Kittitas County says WSDOT refused county's snow removal assistance for not mandating vaccine

WSDOT says mountain passes unlikely to open before Sunday

All across the state, passes are still closed—and officials say that's unlikely to change before Sunday.

KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. - Kittitas County claims that the state of Washington refused its help for recent snow removal because the county does not mandate the COVID vaccine for employees.

As of Oct. 18, all state employees were required to be fully vaccinated or face termination. According to Kittitas County, this resulted in 48 state employees who were no longer able to work for state maintenance and snow removal efforts in Kittitas County.

On Nov. 30, Kittitas County "signed an interlocal agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation. WSDOT requested this agreement based on an identified need for additional resources caused by reduced staffing," county commissioners wrote in a joint statement.

Due to the significant snowfall the state saw earlier this month, Kittitas County said it offered assistance to clear State Route 903 near the town of Ronald in unincorporated Kittitas County on Jan. 11.

However, the state said they could not accept Kittitas' assistance due to the county not mandating the COVID vaccine for county employees. WSDOT says the interlocal agreement signed requires vaccination declaration.

Instead, WSDOT opted to go with a private contractor to clear SR 903. The roadway needed to be cleared in sections due to nearby homes and vehicles.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: WSDOT staffing shortages to cause longer road closures, minimal plowing on Passes this winter

In early November, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced that crews would be shifting priorities for plowing and road closures along the passes due to staff shortages. WSDOT said these shortages are due to retirements, the pandemic, vaccine mandates and other factors.

However, in a meeting with the state's House Transportation Committee on Jan. 10, WSDOT director Roger Millar said that while the department isn't in the "best place" when it comes to staffing, they aren't necessarily in a bad place, either.

Millar said that about 151 highway maintenance and snow management employees left because of the Oct. 18 vaccine mandate deadline. Since that time, Millar said the department has hired about 200 people, including nine former employees who elected to get the vaccine and return to work. With those hires, WSDOT is short about 140 positions of its usual 1,500 for the winter season.

He said that any staffing restraints comes from an underfunded budget due to the pandemic.

Get breaking news alerts in the FREE FOX 13 Seattle app. Download for Apple iOS or Android.

Stay connected with FOX 13 News on all platforms:
DOWNLOAD: FOX 13 News and Weather Apps
WATCH: FOX 13 News Live
SUBSCRIBE: FOX 13 on YouTube
DAILY BRIEF: Sign Up For Our Newsletter
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram