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Work session: Amendment of the 2024 Annual Construction Program (ACP)

Several docs available here: Clark County Council Meetings | Clark County
Routine update, no direction from council needed.
For more info on projects see public works page: Public Works | Clark County

Work Session: Comprehensive Plan update – Climate Element

Presentation Title
Targets can be same or more restrictive than state – Net zero by 2050.
Resilience & Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction
Part of overall Comprehensive Plan update, New Chapter
Work plan/timeline slides 10 & 11
Guidance from Department of Commerce (link from presentation): IntermediatePlanningGuidance_FINAL.pdf | Powered by Box
Talked about public engagement – Engagement reports available at project page: Climate Change Planning | Clark County
Advisory groups slide 13.
Decision making process slide 14
Slide 16 – 1-2066 (initiative prohibiting the prohibition of Natural Gas), which was determined to be unconstitutional in March. Anticipate it will be appealed so not sure what the county can/should do.
Will be presenting to Planning Commission for their recommendation, then back to council
Climate Advisory Group (CAG) recommendation: 2025-0407-draft-climate-element-policies-reflects-cag-meeting-12-outcomes.pdf
Topics at a glance slide 18/19
Asked if Council wants to consider a faster target than get to net zero by 2050 set by the state.
Planning Commission: Works session 5/1, Public Hearing on 6/5,
Future council work sessions to review Climate goals and policies.
Council questions:
Matt asked about other goals (referred to public comment from Don Steinke, which I can’t find). Some other target for 2030. Staff is looking at that. Asked if recommendations will meet the 2050 goal. Answer “there is a gap”. Technology doesn’t exist, etc. Asked about equity filter – is it appropriate to use in other areas? Yes you can. Depending on what area you want to look at, set targets.
Wil: Vancouver has a target of net zero by 2040, what are they doing that we might? They set an ambitious goal but they have a gap on how as well. Can we set that? Oliver: we don’t have the authority to dictate to companies, and don’t know what Federal govt will be doing.
Glen asked about the info they will get on the 150-odd policies recommended. They will have additional information, modeling data. There is more detail on a subset of the policies. In for 2050.
Will – set an ambitious goal
Sue concerned about quality of public outreach given the land study impact to overall comp plan. Are there recommendations re: Natural Gas. CAG recommendations worded so they will work if 1-2066 stands. If resolved before adoption, can we pivot to including language to encourage electrification? Yes. re: interim goals – would support checkpoints, adaptive management of targets.
Matt - 45% of 1990 levels in 2030 – state law. Will be hard to make. We should have that as a goal. Need some clarification on that.
Glen – wants to understand impacts before thinking of more ambitious goals.
Sue – wants to understand what the goals are – 1990 baseline vs. 2022 baseline for comp plan?. She expects a lot of attendance at future council meetings on this topic!
Oliver seems to be recommending 2050, and plan to beat that. Otto notes this is comp plan, can do other work outside of it.
Will ask for final direction from council after the Planning Commission meetings.

Work session: Bridge preservation program and load restrictions: Presentation Title

Will seek approval for amendments (future hearing).
Talks about bridge inspection standards, federal requirements, number of bridges, etc.
Preservation management org chart, staffing info starts slide 9.
Funding sources slide 11
Questions:
Matt asked about culverts and new salmon standards. Public Works Environmental team is on top of that. Example – the 2 culverts at 179^th & 29^th are being converted to bridges to be compliance with salmon passage.
Glen – concerned about reliance on grants given current environment. Are we at risk of degraded infrastructure? Have not had issues with grants, yet. As a whole, the counties bridges are in good shape. Don’t anticipate that we will need a lot of bridge funding in the near future, have time to plan.
Load restrictions – will be presenting resolution to council next week re: load restrictions updates.
List of bridges and load restrictions are kept in county code.
A lot of bridges are old and built for different requirements. Load restrictions extend life of the bridges.
Will recommend 18 bridges to have load restrictions
Matt asked about impact to fire response times. Have not heard any concerns from the fire districts. Can look into. The fire trucks in the rural areas aren’t typically the large ones that can be affected by restrictions.
2024 Annual bridge report at June 3^rd council meeting
Wil – what’s the average life span of a bridge – most are built to 75 or 100 years.

Council Time.

(Glen left early)

Public Comment
Wynn, Carmen, Kimberly
Teresa Hardy – Against last week’s vote to do land study to potentially allow ag de-designation. Notes that the county’s request for a comp plan extension was not successfully. whoa
New business
Lobbying Contract transfer – Our current lobbyist (Josh) is starting his own company, moving contract to the new firm (with permission from old). Will be back next Tuesday.
Youth Commission meeting invite: Commission has invited Council to upcoming meeting, presentation on recommendations. May 15^th. If 3 or more councilors want to attend will get it noticed.
Proclamation: Pride Month draft, for June 3^rd meeting, approval unanimous. Wil volunteered to read. 043025-proclamation_pride-month.pdf
Work session request: Clean water commission 2024 annual report and 2025 work plan. Approved
Policy updates
Legislative updates
Session ended Sunday. New revenue and cuts.
Increase to property tax failed.
Grant for hiring of local law enforcement etc., passed. Also .1% public safety sales tax included.
Did not get comp plan extension.
Got capital budget $1.5 million for jail remodel architecture and engineering.
Funding for 179^th and I-5 interchange retained in the budget
Grant for permitting systems failed.
300K for Vancouver lake work.
Funding for Columbia River Gorge was restored, cut but is not gone.
Brockman campus – mental health treatment facility near WSU – funded.
Still slogging through bills, so more to come.
Governor has not signed everything yet, so things could change. Matt asked how long gov has to sign stuff, specifically the mental health sales tax that allows capital – signed already. Gov has 20 days.
Asks Council to send a thank you letter to the Legislative Delegation, Jordan will draft.
Sue asked about Gorge funding, if Oregon will make a reciprocal cut. Not sure.
Sue asked to see work plan for the ag study, and comp plan update. Council needs to know if the county will be out of compliance because of the study. RFP to go out next Wednesday. Sue wants to see the update timeline. Otto said they can bring it back, but can say that they will not make the timeline (12/31/25 deadline for comp plan).
May 9^th 8:30 leg review event (Chamber?) Sue and Michelle attending.

Acronyms:

DEIS – Draft Environmental Impact Statement (a key part of the comprehensive plan)

SMO – Surface Mining Overlay

CCCU – Clark County Citizens United

UGA – Urban Growth Area (see also UGB - Urban Growth Boundary): defined and sometimes updated in the comprehensive plan

ADU – Accessory Dwelling Unit

HSSW – Humane Society of SW Washington

SSR – Site Specific Request

CREDC – Columbia River Economic Development Council

RFP – request for Proposal

TDR – Transfer of Development Rights – a possible mechanism for protecting agricultural land.

GHG – Greenhouse Gas

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