Video courtesy of Nancy Kusky of Goldendale TV. Please subscribe to her YouTube Channel.
The Goldendale city council met last night. Much of the meeting centered on a presentation by Recovery Café on the Recovery Navigation Project. This is a diversion program for controlled substances coming out of state legislation setting up programs in every Washington County. Jim Jenson of Carelon Behavioral Health, was one of several representatives who spoke. He explained that in 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in the case of State versus Blake the state’s felony drug possession law unconstitutional.
“That meant simple possession was not against the law for a while, but then the legislature added some language to make sure simple possession was illegal. In that same bill, they funded some resources to both allow for the legislation to fit into the RCWs and LA?) for pre-arrest diversion to require two diversions for simple possession before you can charge somebody for simple possession.”
He said the operation was unlike other situations:
“It’s different than let’s say a drug court, a therapeutic court, where they say do this…or else. The way the Recovery Navigator program is, is that while internally or with the peers, we can hold folks accountable, they can’t suffer increased charges for lack of engagement with us. They can only be referred to us and we try to help them.”
In other actions, councilors scheduled a public hearing for the next meeting on removing covenants and restrictions originally imposed on on the Goldendale Industrial Park, to clear away some liability issues before portions can be sold.