Clark County Council

0:00 Good evening, everyone. Please come in. There's still people arriving. Calling to order, Clark County Council, this, what is the date today, March 17th, 2026. We are going to start the meeting with a special presentation and a couple of proclamations. So, Councilor Fuentes, I think you have the special presentation. >> Absolutely, thank you, welcome everyone. We get the opportunity to read the Clark County Unity Resolution, and it starts with,

0:56 whereas the Clark County Council's concern about increasing divisive rhetoric and acts of political violence and affirms that violence, intimidation, and threats have no place in a democratic society. And whereas Clark County, as an employer of more than 1,700 people and a governmental body serving over 540,000 residents, is committed to upholding the constitutional rights of all people and to serving residents with a wide range of backgrounds, beliefs, and political viewpoints. Whereas the Clark County Council and Board of Health previously recognized the disparities in health and well-being exists within the community and directed the Department of Public Health to engage in activities to specifically decrease these disparities, including racialized disparities as they exist in a public health context. And whereas the United States was founded on the principles of pluralism, individual liberty, and respect for and tolerance of differences. Clark County remains committed to the values of civic participation and mutual respect, and

1:52 celebrates the heritage and identities of all our community members, including different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, political beliefs, ages, races, gender, and sexual identities, and religions, among other individual characteristics. And whereas the council acknowledges that there are members of our community who experience fear or concern for their personal safety based on how they look, the color of their skin, their background, beliefs, identity, or other perceived characteristics. And whereas Clark County is committed to ensuring that all residents are treated with dignity and fairness, have access to public services, and can participate in community life without intimidation and discrimination. And whereas Clark County celebrates the rich diversity of its residents and strives to foster understanding, tolerance, and our shared humanity and responsibility to create a county where all residents can flourish.

2:45 And whereas the council encourages all residents to express ideas, concerns, and disagreements honestly and respectfully, and to engage in civic discourse without personal attacks, threats, or inappropriate conduct. Therefore, be it ordered and resolved by the Clark County Council that the Clark County Council declares unity and universal dignity as priority values of the county and resolves the following. This council condemns political violence, threats, and intimidation in all forms. The council commits to review in the county's code of conduct for county council members and members of Clark County boards and commissions that affirms and prioritizes dignity and respect for all community members. The council will also make efforts to ensure that county boards and commissions reflect the community they serve to hear broadly from all parts of Clark County. The council affirms its commitment to the constitutional rights of all residents of all walks of life,

3:40 including freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and participation in civic life, and living a healthy and thriving life in Clark County. The council condemns or commits to adopting policies that allow for decorum and productive participation in all public meetings. The council calls upon residents, community organizations, and public officials to engage in civic discourse with respect, courtesy, and a shared commitment to the safety and dignity of all members of the community and commits to working in good faith with partners across Clark County to work together to solve our community's challenges and provide the opportunity to thrive in Southwest Washington. I sign this day, 17th day of March, 2026, thank you. >> Okay, thank you, that was a rather long one. >> It was a long one. >> I appreciate you reading that. And now to proclamations.

4:33 Counselor Little will be presenting this one National Community Development Week and accepting it is Dominique Meriwether, Executive Director of Proud Ground. Is Dominique here? There's Dominique. You can just come forward, yep. >> Working? >> All right, whereas Community Development Week is the time of year where we highlight the impact. The Community Development Block Grant, otherwise known as CDBG, and the Home Investment Partnerships Program, otherwise known as HOME, have in our community.

5:30 And whereas the CDBG and HOME programs provide annual funding and flexibility to local communities to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities to low and moderate income people. And whereas Clark County has received over 72 million of CDBG funding since 1975, and over 27 million of HOME funding since 1992, and has funded a variety of projects and programs that have directly benefited our citizens and neighborhoods. And whereas our community urges Congress to recognize the outstanding work being done locally and nationally with CDBG and HOME funds by supporting increased funding for both programs in FY 2027, and now therefore be it resolved that the county of Clark

6:25 designates the week of April 6 to 10, 2026 as National Community Development Week in Clark County, Washington. In support of this valuable program that has made tremendous contributions to the viability of the housing stock, infrastructure, and the economic well-being of our community, and urge citizens to join in recognizing the positive impacts of both the Community Development Block Grant and Home Investment Partnership Programs, and the importance they serve in our community, signed the 17th day of March 2026 by the entire county council. >> Thanks, and thank you for that proclamation.

7:18 We appreciate the funding that the county, and the support that the county's given Prout Ground in support of permanently affordable home ownership. Prout Ground is a community land trust. We're the largest community land trust in the United States, or I'm sorry, in the Northwest, and probably fifth largest in the United States. Our focus is on creating home ownership opportunities to low to moderate income households. And so we can do the work that we do in advance our mission without the support of the county, and so we appreciate that. I also want to say that I'm a commissioner for the Vancouver Housing Authority, and so I also appreciate the support that the county has given to the Housing Authority as well. So thank you very much. Appreciate it. >> Okay, our next proclamation is in celebration of Nowruz brought to us by the Afghan community. And there's several members of the Afghan community that are here.

8:17 Not accepting will be Mariam Azapour and Khalid Barzgar, you can correct me on that. I'll come down and read this.

8:47 It's on already, okay, great. Okay, whereas the spring equinox occurs on Friday, March 20th, making the first day of the Persian New Year, also known as Nowruz, or New Day. And which is celebrated by many cultures across the world. And whereas Nowruz is an important holiday for the Clark County Afghan community, who celebrate the first day of spring with celebrations of family, food, and togetherness. In 2026, it also coincides with Eid, which is another important holiday for many county residents. And whereas Clark County is home to hundreds of residents of Afghan heritage, who contribute to the vibrancy of the county through their work, volunteerism, and community spirit.

