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HomeMy WebLinkAboutM030104 ~~ ~~^- ~ /~~ON~~~~ ~¡¿~ °u ~/$ \ ~ \ ~~ ~ ~ d "~li I NO ~>/ -~ District No. 1 Commissioner: Dan Titterness District No.2 Commissioner: Glen Huntingford District No.3 Commissioner: Patrick M. Rodgers County Administrator: David Goldsmith Clerk of the Board: Lorna Delaney MINUTES Week of March 1,2004 Chairman Glen Huntingford called the meeting to order in the presence of Commissioner Dan Tittemess. Commissioner Patrick Rodgers was absent. At 8:30 a.m. the Board conducted a conference call interview with Rob Capelle from the West End who has expressed an interest in serving on the Tourism Coordinating Council. Don McDaniel, Puget Sound Energy re: Program Update: Don McDaniel, Manager of Government and Community Relations for Puget Sound Energy, reported that PSE has several programs that support social and community needs. They currently contribute to the UGN and the food banks and approximately 470 low income families have received assistance with their energy bills through a program administered by OlyCAP. They also support business-related programs through the Economic Development Council and the Chambers of Commerce. PSE is a vertically integrated company that covers the load to handle the needs of their customers. They are working aggressively on conservation programs for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Technical assistance is available to companies who need help with design and implementation of energy conservation. Grant programs and rebates for energy saving appliances are available. They are looking at a pilot program that will provide maintenance contracts for residential heat pumps. PSE is also sponsoring a "green home" in King County to illustrate that an affordable home can be constructed using green design and building practices. PSE is bringing new resources into the company to meet current and future demands for energy. They recently purchased a gas fire generating facility in Thurston County and will be making improvements to the system to increase the load. They are also looking at wind power, thermal generation, and small hydro. There have been approximately 1,500 inquiries in Jefferson County regarding "green power." PSE buys natural resources that generate power at market value and passes the energy along to the consumer. PSE is working with Clallam County PUD, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the Port Townsend Paper Mill on a transmission line that will be energized by July. This will increase transmission redundancy to shorten the time of outages. It also provides backup for the Port Townsend Paper Mill. Page 1 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of March 1,2004 f!J"'" '\ .f'.'~ 1_¡f/r"..-'~'" Reports on storms and power outages are currently emailed to the County Commissioners' Office and the Emergency Management Department at the Sheriff s Office. A review of the outage data on storms over the past year is scheduled and he will have that information available at the next update. Chairman Huntingford asked about outsourcing? Don McDaniel replied that the reasoning behind the program was to stabilize rates for the customer. It is for new construction only and they don't outsource their maintenance work. Assessor Jack Westerman re: Court Decision from 1963: Jack Westerman explained that Chief Justice Gerry Alexander sent him a copy of an opinion by Chief Justice Hale in the case of Mason County Overtaxed, Inc. v. County of Mason. He asked to read portions of the opinion to the Board. "There are few things of which the courts may take judicial notice, but of one we are certain-the beauty and charm of the Hood Canal country of Mason County. It is a place set apart by a shining inland sea that sweeps southward at the feet of the snowmantled Olympic then curves to the north through towering hills of fir, huckleberry,fern, alder, rhododendron and the luxuriant wild shrubbery of the country. A wide reach of water, dappled with quiet coves and inlets, it is everchanged and changing by the swift-flowing, sometimes peaceful, sometimes turbulent, Skokomish, Lilliwaup, Hamma Hamma, Duckabush, and Dosewallips that enter it. Marked by broad and friendly beaches, flanked to the east by the rugged eternal peaks of the Cascades and the verdant San Juan Islands to the north, it is truly a land of charm and beauty. We take no risk in pronouncing it a place of enchantment. Came one day into this verdant place the Assessor of Mason County in 1958 and struck by the wonder ofit all, he did what any Assessor would do. He promptly raised the taxes in this wonderland. It was not the increase, but rather its sudden and dramatic nature which invited this litigation for the assessments increased with startling abruptness." Jack Westerman added that the opinion continues for several pages and the Chief Justice finds in favor of the Assessor at the end. Letter re: Glen Cove Buffer Acquisition: County Administrator David Goldsmith stated that the owner of the property on Highway 20 outside the Port Townsend city limits contacted the County a year ago about purchasing this property to preserve the tree buffer on the highway. David Goldsmith could not find a funding source at that time, but said he would continue to look for funding. The owner is getting ready to log the