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HomeMy WebLinkAboutM021886 ********************************************************************* * * * * * 3EFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS * * * * * * District No. 1 Commissioner: Larry W. Dennison, Member * * District No. 2 Commissioner: B.G. Brown, Member * * District No. 3 Commissioner: 30hn L. Pitts, Chairman * * * /- * Clerk of the Board: 3erdine C. Bragg * * Public Works Director: Gary A. Rowe * * * **************************************************-*.**********.***** M I NUT E S "1 1 i ~i Week of February 18, 1986 The meeting was called to order by Chairman 30hn L. Pitts in the presence of Commissioner B. G. Brown. Commissioner Larry W. Dennison was not present due to illness. A])~lications for Assistance from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Relief Fund: The applications for Assistance from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Relief Fund for Grant N. Logg and Richard A. Bergen, each in the amount of $200.00 were approved by motion of Commissioner Brown, seconded by Chairman Pitts. Walt Sowa, Clallam-3efferson Public Defender re: Contract for 1986 andOfficeSDace: Walt Sowa advised the Board that he had looked at the third floor office space in the Courthouse and would consider moving their offices to the Courthouse when this space becomes available. Mr. Sowa reported that a three month notice would have to be given to his present landlord. The Board, Mr. Sowa and Public Works Director, Gary Rowe, examined the third floor room that is under consideration for the Public Defender's office. Since the County cannot promise when this space will be available to made ready for occupancy, it was decided that no change would be made in the Public Defender Contract to allow for the rental of this space. A rental agreement for the office space will be negotiated when this space comes available. Commissioner Brown moved to approve the Agreement with the Clallam- 3efferson Public Defender in the amount of $50,000, to provide criminal defense and related services for indigent defendants in 1986. Chairman Pitts seconded the motion. Lois Smith. Director. 3uvenile Services re: OfficeSDace: Lois Smith presented a memorandum to the Board regarding moving the 3uvenile Services Department to offices in the new Department of Social and Health Services Building. After discussion of possible alternatives, and the needs regarding the State computer system to which 3uvenile Services will be linked, the Board advised that the County can not afford to rent any office space outside a County building, especially since the 3uvenile Services Department offices will be moved into the Courthouse at some time in the future. Lois Smith will contact Ella Sandvig, Director of Human Services, whose offices share the third floor of the Multi-Services Building with 3uvenile Services, to discuss what can be done to provide more office space for the present. VOl 12. fAGf o 642 Minutes, Week of February 18, 1986 Page: 2 Wayne Elhard. Hoodsport re: Brush Picking at County Landfill: Mr. Elhard offered to pay the County $100.10 to be allowed to pick brush on the County landfill property. Chairman Pitts advised Mr. Elhard that if the County was going to allow this, the brush picking would have to be done by a contractor and that contract would have to be advertised and then would be awarded to the highest bidder. The cost of the advertising for this would be more expensive than it would be worth. AGRBIMIH'l' I'e. Rental of VFN Ball: Ba'DPY Valley Dancers: The rental agreement for the VFW Hall as presented by the Happy Valley Dancers was approved by motion of Commissioner Brown, seconded by Chairman Pitts. BUSINESS FROM COUNTY DEPARTMENTS: PUBLIC WORKS Call tor Bids: Crushing and stockpiling gravel for 1986: The crushing and stockpiling of gravel is done on a yearly basis to keep the amount of money spent on this every year at a minimum. An alternate for supplying quantities that would last tor more than one year will be included in the bid specifications. Commissioner Brown moved to call for bids and set the bid opening for the crushing and stockpiling of gravel for 1986 for March 3, 1986 at 2:00 p.m. Chairman Pitts seconded the motion. A'D'Dlicationto ODen Right-ot-Way: Lloyd and LYnne Campbell: Mr. & Mrs. Campbell have submitted an application to open right-of- way on Kennedy Street in Hadlock to allow private access to their property. Chairman Pitts seconded Commissioner Brown's motion to approve this application as recommended by the County Engineer. Petition to vacate a portion of a Street and Petition to vacate Lots: South Port Townsend Plat: P. A.Morrisey: Gary Rowe, Public Works Director, explained that there are two petitions: one petition is to vacate a portion of a street and the second is to vacate some lots in the South Port Townsend Plat, to allow the building of a common ground four-plex and I revise the financing on the property. Commissioner Brown moved to set the public hearing for these two petitions to vacate for April 7, 1986 at the