I bet you this folder is dead now.
So our wisps freezes, frizzes, freezes up. So if we have anybody in person, I'll
have to share this screen. Ok?
And you um I think I was I I'm sorry I
wrong. He didn't win.
Hey guys, can you hear me? Ok.
No,
did not send the code to me.
You guys can't hear me testing, testing.
What is the regular BBC?
Your will be going? Right? So we don't need to log in
is going it's just not working on.
I don't have any of the
it's on the agenda for today. I need to go to a it's on the agenda.
That's where I went. I can tell you the code here in Zoom. You got it.
Mhm.
Yes, that is going to, you don't need to sign in. Ok. Then I won't sign in. I'll
sign out
you for.
Hm. Is Greg gonna be virtual or he's Yeah, he's Greg's virtual.
Can you guys hear me recording in progress? Can't hear you, Greg?
Are you guys able to hear me just like my mother?
Hello?
Can you hear us, Greg?
Very contemplative.
Can you hear us? I can hear you. Yeah. Can you hear me?
So this happened on Monday and Carolyn clicked something and then we could hear him.
You guys can hear me? No,
I tried phone. Ok.
Maybe if it's easy, Greg, you should call in just since we're flying with that. Thanks.
Oh, thank you. Mark is calling you Greg.
Hey, Mark, I agree. I agree. Um, I don't know, I don't know.
I can talk really loud.
Ok. All right. Can you still hear me? I can hear you just fine and I, I can, I can
hear you guys throughout. Ok. Well, you wasn't coming through. So now my phone's
right next to the, so hopefully it's picking you up. Um. Ok, great. Sorry, I couldn't
be there in person running all around today. Are we ready to go?
And are we recording? Great. Well, I'll call this special meeting of the board of
county commissioners to order and I guess, turn it over to you, Mark and Heidi. I
think you guys are flying a little closer to this. So I'll let you guys manage this.
Ok. Thank you. Um, Commissioner Brotherton. So we're having a special meeting
on,
sorry, my bad was that you? Yeah, I think you might be able to hear me now.
Ok. So, uh, the special meeting we're holding today is for the sole purpose of considering
hearing notice to conduct a hearing regarding the future of drainage district. Number
one, also known as the Chima drainage district. And, and the reason we're having
this hearing is because on 15 May of this year, the Jefferson County Auditor Brenda
Hunting Ford sent a memo to our board, um, regarding, uh, the Chico drainage
district and the memo referenced, uh, chapter 36.96 of the revised code of
Washington. The topic of which is the dissolution of inactive special purpose districts.
Um, and the memo recommended that the board of county commissioners consider declaring
the district an active and dissolved. And so, uh Commissioner Eisenhower and
and I have um have been working since the receipt of that memorandum on this topic
and we've engaged with the approval of the board of commissioners, a firm called
Peak Sustainability. They're a facilitation consultant and we've been meeting with
key stakeholders who have an interest in the district and whether or not it is declared
an active and dissolved or whether it's reactivated, whether its purpose has changed
to take on additional mission areas. And so just a little bit of info about the district.
It's been in existence for over 100 years. It was formed in 1919 and its purpose
was to manage a drainage and flood control system. And for many years, it has succeeded
in that mission. Early on there was construction work and maintenance work to keep
the drainage system in the district functional. And that was I guess to drain farm
fields for cultivation and to prevent flooding or at least mitigate flooding when
it occurred. Um The district is a special purpose district and it's organized under
chapters 85.065010. And that special benefit, a special benefit benefit,
special purpose. Yeah, it it's a special purpose district that results in a benefit
to the residents of the district. Ok. And 85.38 0.180 of the revised code
of Washington. Um History shows that no district funds have been collected since
mid 1960 the district has been inactive since 1974 when the governing board resigned
almost as long as we've all been alive, you guys.
And so, um looking at 36 96 010, there's criteria there uh that
the criteria needs to exist in order to declare a special purpose district and active
and enacted means in the RCW that a special purpose district is characterized by
any of the following and has not carried out any of the special purposes or functions
for which it was formed within the preceding consecutive five year period. And since
it went in, in 1974 it does meet that criteria and no election has been held for
the purpose of electing a member of the governing body within the preceding consecutive
seven year period. Or in those instances where members of the governing body are
appointed, not elected or no member of the governing body has been appointed within
the preceding seven year period. And we know that it meets that criteria. Also, the
third criteria that special purpose district has been determined to be un auditable
by the state auditor. I'm not aware that they made that determination. However, I
think Commissioner Eisenhower contacted, um, was it the secretary of State, the state
office of the auditor at the state level? And they have no record of the district?
