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Home My WebLink Aboutord2011-033 WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO. 2011 - 257 CLEARANCES Initial Date Date Received in Council Office Agenda Date Assigned to: Originator: AD 6/28/11 07/26/11 Introduction � D Division Head: e(rnb i C E D V E 0 08/09/11 Hearin Dept. Head: ILO "0 I JUL HI 9 2011 P r o s e c u t o r: IRS ' ' 6- ^ 1 t Purchasing/Budget: , .: W/is4 WHATCONI COUNTY _ - COUNCIL Executive: TITLE OF DOCUMENT: Ordinance: -Establishing the Whatcom County Veterans Assistance Program. ATTACHMENTS: Ordinance Form Proposed amendment to WCC Chapter 2. 150 SEPA review required? ° ( ) Yes ( X ) NO Should Clerk schedule a hearing ? ( X ) Yes ( ) NO sSEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( X ) NO Requested Date: Introduction on July 26, 2011 for Public , Hearing on August 9, 2011 . SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public hearing, you must provide the language for use in the. required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate. Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.) Ordinance establishing the Whatcom County Veterans Assistance Program. • COMMITTEE ACTION:: COUNCIL ACTION: 7 / 26 / 2011 : Introduced 8 / 09 / 2011 : Council Adopted 7 -0 Ord . 2011 -033 Related County Contract #: Related File Numbers: Ordinance or Resolution Number: Ord . 2011 -033 Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing on the County 's website at: www. co. whatcom. wmus/council. 1 SPONSORED BY : CONSENT 2 PROPOSED BY : COUNTY EXECUTIVE 3 INTRODUCTION DATE : JULY 26, 2011 4 5 6 ORDINANCE NO . 2011 -033 7 8 AMENDING THE WHATCOM COUNTY CODE TO ESTABLISH 9 THE WHATCOM COUNTY VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 10 11 WHEREAS, Whatcom County Veterans represent approximately ten percent 12 of the population ; 13 14 WHEREAS, Whatcom County Veterans have served us honorably and deserve 15 an opportunity to have their basic needs met ; 16 17 WHEREAS, too many Whatcom County Veterans are indigent and living 18 without basic needs such as safe housing , food , health care and necessary 19 transportation ; 20 21 WHEREAS, Washington State law , RCW 73 . 08 . 080 , authorizes counties to 22 impose property tax collection for the purpose of aiding local Veterans ; 23 24 WHEREAS, Whatcom County collects property tax millage with a portion 25 dedicated to establishing a Veterans Assistance Fund to aid local indigent Veterans ; 26 27 WHEREAS, Washington State law , RCW 73 . 08 . 010 , assigns the county 28 legislative authority, and Whatcom County Code , Chapter 2 . 150 , assigns the County 29 Council and the County Executive the authority to establish a Veterans Assistance 30 Program which can be funded , in whole or part, by the Veterans Assistance Fund ; 31 32 WHEREAS , a Veterans Assistance Program establishes a comprehensive , 33 coordinated system of effective services for local Veterans in need within available 34 funds ; 35 36 WHEREAS , Whatcom County Health Department has demonstrated expertise 37 in establishing , implementing and operating effective social service programs ; 38 39 WHEREAS , the Whatcom County Veterans Advisory Board , formally 40 established in Whatcom County Code , Chapter 2 . 150 , supports the establishment of 41 a Veterans Assistance Program administered and staffed by the Health Department 42 under the authority of the County Executive . 43 44 45 Page 1 1 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that 2 a Veterans Assistance Program be established with this ordinance to be codified in 3 Whatcom County Code Chapter 2 . XXX , attached hereto as Exhibit A, and be 4 administered by the Health Department under the authority of the County Executive . 5 6 ADOPTED this 9th day of Au Est , 2011 . 7 0 % t 0 (/ ATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL 9 ATTEST : § Y. ' � HATC • . %TCOM COUNTY, WA - INGTON 1: ? i s -o� COUNTY - • r a r 12/0-v, Dana rown - Davis , Cle ,k o the- Council Sa _ rawford Cou . cil Chair 1 o m 4STATEOF * . 14 • -T O • SFlI N G� . • ' 15 C: 06 • • • • ° Wt*)\TCOM COUNTY EXECUTIVE 16 X0/1/ � * .` ��V17�HATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON 17 APPROVED AS TO FORM : 198 c , , 'Ay 20 Civil Deputy o tutor Pe e Kremen , County Executive 21 22 ( roved ( ) Denied 23 . 