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HomeMy WebLinkAbout072219_cabs01 e, Regular Agenda Af 615 Sheridan Street p� n Port Townsend, WA 98368 Owww.JeffersonCountyPublicHealth.org Public He July 15,2019 JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners Philip Morley, County Administrator FROM: Stuart Whitford, Director, Environmental Public Health Tami Pokorny,Natural Resources Program Coordinator DATE: July 22, 2019 SUBJECT: Agenda Request: Presentation of Revised Conservation Futures Citizen Oversight Committee Funding Recommendations for 2019 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Environmental Public Health and Conservation Futures Citizen Oversight Committee(CF Committee) Chair Lige Christian request an opportunity topresent the revised CF Committee's funding q pP tY recommendations for 2019. ANALYSIS/STRATEGIC GOALS: The four applications for conservation futures funding are: 1. 2019 QWC Addition, $28,200 total request($1,500 for 0&M and$26,700 for acquisition)towards the fee simple purchase of two parcels totalling 0.8 acres in the Quimper Wildlife Corridor and Cappy's Woods near Cook Avenue and 49th Street.The properties contain high quality habitats including second growth forest and forested wetlands,and they enhance connectivity with existing protected lands. 0&M funds will be used for stewardship and monitoring.The proposed match of $30,300 is derived from a land donation and cash contribution.Jefferson Land Trust is the project sponsor and applicant. Project location: Sections 33 and 34,T31N,R1W. 2. Dosewallips River Lazy C Phase I, $7,649 towards the fee simple acquisition of two shoreline parcels equaling 0.86 acres in the lower Lazy C community,upstream of Brinnon near Dosewallips Road, in order to support habitat restoration efforts to recover Hood Canal Summer Chum salmon in the Dosewallips River.The proposed match is$43,343 from the RCO Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Jefferson County Environmental Public Health is the project sponsor and applicant.Project location: Section 34,T26N,R2W. 3. Quilcene Headwaters to Bay, $155,000 total request($5,000 for 0&M and$150,000 for acquisition) towards the purchase of a conservation easement on 80 acres along Jakeway Creek north of Quilcene Bay.The easement would permanently protect wildlife habitat,farmland and forests.The proposed Community Health Environmentai Public Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) Always working for a safer and healthier community (f)360-379-4487 match of$184,000 includes funds from the Navy REPI Program and a cash donation.Jefferson Land Trust is the project sponsor and applicant. Project location: Section 18,T27N,R1W. 4. Tarboo Forest Addition, $110,000 towards the purchase of a conservation easement on 21 acres along Center Road north of Quilcene as an addition to the Tarboo Wildlife Preserve and in order to help protect a wildlife corridor,the standing timber volume, and the water quality and hydrology of a Tarboo Creek tributary.The proposed match is$150,000 from the Navy REPI Program.Northwest Watershed Institute is the project applicant;Jefferson Land Trust is the project sponsor.Project location: Section 32,T28N,R1W. Conservation Futures Funds available to projects in 2019 equal $236,000 rather than$265,000 as stated in June.The overestimate of funds available was caused by a spreadsheet error.At its July 9th meeting,the CF Committee decided to reduce its recommended award to the Big Quilcene Headwaters to Bay project by the missing amount($29,000). They recommend that two of the projects(Tarboo Forest Addition and Dosewallips River Lazy C Phase I)be awarded full funding and that the remaining funds, $118,351,be awarded to the Quilcene Headwaters to Bay Project. This briefing packet contains: • Letter from CF Committee Chair Lige Christian detailing the Committee's revised recommendations • June 9th,2019 draft meeting minutes The purpose of the CF Program is to address the"general and increasing need to provide a system of public open spaces...for the health,welfare,benefit and safety of the residents of Jefferson County," and to maintain"Jefferson County as a desirable place to live,visit and locate businesses." Conservation futures tax levy collections,authorized under RCW 84.34.230 are an important means of retaining community character and accomplishing open space policies and objectives of the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan.The goal of the program is to preserve and protect the county's open space resources from development,and from being"negatively and permanently affected." Environmental Public Health will