Public Health & Safety Committee

TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 1 CONVENE: 8:00 a.m. PRESENT: Chair Peter Agabi and Councilmembers Leatta Dahlhoff and Kelly Von Holtz. Staff: City Administrator Lisa Parks, City Attorney Karen Kirkpatrick, Finance Director Troy Niemeyer, Fire Chief Brian Hurley, Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Crimmins, Police Commander Jay Mason, Communications Manager Jason Wettstein, and Police Administrative Supervisor Laura Wohl. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 8, 2024: MOTION: Councilmember Dahlhoff moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to approve the minutes of October 8, 2024 as published. A voice vote approved the motion. INTERLOCAL City Attorney Kirkpatrick reported the proposal is a renewal of an AGREEMENT agreement with Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for WITH THURSTON prosecution services. The proposed renewal includes an increase of $20,000 COUNTY for 2025 and a minor escalator for 2026. No other proposed changes are PROSECUTING proposed in the agreement. The relationship has been longstanding and ATTORNEY’S productive. Staff recommends approval of moving the agreement to the OFFICE FOR City Council’s December 3, 2024 meeting for approval. PROSECUTION SERVICES: MOTION: Councilmember Von Holtz moved, seconded by Councilmember Dahlhoff, to place the Interlocal Agreement with the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for Prosecution Services on the December 3, 2024, City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. INTERLOCAL Deputy Fire Chief Crimmins briefed members on the proposal. AGREEMENT WITH OLYMPIA The Mark Noble Regional Training Fire Center is named for a former FOR MARK Olympia Firefighter who started his fire services in 1984 at the NOBLE McLane/Black Lake Fire Department. H joined the Olympia Fire REGIONAL Department in the mid 90s. He was diagnosed with cancer and died in TRAINING 2005. Prior to his death, Firefighter Noble was instrumental in raising TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 2 CENTER: cancer awareness and prevention. The training center was named in his honor for his commitment to firefighter safety and training. The proposal is an interlocal agreement between the City of Tumwater and the City of Olympia for $90,400 covering a one-year period for use of a state-of-the-art fire training facility. The facility has both commercial and residential fire training props with the capability to provide “live fire” training which is required annually for firefighters. The training center includes a command center and classrooms and provides the ability to conduct real-time and in-depth incident command training on all types of residential and commercial structure fires and critical class space training required by the state and the City. Staff requests the committee place the Interlocal Agreement with Olympia for use of the Mark Noble Regional Training Center on the November 19, 2024 City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. Councilmember Dahlhoff inquired about training facility options if the center was not available to the fire department. Deputy Fire Chief Crimmins advised that in the past, the department often used empty parking lots to conduct some training exercises. The department lacks the space to offer training to all fire service personnel. The center provides a safe and secure location used by only fire and EMS personnel. The fire department would need to identify other locations to conduct training. The center offers an ideal location as it is inclusive and covers different training needs. Chair Agabi asked whether the City of Lacey utilizes the center or has an independent training center. Deputy Fire Chief Crimmins advised that Lacey Fire District 3 also contracts with the Olympia Fire Department for use of the training center. The Fire District also has a training center at old Station 34 located off Steilacoom Road in Lacey. MOTION: Councilmember Dahlhoff moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to place the Interlocal Agreement with Olympia for use of the Mark Noble Regional Training Center on the November 19, 2024 City Council consent calendar with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. INTERLOCAL Olympia Fire Department Chief Matt Morris reported the FDCARES AGREEMENT program is more successful when implemented regionally. The services WITH OLYMPIA offered by the program are important to the communities as it is often FOR FDCARES difficult for agencies to offer the services independently. The proposal PROGRAM: offers the ability to partner and share resources to benefit the communities as needs do not recognize city borders. He introduced Sarena Bellovich, TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 3 Olympia Fire Department C.A.R.E.S. Program Manager. Ms. Bellovich reported the acronym FDCARES is a Fire Department Community Assistance, Referral, and Education Services program. The program provides fire departments an opportunity to offer community members some additional assistance, education, and connection to resources. The program provides an opportunity for post-911 follow-up calls. Often, an initial 911 call may involve numerous needs of an individual. In 2019, the Olympia Fire Department implemented a non-emergent care coordination referral service program for the City of Olympia. Much of the service centered on phone-based referral services and