property. David Goldsmith suggested that the property would be eligible for Conservation Futures Funding. The Chamber of Commerce has indicated that people have offered private donations to save the buffer, the Chamber is also willing to contribute, and he will talk with the City this week about a partnership. The Chamber of Commerce is also willing to write the Conservation Futures application and the City and the County would be co-applicants. David Goldsmith submitted a letter for the Chair to sign that directs him to begin negotiations on the property acquisition. Chairman Huntingford recommended that the Forest Practice Permit be reviewed to see if there are any conditions. David Goldsmith answered that the Department of Transportation's position is that everything in the right-of-way goes, but he will review the FP A. Page 2 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of March 1,2004 ;:~~ ~ 1.\111 ...(,~.. Commissioner Titterness moved to authorize the County Administrator to begin the acquisition process for securing the property on Highway 20 and for the Chair to sign the letter to the property owner letting him know the County's intentions. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which carried. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S BRIEFING: David Goldsmith reported on the following: The UGA Task Force recommended expanding the boundaries of the Irondale/Port Hadlock UGA, but the changes would have required the County to go back through a whole series of studies and could delay the timeline for the project. It was decided not to change the boundaries but to designate commercial and residential reserve areas. The internal density revisions that the Task Force recommended will require the transportation analysis to be reviewed. In April, there will be an open house and any issues for environmental review will be scoped. Once the configuration is decided, SEP A analysis will be done. The Planning Commission will have the month of June to work on the amendment and it will come to the Board in July. DCD Staff and the Board met with Port Ludlow residents to discuss several issues. The residents feel that there is a communication problem regarding the County's response to complaints and follow through with the community. DCD will work to improve communication. Chairman Huntingford pointed out that the County also needs to send a follow up letter on the specific issues that were discussed at the meeting. · Instead of paying an individual rate for L & I insurance, the County is self-insured through a Labor & Industries Retrospective Pool which includes other counties and public entities. Each entity is assessed a certain amount per employee hour, based on actual experience. The Pool has been off in predicting the experience rate and hasn't assessed the counties enough, claims are costing more, and L & I has changed their payoff schedules. A meeting is scheduled with L & I in Olympia this week. · The County has been looking into alternatives for employee medical insurance programs. It appears that the County can be competitive and may be able to save some money by going to a different program than those offered by the unions. The family coverage would be uncoupled from individual and small family coverage. The next task is to formalize a proposal to the Board to see if they want to offer the employees this option during negotiations. The goal is to assist the employees and take some of the burden off of them, but there are very few options. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: The following comments were made: a tape of a program on fire suppression was submitted with a letter of recommendation; the Board was encouraged to build on the fire safety campaign from last year; an article was submitted on a Court ruling that prohibits certain pesticide and herbicide application along salmon streams and the County needs to take an active part in getting the word out to residents; the Board was thanked for saving the trees along Rhody Drive; the money that government spends on planning could be used to get projects done; and the PUD doesn't want to have a wildfire be the test of their fire flow capability. Page 3 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of March 1,2004 '~é ~~~ f"/I""-'" APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA: Commissioner Titterness moved to delete Item #1 and approve the balance ofthe Consent Agenda. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which carried. 1. DELETE: PROCLAMATION re: Proclaim the Week of March 7 - 13,2004 as Girl Scout Week (Approved Later in Minutes) 2. RESOLUTION NO. 06-04 re: Establishing a Drug Investigation Fund for Sheriffs Office 3. AGREEMENT, Amendment No.2 re: Employment as County Administrator; David Goldsmith 4. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT, Appendix "A" re: Education Programs, Extension Agent/Chair, 4-H Agent, Technical Support, and Water Quality Agent; Jefferson County/WSU Extension; Washington State University (WSU) 5. APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE NO. 04-DG-l106-0900-0014 re: US Forest Service Title II Grant Funding; Linger Longer Feasibility Study, Project No. QF1506; Jefferson County Public Works; United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service 6. Accept Resignation of Person Serving on the Jefferson County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board; Herb Herrington PROCLAMATION re: Girl Scout Week: (Item #1 on the Consent Agenda) Chairman Huntingford read the proclamation for Girl Scout Week from March 7 - 13, 2004 into the record. Commissioner Titterness moved to approve the proclamation. