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2018-10-22 Business Meeting Minutes LEWIS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS(BOCC) Business Meeting minutes October 22, 2018 Present: Commissioner Fund, Commissioner Jackson, Commissioner Stamper Recorder: Rieva Lester Commissioner Fund called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m., determined a quorum and then proceeded with the flag salute. PUBLIC COMMENT None. PRESENTATION Commissioner Jackson made a motion to approve a proclamation declaring October 22-26,2018, as Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week. Commissioner Stamper seconded. Proclamation declaring October 22-26, 2018, as Code Enforcement Officer Appreciation Week. Environmental Services Supervisor Bill Teitzel read the proclamation into the record. He commended the work of Lewis County's code enforcement staff members. Lewis County Health Officer Dr. Rachel Wood also thanked Lewis County's team. Motion passed 3-0. CONSENT ITEMS Commissioner Stamper made a motion to approve minutes from the October 15, 2018, meeting as well as Resolution 18-315. Commissioner Jackson seconded. Resolution 18-315:Approval of warrants/claims against the various county departments. Budget Services Manager Becky Butler said warrants 805317-805651 and 805,673-805,922,totaling $555,005.79,were issued the week of Oct. 12. She noted a skip in sequence for warrants 805203- 805316 and 805652-805727, which were issued on behalf of Special Purpose Districts. Motion passed 3-0. 1 DELIBERATION ITEMS Commissioner Jackson mode a motion to approve Resolutions 18-316 and 18-317. Commissioner Stamper seconded. Resolution 18-316:Award a contract for engineering and architectural services for the Chehalis Radio Site. Steve Walton, Director of Central Services, spoke to the resolution. He said the county issued a Request for Qualifications. He said Don Cushing and Associates of Portland submitted a proposal to provide engineering and architectural services for a total not to exceed $59,531. Steve said the tower is housed on a citizen's property and that the citizen would like it moved. Resolution 18-317:Approve an Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreement between Lewis County and the United States Geological Service (USGS). Josh Metcalf, Director of Public Works,spoke to the resolution. He said RCW 39.34 allows for intergovernmental work. He said the USGS has additional river gauges available that the county can use. Motion passed 3-0. HEARING Ordinance 1295,which would levy a property assessment tax in 2018 for collection in 2019. Commissioner Fund introduced the hearing. Noxious Weed Control Manager Bill Wamsley gave the staff report. He said notice of the day's hearing was published in The Chronicle on Oct. 2 and the East County Journal on Oct. 3. Bill said the ordinance would create an $8-per-parcel tax, as allowed under RCW 17.10.240. He discussed noxious weeds and the dangers they pose. He said Scotch broom alone has cost Lewis County$6.2 million. Bill outlined some of the struggles related to fighting noxious weeds. He noted that 62 percent of the state's counties use weed assessments to fund efforts to fight noxious weeds. Bill highlighted section 3.55.050,which sets the assessment at$0.80 per parcel for land defined as forest land per RCWs 84.33 and 84.34 and $8 per parcel for land that is not defined as forest land. Bill also explained section 3.55.060, which specifies that the taxes will be imposed, enforced, distributed and administered consistent with the rules and regulations imposed under RCW 82.46 and county ordinances. Commissioner Fund asked if there were any questions. Commissioner Stamper asked the difference between the DNR assessment and the weed assessment. Bill said both provide for tax collection. He said the DNR assessment is for forest fire protection, while the weed assessment is to combat noxious weeds. 2 Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Eric Eisenberg clarified that the state collects the Forest Practices tax, not the county. Commissioner Stamper asked what the public will see for the $8-per-parcel assessment. Bill said the hope is to improve prevention efforts and voluntary compliance, among other things. Commissioner Stamper asked if the county can reach out to the state to clean up the Scotch broom along state highways. Bill said the hope is to continue communicating with the Department of Transportation regarding active treatment and prevention. Eric said the county cannot bill the state DOT for weed cleanup work it may do along the highway. He also noted that the state has exempted itself from paying the assessment on its properties. Ron Averill of Centralia asked what tools will