separately request that the BoCC hold a public hearing on the four applications in coming weeks. The applications themselves will be included with that briefing packet, are available in hard copy at the Commissioners' Office,and may be viewed online at http://www.co jefferson.wa.us/commissioners/Conservation/conservation.asp. FISCAL IMPACT: Costs for the presentation are negligible. RECOMMENDATION: Review the four project proposals brought forth by the CF Committee,hear the Chair's presentation of the Committee's revised recommendations,and ask questions. REVIEWED BY: 7/76 1 ip Morley,C:iirty Adminis• • Date Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) Always working for a safer and healthier community (f) 360-379-4487 615 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 www.JeffersonCountyPublicHealth.org To: Jefferson County Board of Commissioners From: Lige Christian, Chair Conservation Futures Citizen Oversight Committee Date:June 15, 2019 Subject: Conservation Futures Citizen Oversight Committee – Change to 2019 Funding Round Recommendations th On June 10, 2019, I presented the Conservation Futures Citizen Oversight Committee’s (CF Committee) project funding recommendations to you based upon a determination that $265,000was available for the 2019 application cycle. This projection of available st CF funds was provided by Jefferson County Public Health ahead of our May 1meeting to rank and recommend projects. The total request to the CF Fund this year from the four projects submitted was $300,849 and we had originally recommended awarding the full $265,000. Later in June, however, I was informed that the available funds figure was in error and had overstated the amount that could be awarded toapplicant projects by $29,000. Consequently, the total amount of conservation futures funds available to award in this funding cycle is actually $236,000 rather than $265,000. In response to this unfortunate news, I called a special meeting of the CF Committee for th July 9. At that time, the Committee discussed many different options including whether or not it might be possible to borrow against future revenues to the CF Fund. Ultimately, the Committee reluctantly chose to reduce its funding recommendation for the Quilcene Headwaters to Bay project by an additional $29,000, from $147,351 to $118,351. This amount allows for full funding of the Tarboo Forest Addition and the Dosewallips River Layz C Phase I projects. The 2019 QWC Addition property is no longer viable as a CF project according to the Land Trust. In summary, the CF Committee voted that all four projects are worthy of funding and recommends the following funding levels in light of the fact that adequate CF monies are unavailable to fund themall fully: 1.Tarboo Forest Addition -$110,000 2.Quilcene Headwaters to Bay -$118,351 3.Dosewallips River Lazy C -$7,649 4.2019 QWC Addition -$0 th At the July 9meeting, the funding estimate error, which was caused by a single spreadsheet mistake, was also discussed. The CF committee concluded that sufficient new safeguards have been initiated to avoid a recurrence of such an error in future. Community HealthEnvironmental Health Developmental DisabilitiesWater Quality 360-385-9400360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f)(f) 360-379-4487 Always working for a safer and healthier community Thank you again for your consideration of the CF Committee's recommendations for the 2019 funding cycle. If you have questions, please contact me at christian@olympus.netor Tami Pokorny at tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us. Community HealthEnvironmental Public Health Developmental DisabilitiesWater Quality 360-385-9400360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f)(f) 360-379-4487 Always working for a safer and healthier community Jefferson County Conservation Futures Committee SPECIAL MEETINGDRAFT MINUTES JCPH Pacific Room 615 Sheridan St., Port Townsend, WA July 9, 2019, 1:04PM to 2:23PM * Decisions and action items are indicated in bold font. Members Present:Mary Biskup,District 1; Scott Brinton, Interest –Agriculture; Lige Christian, Chair, District 3; JD Gallant, District 3; Ray Hunter, Interest –Fallow Farms; Richard Jahnke, Interest – Coastal Areas; Dave Seabrook, Interest – Food Security; Craig Schrader, Interest – Climate Change; Lorna Smith, Interest – Ecotourism; Dave Wilkinson, District 1 Members Absent: Phil Andrus, District 2; Rob Harbour, Interest – Working Lands; Joanne Pontrello, Vice Chair, District 2 County Staff Present: Tami Pokorny, Environmental Public Health; Veronica Shaw, Public Health Members of the Public Present: I. Call to Order: Chair