BOARD OF SKAMANIA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Meeting for Week of March 1, 2004

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. Monday, March 1, 2004, with Commissioners Quinn and Talent present, opening with the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner McKee was on personal business.

Following discussion of the proposed Felix/Famelos Annexation to the City of Stevenson, motion was approved to not invoke jurisdiction of the Boundary Review Board and not take any action on behalf of the County.

Brent Holman, Public Works Director, gave updates on projects for Drano Lake, Wind River Road, North Bonneville Industrial Site, Wind River Nursery well project, and the rock supply contract.

Rich Rush, Central Services Director, reported on completion of an upgrade to the Hal System, installation of a new voter registration system, and advised that a new vote tabulation system will be installed in mid-March.

Laila Goldring, Community Events and Recreation (CE&R) Coordinator/Pool Manager, gave an update on programs and activities provided through the CE&R Department and the swim pool, and advised of staffing issues for pool instructors.

Consent Agenda items were approved as follows:

A. Minutes for week of February 23, 2004.

B. Acknowledge Shoreline Variance application from Allison Wright to build a retaining wall and upgrade and replace existing foundation of Cabin #33 at Northwestern Lake and set for public hearing at 1:30 PM Monday, April 12, 2004.

C. Request for Proposals for Inmate Medical Services, set deadline to receive proposals for 4:00 PM March 24, 2004, set date to open proposals for 10:00 AM March 29, 2004.

D. Acknowledge receipt of letter from Marilyn Nielsen regarding animal control.

E. Acknowledge receipt of recommendation from Wind River PDA regarding lease agreement for House #1065.

A contract was approved with Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency to provide funding for Region IV Homeland Security Projects.

Contract amendment #1 with HAL Systems Corporation to provide data to Title Companies doing business with the Auditor’s Office was tabled.

Claire Lavendel, Forest Supervisor; Tom Knappenberger, Public Affairs Officer; and Nancy Rike, Mt. Adams District Ranger, for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest presented an annual status report. Items reported on included decreasing budgets, downsizing work force, reviewing facilities, road maintenance, Title II Projects, legislative issues, recreation fees, timber program, management of noxious weeds, Hemlock Dam, and the Healthy Forest Restoration Act.

The meeting recessed at 11:55 a.m. Monday, March 1, 2004 and reconvened at 1:35 p.m. the same date, with Commissioners Quinn and Talent present.

A public hearing was held to consider a request from Otis Holwegner to vacate the access restriction on Lot 4 of Sylvia Short Plat, which allows access only from Sadie Road (Private) off of Wind River Road. Karen Witherspoon, Planning and Community Development Director, advised that removal of the access restriction would allow Lot 4 to be accessed from an easement adjacent to the southwesterly property line of Lot 4 known as Game Haven Trail (Private). Several property owners expressed concern with maintaining privacy and additional maintenance of Game Haven Trail (Private) due to additional traffic. The public hearing was continued to April 5, 2004 at 1:30 p.m. to allow the property owners to work with the Prosecutor to draft a private road agreement for Game Haven Trail (Private) that would satisfy concerns of all property owners using the road.

Contract amendment #1 was approved with HAL Systems Corporation to provide data to Title Companies doing business with the Auditor’s Office.

A public hearing was held to consider adoption of Ordinance 2004-03, adopting Chapter 173-350 of Washington Administrative Code (WAC), providing for solid waste handling standards and penalty for failure to comply. Adoption of solid waste handling standards is also a requirement to qualify for Solid Waste Enforcement Grant funding. Following discussion, motion was approved to adopt Ordinance 2004-03, adopting Chapter 173-350 of WAC, as the same may now exist or thereafter be amended, providing for solid waste handling standards and penalty for failure to comply.

The meeting recessed at 2:45 p.m. Monday, March 1, 2004 and reconvened at 7:00 p.m. the same date with Commissioners Quinn and Talent present.

A public hearing was held at Canyon Creek Middle School to consider Ordinance 2004-02, extending the moratorium on accepting rezone applications for parcels located within the West End of Skamania County for an additional six-months. Karen Witherspoon, Planning and Community Development Director, gave an overview of the status of updating the County Comprehensive Plan for the West End of the County. Letters in support the of extension were acknowledged from John Granholm, Dennis and Tammy Weissenfluh, Joe Kear, Dave and Donnarae Querry, Mary E. Robbins, Linda Gogolski, Keith Brown and Teresa Robbins, R. Robert Burns, and a phone call from LeRoy Burns. Motion was approved to adopt Ordinance 2003-12, extending the moratorium for an additional six-months on accepting rezone applications for parcels located within the West End of Skamania County.

The meeting recessed at 7:20 p.m. Monday, March 1, 2004 and reconvened at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2004, with all Commissioners present.

The Board met in executive session from 9:50 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. regarding personnel, with no action taken.

Tony Estey, Buildings and Grounds Director, reported on maintenance of various facilities and grounds for the month of February 2004.

Karen Witherspoon, Planning and Community Development Director, reported on the pending application list, ordinance updates, Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 29, West End Community meetings, and gave an update on the process of the revised National Scenic Area Management Plan.

John Carlson, Emergency Management Coordinator, advised that the County Emergency Management Basic Plan had been sent out for printing, gave updates on the establishment of Skamania County Citizen Corps Council to facilitate the local Community Response Team Program, attendance at a amateur radio for emergencies meeting, Region IV Homeland Security retreat, training for Mill A fire department, and receiving used computers from Benton County.

The meeting recessed at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2004 and reconvened at 1:35 p.m. the same date with Commissioners Quinn and Talent present. Commissioner McKee was on personal business.

Bob Wittenberg, Public Utility District (PUD) No. 1 Manager, gave an update regarding the January 2004 countywide power outage. He advised that the PUD is working with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to become certified for BPA’s switching and clearance procedures, which will qualify the PUD to restore service in the future, if the need should arise.

Motion was approved to change Cindy Williams’ monthly lease agreement for Wind River Nursery house #1065 to a yearly lease agreement, as requested by Ms. Williams and recommended by the Wind River Public Development Authority.

The Board participated in a staff workshop to discuss the Department of Labor and Industries retroactive assessment, with no action taken.

The meeting recessed at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2004 and reconvened at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 4, 2004, with all Commissioners present.

Vouchers were approved for the periods ending December 31, 2003 in the amount of $41,838.11 and March 4, 2004 in the amount of $85,205.12.

The Board participated in a workshop with Karen Witherspoon, Planning and Community Development Director, to discuss the Water Resource Inventory Area 27 and 28 Draft Watershed Management Plan.

The Board met in executive session from 11:25 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. regarding real estate, with no action taken.

The meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m. Thursday, March 4, 2004.

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

SKAMANIA COUNTY, WASHINGTON