be provided. Bill said information and technical assistance, etc., will be provided. He said the board provides certifications, helps identify poisonous plants, etc. Eric said the county also helps with management plans, too, which can be tricky in areas surrounding streams, etc. Ron said a fee is being added for essentially no gain. He discussed the DNR fee and a court challenge that was filed regarding it. Eric discussed special assessments, one of which is proportional to how beneficial it is and the other of which is uniform. Sandy Grady of Chehalis said she doesn't understand what additional help will be available. Bill said an additional full-time equivalent (FTE) position is being considered. He said there will be increased outreach, including early detection and treatment. He and Eric clarified that the tax would make permanent efforts that are funded through grants, which are not guaranteed. Peggy Barth of Centralia asked why a per-acre assessment wasn't used. Eric corrected a statement Commissioner Fund had made earlier and said the tax will be collected from all parcels in the county, including those within city limits. Eric said the theory is that noxious weeds are bad for public health and therefore all parcels would pay. He noted that forest lands are only allowed to be taxed at one-tenth the rate of other parcels, as per state law. Peggy said she has never seen county workers pulling tansy or Scotch broom from alongside county roads. Bill said there are a lot of road systems and a lot of treatments that take place during the course of a year. He said his hope would be to work more closely with the vegetation groups at the county and state level. Eric noted that sometimes the county only has limited rights within the rights of way. Commissioner Fund then closed the question-and-answer portion of the hearing. 3 Bill and Eric asked that their previous comments be adopted into the record. Commissioner Fund asked if anyone wanted to speak for or against the resolution. Sandy Grady discussed the weed-fighting efforts she put forth in her youth. She said she is against the tax and feels that the offending property owners should be accountable, not other landowners. Peggy Barth echoed Sandy Grady's sentiments that the offending landowners should be accountable. Ron Averill said the$8-per-parcel tax is unfair because a 5,000-foot parcel will be charged the same tax as a 100-acre parcel. Commissioner Fund closed the hearing and asked for a motion. Commissioner Fund said the State Noxious Weed Control Board submitted a letter supporting Ordinance 1295. Commissioner Jackson made a motion to approve Ordinance 1295. Commissioner Stamper seconded. Commissioner Stamper said education about noxious weeds is important moving forward and that he's confident the efforts will pay future dividends. He said it's important to partner with the offending landowners to find solutions moving forward. Commissioner Fund said she too pulled tansy as a youth. She discussed her efforts to have an absentee landowner in Centralia address their noxious weed problem. She noted that the taxes collected only can be used for noxious weeds. She said the county will reach out to the DOT to clean up its land. She urged the public to reach out to Bill Wamsley with complaints about any properties that need to be addressed. Motion passed 3-0. GOOD OF THE ORDER Peter Lahmann, president of the Lewis County Historical Society, discussed a recent$1,000 donation to the Historical Society for an upcoming Armistice Day exhibit. Commissioner Fund discussed her attendance at a weekend event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Chehalis Library. Ron Averill of Centralia invited the public to the Lewis County Seniors' dinner theater event planned for Oct. 27. PRESS CONFERENCE No questions. 4 ADJOURNMENT The BOCC Business Meeting adjourned at 11:11 a.m., with the next Business Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, October 29, 2018, in the Commissioners' Hearing Room (Room 223). Please note that minutes from the BOCC Business Meeting are not verbatim.A recording of the meeting moy be purchased at the BOCC office, or video footage can be viewed at no charge at LewisCountyWa.gov/bocc-meetings. Video footage of BOCC meetings also is aired on Comcast Channel 3 at 10 a.m.,2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. daily. Video footage also can be found on the Lewis County Commissioners'Facebook page. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LEWIS COUNTY,WASHINGTON • 4f):41\-'%outy rk was • 5 / fin• �i SINCE ti o •na . Fund, Chair 'z. •"' 1S 1845 • *- $cr • J ATTEST: ••G'oNS\S`•• Robert C.Jackson,Vice Chair •••••- Rieva Lester, Clerk of the Board Gary Sta er, Comm' sioner 5