9:46 And whereas the arrival of spring marks the renewal of the natural cycle with longer days, more sunshine, and blooming plants that further enhance the beauty of Southwest Washington. Now therefore, the Clark County Council does hereby proclaim March 20th, 2026 as Nowruz in Clark County, Washington, and ask residents to join in celebrating the arrival of spring and the renewal of the natural cycle we are all a part of, dated the 17th day of March 2026, and signed by the entire council.

10:29 [ Applause ] >> Hello. Okay. Good evening. My name is Holly DeBasker, and I am a member of Afghan community in Clark County. Today, on behalf of the Afghan community, I would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the leadership of Clark County in recognition of Nowruz,

11:27 which is an important celebration for our heritage and the new year. Today is a proud and historic moment for us. It will be remembered as a day of hope and a new beginning. Today, our community feels more welcome, more seen, and at home more than ever. This recognition also mark as a beginning of a stronger partnership between the Afghan community and also the government of Clark County. We look forward to working together and contribute more and more to the growth of our shared community. So I want to end with this. I would like to thank the County Council staff members who facilitated this special occasion, and also I want to thank to our friends, volunteers,

12:26 and fellow Afghan community members who are attending with us today. And thank you so much. >> Thank you. [ Applause ] We're happy to have you join us. Okay, now if you will join me in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for the invocation that will be provided by Rob Poole of the Countywide Chaplaincy. [ Inaudible ] >> Thank you. Father, we come to you this evening with just a humble and grateful heart.

13:25 We recognize and acknowledge you as the creator of heaven and earth, king of the universe, lord of all. Thank you for being mindful of us, for loving us, inviting us. I guess I'll just talk louder. Inviting us to be your children. Lord, help us to love and honor you, and to love and honor our neighbor as ourselves. Help us to remember that we are all created in your image. Therefore, we are worthy of love and respect. Lord, we ask for wisdom for our leaders here and abroad, that you protect them, bless them, and open their minds and their hearts for your will to be done. Bless these council members, these families, and their communities.

14:20 We pray for wisdom this day to make good decisions, and to walk on this earth in a manner that would bring honor and glory to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. >> Thank you very much. Okay, let's move on to -- well, some people might be leaving. With the council roll call. >> Councilor Belcott? >> Present. >> Councilor Fuentes? >> Here. >> Councilor Nittle? >> Here. >> Chair Marshall? >> Here. >> Okay, are there any amendments to the agenda? >> Yes, I have one amendment for this evening. If we can add under separate business item number six, it's an emergency resolution to approve a temporary road closure.

15:18 >> Okay, thank you. Okay, then we'll open it up to public comment. And this time, it's open for open public comment. And public comment on any consent agenda items or separate business items. >> And Chair, we have some folks signed up. Julie Kep. >> Hi, Julie Kep, District 2. Good evening, counselors. Thank you for allowing me to speak. I attended my first Clark County meeting exactly one year ago today. I don't know if you guys recall that meeting. And maybe I just remember it because you never forget your first time.

16:15 But the meeting was something else that I was not expecting. Attendance was overflowing into the other room. 58 people spoke. And it took two and a half hours just to get through the public comments. In the years since, I've attended as many meetings as I can get in in one form or another. I learned a lot about the work that goes on in the council. The boards, the commissions, and the various departments. I've listened to some interesting staff reports. And seen some wonderful PowerPoint presentations on everything from the comp plan, to law and justice, to public health, housing, parks, water, and so on and so on. I've been a witness to some affecting public comment periods. Such as the one last fall when mobile homeowners pled their case

17:13 for a moratorium on park sales so they wouldn't lose their homes. And I've gotten to know all of you on the council a little bit better, at least in your roles here. I'm trying, and I belong to a group that is really trying, to persuade people to become more involved in local politics. To attend meetings of the county council, library boards, school boards, city council, charter commission, whatever floats their boat. Most people I know are like me and haven't really followed much in the way of local politics over the years. Beyond what they need to know when it comes time to vote. But I've found that showing up, watching, listening, turns issues into people. And I know that learning more about local government, both the challenges and the successes, has made me feel more a part of the community. I don't just live in Clark County, but I feel more a part of it.

18:12 A tiny part for sure, but still. So thank you to councilors and to all the staff who work so hard to make Clark County everything it can be. Thank you. Rick Vermeers?

18:35 My name is Rick Vermeers, chair of the Clark County Republican Election Integrity team. I'm commenting on separate business item one, the elections department sorter. I am very familiar with this item. The sorter is a pivotal part of the ballot processing. Every ballot envelope passes through this sorter at least twice during any election. Operational failure of this 20 year old machine would lead to excruciatingly long sessions of hand sorting with possible delayed results. With this in mind, the project is well thought out and will provide for backup in the unlikely event that one of the two new machines has a temporary failure. Ballot processing for large elections can also be completed with more speed and efficiency as the two sorters can be operated concurrently.

19:32 The timing of this project is purely operational and is not political in any way. I urge you to vote pro on this item. Thank you very much. Bruce Barnes? Good evening council and chair. My name is Bruce Barnes for the record. Appreciate the opportunity to speak. First of all, I'd like to speak on an issue that was brought to my attention about the council request of approval for $2,000 to the community foundation of Southwest Washington.

20:25 It's my understanding that you're giving $1,000 to citizens to tell their story of being homeless. And I don't know if that's true or not, but I'm here to figure that out. Because if that is the case, it's the same thing that's going on on fourth plane corridor. It's against the state constitution because if you're going to give one group of people money, you've got to give another group of people money. So that would be an illegal action on this board's approval. Secondly, I like your proclamation because I'm not a person that hates anybody. I hate their actions and we've seen some disturbing actions at this county council. But I've also seen some disturbing actions where councilors have participated in no ice rallies or no kings rallies or whatever the rally may be. This group is supposed to be in partisan.