care coordination by connecting people to resources in the community. In 2023, the City of Olympia approved an expansion of services that enabled implementation of the FDCARES more comprehensively. Multidiscipline teams are a major component of the program. Social workers and medical professionals are available for individuals to connect with for services. The program enables in-person contacts as well. Partnerships, such as with the Tumwater Fire Department enable the program to reach people outside the boundaries of the City of Olympia. Many Tumwater residents currently utilize the services offered in Olympia. The partnership provides the ability to connect the Tumwater community to other services in the area. The program also helps each agency connect people to services in Tumwater that may be needed but were unable to access previously. Examples of services provided by the FDCARES program include 911 dependency, caregiver service needs, food assistance, medication, mental health support, substance use support, housing support, finding a primary care doctor, health supportive services that are beyond medical care, or navigation services for insurance such as Medicaid or Medicare, and fall risk assessments and some facility follow-up. Approximately 20% of clients referred to services are referred more than one time. FDCARES is a unique program that is committed to connecting people to community support services to achieve positive health outcomes within the communities served by the agencies. The FDCARES Program offers individually tailored short-term case management and supportive planning for services. The program enables mitigation of some risk factors for individuals. Often it may entail connecting individuals to two or more services within the community. Ms. Bellovich shared a graph depicting results of the program in October 2024. Approximately 46% of referrals or attempts to contact individuals were successful. Each time a referral is received new attempts are pursued by connecting with individuals more than once. Overall service outcomes reflect that there were 205 different outcomes by 34 individuals served by TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 4 the program. Overall livability, connection to community resources and healthcare coordination, and referrals to services to improve quality of life overall are the high-level goals on the program. Equity is also important in terms of individuals connected to sustainable tools, culturally competent social services, and mental health professionals who can work with individuals over the long-term. Councilmember Dahlhoff asked how the program overlaps or differs from the community-based crisis teams (CBCTs) program the Tumwater Fire Department plans to move forward. Fire Chief Hurley said the programs are different. The FDCARES Program is primarily based on referrals from engine company crews contacting individuals either in their homes or at another location to address needs for referral to the FDCARES program whereas the crisis response model is through the 911 system to address immediate interventional situations. The FDCARES Program is a longer- term case management program. Members discussed the benefits of offering both programs in the City of Tumwater. Chair Agabi asked about the process of coordinating different services required by an individual. Ms. Bellovich explained that the FDCARES program is a proactive approach by preventing emergencies from occurring. However, if an individual calls 911 and emergency services are required, crews are able to obtain information from the individual and seek approval to receive a follow-up call. The program contacts the individual and offers referral to other services. Those contacts often occur through phone calls or visits to their residence. The program makes multiple attempts to contact the individual until contact is successful. Successful contacts results in a discussion and an assessment of options the individual may be seeking. The initial assessment helps to determine initial goals that can be established for the individual and how the program can provide assistance to meet those goals. Chair Agabi asked whether the program could pursue a referral for an individual who has indicated they do not want any services or resources. Ms. Bellovich said that as long as the action meets HIPAA privacy requirements, the program could provide some care coordination without authorization by the individual. It is dependent on the particular need. However, some situations falling under the jurisdiction of police or fire are emergent and do not require authorization by the individual. MOTION: Councilmember Dahlhoff moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to place the Interlocal Agreement with Olympia for FDCARES partnership on the November 19, 2024, City Council consent calendar TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 5 with a recommendation to approve and authorize the Mayor to sign. A voice vote approved the motion unanimously. RESOLUTION Communications Manager Wettstein presented the proposed resolution for R2024-015, consideration by the committee. AFFIRMING THE COUNCIL’S The resolution was prompted because of recent events at the national, state, COMMITMENT TO and local levels highlighting the need for the community to stand against EQUALITY, hate, violation of civil rights, and to reaffirm the City’s shared commitment DIGNITY AND THE to justice, equality, and human dignity. The