hour of 2:00 p.m. Chairman Pitts seconded the motion. PLANNING Setback Variance ReQUest: Michael & 3eanne Derria: Montgo- mery Lane, Port Ludlow: Associate Planner, Bob Duffy, reviewed the Derrig's request for a variance of five feet from the required 20 foot setback along their front property line and Montgomery Lane. The DerrigJs lot has a long and narrow building area on top of a steep waterfront bank. The Port Ludlow Architectural Committee reviewed this request and has no objection. The Building Department has not commented on the proposed variance. An Engineer's Report was received regarding the stability of the bank and it lists several recommendations for the waterfront bank setback. The Engineer'S Report and the Shoreline setback requirements will require that the house be setback 26 teet from the top of the bank, which would necessitate the variance from the County road setback as requested. VOL ~ 2 rACE 0 643 . . Minutes, Week of February 18, 1986 Page: 3 Commissioner Brown moved to approve the variance to the setback requirement upon receipt of a letter from the Port Ludlow Architec- tural Committee concurring with the Board's decision. Chairman Pitts seconded the motion. SEPA Threshold Determination: Seafarm of Norway: Salmon Rearing Test Pens, Discovery Bay: The Shoreline Substantial Develop- ment permit application, Associate Planner Bob Duffy, advised is for the placement of a 16 foot by 16 foot salmon rearing test pen to be located on the east side of Discovery Bay off of Beckett Point. Similar test pens applications have been reviewed for locations in Oak Bay and off Hoods ' Head. The test pens would be in place for seven months, during which time, tests would be done to determine if the site would be suitable for a commercial salmon rearing operation. Mr. Duffy further noted that a letter was received from the 3efferson County Economic Development Council in support of this proposal. Reed Gunstone of 30hnson and Gunstone has indicated some concerns about the proposal and is not in support of it. Chairman Pitts questioned the possible bacterial or viral contamina- tion of shellfish associated with salmon rearing pens. Bob Duffy reported that he does not have any specific technical information to address that concern. A requirement could be added to a Determina- tion of Non-significance that monitoring be done for this type of contamination. The Chairman then asked the representatives from Seafarm of Norway if they have done any research on the impact that the metabolic waste buildup may have on other resources in the area. Their spokesman replied that they have copies of research that has been done and they will be doing on-going water quality monitoring at this site. David Stalheim, Planning Department, reported that he has done an extensive search of the literature in regard to the spread of bacteria from fish to shellfish. The most common disease is not spread from fish to shellfish, and this has not been a concern. Reed Gunstone added that he was told by various consultants that this type of con.tamination is a problem. Over the last few weeks, Mr. Gunstone reported, he has collected a lot of information on salmon pens. He then submitted written information to the Board members. The impacts of the test pens will be significantly less than those of a commercial operation because of it's small size, but the practi- cality and feasibility of the commercial operation will only be learned by the applicant, while the biological problems associated with the operation will not. The test pens, Mr. Gunstone continued, will not provide the information that he is seeking. The end result of this proposal could be potentially, a very large facility in the Bay with several thousand fish and a significant amount of waste materials that could be introduced into the water column. Mr. Gunstone urged that a full scale Environmental Impact Statement be required on this project to determine if there will be any problems with a commercial salmon rearing pen operation. There are many concerns that he feels are not adequately addressed in the Environ- mental Checklist, and asked that the County proceed with caution on these types of projects until more information is developed. Providing appropriate sites for present and potential aquaculture activities, Chairman Pitts responded, is one of the things that he is interested in which means that potential sites must be explored. But, just because a site might be available, adequate or potentially appropriate for a salmon rearing pen, does not mean that approval would be given for such an operation at the site some time in the VOl 12 rAGE o 644 ., , Minutes, Week of February 18, 1986 Page: 4 future. It is important that information is collected by the project proponent, the County and the State to answer the concerns that have been noted. Test pens could be useful in providing some of this necessary information. In response to Chairman Pitts question to the Seafarm of Norway representatives regarding research into the impact salmon rearing has on other resources, the representative