21:21 So you're supposed to serve the whole community, not your party line, period, in my opinion. And that's the way I would be if I was a counselor here. I've really got no interest to run for a council job, but I've been around politics my entire life. And I've seen a lot of people handle things a lot differently. So that means no buttons on your shirt. You know, to me it's just not the way to conduct business as a professional. Thirdly, I don't know if you saw the article in the Columbia newspaper about the timberlands that are up in Whatcom County. We've got the same thing going on right here, right in Washougal, Washington. I contacted the timber manager and under no circumstances are they going to let anybody go on their property. Now this is a property that is being funded by an overseas pension, okay.

22:18 But yet they're buying all this property from warehouses and forest service land and amongst other stuff. We need to tax them accordingly because now this is an investment company and this is an investment no different than if I invest in stocks, I've got to pay my taxes when I take that money out, right? So that's very important to me because I'm an outdoors person. It's just blocking me out of my outdoor activity, right? And of course mats as well. So we've got to do better on that. And I guess that's all I've got for this evening. Thanks for your time. Thank you. Is there anybody else in the room who'd like to speak who didn't sign up? Okay, we do have some folks online. Okay, we'll take them one at a time. Caller, you've been sent a request to unmute yourself. Please do so. State your name for the record and go ahead with your comments.

23:15 Good evening, Kimberly Goheen-Albon. Well, on your unity resolution committed to upholding the constitutional rights of all peoples, I'm going to mention again the illegal immigrants here. It's going to tie into the other proclamations that you have today. You mentioned that it's racialized disparities. Well, I'm white and I have a disparity that you guys have said that we can't speak on the minutes, which I believe is unconstitutional. I would like to tell people that they are to see or not. God created all people of all different colors, hallelujah, and those that fear,

24:09 they left their country because of that fear and they came over here. We're supposed to be accepting all of that. I get that. So why would they want to fear here? They shouldn't, especially because of their color, that's for sure, or their background, or their sex, or anything else. As far as political violence pertaining to the Nauraz, if I'm not mistaken, last week it was mentioned this was going to be for the Iranian people. The Iranian nation hates America, so I'm concerned, highly concerned, for public safety. If there are any of them here that are illegal and haters for America, I know that when they have their Nauraz celebrations, even in their own country, there's political violence and unrest.

25:08 So we don't want that here, that's for sure. Welcome to everybody, of course, as I've always said to the Russian and Ukrainian and Afghanistan communities, but we want them legally here so that we can vet them and know that they're not going to harm the people that pay taxes and vote.

25:29 So I'm going to get to the separate business number one, the mail sorter. I was, thanks to Rick, I am a little bit more informed. I was thinking that we were going to have mail-in voting, where we want the SAVE Act, and the SAVE Act is Safeguard American Voter Eligibility. So we definitely want that, and therefore why would we need a mail sorter, but he kind of explained that. So if it's to do with counting the ballots, that's wonderful. It does say mail sorter, so I'm thinking, you know, we don't want any more mail-in votes. We want people in person show their credentials just like anywhere else. Your separate business number two says prior council discussions. There have been no prior council discussions. Thank you, your time is up.

26:27 Caller, you've been sent a request to unmute yourself. Please do so, state your name for the record, and go ahead with your comments. Hello, my name is Heidi Pozo. I'm here tonight regarding the watchdog contract for the I-5 179th interchange. I've been reviewing traffic studies for developments in the county and the city of Ridgefield areas that impact the 179th corridor, as well as the transportation data underlying the DEIS. The model output files, the land use inputs, and trip generation data. And I'm in various stages of outreach with community planning, public works, and the RTC. I'm still waiting for responses and meetings, so I want to be clear that I don't have all the answers yet. But what I can say in the data that's already available is concerning, and it goes beyond one intersection or one road segment.

27:20 The recent traffic studies project 2028 conditions, assuming the corridor improvements have already been built. The interchange, the roundabouts, the widening. Even with all of that in place, there are points of failure across the broader Salmon Creek and Fairgrounds area. I provided you data over the weekend. The points of failure show up across multiple studies prepared by different firms for different developments. When you look at the 20-year picture, the pattern continues. The DEIS acknowledges on page 159 that its analysis assumes completion of all regional transportation plan projects. And if those projects are delayed, impacts would be more significant than indicated. On page 160, it acknowledges significant growth in north-south travel demand, that some materials have been built to their ultimate design and can't be realistically widened, and that reducing level of service standards is one of the options being considered.

28:17 The I-5 southbound on-ramp at 179th is essentially a capacity in the DEIS model, and freeway congestion persists between the I-5-205 merge and Ridgefield even after completion of all three major projects in the corridor. The 205-134th interchange, the I-5-179th interchange, and the I-5-219th Ridgefield connector, even though the Ridgefield connector isn't in the RTP plan. This isn't a problem with one segment. It's a pattern across Salmon Creek and Fairgrounds area, near-term failures before the improvements are built, and long-term congestion after they're completed. Before committing to a design contract for an interchange we already know have reason to believe will be insufficient, doesn't it make sense to step back and look at the area holistically to understand how these projects and roads interact, where the real pressure points are, and whether the current design actually addresses the problem before we start

29:17 spending on engineering. I respectfully ask the council to consider that question before approving this contract. Thank you. Jackie Lane, you've been sent a request to unmute yourself. Please do so and go ahead with your comments.

29:42 [BLANK_AUDIO] Caller, you've been sent a request to unmute yourself. Please do so, state your name for the record, and go ahead with your comments. I got it. Sorry, it took a while first to let me unmute. Good evening, councilors and staff. I'd like to ask that someone pull consent agenda number five, the contract extension for related to comp plan, and explain to us and each other what this means for the comp plan timeline. In addition to this contract, what other impacts and costs will there be? What is the new schedule, because one hasn't been posted?

