[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6240939,"mediaKeyId","3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e","parentId",3313585,"title","Cowlitz County staff urge returning private-road review to building and planning; commissioners call for more study","audioSeconds",1593,"startMs",474000,"endMs",2067000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e&start=474&end=2067","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e/thumbnail_474000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6240939/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Cowlitz-County-staff-urge-returning-private-road-review-to-building-and-planning-commissioners-call-for-more-study","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240939-16cbef9846954d9a42caedb18877ebbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773590946&Signature=KPCWfpCqcMfN6M5fPrmrhIXRgy-DHc8CTaYWoS4fS3lh1cbUA4f4Al-ZVNlbfTbNEeIv3PhEh6KAXV~PHBEtGYIYBv6xL25mNzM8pMpWm~RcslQ4kD8C~c-QRdQ4Omy8a0JbiVTr4eUtFDojId5gQ2c9XsYobMz4bO3xzCmv8uTzzGZign~TdST-HTvf5qM9Z5LHnYxhlub~Rr75Bf97ujR5adQPB0-Kj2NGCBbtUsEX4HhcnI03g-4KbN8gaD58nzkK8FINjBHhaZIQH6CvrOfb3FnmwbAXoQ6QGQ7~VkWlweOcEjsnbldvJMzjPbcODWU4fYb6uxcXp7tc~54R4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cowlitz County Commissioners, Washington","date","2025-05-15T09:10:55.43Z","article","Cowlitz County staff raised the issue of jurisdiction over private roads at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, recommending that oversight be returned to the Building and Planning department and that the memo transferring review authority to Public Works in 2019 be rescinded.

A county staff member summarized the history: the county adopted private-road regulations in the mid-1990s, and Building and Planning administered the rules until 2019, when concerns about litigation in a different county prompted the transfer of review to Public Works by memo. “We never had a problem in Cowlitz County, but another county…had an issue,” the staff member said. The staff member recommended the memo be undone and any language in the county engineer ordinance that refers to private roads be removed so Building and Planning could resume responsibility.

Public Works and Building and Planning officials said their departments have tried to collaborate but that trust has frayed. Public Works noted that if private roads return to Building and Planning, some engineering reviews could be contracted rather than performed in-house. “That could certainly be contracted,” the staff member said, referring to engineering expertise for plan review.

Commissioners did not adopt an immediate change. Several commissioners asked for time for departments to evaluate the workload and resource needs that a transfer would require. One commissioner asked for assurances that Building and Planning would not be “dumped” with unresolved items: “I just wanna know that we don't just dump 5 boxes of junk on you and then you try to figure out what to do,” the commissioner said. County staff offered to hold a joint workshop with the Vacant Property Advisory Committee (VPAC) and to invite municipal and stakeholder representatives to participate in a collaborative session.

Staff described the practical impact of returning private-road oversight to Building and Planning: Public Works would handle fewer development reviews (staff estimated only a handful of subdivisions in recent years), and items such as excavation and grading permits would be routed differently. The county engineer ordinance likely would require amendment to remove private-road language if the transfer proceeds.

Next steps identified by commissioners and staff included scheduling a workshop to bring all parties together, having Building and Planning identify any needed engineering contract resources and providing the board with a recommendation on ordinance changes. No formal decision or ordinance amendment was made during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wednesday Business Meeting & Work Session - 05.14.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cowlitz County staff raised the issue of jurisdiction over private roads at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, recommending that oversight be returned to the Building and Planning department and that the memo transferring review authority to Public Works in 2019 be rescinded.","taxTitle","Cowlitz County, Washington","taxId",5122,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6240934,"Cowlitz County to join 911 radio-system upgrade; county’s portion estimated at about $123,000",205,1401000,1606000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e&start=1401&end=1606","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e/thumbnail_1401000.jpg","/articles/6240934/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Cowlitz-County-to-join-911-radio-system-upgrade-countys-portion-estimated-at-about-123000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240934-5f46771174f156f6b904c62985bc37b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773590946&Signature=ov2OwYIhyv-ws1bUrZEekjnChFVn3vsiSy6lF~Ihc-HrCc0aqtbfFgBMRR8OS6NjsExcaoFX4XBLwl5pvk6uzo0J3TrpPdEyOxZwaEQaA0~jMm1nmgajNa9It5bqdaj1kz1MZGCYFydj8LcbnD6b7FpefJyGEMuTMAyptByZzYrqnNEz2DDPZ5yDVWnUUmwZO896nOYLLNvX3nPRaJtHRTOTlBnMhmQbeJXMwZff6ICWXN7VCgFtmJN5vnOAdzF3gvA4eMvbpCM2Qj9BbS2LH0JbEIq2YomRzmz6ZeRrT-GNWzKdvc4KetZWHNC2~6QjFI16mds1qyl0lCYek63Z8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cowlitz County staff told commissioners they are preparing an interlocal agreement to participate in a regional upgrade of the 9-1-1 radio system and that the county’s share of the work would be about $123,000 of an approximately $2 million project.

