raines confirmed that the results of the collective bargaining sessions would be made public “in the future.”
Vacation rentals
During a brief public comment period on the meeting conducted via Zoom, the commissioners were asked why there hasn’t been a move to close down vacation rental properties. Even with the stay at home mandate by the governor and local access restrictions, people from outside the area have been hitting the beaches, prompting concerns from local residents.
Raines explained she brought up the item to the county Public Health Officer, Dr. John Bausher, who would be the person to issue such an order, “and he didn’t think it was necessary at this time.” Enforcement of such an order is another issue. “Speaking with the sheriff, we’re so short-handed with deputies at this time it’s not possible for us to be able to enforce it,” said Raines, adding “we’re not in a position at this point to make those closures,” which also have not been ordered by the governor.
“It’s distressing when people are not adhering to the governor’s orders and putting others at risk, but it’s a resource issue and the best we can ask is to have our citizens stay sheltered and keep healthy,” said Ross. “Those who are venturing out from other areas, shame on them, but again the sheriff doesn’t have the resources the way it is and I respect the decision not to do anything else at this time.”
County Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Norma Tillotson said the county has no way of knowing if people using vacation rentals are there to practice their own social distancing. “We don’t have any way of knowing that and we certainly are not going to peek into windows to do that,” she said. “We don’t know why people may be utilizing those rentals,” she added, saying the county is taking a cautious approach with the Public Health Officer not believing they are posing a health risk.