Lige Christian called the meeting to order at 1:04 PM. II. Welcome and Introductions III. Approval of Minutes: The CF Committee voted all in favor to \[preliminarily\]approve the May 1, 2019 minutes. IV. Review of Agenda: The agenda was approved by consensus. V. Guest Observer comments: None VI. Sub-Committee Reports None http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us July 9, 2019 VII. Old Business A. Review of Supplemental Appearance of Fairness Forms st The forms showed no issues had arisen between the ranking meeting on May 1 and the present. B. Revised Estimate of Available Funds While preparing the 2020 budget, Veronica Shaw discovered that the estimate of available conservation futures funds provided ahead of the meeting to rank projects exceeded the actual amount available by $29,000. This was due to the transfer of the incorrect beginning balance figureinto the calculation. Veronica apologized for the error. Such mistakes are very rare anyway, but anticipated budgeting software will also help prevent future problems. An unrelated error several years ago was addressed by checks and balances that remain in place. Discussion followed as to the possibility of borrowing the lost amount from a future CF funding round in the form of an inter-fund loan. Chair Christian commented that funds available to new projects are typically about $235,000 and the spring estimate exceeded this amount by twelve percent. It’s rare that our funds would change that much year to year. If there’s a large percentage change in funding, Health should automatically question it and recheck. Richard Jahnke moved that the minutes record this idea. JD Gallant seconded. The CF Committee voted all in favor to approve of the motion. The motion passes. Members of the committee accepted Veronica’s apology and thanked her for attending the meeting to clarify the situation. C. Revision of Funding Recommendations th Chair Christian turned attention to the July 8 email from JLT in which Sarah Spaeth stated that that the Land Trust would likely re-apply for additional funding for the Quilcene project and that the Quimper project is out of consideration now due to the owner listing it for sale. David Seabrook suggested that the group leave the funding levels as is for Tarboo, at $110,000, and the Dosewallips, at $7,649, and reduce the Quilcene project by the shortfall, from $147,351 to $118,351. An alternative, dropping the Dosewallips project, was also discussed. Richard Jahnke moved to lower the Mahan \[Quilcene\] project by the shortfall amount and to fund Tarboo and Lazy J \[Dosewallips\] at the original recommended amounts. Lorna Smith seconded. The discussion noted that these projects would likely lead to improved awareness of the Conservation Futures Program and valuable projects in the future. The CF Committee voted all in favor to approve of the motion. The motion passes. Lorna Smith moved to ask County staff if the option of a loan from another fund is legal. Richard Jahnke seconded. Committee members expressed hesitation in borrowing against future funds. The CF Committee voted all opposed to the motion. The motion fails. VIII.Old Business A.Bishop Dairy Preservation Proposed Changes After a summary from Tami Pokorny and reviewing two project update letters provided by Sarah Spaeth, David Wilkinson moved to allow for an extension of the project through June of 2020. Scott Brinton seconded. The CF Committee voted all in favor to approve of the motion. The motion passes. Ray Hunter mentioned that he knew the Bishop family when they first moved to Chimacum and was impressed by their efforts to develop the land. B.Next Meeting and Agenda th The next meeting is scheduled for September 10 4-6pm, most likelyin Chimacum. IX. Other/ Administrative Staff Update Tami Pokorny reportedthat she would be advertising the seats held by Scott Brinton, Ray Hunter and Lorna Smith ahead of their term expiration dates and would be in contact with them early in the new year. She plans to attend the All County Picnic on th Sunday, August 18 with the CF Program display and invited committee members to also attend to help answer questions. The CF Committee is in full force as of the recent reappointments of Richard Jahnke and JD Gallant. Scott Brinton made the suggestion that Conservation Futures Funds be acknowledged on project signs like the one that the Land Trust has placed along Center Road in front of the Iglitzin (now Trillium Woods) Farm. X. Observer Comments None XI. Adjournment Lorna Smith moved and Mary Biskup seconded to adjourn the meeting at 2:23 PM. The Committee voted all in favor. Meeting summary prepared by Tami Pokorny.