30:40 What cost benefit analysis has been done on this careless ignoring of the state requirements for the completion of the comp plan? And when will the new schedule be published? Thank you very much. Thank you. Is there anyone else? Nobody else, okay. Okay, let's take them.

31:08 Caller, you've been sent a request to unmute yourself. Please do so, state your name for the record, and go ahead with your comments. Good evening. My name is Alex Luna for the record. It's been over a month since your immigration statement, and yet still no tangible action has been taken from the council. So far, the timeline has been that the county manager told us at the end of 2025 to expect the Camp Bonneville FBI contract back on the agenda in January of 2026. During several meetings in which we discussed the council's immigration statement, Councilor Young stated, and most of you agreed, that he felt that ICE and any other agencies collaborating with them should not be allowed to use our county resources. There is proof beyond any doubt that the FBI is collaborating with ICE, and countless examples of this have been sent to you repeatedly. And yet this item has still not made its way back onto the agenda. I urge you to bring this item back on the agenda and say plainly that you will discontinue

32:06 the FBI's use of Camp Bonneville immediately. Furthermore, counselors, I urge you to issue a moratorium on all nonmunicipal detention centers to prevent DHS from expanding their concentration camps in Clark County. This action has been taken in many counties across the U.S., including Washington's own King County on March 3rd. The council member who sponsored this stated King County's land and resources should be used to support the health, safety, and well-being of our communities, not to build systems that isolate, intimidate, and harm the very people who make our region strong. I could not have said it better myself. In fact, Councilor Young said something very similar during the several meetings I attended in which we discussed the immigration statement. If you truly believe that federal enforcement agencies who collaborate with ICE and ICE activities should not be allowed to use our county resources, prove it.

33:02 You can at any time request this to be added back to the agenda, change your vote, and put this issue to rest once and for all. Thank you so much. Thank you. Oh, we've got another one. Caller, you've been sent a request to unmute yourself. Please do so. State your name for the record and go ahead with your comments. Thank you. My name is Sarah Newhouse and I'm a resident of Vancouver and I'm here to state my concern that the County Council has still not added the topic of Camp Bonneville back to a meeting agenda. I am asking you to bring the topic back for a vote and to end the FBI's use of this land. Furthermore, I'm asking you to issue a moratorium on all nonmunicipal detention centers in Clark County. The community is asking you to take action, which is very much in this council's purview to do to prevent DHS from expanding their power and the concentration camps that are

34:00 being built in this country in our home. I know your inboxes are full of proof and justifications about why the community is demanding action of you. There is an abundance of reporting that ICE detention centers are inhumane. ICE is unlawfully detaining individuals who have no criminal record. ICE detention centers are killing people. And the FBI is providing support for these activities and is targeting those who oppose DHS's actions through the NSPM 7 directive. Please stop wasting time. Hear us. Represent us. Fight with us to keep our community safe. Listen to the news around the country. Communities are winning the fight when they stand up about what they want for their communities. This council has to take responsibility and take action on this matter. Thank you for giving me time this evening. Thank you.

35:00 Is there anyone else? Oh, there's still one more. Wendy Cleveland, you've been sent a request to mute yourself. Please do so and go ahead with your comments. Hi, can you hear me all right? Yes, we can. All right, so Wendy Cleveland. So from the rumors I'm hearing on social media, I have some questions, rhetorical questions for now, but I would love some answers. If the city of battleground is claiming that it needs all of the wooded land between its western city limit and dollars corner and beyond to develop for light industry to meet the projected growth target of six or seven thousand more jobs by 2045. If that's the case, why would they have approved the sale of the last remaining industrial land, some of the last of it anyway, which seems like about more than 50 acres to what's

35:59 rumored to be a mega church? Did the city of battleground give away its last industrial land for non-industrial use because of poor planning? If that is the case, then why would the council assume that it would do any better if it's given more land?

36:20 Does the rumored church that plans on building on some of the last remaining large swath of industrial land and battleground have any connection with Maddox? Do any of the current past or present city council, battleground city council members or planners have any personal connection to Maddox or the group that's building that church, whoever they are, if it is a church, what do they stand again? And is the rumored city hall that the rumored church is rumored to be building on that last large swath of industrial land in battleground? Is it really more of a homeschool outpost or co-op? These are all questions I have. If any of you could find out about that, I would love a response. I can go ahead and send questions via email just so that you can get back to me on an

37:18 easier path. Just before we just blindly approve the site specific request of Dollars Corner from Battleground, could we please look at the land that they already have, which is a massive section of land still in their city limits before approving more land that is heavily wooded and surrounded by homes for more light industry when they're not even using the land that they have now for that industry. And I realize it goes to 2045, but still, if the planners have set themselves up to be in this area where they need to ask for more land, let's look at what they're asking for. Thank you. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Thank you. And we have one more? Yeah.

38:11 Caller, you've been sent a request to mute yourself. Please do so. State your name for the record and go ahead with your comments. Hi, my name is Liz Baxter. I'm for the record. I'm a resident of Vancouver. I just wanted to also put in my opinion about the FBI and I Center. I would like to encourage the council to not support the building of an ice center in the community. I think that would be harmful and not a good use of community resources. And I've heard it said, I saw an article in The Columbian saying that we don't have control over this. And I don't think that's true based on reading I've done about other communities who have been able to reject this. So I would encourage you to use your community power and listen to the voice of the people who are saying we don't want this. At least 12 other communities have voted this down and have gotten them out of their communities.