responded that there is quite a lot of information available. The Department of Fisheries and the Department of Ecology are in the first stage of a generic EIS, which will be produced by 3une 30, on salmon rearing. On site studies will be done when this generic EIS is completed. The only solid way to establish baseline data on which future plans can be made, is to put a pen in the water and work at a site for a few months. Chairman Pitts urged that representatives of Seafarm of Norway, Mr. Gunstone, the State Department of Fisheries and people in involved with Shellfish from the State, sit down and look at the available literature, define the questions that need to be answered and are vital to both groups, and discuss ways to find the answers to these questions. King County requires an Environmental Impact Statement for all salmon pens, Mr. Gunstone continued, and they may have some of the addition- al information needed here. Bob Duffy will contact King County about this'matter. David Stalheim asked Mr. Gunstone where the closest commercial clam bed was in relation to this salmon pen test site in Discovery Bay. Mr. Gunstone advised that there is one approximately three quarters of a mile away. The proximity between salmon pens and shellfish beds should be of concern, David Stalheim added, but it is unknown how close the two can be because the data has not been developed yet. Commissioner Brown asked the Seafarm of Norway representatives if they wo~ld be willing to cooperate with the State Department of Fisheries, the County and the parties involved to do testing and develop information. If the information was developed with the help of a neutral party it would give more credit to the data developed. The Seafarm of Norway representatives indicated they would be willing to work with Fisheries. This shoreline permit is specific for this test pen project and for a definite period of time, Commissioner ,Brown continued, and if anything beyond this specific application is considered it would have to be considered under another shoreline permit. A man who is a resident of the Discovery Bay area asked if the residents can have any input regarding this project because it will be in their front yards. Bob Duffy reported that the project involves a number of steps. The Environmental Checklist, being dealt with now, is the first step. The next step will be a public meeting on the merit of the whole project and the public may have an oppor- tunity at that time to express their opinions about the project. Bob Duffy reiterated that the current issue before the Board, is only to review the Environmental Checklist and render a decision on it. Anyone who has questions on the checklist can be heard, but this review is not a public hearing on the project. The following facts about the project were answered by the Seafarm of Norway representative: * The pens will be serviced from the public boat launch at Gardiner, every day. * The test pen will not be a 24 hour operation. 'I0l 12 fAGf o 645 b'- .. \l ~ Minutes, Week of February 18, 1986 Page: 5 * The project is proposed for installation on April 1, but May 1 would also be fine. If the pen was installed after that time the test results would have less meaning. Under the current schedule as far as the permit process is concerned, Bob Duffy added, the soonest that a pen could be put on the water would late April. The test pens are 15 feet by 15 feet, by 4 1/2 feet high. * If the Board received a petition from the area residents opposing this project, it would be taken into consideration. A list of concerns and comments should be submitted to Bob Duffy of the Planning Department so that they can become a part of the report for the Shoreline permit. Chairman Pitts stated that his personal feelings about such aquacul- ture projects is that they provide a potential for protein resource development, and jobs creation and that everything possible should be done to mitigate the visual impacts of these projects. Developing resources in this community that have the least impact on the lifestyle of the community has to be considered and if everything that anyone has an objection to is rejected, then the possibility of creating jobs and products will be very limited. Commissioner Brown moved to issue a Determination of Non-significance and Lead Agency Status with the condition that a meeting be set for the near future with the State Department of Fisheries, the County, the project proponent and other interested parties to discuss what can be done in terms of data gathering and what assistance the State could provide to this end. Chairman Pitts seconded the motion. Bob Duffy will arrange the meeting with all concerned parties. MEETING AD30URNED 'Y~i~ ..,:~,~ w" .,.,..--. , ;"', (i,"',..... ."'~ ~1,:_,~:y!", , ~.~.> "$',.~,': 'p'. "~ ". ~,' ..."'- ",' .....- -:.' a ,I '~, -t i ,j.. " : ",~ \'" j, ,~:' " -, ",~' ;'f . . ..', ,-. SEAL C',. ..\:.....~ . .- ",',,-( '..., "'t. <;$/)'l t\ // 3EFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ~L~ 30hn L. Pitts, Chairman &&~) B.G. Brown, Member ~~ VOl 12 ~AGf n 646