Observing Government

Blog Index

Work Session #1:

2026 Annual Budget. Presentation Title

We have a structural deficit – taxes not keeping up with inflation, unfunded mandates from state.
Concern re: state and federal funding reductions.
68 to 70% of general fund supports Law and Justice (blue on slides 19 & 20)
Recommendations slide 23
One of the causes of structural deficit is not taking the 1% in most of the last dozen years. Cost is 37.5 million, plus whatever not taking it last year cost us. Deficit is 14 million.
Housing starts are slowing down, impacting fee income. Holding some vacant positions for now just in case this continues.
Walked through projections for various fund balances with and without taking 1%, banked capacity. See slide 47,
Average impact per household to take 1% plus banked capacity for all funds is $20.89/year.
Conservation futures banked is over 15%. That fund’s 1% has been banked a lot!
Slide 49 shows public how to access all the budget reports online.
Next steps: 12/1 meeting with other electeds. 12/2 is Public Hearing. (12/1 & 12/2)
Council amendments to recommendations have to be shared (not deliberated) with other councilors at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. Asking that they also communicate to Emily and Kathleen so they can prepare reports. Time permitting will post online for the public. Agenda will be posted by the 26^th of November.
Amendments can be adopted during hearing (eg in response to public comment). That is the purpose of a public hearing after all.

Work Session #2

Agriculture Resource Land Study. 111225-ws_ag-lands-study.pdf (Noticed Michelle Belkot joined sometime before 11:20, no video and hasn’t been on long).

Study documents; Agricultural Lands Study | Clark County
July 5^th approved contract w ECONorthwest to do the study
Report submitted November 4^th
2 open houses were held.
Water rights discussed. Administered by Dept of Ecology.
Sue – new water rights are not available. If a farm has water rights that is precious. Dryland farming can be very successful, they’ve been dryland farming for 65 years.
Staff has met with staff from the cities, question is ‘what’s next’? Will there be a public hearing? Oliver will form a small group for discussion of next steps. Will be coming back to council with options, implications.
Glen - patterns of development should be considered. Chris Cook says that is considered and refers to pages 37+. Ag land in Ridgefield is next to Costco. Chris Cook: If you develop the land next to Costco then that is next to the next piece of Ag land. Glen is clearly looking for an excuse to give the cities what they want.

Work Session #3

Vancouver UGA employment land expansion. Presentation Title

This is 2 areas where the county wants to add to the Vancouver UGA that the city DOES NOT WANT.
Oliver reviews the comp plan milestones to date.
Discussion of population projections that the (prior) council chose to use (which was on the high side of the state range provided)
Sue asks about job projections. County has NEVER achieved the 1 to 1 jobs to people projections. 0.8 is what they have accomplished in the past. 1:1 ratio is goal set by the (prior) council.
Proposal on slide 17.
Increased areas in UGA for multi-family housing.
Sue invites Brian Snodgrass (City of Vancouver) to join the conversation. Had written letter against UGA expansion.
Opposition from people living near WSU who object to it being zoned BP (Business park).
Vancouver believes the work from home number is very conservative. That assumption was previously approved by council.
Site Specific requests considered.
Snodgrass:
Area is heavily parcelized, contains sensitive lands.
Look at assumptions or targets.
Purpose of work session was informational not to get direction. (Otto)
Sue ends the meeting. This will be discussed as part of the preferred alternative determination.

Council Time

Attendance: Sue Marshall, Glen Yung, Will Fuentes, Michelle Belkot

Public Comment: Heath Heikkila – on the timber sales letter (which was removed from the agenda), seems against the letter.

Councilor reports: Will attended a “move the line East” meeting, around 75 attendees, a lot of community concern about PGE plans for new power lines through the county to Oregon.

Work Session Requests: Railroad Advisory Board asking for work session on a presentation they want to do re: promoting the railroad. Some concern about them taking a policy position and hearing from all sides. Work Session approved.

Policy updates: Federal government likely to vote to re-open today, funding through January 30^th.

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