39:06 And I would also, I'm new to council meetings, but I also am just somewhat concerned that there is a Christian prayer at this meeting because this seems like a government function and I'm Christian. So I don't have a problem with God, but I thought we're supposed to be a little more neutral about these things. So that's all I've got. Thank you for the chance to speak. Thank you. Okay, now we're done. All right, thanks for all those comments. Moving on to the, well, I guess just following up, I have a question based on some of the public comments related to Camp Bonneville and the FBI. As I understand, we don't currently have an agreement with the FBI to use Camp Bonneville? That is correct. And they're not using Camp Bonneville. They're not using Camp Bonneville. Is this something that will come back before the council or do we have a timeline? I don't have a timeline right now. No timeline. Okay, thanks. I just wanted to clear that up.

40:05 Is there anything from the consent agenda that any counselor would like to pull? Chair. Yes. Consent agenda item number five per community member Jackie Lane's request. Had a couple of questions that she wanted answered and I only rolled one. Oh, well, we'll bring it up when we bring that topic up. Is there any other items that you want to pull? Other counselors? I would like to pull item 14, which I believe was the engineering rate related to 179 just to provide some context there. Okay. That leaves item one through 18 with the exception of five and 14 if there's a motion to approve. So moved. Thank you for your motion. Second. Moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Okay, then moving on to item five. Counselor Fuentes.

41:03 Yeah, as I mentioned earlier, community member Jackie Lane had a couple of questions. One in particular was about the new timeline if there in fact is one and she had another question which I do not recall. I didn't get a chance to write it down and I was hoping that Oliver perhaps had an opportunity to write that down. And I believe Oliver's online, but I can speak to the timeline anyway right now. There isn't one. Okay. We're waiting for the work session tomorrow and to get direction from council on when we can notice for a public hearing to select an alternative. And once we have that, Oliver and his staff will solidify that into a timeline. Thank you. And I just follow up question. So this item in and of itself, I guess would this mean extending the timeline? This is simply extending this contract timeline through the end of the year so that we can once we get that information, they can continue to work.

42:02 Because we have not made a decision on the preferred alternatives. That is correct. That's delayed everything. Oliver, would you like to add anything to this? Good evening, Councillors. No, the county manager stated it very well. This will not change the budget. Nothing is just giving them the opportunity to get back to working when we have the preferred because there's the firm that will complete the final EIS. So nothing more to add, Councillors. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you. Any other questions, Councillor Fuentes? I'd like to move to approve consent agenda item number five. Okay. Thank you for your motion. Moved and seconded. Any comments or thoughts? Hearing none. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carries. Thank you.

43:01 Now item 14 related to preliminary engineering services on I-5 and Northeast 179. So Ken and Jeremy and someone I haven't met yet. Thank you for coming up. If you could just provide some context for this particular item. I know there are a lot of issues along 179th and the roads leading into it. So thank you. Yes, of course. Thank you for the opportunity. For the record, Jeremy Provenzolo, county engineer, public works. I have with me Brian Muhu. He's the project manager assigned to the corridor for the moment. And the item before you is related to preliminary engineering services being performed by WSDOT for unincorporated Clark County elements in close proximity to the interchange work that they're going to be doing. They tie in nicely with the work that they're already doing.

43:57 And there are some efficiency gains by having them do some of this PE work. We will come back to council for right away and construction phases in the future as this work progresses. And I think if you Rebecca, if you're willing to scroll down a little bit, a couple of pages, there's a proximity map that highlights the areas that WSDOT will be working on. OK. So this is really confined to I-5 and 179th. Is there a timeline when this will be, this work will be begin? The work, the work captured here is part of the WSDOT contract, I think would be coupled with their construction schedule for the interchange. And Brian, do you have the current schedule for that when that would start construction? Yeah.

44:57 So as we understand it now, the coordination with WSDOT, their work is to start in 2029, but that would be specifically for the bridges. That work will continue on for about a year and a half, a little bit over that. Once they finish the bridge construction across 179th there, then they would take on some of these county road work areas afterwards. They are still looking at potential to work those in if they have the opportunity to, at that time frame where bridges are being completed. But as of now, coordination, they'll take on sort of that work once they finish the bridge work, which again starts in 29, but will continue on for about a year and a half or over that. Then they would take on some of these areas in the county after.

45:53 And if there was a delay in our approval of this, what impact would that have? So the main element with this agreement is it's streamlined the delivery and the coordination efforts for these areas as we must design and evaluate them concurrently as these areas are where the county and WSDOT areas meet. So without the approval for this, we would have to sort of strategize to make sure that we incorporate these areas into our design. As far as delaying construction, I don't see that necessarily being as a significant impact to delay the construction as we're anticipating right now. But it does sort of make things a bit more challenging and delineating county versus WSDOT work and coordinating that from design through construction.

46:53 Great. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Any other questions? I'll entertain a motion for approval. So moved. Thank you. Is there a second? Moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Thanks very much. Thank you. Okay, then moving on to separate business. So we have our county auditor here tonight. We're ready for your item, auditor's office elections. If you want to come up and explain this to you, to us. Let me figure this out. Red light on. I'm good. Good. You'll get it. Thank you. You'll get it by the end of the year. Yeah, finally. Well, thank you for the record. Greg Kimsey, Clark County Auditor.

47:52 Actually, I think Citizen Rick Ramirez did a fantastic job of explaining the situation here. We have a 20-year-old envelope sorting machine that doesn't just sort envelopes, it also takes a picture of every signature on every envelope that goes through that. So that's another very important function of that machine. It's 20 years old. We learned, we were hoping until this January, we were hoping to not replace that machine until after the next presidential election. But in January, we learned from the vendor, they will no longer support the machine. And so it's, again, as Mr. Ramirez explained, it is a critical, critical piece of equipment in the ballot processing system. And I urge you to prove our ability to sign this contract. Okay, thank you. Are there any questions from council? Hearing none.