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which carried. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Titterness moved to approve the minutes of February 23,2004 as presented. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which carried. BID OPENING re: 2004 Supply of Asphalt Concrete for Maintenance Projects on Various County Roadways: BID OPENING re: Supply of Asphalt Concrete for 2003 Maintenance Projects on Various County Roads: Mark Lopeman, Public Works, opened and read the bids as follows: Lakeside Industries Asphalt Class B, for East JC Asphalt Class B, for West JC MC250 Cold mix Alternative Cold Mix product $38.50 per ton $38.50 per ton No Bid $88.00 per ton Ace Paving, Bremerton Asphalt Class B, for East JC Asphalt Class B for West JC MC250 cold mix for East JC MC250 cold mix for West JC $35.00 per ton No Bid $38.00 per ton No Bid Commissioner Titterness moved to have the Public Works Department check the bids for accuracy and make a recommendation for bid award that is to the best advantage of the County. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which carried. Page 4 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of March 1,2004 ~!J"'" '\ ~~~..."":; 1\111"(,~"~ At 10:15 a.m., the Board interviewed Evelyn Howton who has expressed an interest in serving on the Tourism Coordinating Council. Community Development re: Review of Planning Commission Recommendation and Establishment of Final Docketfor 2004 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Cycle: Associate Planner Josh Peters explained that the Planning Commission recommendation for the 2004 Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle is to have 5 amendments placed on the final docket. · MLA03-232: Port of Port Townsend proposes: 1) an Essential Public Facilities district designation rather than an overlay for the Jefferson County Airport and adjacent Port-owned property; 2) the establishment of an Airport Overlay based on a 55-DNL noise contour map projected through the year 2022 and adopted in 2003 with the Airport Master Plan; 3) Comprehensive Plan and UDC changes related to the allowed and prohibited land uses within the Airport EPF and Overlay; 4) a disclosure process by which residents in the Airport Overlay would be notified that they reside in close proximity to the JCIA and that the County does not consider noise impacts related to normal airport operations to be a public nuisance; and, 5) a future planning process by which limited, rural- scale light industrial uses would be allowed in the Airport EPF in order to promote its self- sustainability. · MLA03-244: People for a Rural Quimper propose Comprehensive Plan policy changes related to the elimination of requirements for Jefferson County to adopt an Airport Overlay or Noise Overlay ordinance and to support implementation of Airport Master Plan policies regarding land use at the Jefferson County Airport. · MLA04-27: Jefferson County proposes consideration of a set of parcels ofland for designation as Agricultural Lands on the Comprehensive Plan Land Use map. This is the final step in the Agricultural Lands planning effort initiated in early 2003 and intended to complete tasks identified in the 1998 Comprehensive Plan. · MLA04-28: Jefferson County proposes a placeholder amendment application to cover any Comprehensive Plan and/or UDC amendments that are part of the statutory 2004 Growth Management update requirements. · MLA04-29: Jefferson County proposes a placeholder amendment for the addition of narrative and policy language under a new Port HadlocklIrondale UGA element in the Comprehensive Plan. This is related to compliance with a Growth Management Hearings Board order. Josh Peters explained that if the Board doesn't agree with the Planning Commission's recommendation, a public hearing will be held to take comments on establishing the final docket. Commissioner Titterness mentioned that the Airport amendments don't mesh and the Planning Commission will have to come back to the Board with a recommendation. Josh Peters explained that both of these amendments were docketed in 2003 when the Planning Commission recommended that they be addressed together. In December, the Board directed that staff bring them back separately on the 2004 docket. Commissioner Titterness moved to approve the Planning Commission's recommendation to docket the 5 proposed amendments. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion. Page 5 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of March 1,2004 f!J"'" '\ ":.