Council Schedule Highlights Week of March 6th, 2017
Monday, MARCH 6th, 2017
1:30pm COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Derek Young, Chair
Douglas G. Richardson, Vice Chair
Rick Talbert
Jim McCune
Pam Roach
This meeting will be broadcast live and replayed on channel 22 (Comcast and Click! Network) and on channel 20 (Rainier Connect). Electronic meeting material can be accessed at www.co.pierce.wa.us/index.aspx?NID=4414. Video archives are available at www.piercecountytv.org.
Proposal №2017–6, An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Adopting the 2017 Amendments to the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan Policies and Land Use Designations; “Gig Harbor Community Plan” Policies; and “Key Peninsula Community Plan” Policies; Adopting Findings of Fact; and Setting Forth an Effective Date.
Sponsored by: Councilmember Derek Young
Although this is the first hearing for the Council, this edition of the biennial Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle has had extensive outreach in the form of town halls, and recommendations from the local land use advisory commissions and the Planning Commission.
While there are a number of changes, the one drawing the most attention is about protecting Pierce County’s Agricultural Resource Lands. Find details on all the amendments here.
My expectation is that we’ll have at least one more committee hearing on this bill before making recommendation to the full Council.
Tuesday, MARCH 7th, 2017
12:00 Tuesday Study Session
Executive Branch Reorganization — County Executive Dammeier
Although the Executive has already made his reorganization changes, consolidating Planning and Land Services with Public Works and IT with Budget, this discussion is intended to talk about fiscal and operational impacts.
Also, a quick plug for the Executive’s State of the County address. This is new for Pierce County but I think a great idea. If you can’t make it in person, it will be broadcast on PCTV.
3:00pm County Council
Council meetings are audio recorded and cablecast from gavel to gavel. Meetings are broadcast live and replayed beginning the next day on channel 22 (Comcast and Click! Network) and on channel 20 (Rainier Connect). Video archives are available at www.piercecountytv.org Audio equipment is available for the hearing impaired. Please contact the receptionist for assistance.
Literally nothing on the agenda this week. Sad!
1:30pm Public Safety, Human Services, and Budget
Dan Roach, Chair
Derek Young, Vice Chair
Connie Ladenburg
Jim McCune
Pam Roach
This meeting will be broadcast live and replayed on channel 22 (Comcast and Click! Network) and on channel 20 (Rainier Connect) Electronic meeting material can be accessed at http://www.piercecountywa.org/councilcommittees.Video archives are available at www.piercecountytv.org.
Discussion on Eviction Notices Presenter: Jeff Cox, Deputy Legal Counsel
This discussion item is related to drug houses and squatters. The Prosecutor has a good explanation here of the complex legal issues surrounding these situations. Building cases is difficult, time-consuming work.
“Just the use of drugs is not sufficient for seizure of the house, but if law enforcement can show that the house is being used to manufacture or sell drugs, then the house can be seized,” he said. “Some of these houses, however, are not worth seizing. It’s actually a loss to the county to seize the house because they have liens and loans, and there’s actually more money outstanding on the house than the house is worth. But that’s one possible remedy: Seizure of the house. It’s a long, protracted process.”
“Tenants cannot be removed without an eviction notice,” he said. “And, like the seizure of a house and like the condemnation of a house, that can be a long, arduous process.”
Proposal №2017–7, An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Section 8.88.480 of the Pierce County Code, “Class ‘C’ Lakes,” Prohibiting Any Vessel Greater than Twenty-One Feet in Length to Operate on Crescent Lake; and Directing the Clerk of the Council to Mail a Copy of This Ordinance to Property Owners Within Three Hundred Feet of Crescent Lake.
Sponsored by: Councilmember Pam Roach Council
No, it’s not déjà vu. This really is the second bill having to do with boating on Crescent Lake on the Gig Harbor Peninsula. A couple weeks ago the Council unanimously approved a resolution I sponsored directing the County’s Boating Advisory Commission to conduct a review of aquatic recreational activities, specifically wake surfing and wake boarding, which may have a deleterious impact on the quality of life, recreational enjoyment and the environment of Crescent Lake.
Basically we’ve had numerous complaints and a petition from residents that wake boats are causing property damage, erosion, and conflicts with other people enjoying the lake.
The Commission will meet later this month in Gig Harbor to hear from residents and discuss solutions.
For reasons I can’t articulate, Councilwoman Roach decided that wasn’t something she wanted to wait for and this ordinance goes straight for a prohibition on boats greater than 21 feet outright.
I have a couple of concerns about this:
- The length of boats isn’t the problem, it’s their design.
- We have advisory bodies for a reason. In this case because they have specific knowledge of the activity. Short-circuiting that process misses their expertise. It’s also an opportunity for the community to have more direct input.
- People on our advisory boards volunteer their time. Sometimes we may disagree, but I always appreciate their hard work and thoughtful recommendations. It’s disrespectful to skip their input and undermines our ability to get good people to serve.
As a result, I’ll be asking my colleagues for a “no” vote. But don’t mistake that for a lack of interest in finding a solution.