48:48 I just want to give you the opportunity to address mail-in voting system that we have in the state. And the reliability of it. Well, thank you, Councilor Little. I appreciate that. So the voting system that has developed over many, many years here in the state of Washington, whereby every registered voter is mailed a ballot, is secure, it is transparent, it provides good accessibility for voters, it's convenient for voters, and it produces results that accurately reflect the combined vote of all the voters who choose to participate. As you are very aware, there are a large number of controls and procedures in place to ensure the integrity of that process. And I'm happy to go into greater detail if you'd like me to. I can go as long as you want.

49:45 I think you covered it well. Okay, with that, is there a motion to approve? So moved. Okay, second. So that's separate business item one for the purchase of the Blue Crest mail sorting machines. Thank you, auditor. So without any further comment, all those in favor say aye. >> Aye. Okay, motion carries. All right, item two. This is also the Assessor's Office. Oh, no, the Assessor's, not the auditor. So Michael Fish, welcome. Tell us what you'd like us to know on this item. >> Good evening, counselors. Michael Fish, Chief Deputy Assessor, Assessor's Office. This is a staff report partnered with our Information Technology Office.

50:45 I'm not sure if Mike Sprinkle is online. Actually, I do see him up there. So Mike, if you don't mind, I'll kick us off. And please feel free to jump in. We're asking for pre-approval for our fall supplemental budget of $43,000 to fund our docunav project. What that does is it gives us the funding, the project development, migration hours to move our existing Assessor's Office laser fish portals to their new hosted environment, draw, remap, reconstruct the processes, the portal in their own kind of configuration, which actually helps our office improve efficiency longer term. The way they're designing the new system will make these processes easier for our teams to manage internally, easier for us to grow and expand these services to other customers. And this is really part of a bigger county-wide, enterprise-wide engagement, right, to bring laser fish solutions to the county.

51:43 So I think Mike Sprinkle has already done a great job of kind of proceeding and talking about this project. So I'll gladly hand it over to him. The only other thing that I would add is just that this is kind of the actually the start of a larger cost-saving initiative. So we're trying to get laser fish ready to be a truly enterprise solution for the county. The current setup is a little bit kind of purposely limited to only the Assessor's Office, and we're happy to work with the Assessor's Office to make this an enterprise solution for the whole county. I would like to add one more point. This is also a measure for cost avoidance. Partnering with IT and looking forward to this enterprise content management system,

52:38 it's really a cost avoidance for us, too. We have physical servers on-premise that would have to be replaced, and then we have to administer said servers, and that's not cheap. So the amount of extra money we're looking to fund this is definitely cost avoidance and helps improve products for our citizens, our team members, and a lot of other people moving forward. Great, thank you. Are there any questions from Council? I would just say thank you. I know the strategy has been we are not getting the revenue to keep up with all of the expenses, and as we can move to technological solutions as much as that's possible. So thanks for your work on this, both you, Michael's. >> Thank you. >> Okay, with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve separate business item number two. >> I so move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. >> Aye. Motion carries.

53:37 Okay, community services, item three, and Michael Torres, welcome. >> Thank you, Chair, Council, County Manager, Michael Torres, Program Manager at Clark County Community Services. And we are here to request County Council approval to provide $2,000 to the Community Foundation in Southwest Washington to facilitate the distribution of honorariums or stipends. To ECHO, that's Ending Community Homelessness Organization members that have lived experience of homelessness. In addition, we'd like to request the county manager to have the authority to sign the agreements and any resulting amendments or modifications. As background, this is a request, this provision of stipend, by the members of the Ending Community Homelessness Organization.

54:34 That is a convening of primarily elected officials, which includes representation from the Clark County Council, the City of Vancouver Council, and counselors from every city in the county, along with some other entities such as the Vancouver Housing Authority. To provide stipends, the request is to provide stipends to new members to the ECHO, that committee, that have lived experience with homelessness. Part of the ECHO charter since this creation has called for participation of people that have lived experience of homelessness to be able to advise these elected policy makers in the discussions they're having on the issues around homelessness and the barriers to providing services. Other government agencies, such as the state, do offer honorariums or

55:32 stipends to participants who are low income to help them overcome barriers to full participation in their volunteer activities in the work. People would only receive these stipends after they participate in meetings. We have consulted with the auditor's office and our prosecuting attorney to confirm the legality and propriety of doing this. The volunteer term would be approximately 12 months, with the possibility for that to be extended. There would be a maximum of $1,000 going to each of the two individuals. And that would be provided proportionally distributed after each meeting over the course of the 12 months.

56:25 This would be administered by the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington, which has experience. We have established policies and practices for providing volunteers with stipends in this manner. And I'm open to any questions or discussion you may have. >> Thank you. Are there any questions? >> Chair, I have some questions. >> Yes, go ahead. >> Michael, I just have a question. So I'm looking at the agenda versus what's on here. So it's saying requesting approval to provide $2,000 to the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington. But here in the staff report, it talks about 1,000 maximum per individual to be paid on a monthly basis annually. So they could be paid $1,000 a month? >> No, that would be a total up to, so it's $2,000 total request.

57:20 It would be put into a contract with the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington. It would be as a statement of work, standalone, for the administration of these stipends. So that's the total $2,000 amount over a 12-month period. There are potentially two echo members that would be individuals with lived experience, that would join the echo as participants. And then after, there are approximately, how many meetings, Jordan, the year 12, it's monthly. >> Yeah, typically I would say, there's usually a month or two we end up skipping if it falls on a holiday or something like that. So typically you're looking at 10 or 11 meetings a year of echo. >> So after each meeting, after an individual has been confirmed to have attended and

58:15 participated in the meeting, the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington would give a portion of that up to $1,000 that that individual could receive throughout the course of the whole year. So if it's ten meetings that are scheduled in the year, they'd probably be entitled to a $100 stipend for attending that meeting. If they did not attend all ten meetings, they would not get to the $1,000. >> So they may not necessarily even be talking, it's just based on attendance? >> I guess their participation in the meeting would vary depending on what's going on in the meeting. I'm sure that there may be meetings where those individuals are not necessarily being asked something actively, but I would expect they would. Generally, there's pretty adequate participation from all members on the echo.

