RITZVILLE — Last week, Adams County commissioners, mayors, legislators and other county officials signed a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee asking him to allow the county to move to Phase 2 and reopen early. But the request was denied.

Mike Faulk, press secretary for Inslee, said in an email on Monday, May 11, that the governor’s office had received the request. While Adams County meets the population size specified for opening early, it has had four cases in the last three weeks, leaving it outside of Inslee’s parameters for permission to move to Phase 2 of his reopening plan.

Faulk said in order for a county to be eligible for a variance and open retail and restaurants early, it must have a population under 75,000 and have had no new COVID-19 cases in the last three weeks.

“We’re pretty disappointed that the governor is not going to let us go to Phase 2,” said Roger Hartwig, chairman of the Adams County commissioners. “I’m getting calls every day from people who are going to lose their small businesses. We have a large labor force. It’s hard not to have a case (of COVID-19). We have no one in the hospital and no deaths. I wish he would have at least considered Phase 2. Our small businesses aren’t going to make it much longer.”

Hartwig said that the county is preparing the courthouse for when it will be allowed to go to Phase 2. Shields are being put into place, and steps are being taken to monitor temperatures and ensure that social distancing is observed in each department.

The Washington State Department of Health has approved variances for eight counties, allowing them to progress to Phase 2: Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Stevens and Wahkiakum. A Phase 2 variance for Kittitas County is still under review.

The entire state is tentatively scheduled to move into Phase 2 on Monday, May 25. Phase 2 of the governor’s four-phase restart plan will allow public gatherings of up to five people as well as increased outdoor recreation, essential travel and the reopening of businesses such as retail outlets, hair and nail salons, pet grooming and restaurants (at 50 percent capacity).

Grant County commissioners sent a letter to Inslee on May 4, expressing concerns that the governor’s office was not working with local officials statewide.

“We’ve sent three letters (to the governor’s office). He has not responded to any of them,” Commissioner Tom Taylor said. He said he didn’t expect a response.

Faulk said Tuesday, May 12, that a reply to the Grant County commissioners’ letter was being drafted, although he did not give a time frame for the response. He disputed the idea that Inslee, or his office, had not been sufficiently responsive.

Taylor said Inslee should have contacted county and city officials and kept them better informed of his plans. Inslee has announced an agreement with governors of California, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada to coordinate some lifting of restrictions.

Inslee has not, Taylor said, kept county officials adequately informed. “But he’s reached out to other states. It’s frustrating,” Taylor said.

Faulk said that the governor’s office holds weekly calls with local officials from throughout the state, including Central Washington, and that Inslee has participated in at least one of them. “The Grant County board chair has been invited to participate in these calls, but for the last few weeks no one from the Grant County commission has participated, according to our outreach team,” he said.

Cindy Carter is the commission chair, and said technical difficulties had kept her from attending the last meeting. Taylor said he had listened to one of the meetings after it was over. “By no means is it an open communication between county leaders and the governor’s office,” Taylor said.

Faulk also disputed the characterization of the cooperation with other states. “This is not and never has been some binding agreement for the states to act in lockstep,” Faulk wrote. “They are not acting so much in coordination as much as their counterparts in the governor’s office have weekly communications.”

The May 4 letter was drafted after a meeting of county commissioners from across the state, Taylor said.

While the commissioners have had contact with the Central Washington liaison in the governor’s office, Taylor said there has only been discussion with few answers. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the orders detailing essential and non-essential businesses and activities, Taylor said, and in his opinion state officials, including Inslee, have not explained the rationale behind a lot of those decisions.

Faulk said the governor’s office staff has tried to keep in contact with county and city officials.

“Engagement with local officials has been a crucial element of our response to this crisis. It remains a crucial part of the plan going forward,” he said.