Work Sessions

Council Attendees: Sue Marshall, Glen Yung, Matt Little, Michelle Belkot (no Will Fuentes)

Work Session 1: Comp Plan update – Housing Code

ClarkCo_CouncilWorkSession_MultifamilyCodeUpdates250730

(Presentation was well done, worth reviewing)

• From the Housing Options Study, Adopted 2022.(phase 1- single family - already adopted)
• Housing Options Study and Action Plan | Clark County
• Focus on Multi-family. Phase 2 (there will be a phase 3)
• Scope is Vancouver UGA (interesting juxtaposition with work session 2)
• Aligned with Comp Plan direction and recent legislation.
• Clarifying open space – focus on higher quality spaces (slide 24). (note: there has been confusion and controversy about this part of code in the past, so this is a good thing).
• Parking minimums adjusted (legislative requirement). No maximums. Developers can decide what works for what they are building.
• Discussion:
• Belkot – asked about statement that the need for apartments is great in Clark County. Where? Have you talked to builders. Jose: have looked at zones – example, south of 179^th. Developers have been part of the code advisory group.
• Sue talked about strategies to create more parks, and address urban hot spots areas. Mentioned that Clark County has highest eviction rate in the state. Lack of elevators in 3-story buildings restricts useability for many people for upper floors (mobility).
• Oliver – future changes to highway 99 area. Talked about monitoring what actually happens re: density and affordability.

Work Session 2: Annexation discussion with City of Vancouver

073025-cov-annexation-discussion.pdf

• Future annexation is part of the city’s comp plan process.
• Starting to have conversations towards a years long plan. Want County/City staff conversations to start planning.
• GMA – Expectation that areas in UGA would be annexed within 20 years. That has not happened to date in Clark county.
• Vancouver’s UGA is 2^nd largest in the state.
• Financial impacts (city and county)
• Community engagement critical.
• Mentioned that many property titles where Vancouver provides services include agreement to be annexed.
• Maps of service areas provided by Vancouver start slide 10. (water, sewer, fire&rescue)
• Sewer is smallest, most challenging to provide.
• Key considerations slide 14.
• Discussion on collaboration.
• The GMA and local revenues are irreconcilable at this point. Can’t afford to move forward without $$$
• Impact to providing Public Safety.
• Councilor questions:
• Belkot: major concern is fiscal impacts – How is this even possible? Advocate w Olympia, collaboration. She has a lot of constituents who do not want to become part of Vancouver (District 2 - Hazel Dell etc.). Talked about public outreach. Concerns about tax differences. Services might cost less (because the city charges a surcharge for properties in the UGA). Have a tool for calculating all cost differences. Noted that long term staying in outside the city is not going to be an option.
• Yung: Supportive of moving forward with collaboration.
• Tools to facilitate – there is a provision for the acquiring jurisdiction to collect the state sales tax for a period of time to offset costs. Need discussion with legislators to do more to help.
• Sue and Glen support collaboration. Matt supports collaboration. Michelle supports discussion but does not support annexation due to the fiscal impacts.
• Glen noted that immediate action on a communication plan is needed.

Council Time

Councilors present: Sue Marshall, Glen Yung, Matt Little (no Belkot or Fuentes)

• Public Comment. 3 callers supportive of the Turnover Timber sale letter and council work to protect mature forests. And some insanity.
• Hatcheries WDFW letter: letter-wdfw-hatcheries-in-swwa.pdf
• This issue was raised by Matt in last week’s meeting.
• Sue not supportive, due to concerns in the community about the impact of hatchery fish on the native runs. Glen ok with asking for more information. After discussion they are striking the last sentence and sending it along.
• Turnover Timber Sale letter (also discussed last week): letter-turnover-timber-sale.pdf Approved.
• On a related note, the Trust lands tour has been scheduled. The public can participate, thus more than 2 councilors can attend. 9/12 – Will leave Chelatchie Prairie general store at 8:30. Public would need to provide their own transportation. It is not a council meeting so public comment and notes are not necessary.
• 2^nd quarter financial update: 073025-financial-update_quarterly-report_0.pdf
• No findings from state audit. Yeah!
• Sales tax down, drop in March and weakness in construction sector. Monitoring.
• Also talked about 2024 financials, which are finalized and have been audited by state. See letter on pg 9.
• Recommended if can’t read all 250 pages, go to page 13 “management’s discussion and analysis’
• They created a popular annual financial report for anyone to read. Available online and at the libraries.
• Kimsey – the Elections office has a couple million dollars in capital assets they need to replace/upgrade over next 9 or 10 years. Grant money is drying up so adding a fee for jurisdictions putting things on the ballot to try and cover. It will reduce over time. If they get more grants the amounts will be reduced. Asked County to cover cemetery districts because they don’t really have much money. Want to do any major changes after the next presidential election.
• Proclamation request: Karen Madsen Lifetime Achievement Award. Approved.
• Councilor reports
• Glen: BIA tour last week. A development had to alter all their permitting plans because some plant was found. Changed wetland from category 3 to category 1, costing them about $300K.
• Sue: reminder County Fair is starting. CTran – composition review committee for CTran board coming up.
• Policy updates
• Indigent defense lawsuit update. State only pays for 3% of indigent defense, the rest is local jurisdictions. Association of counties sued for more $, lawsuit proceeding. New Caseload standards will increase costs.
• Matt: Public interest in a forestry advisory committee. Maybe create one for natural resources. He included parks, evidently unaware that there is a Parks advisory board. Wanted to know more about the process. Sue talked about genesis of the agriculture advisory commission. Sue – supportive of further exploration, maybe broader (Natural resource vs. Forests). Glen supportive, do we need a commission or just a task force? Kathleen mentions a 2017 Forest services plan, which might want to be updated. Will research.
• Some consistency across boards and commissions – bylaws etc – would be good. Will have intern take a look at.
• Matt: TDRs – work session planned (after comp plan) as a tool for preserving resource lands. Maybe resource commission & ag commission can help identify priorities.

Acronyms:

ADU – Accessory Dwelling Unit

BIA - Building Industry Association

BLPAC- Buildable Lands Public Advisory Committee (created to develop Vacant Buildable Lands Model–VBLM)

CAG–(Climate) Community Advisory Group

CCCU – Clark County Citizens United

CPC- Chelatchie Prairie Coalition

CREDC – Columbia River Economic Development Council

CRESA - Clark County Regional Emergency Services Administration

DEAB - Development and Engineering Advisory Board

DS- Determination of Significance (requires EIS–Environmental Impact Statement)

DNS–Determination of Non-Significance (would not require EIS)

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

ELUHO- Environmental Land Use Hearings Office (this is the umbrella agency for the 3 environmental Boards–Growth Management Hearings Board, Pollution Control Hearings Board and Shorelines Hearings Board

FOCV- Friends of Central Vancouver

GHG - Greenhouse Gases

GMHB- Growth Management Hearings Board

HSSW – Humane Society of SW Washington

OFM- Office of Financial Management (state agency that provides population forecast numbers used in Comprehensive Plan updates)

PC - Planning Commission

RFP – Request for Proposal

SMO – Surface Mining Overlay

SSR – Site Specific Request (for consideration in Comp Plan)

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

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

VMT – Vehicle Miles Traveled.