59:13 There may also be some subcommittee work that they are asked to participate in. >> Okay, I was part of that committee for a year. I think it was my second year in council, so I'm very familiar with what they do. I have some issue with this because we are in a deficit as a county, so thank you. >> Other questions? >> Yeah, what would be the selection process for folks? Is there, would there be a slate of candidates to choose from, and would there be an interview process? How do you appoint people? >> So the actual process of selection and appointment is not run by community services. But what I expect, it will be echo that drives it. What I do expect will happen is I know that if this stipend gets approved, shortly after that approval, the county manager's office,

1:00:12 Michelle Fenning will be issuing through county communications an announcement of the volunteer opportunity that will be posted in the community and distributed. And applicants based on that opportunity will be identified. I'm sure that they will be brought to the echo, whatever application paperwork is generated from that will be brought to the echo for screening and selection. I believe there will be some kind of interview process. And I imagine out of that is going to be selection from the echo, would recommendation for appointment. I would assume it will come back to the council, but I think I'll defer to Jordan if you have any details. But that's not going to be the community services process, that's going to be echo. >> Thanks Michael. Yes, for the record, Jordan Bogie.

1:01:10 So yeah, so I think the plan that we have currently for recruiting folks with lived experience of homelessness, this is something that's identified in the echo charter, but for many years just hasn't really happened. There had been some recruiting efforts previously, they'd fallen out, and the group really would like to get some folks with lived experience with homelessness. We think that, the group thinks that this will help sort of incentivize folks to participate, even if maybe they're low income or may otherwise have some financial barriers to participating otherwise. But the process would be, we have a draft press release that the group has worked on, put together. We would put out that press release, send that out to the community, solicit applications. We'd have a subcommittee from echo review those applications. And yeah, if needed, we do an interview process with the finalists. And then those recommendations, that's my understanding as well, Michael, that those nominations that echo says,

1:02:10 hey, we think these are the folks that we think should be in this group would come back to council. Kind of like how you approve other boards and commissions that the county manager puts forward for your approval. And then they would go forward and then the stipend process would work as Michael described it. Essentially, we need verification that they attended the meetings and participated. And then the community foundation would be able to manage that program and provide that stipend. >> Okay, thank you. >> Other questions? >> I just have a comment. This just to me, we have a lot of people on different boards and committees for the county. Why, if we're going to open stipends up for this particular board, why aren't we opening it up to? I just think that this is, there's some equity issues here. I just, yeah, why aren't we paying all our other people that are on boards and committees? I just, that seems like it would be more fair.

1:03:08 And why is it, is it just part of the chart? I guess I'm trying to get to the root of it. Why is it an exception for ECCO and not the other boards and committees? >> Thank you for the question. I can't really answer that because this is a, am I on? I'm sorry, the light didn't come on. I can't really answer that because it is, this is a really, that's a policy question. And the want to do this has really come from the ECCO membership. And providing direction from the ECCO membership to community services to bring this to the council to approve, to provide the stipends. >From sitting and listening to the discussions at the ECCO what I can report is that there is recognition and

1:04:03 concern that without stipends, when the meetings take place during working hours, they take place at this location. And the people they are trying to get participation from in the meetings might have barriers to being able to participate, because they're not paid staff. They're taking time, they may also be asked to do subcommittee work. This would help with transportation, this would help with childcare. If childcare is an issue, this could help with work absences. But I think those are the issues that were identified for why a stipend would be desirable, and the want of the ECCO to make it happen.

1:05:02 >> Other comments? Go ahead. >> Yeah, I get the question, and I get what you're saying there. Would it only apply to people who are currently experiencing homelessness? Or would it apply to anybody who has had lived experience at any point in their history? That would, if it was the latter, might have some questions about the equity of that. >> So the charter of ECCO calls for the membership of these individuals to have lived experience. The conversation that's taken place within the ECCO, it's pretty clear to me that they are looking for people that are experiencing homelessness and

1:06:02 have been working either, they have experience interacting with the service system of homelessness in Clark County now. But your question in terms of is ECCO going to require active homelessness? I think, do you have any insight to that? >> Yeah, so the press release that was put together talks about, I think, current or recent. So it's recent, doesn't have a definition. I don't think we're saying it's gotta be within the last year or five years or something like that from the group. But that would be at the discretion of the group to look at. But it's not the intention to just be folks who are currently experiencing homelessness. And in fact, I know there's been some conversation in ECCO that it probably would be quite difficult to get someone who is actively experiencing homelessness to participate in the group.

1:06:58 So it might be more realistic to expect that someone maybe who has recently come out of homelessness, who maybe has accessed services and is on their way to finding stability, is more likely to join the group, just given the challenges that folks who are homeless experience. >> And I think I would just add that this is not unique to pay for people to participate. >> I understand with the climate action plan that there were participants that were paid to represent their community so they were actively engaged because- >> Child care, transportation, there's so many things, time of day that a meeting is held. There's so many things that can be barriers to participation. And if we are to get and know that the policies and our programs are working, really, who better to consult with than people who've experienced it themselves?

1:07:58 So I'd be very supportive of this. And it's been a long time coming. I think there have been years when ECCO has talked about having representation from people who have lived experience. So I'm really pleased to see this come forward. Any other comments or questions? Okay, with that I'll entertain a motion. >> Chair, motion to approve separate business item number three. >> Thank you, is there a second? I'll second it. All those in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Opposed, no? >> No. >> Okay, three to one. The ayes have it, motion carries. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, council.

