HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-20-06Board’s Official Business
Highlights from Monday’s Commissioner Meeting June 20, 2006
EXTENSION OF CRITICAL AREAS UPDATE
DEADLINE: Approximately 35 concerned citizens
were present when the County Administrator
explained that several constituents have come
forward with concerns about the mid-July deadline
for the adoption of the Critical Areas Ordinance
because the public has not had time to review the
changes and comment. A public hearing is
scheduled before the Planning Commission on
Wednesday night. The Board took action to have
legal counsel contact the WEC about a 90 day
extension of the adoption deadline and to direct the
Planning Commission and staff to leave the public
record open for an additional 90 days.
2007 COUNTY BUDGET GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES: The County Administrator reviewed
a draft resolution listing the seven basic strategic
objectives, the fiscal objectives, and the efficiency
and effectiveness objectives for the 2007 budget.
The Auditor will send out the budget call in early
July. The Board approved the resolution which is
used as a guideline in the preparation of the budget.
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BRIEFING: The
following items were discussed:
•A draft Public Infrastructure Fund
Ordinance will be reviewed at the County
Administrator Briefing on Tuesday.
•A No Shooting Zone Ordinance is being
drafted using information from the Planning
Commission’s review and interviews with
adjacent counties. The draft ordinance will
be available in 2 months.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: The following
comments were made: the public has not had
enough time to review the draft Critical Areas
Ordinance; the proposed 450 foot buffers from
wetlands require a report from a “qualified” wetland
biologist paid for by the property owner and there
are only a few wetland biologists in the County; a
request that the WEC settlement agreement be
posted on the County website; a property owner on
the Hoh River stated that she found out about these
regulations that could affect her property from
another Westend resident; environmental groups
are taking private property all over the County,
County government doesn’t make any effort to keep
Westend residents informed; even though the draft
ordinance mentions grandfathering existing farms, if
the slightest change in the use of the property is
proposed, it will trigger the new rules; the County
needs to use local people to determine BAS (Best
Available Science) and shouldn’t use the State DOE
guidelines; the ordinance requires that strangers come
on to private property to monitor critical areas; who is
going to compensate people for the property they will
lose because of buffers?; the County is already having
financial problems, what will happen when 25% of the
tax revenue is taken away by buffers?; a property
owner invested in land for his retirement and he won’t
be able to develop it because of the proposed
ordinance; who is WEC and where are they from?; a
comment was made against allowing auto repair
shops as cottage businesses; a petition was submitted
signed by 95 people requesting that the Board hold a
forum on the expansion of Indian Island; the Board
needs to look into cutting programs instead of raising
property taxes; the County Commissioners need to
contact State Legislators about environmental laws
that they keep passing that restrict what people can do
with their property; environmental groups are very
similar to terrorists; and the Board needs to read legal
documents and know the consequences before they
sign them.
CONSENT AGENDA: All of the items were approved
as follows:
RESOLUTION: Petition to vacate a County road;
Harrison Street located off of Cape George Road, Port
Townsend; WeFore, LLC, Petitioner
HEARING NOTICE: Water Resource Inventory Area
(WRIA) 16 Watershed Management Plan; hearing
scheduled for Monday, July 3, 2006 at 10:05 a.m. in
the Commissioners Chambers
3 AGREEMENTS: 1) Wireline E911 Operations with
the Washington State Military Department, Emergency
Management Division; 2) Wireless E911 Operations
with Washington State Military Department,
Emergency Management Division; and, 3) Credit
Card Processing System for Jefferson County
Superior Court with Orion Payment Systems
ADVISORY BOARD RESIGNATION AND
APPOINTMENT: Resigning member Chris Rehder
and new member Dennis Martin to serve a 3 year
term expiring June 19, 2009 on the Gardiner
Community Center Board of Directors
HEARING: The Board took public comment on the
proposed amendments to the Unified Development
Code; closed the public hearing and began their
deliberations.
HEARING NOTICE: The Board took action to have
the consolidated application for the Port Ludlow
Development Agreement amendment and the
Shoreline permit heard by the Hearing Examiner.
They will receive a recommendation and make the
final decision.