24 Date : 26 27 Page 2 EXHIBIT A Whatcom County Code Chapter 2 . XX VETERANS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Sections : X.X. 010 Veterans Assistance Program Established X. X. 020 Program Funding X. X. 030 Administration X. X. 040 Veterans Advisory Board X. X. 050 Programs and Services X. X. 060 Program Policies X.X. 070 Indigent status and Determination X. X. 080 Effective Date X.X. 090 Severability Section X. X. 010 Veterans Assistance Program Established Pursuant to RCW 73 . 08 . 010 a Whatcom County Veterans Assistance Program is hereby established for the purpose of developing , implementing and administering a comprehensive system of services to aid Whatcom County Veterans . Programs and services shall include those that meet identified basic needs for individuals , as well as community programs that benefit Veterans and their families . Section X. X. 020 Program Funding The resources of the Veterans Assistance Fund , authorized by RCW 73 . 08 . 080 , will provide support for the programs and services delivered to Whatcom County indigent Veterans . Funding from other sources may also support the Veterans Assistance Program and may be used to provide services to non - indigent Whatcom County Veterans as allowed by State law . Section X. X. 030 Administration The Health Department shall administer the Veterans Assistance Program under the authority of the County Executive . The Health Department shall establish appropriate services to be delivered under this program with recommendations from the Veterans Advisory Board pursuant to County Code Chapter 2 . 150 . Section X. X. 040 Veterans Advisory Board The Health Department shall provide staff to the Veterans Advisory Board and shall solicit recommendations from the Board on appropriate services for local Veterans . Section X. X. 050 Programs and Services Programs and services delivered to eligible Veterans under the Veterans Assistance Program will include the following components : 1 . Individual financial assistance on a temporary basis to help meet basic needs . 2 . Housing eviction prevention assistance . 3 . Housing assistance for homeless Veterans . 4 . Behavioral health services that are not paid for by other sources . 5 . Legal assistance for help in securing non -VA federal benefits, proof of identity, and assistance with non - criminal matters . 6 . Social and support services that aid a successful return to the community after active duty . 7 . Re- entry services to locally incarcerated Veterans to assist with successful return to the community and connection to supportive services . 8 . Case management services that include helping Veterans navigate the social services system and connect to effective programs and services . 9 . Training opportunities for Veterans and community professional working with Veterans . 10 . Burial assistance as defined in RCW 73 . 08 . 070 . 11 . Other Veterans services as approved by the County Executive . Section X.X. 060 Program Policies Policies for administering the Veterans Assistance Program shall be . established by the Health Department with recommendations from the Veterans Advisory Board and approval of the County Executive . Changes to these Policies will require approval from the County Executive . Policies will outline program eligibility, access to program services, program staffing , assistance limitations, fraud and abuse, and quality control measures . An appeal process for denials of service also will be addressed in policy and will give final review authority to the Health Department Director . Section X. X. 070 Indigent Status and Determination Pursuant to RCW 73 . 08 . 005 and County Code , Chapter 2 . 150 , assistance to individual Veterans supported by the Veterans Assistance Fund must meet one of three statutory criteria for indigent status . Any subsequent changes to the definition of " indigent" in statute shall be reflected in this policy after approval from the County Executive and the County Council . Section X.X. 080 Effective Date This ordinance shall take effect on September 1 , 2011 . Section X.X. 090 Severability If any provision of this ordinance or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid , the remainder of this ordinance or the application of the provisions to other persons or circumstances is not affected .