Yeah, being in existence. So, uh I think it's pretty clear that uh the district uh
meets the criteria when the board conducts the hearing on the first of September,
which is by the way, a Friday. Uh the hearing notice attached to this meeting invitation
said it was a Monday. And so we will um ask the board when they approve the hearing
notice, if they approve the hearing notice to make that um that change.
So when the board conducts the hearing, here are a number of options. Potentially
among the others, the board could declare the district inactive and leave it in place
as it is or declare it inactive and dissolve it or reactivate it in its current form
or possibly repurpose the district to add irrigation watershed management slash improvement
to its mission. And we've had a number of individuals who have suggested that that
might be the way
and other counties that have gone the direction of watershed improvement districts
instead of drainage districts. Yeah. And um we, we, we'd have some hurdles uh
administrative hurdles to clear in order to, to repurpose the district, it might
be that you have to dissolve it and create a new one with a new mission. Um But we
have an additional, in addition to more discussions with members of the district,
we have additional research to do on a couple of these items and that research will
occur before the public hearing. So the board has all the information, it needs to
make a decision. And so some things for the board to consider. Um what do
district residents want for the district? Um There is an effort underway to determine
this and does the board have enough information to decide which course of action
to take? And so during the hearing, uh staff will recommend that
the board declare the district in active and keep it in its current form and give
us the permission to continue to gather information regarding the district and what
residents of the district wish to happen and then schedule, schedule another public
hearing for a final decision regarding the future of the district. Um So with that
discuss this, I mean, we have, we've had a couple of conversations with a few residents
of the district and with our consultant and those conversations have all led us to
feel like we need more time to facilitate um broader conversations with residents
of the district and talk about the options that we just outlined for you. So we didn't
want to like hurry and bring a recommendation this year before we had to have this
hearing on September 1st. According to the auditor, state, our auditor, not the state
auditor, but so we're just basically, this is giving us the time we need to do the
um, the homework we need to do before we can make a real decision requirement to
have.
Um I'm definitely in support of uh gathering more information and holding the hearing
and um this is not an issue I've been very engaged with but have been hearing um,
snippets about from various people in the community for a long time. So it would
be great to, to dive into it. Um You know, I think that there's some financial analysis
that would need to be a big part of this as well. And um so, you know, I think we'd
want to involve our assessor in that conversation too. Um So, yeah, and I think we're
headed in the right direction.
Sounds good to me. I mean, there's, I think there is work to be done really depends
on the will of the, the folks inside that district. But yeah, two hearings. No, no
problem there. One thing I wanted to share just really because I've been sifting
through my, you know, mountain of emails and I've been requested to uh meet with
some of our other drainage district, the Fort Ludlow Drainage District commissioners
um as they come up to election season. They are. It's pretty daunting for a small
organization like a drainage district to manage the ever increasing cost of elections.
So, you know, I think maybe looking at things if, if it does continue after the first
hearing and we look for a path looking towards aligning elections or, you know, positions
rather than making them every other year, which is what we normally do just out of,
we're looking for some cost saving options, I think would be, would be uh well justified
as we, as we contemplate different paths for it. But I'm, I'm in favor of this action
and give them all the right role so we can make a decision one way or the other.
And the temporary inactive uh recommendation for first hearing makes a lot of sense.
Ok? Then a motion to approve the hearing for,
I'm happy to move that we approve the hearing notice for the hearing on Friday, September
1st at 2 p.m. Correct? And we will republish on,
I will second. Ok. And before we vote, I feel like they didn't honor the public comments
that, oh, no, we need to do public comment. You're right, just in case anyone was
for comment and see if anyone has anything to share.
There's no one in the room fy I,
I'll make one last call, any public comments. All right, we'll close public comment
and, and call the question all in favor of uh the motion on the authorizing the hearing
as presented indicated by Saheim. Bye bye. Thank you.
Ok, I think that takes us to the end of the agenda, right? And are you feeling
like it's gonna be a lot of work but happy to do it?
Ok, well, uh Heidi, I will see you in Hooper for the transit conference and to remind
the public we're not having to have a regular meeting this coming Monday, but we'll
be back on the 21st ready. We're ready to go. So, with that, I will adjourn this
meeting,
Greg. Are you driving yourself? Yeah, I save one extra day. I'll probably do Board
of Health as well and I'm gonna manage to hide. My daughter's gonna train it down
on Tuesday nights and then we're gonna.