resolution asserts the City’s PROTECTION OF stand for kindness and belonging in Tumwater. The resolution was CIVIL RIGHTS, reviewed previously by the committee. Revisions to the resolution adds AND STANDING provisions on the approach of receiving information directly from people AGAINST HATE, with lived experience within the community and working with and learning BIGOTRY AND from neighboring community approaches. DISCRIMINATION: The Council, Mayor, and staff have been meeting with community members to gain insights. Staff added supportive information to the website including links to resources for those who may have experienced a hate crime or is concerned about hate crimes in Tumwater. The proposed action provides a value-space foundation for the City and supports the Strategic Priority to Build a Community Recognized for Quality, Compassion, and Humanity. Staff requests the committee recommend Resolution R2024-015, Affirming the Council’s commitment to equality, dignity and the protection of civil rights, and standing against hate, bigotry, and discrimination for approval by the Council at the November 19, 2024 meeting under Council Considerations. In response to a request from Chair Agabi, Manager Wettstein shared a copy of the draft resolution highlighting the requested revisions. He addressed questions about the inclusion of community entities explaining that staff is working with various members and leaders within the community as well as with surrounding communities to seek perspectives and lived experiences. Staff is also working with the League of Women Voters on multi-city events and continuing efforts on the formation of an Equity Commission. Chair Agabi referred to Councilmember Dahlhoff’s suggestion to include community entities within the resolution. He asked whether the proposed resolution speaks to her suggestion and whether the resolution would be enforceable. Councilmember Dahlhoff responded that the language in the resolution is moving in the right direction; however, the resolution lacks information on those individuals who provided examples of their respective experiences. She wants to avoid a resolution that contains only words, but reflects actionable items. The proposed resolution is indicative of a good update; TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 6 however, the resolution is not sufficient to move forward. Chair Agabi emphasized that for an actionable or enforceable resolution, language should be included that speaks to City having the ability to enforce. Councilmember Dahlhoff replied that an actionable or enforceable action is addressed through a City ordinance whereas a resolution is reflective of a statement of a desired outcome. There has been a missed opportunity for what the desired outcome means for Tumwater. She supports moving the proposed resolution forward to the Council for discussion as the resolution represents ongoing work for continuous improvement. Although not reflected in the resolution, individuals who have had experiences and reached out to the City have not been acknowledged. Councilmember Von Holtz reported that she was unaware of the community discussions. She was invited by the Mayor to be involved in those conversations but was not invited to participate in any of the conversations or has received any feedback on the outcome of the conversations. She wants to avoid a resolution that is only reflective of words on paper, but rather it should be Tumwater walking its talk. She asked about the possibility of reaching out to members involved in Project Kindness. Tumwater is the only community in Thurston County that has a cultural center. Many of the discussions and input could be obtained from members of the cultural center or the possibility of pursuing a partnership. She asked about the possibility of including any language resulting from the City’s Equity Toolbox efforts. Chair Agabi commented on the possibility of the committee overlooking the larger intent of the resolution. A resolution speaks to a particular subject and does not necessarily address particular issues. Should the committee desire the resolution to speak to particular issues occurring in the community; those actions are generated by the City’s policies, procedures, and the state’s RCWs. The City’s Equity Commission would be in a position to address the issues. Councilmember Dahlhoff said her intent of the resolution was to help gain some momentum to expedite the timeline to form the Equity Commission. If the resolution only represents words on paper, she does not favor moving it forward. Alternatively, she could support moving the resolution to the City Council for a conversation; however, it is a decision by the entire committee on the next steps for the resolution. MOTION: Chair Agabi moved, seconded by Councilmember Von Holtz, to move Resolution R2024-015, Affirming the Council’s commitment to equality, dignity and the protection of civil rights, and standing against hate, bigotry, and discrimination to the City Council for consideration. A TUMWATER PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF VIRTUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2024 Page 7 voice vote approved the motion unanimously. ADDITIONAL There were no additional items. ITEMS: ADJOURNMENT: With there being no further business, Chair Agabi adjourned the meeting at 9:53 a.m. Prepared by Valerie L. Gow, Recording Secretary/President Puget Sound Meeting Services, psmsoly@earthlink.net