~'" 1_\1111<o('~" Josh Peters added that Planning Commission sub-committees will be reviewing the Comprehensive Plan and the UDC regulations. The Comprehensive Plan Sub-Committee met last week and received a checklist from CTED that outlines items that need to be addressed in the statutory update. Josh Peters noted that it has been suggested that the Comprehensive Plan could be changed by taking the goals and policies from the 1998 plan as amended, reviewing and amending them this year, and then updating the Comprehensive Plan to consist of goals and policies with no text or strategies. Director of Community Development Al Scalf explained that the UGA amendment will be the entire finalization of the UGA in compliance with the WWGMHB. The components include: environmental review, final SEP A review, an addendum with adoption of the EIS as prepared through the Comprehensive Plan Special Studies and the 2002 amendment cycle that designated the boundary, and any additional information related to finalizing environmental review and the impacts of the General Sewer Plan, Alternative 4, the wetland discharge area. The finalization also includes theUGA chapter in the Comprehensive Plan, amendments to the UDC on development regulations for implementation of the UGA, land use designations within the boundary, the Capital Facilities Plan, the Transportation Plan, the Stormwater Plan and the General Sewer Plan. Chairman Huntingford called for a vote on the motion. Both Commissioner Titterness and Chairman Huntingford voted for the motion which passed. HEARING re: Proposed Brinnon Sub Area Plan Ordinance: Chairman Huntingford opened the public hearing. Josh Peters stated that this is a proposal for achieving full compliance with the Growth Management Act as outlined by the latest decision of the WWGMHB regarding the 2002 adoption of the Brinnon Sub Area Plan and associated regulations. The Hearings Board required additional SEP A review which was done by the Natural Resources Department after meeting with environmental agencies and Tribes who had commented during the earlier Brinnon Sub Area public process. The Hearings Board also said that 23 acres originally designated as a light industrial district (Type i LAMIRD) was non- compliant with GMA. The County has changed that designation to a small scale business and cottage industry overlay district (Type iii LAMIRD.) This overlay slightly modifies the existing regulations for those types of uses in the area. The regulations, as modified, are listed in the Brinnon Sub Area Plan Epilogue attached to the end of the Brinnon Sub Area Plan. The changes include: · A small scale business or a cottage industry land use approval application is a type 1 permit process. · The limit on the number of offsite employees is 25 before a conditional use permit is required. · Small scale business and cottage industries in this overlay would be exempt from the limitations on the total building area that can be dedicated to the enterprise. The limitation would be based on 25% impervious surface. A map showing the new overlay district and associated UDC and Comprehensive Plan regulations and policies is included. Chairman Huntingford opened the public testimony part of the hearing. Page 6 Commissioners Meeting Minutes: Week of March 1,2004 ~~~ -~ fl,,, ..(,~~ Phillip Stevens, Brinnon, stated that 15 years ago he purchased property on Highway 101 in Brinnon that was zoned commercial. It was downzoned with the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan in 1998, but he is still paying commercial property taxes. There are very few businesses in Brinnon that employ people. More property needs to be designated as commercial. Most people driving through Brinnon on Highway 101 don't stop. There are a lot of older people who can't drive to Port Townsend or Shelton to buy fresh produce. The gravel pit has never affected the community in a negative way and it is a good piece of property that could be used for businesses that create jobs. There is nothing to keep the young people in the area. People in Brinnon feel that they have been ignored for a long time. He doesn't want to see changes destroy Brinnon like some neighborhoods in Seattle but growth can be good if it is managed correctly. George Sickels, Brinnon, representing the Brinnon Sub Area Planning Group, explained that they developed the most recent sub area plan and they support staffs recommendations. It's time to put the study aside and move on. Development of the property will require permits and so we don't need to continue studying at this point. Hearing no further comment for or against the proposed ordinance, the Chair closed the public testimony portion of the hearing. Chairman Huntingford stated that he thinks the proposed plan will allow Brinnon residents to live and work in their community and will give them new opportunities. Commissioner Titterness added that he feels the changes that were made in the Brinnon Sub Area Plan that meet the Hearings Board's compliance issues will also meet the needs of the community. Commissioner Titterness moved to adopt ORDINANCE NO. 01-0301-04 amending the Brinnon Sub Area Plan, the County's Comprehensive Plan and the Unified Development Code to achieve compliance with the amended final decision and order of the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which carried. Appointment of Individuals to Serve on the Jefferson County Tourism Coordinating Council: Commissioner Titterness moved to appoint both Rob Capelle (West End) and Evelyn Howton (Por:l ~T.l\il~':f) to the Tourism Coordinating Council. Chairman Huntingford seconded the motion which r \). .f. ,çàt{l "'" .. . .'/. '"). ~ . . ,,; :~TINQ1J "lm.NED "'. .'~' ,;" j. ~.' :' S '" . · ... ~L:- ""'! ",' . . , .. '~.~ { ",.' ATT~l,-~ J¿~t;es, CMC Deputy Clerk of the Board (Excused Absence) Patrick M. Rodgers, Member Page 7