1:08:49 >> Okay, moving on to Public Works, Sarah Hansen, and Jeremy's back, thanks. >> Good evening. For the record, Jeremy Provenzola, County Engineer, Public Works. I have with me Sarah Hansen, the PM, project manager assigned to the Mill Creek Barrier Improvements Project. And we are requesting council to authorize a professional services agreement for the architect to provide engineering services for the design of this project. >> Okay, did you want to fill in anything or just respond to questions? >> I don't really have any presentation prepared, so I guess go ahead and shoot your questions my way. >> Okay, thank you. Are there any questions or comments from the council?

1:09:48 >> No. >> Okay, hearing none, we don't have Councillor Young here tonight, so. >> I was wondering where he was going. >> Yes, go ahead. >> I'd like to motion to approve separate business item number four. >> Thank you, is there a second? >> Second. >> Moved and seconded, all in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Okay, thanks very much. >> Thank you. >> Okay, moving on to item five. >> Chair, this is me actually. >> There you go. >> For the record, Jordan Bogie putting on my public works hat tonight. So this is a request by a couple of property owners to annex a couple of properties into the Clark Regional Wastewater District's boundary area.

1:10:42 And so this is something that in my time working for the county, I think I've presented to council once before, maybe a couple years ago. But just to give you a little bit of background, the Clark Regional Wastewater District was approached by a couple of property owners who would like to be annexed into their sewer area. So these are folks who live in the urban growth area. There is a 2017 comprehensive general sewer plan that was adopted by the regional wastewater district. The county as well as the Washington State Department of Ecology, and it provides a plan to get sewer service to unserved areas within the UGA. And so these folks, and Rebecca, if you're able to scroll down to, I think it's page five in this report. It's got a map that you can see where this is happening. But basically, as septic systems age or fail, the intent of the plan is to move these properties into sewer service.

1:11:39 And over time, kind of build out our sewer infrastructure in the county and the UGA. And so per state law, I believe it's RCW 57-02040, the county council is also required to approve these annexations. So the regional wastewater district has reviewed this, has approved it, now it's coming to the council. If you don't want to approve it, we do have to have a hearing on it within 60 days, which I think would be like the next council meeting essentially. So this is something that, yeah, the property owners have requested. And so bring this forward to council to make sure that you concur that you want to bring these properties into the sewer service area. And I'm happy to try to answer any questions you might have. And I know we've got some public works folks that could help answer some technical questions if you've got those. >> I am just wondering where the urban growth boundary is.

1:12:38 Is it that orange line up there? >> It is indeed that orange line up there. >> Okay, thank you. Other questions? >> Just a really quick question, Jordan, or anybody in public works. So I think I heard you say that by annexing these properties into the regional wastewater district, it also helps us expanding water services into unincorporated Clark County that currently doesn't have access to that. >> That is correct. My understanding, if you're looking at the map right there, I believe that those green lines on the map are the active sewer system. And that little blue area is the annexation area. So they would extend the sewer up into those properties. >> Okay, so we're building more infrastructure for something that we're going to do in the future anyways. >> Correct. >> I think the future is today. >> It's today. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Go ahead. >> What would be the budget implications?

1:13:33 >> I don't believe there are any, well before. >> I believe it's all in the wastewater district. >> Yeah. >> They build it and then they build whoever gets hooked up. >> Okay, thanks. >> Yeah, there may be some de minimis staff time or something, but I don't think there's any cost anticipated to the county. >> Yeah, I think this is something just as we're expanding, the urban holding was lifted a number of years ago. But it's only now that the growth is warranting an expansion of the wastewater districts. >> Correct, and this also happens at the request of the property owners, so when they're ready to try to get hooked up on the sewer. >> Right, okay, any other questions? If not, I'll entertain a motion. >> I move to approve separate business item number five. >> Thank you, is there a second? >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye.

1:14:32 >> Aye. >> Okay, motion carries. That brings us to item six, our add-on item on the temporary road closure. Jeremy, welcome back. >> Yeah, like a bad penny. I am requesting council approve a resolution to ratify a temporary road closure. That was implemented last week during the rain event that we had. It was reported to me Thursday morning, and I think it was open by Friday morning, if my memory serves. So a little bit of a retroactive action, but it's important for housekeeping to get this on the books. >> Great, thank you, county managers, yes. >> And I'll just clarify, so this does happen from time to time when there is an emergency outside or between council meetings, and road closures require council's approval.

1:15:30 I did get the okay verbally from the vice chair, Councilor Young, on the phone. And then we do the emergency resolution and bring it back to the next regular meeting for council's ratification. >> Great, thanks for everyone's quick action on that. If there are no questions, I don't think there are any questions, I'll entertain a motion. >> I move separate business item number six. >> Second. >> Thank you, moved and seconded. All those in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Aye. >> Okay, motion carries. County managers report. Thank you. >> The only thing I wanted to mention tonight is last Thursday, they hit a milestone out at our Gel Works Center. They had what's called a top out ceremony. I know Councilor Belcott was able to attend. It's an opportunity for those who have been leaders in this project to sign their names before the infrastructure gets closed. So Councilor Belcott's name, Chair, we did get your name on there.

1:16:28 My name was on there as well, and others, so it's just another sign that we're moving forward with the Gel Works Center. It's still on track to open up, hopefully at the end of this year. >> Great, thank you. I was thinking I might, when they pour the cement, they're going to stick a hand in there. Okay, just kidding. All right, thank you for that report, and I guess that completes our agenda. Without objection, this meeting is adjourned. [BLANK_AUDIO]