Commissioners discuss language translation services

RITZVILLE – With an increasingly Hispanic population in Adams County, commissioners discussed language translation options during its March 22 meeting.

Currently, county departments rely on bilingual employees for informal language translation, primarily between English and Spanish, in routine customer service situations, Human Resources Manager Amalia Perez presented said.

Perez described Language Link, a subscription service which provides real-time translation by telephone. At least one county department uses the service, while others rely on bi-lingual employees for transition when needed, although translation is not part of their job descriptions, and they are not compensated for having that skill, she said.

Commissioner Dan Blankenship expressed concern about the need for translation of signage, letters and other written materials used in county government.

Adams County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Flyckt underscored the customer service nature of these translations, and pointed out that translations for legal purposes are a very different consideration. Perez agreed her human resources translator project was separate from court translators.

In other business during the meeting, commissioners discussed the bill that would have made it easier for county legislative meetings to take place outside of a county.

Senate Bill 5514, increasing the frequency of county legislative meetings at alternate locations, was returned March 10 from the state House of Representatives to the Senate Rules Committee for a third reading.

The move ended any chance the bill had this year.

Adams County commissioners had supported the measure.

In a previous letter supporting the bill, the board wrote, “Adams County has long had a desire to have our legislative authority meet more often than quarterly in Othello, the population center of the county.”

The bill was sponsored by Sens. Perry Dozier, R-Waitsburg, Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, Shelly Short, R-Addy, and Jeff Wilson, R-Longview.

The measure would have allowed more monthly meetings outside the county seat, rather than limiting them to quarterly under current law.