Bid Award 2814 – Annual Legal advertising to Columbian. Discussion of other papers used (Latin American times, for example) to get to a diverse audience, so not limited to Columbian. Approved.

Public Hearings:

Capital Technical Adjustment budget supplemental
20 requests, 15 are carry forward from 2025 to 2026. Previously approved, no new requests.
Approved
2026 Annual Action Plan CDBG/HOME (Community Development Block Grant)
Wil recuses himself as he work for a recipient (Fourth Plain Forward).
Presentation
Plan is federally regulated as to requirements for the grant
Review of available funding and recommended projects to fund by goal.
Matt asks how projects are evaluated, staff goes through scoring etc. Discussion of Proud Ground and Habitat home buyer programs. Noted there have been no defaults in these programs. Housing counseling is required (education).
Public Comment can be submitted in writing through 5/11
Authorize County Manager to sign grant application and other docs. Approved.
Current Use Open Space Applications for 2 historic sites. (One for stream protection had to be pulled, property was re-platted to 2 lots smaller than 10 acres, which don’t qualify. Staff talking to that owner to determine go forward).
Presentation
Tax reduction to preserve open space lands. Map of current properties on slide 4. (numbers not correct)
Applications are for William Frederick Kauffman House and Bakery Building (looks like Briz guitar in Vancouver)
Matt asks about impact, benefit. Tax rate stays as current use instead of highest and best use in the future. Total tax county gets remains the same as it is redistributed across all other properties.
Can be anywhere in the county (including cities), must be on a historic register.
Glen – overall impact is about $10/year per median home increased tax to cover. Wants to review the program – supports this program. Sue notes that this would be part of an overall review of the total Public Benefit program that they county should undertake.
Public Comment: nothing sane.
Approved

Open Public Comment: A proposal for redesign of the controversial PP&L power line proposed through east county (with diorama!); Concern about traffic capacity around 179^th & i-5, and a lapsed agreement for reserved capacity with WSUV; Concern about out of state resident on a county advisory board (DEAB, Howsley)

Consent Agenda: (20 items)

Glen pulls 4, 6, 13. Sue pulls 2. All others approved.

Item 2 – Appointments. Sue’s response. Need to look at all boards and commissions – scope, resolving conflicts. Appreciate the comment. Since he ‘works’ in Clark County, ok. Approved.

Item 4 – Glen just wanted to recognize the work of the Accessible Community Advisory Committee. Approved

Item 6 – SeaMar building in Battle Ground to be sold. Glen notes that this was the subject of considerable discussion. Sue asks where SeaMar is relocating to, they are moving services to other existing facilities. Approved. (Past meetings it was noted that the roof repair would cost more than the building is worth)

Item 13 – Camp Bonneville. Glen asks staff for explanation. It approves DNR to establish a helicopter base for fire-fighting. Have been doing this for years. Rent increased $500/month. Will reinvest that $ into the buildings used by DNR. Approved.

Separate Business:

1. Increase public parking rate in lots adjoining county building. Partly to offset new Vancouver parking spot tax. Matt questions how they do the raises, suggests percent vs. straight amount. Staff wants to keep is simple for the machines. Approved as written.
2. Contract with Environmental Incentives for Bioretention Facility CBP3 Program Development. Fully funded by a grant. Approved. (CBP3 – Community Based Public Private Partnership).
3. Purchase full electric equipment and truck using a state dept of transportation WAZIP incentive program. (Washington Zero-emission vehicle incentive program).
State keeps a list of acceptable vehicles. Getting a couple to see how it goes.
Glen wants a side by side comparison to similar diesel equipment. Even with the state incentive the vehicles will cost more than diesels, but will have lower ongoing costs.
Discussion of where the funding is coming from (above the grant)
Included in the Comp Plan climate element requirement to transition to EVs
Approved
4. Agreement with state for VAST traffic signal software and ATMS replacement project. (VAST - Vancouver Area Smart Track; ATMS - Advanced Traffic Management System)
Federal Grant of $1,750,000.
Cooperative agreement with WSDOT
Congestion mitigation and Air Quality program.
Current system is getting old. Want to move to same system Vancouver uses.
Approved
5. Amendment(s) to contract with Windsor Engineers for Philbrook Farms Tract D stormwater Facilities Design.
The county was left holding the bag for a developer’s failure, this has been subject of public comment in past meetings. See pages 57-59 of attachment for pictures of flooded playground space
Construction next summer.
Ran into some complicating factors on site. The underground was not well documented as built. Had to do more excavation on site to figure it out. Part of the system is clogged and can’t be cleaned. Have to replace or enhance. Solution to be designed.
Glen asked how many houses – close to 100.
Sue – what can we learn from this? County inherited this, what can we do to prevent recurrence here? Asks about future maintenance. They are actively looking at. Sediment from original construction.
Some access ports from original design were not built. Sue asks if that kind of design should be approved in the future.
HOA owns the surface, county owns the stormwater system underground.
Glen notes that the building industry is probably cringing right now, as this will cause more regulation in order to prevent. Response: the Stormwater code manual is being revised, with changes driven in part by this situation. Also looking at maintenance bond warranty language, and doing more inspections.
Wil asks who is at fault, staff may be talking to Legal about options, as they learn more.
Approved.
6. 3 resolutions to acquire right of way for NE 179^th st, NE Delfel road, and NE 15^th ave.
Goes through what the process will be.
Presentation starts page 9 of attachment: CLARK COUNTY
Approved

Return to Previous Page