Chandra Wake of Public Works explained that Cowlitz County currently uses radio towers under interlocal agreements with the county 9-1-1 authority and a tower vendor. Wake said the regional Radio Stabilization Project will migrate equipment to newer GTR-8000 radios and firmware; the project will tune radios automatically and reduce the frequent manual tuning currently required. “We are told that this system…life expectancy ended about 15 years ago, so we're living on borrowed time,” Wake said, adding that parts are difficult to obtain and some must now be hand-built.

Wake said the county’s portion of the regional upgrade is roughly $123,000; she also said piggybacking on Lewis County and on the 9-1-1 authority’s Day Wireless/Motorola contract reduced Cowlitz’s standalone cost. “Our portion alone was about, I think, dollars 40,000 less because of the piggybacking with Lewis County,” Wake said. Work was described as on-site meetings already underway, equipment ordering in progress, construction beginning in September with heavier construction in October and November.

Commissioners asked whether the county had funds; Wake said Public Works would fund the county’s share and staff had identified the necessary funds. Wake said the interlocal agreement will go to legal for review, and it can be signed either by the three commissioners or by an authorized signatory and returned on a future consent agenda. One commissioner said he was comfortable with an authorized signatory signing the agreement; another said he was “okay” with staff proceeding.

Wake described alternatives — using smaller, ground-level repeaters rather than tower-mounted equipment — but said countywide coverage would be limited by such alternatives. She also noted Public Works uses a mobile repeater seasonally to improve coverage in low valleys. County staff said they were not able to apply for some grants because the project schedule was already short, so the county’s contribution will come from the Public Works budget.

County staff will forward the interlocal agreement to legal for review, complete equipment orders and provide weekly project updates as the regional contractor moves into construction.","Cowlitz County staff told commissioners they are preparing an interlocal agreement to participate in a regional upgrade of the 9-1-1 radio system and that the county’s share of the work would be about $123,000 of an approximately $2 million project.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6240944,"Cowlitz County proposes three-year phase-in of higher district court billing rates; cities press for detailed cost breakdown",1794,2282000,4076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e&start=2282&end=4076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313585-5bda59b7804c6971b6ad1d04d75f5e6e/thumbnail_2282000.jpg","/articles/6240944/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Cowlitz-County-proposes-three-year-phase-in-of-higher-district-court-billing-rates-cities-press-for-detailed-cost-breakdown","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240944-cc5ebfb04ad182791bfddc19410df674/orig.mp4?Expires=1773590946&Signature=McwOjpg0BuarW3852Jiwd06k38kQoVA6nrvwKJh2Rpjl3ONxRzfTBB-mol3ZC936b248bzxSMMWvZ5gixXqDucKP5Wq8B51G28u-sIJOuH7wbBs1bSWkDNQlmn~oovbCUdU31oxdW7txeuqmrVsxco2hJD4YzTrZZhL-Z2g7blM8vhZyFGGpPwiuiEFbrL0Te0zEspXScJZAFX23yVx1eKNP~VHneUn7JkAhNy6DEFpBoK7-BvdCfdF9HFfmkfsoPlzkUomloHekyYLfvMFhey7eL8Wl~btRfNfR9p4S16WO-ti-cRbwx1AUQsUKaQZ8GtI6ZyDnw1GEG~OmjkTHLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cowlitz County finance staff told the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that the county plans to phase in higher district court billing rates over three years to reach full cost recovery, prompting city leaders to request more detailed cost breakdowns and a municipal–county working group.

The county’s finance director, Kathy Funk Baxter, said the county’s current billing methodology is not tied to actual, recent operating costs and that a cost-allocation update using 2024 financials would better reflect the true cost per case. “What I want what I'm proposing is we would always base it upon our total cost and the number of cases,” Baxter said.

The proposed change would raise the infraction and criminal per-case rates in two steps before reaching what the county described as the full-cost level. Baxter presented historical rates (the infraction rate cited as $36.39 and the criminal rate cited as $115.41), a first-step increase to $43.05 and $136.21, and an eventual full-cost target the presentation listed as roughly $61.70 and $219.94 for infractions and criminal cases respectively. County staff said the 2024 operating cost for the court was about $2.5 million and that the county currently accounts for roughly 73% of the court’s caseload.

City officials urged greater transparency and more granular categories before accepting the increases. Paul Howard, mayor of Castle Rock, criticized the timing and asked the county to consider using other county funds to soften the increase: “You guys are taking 7,500,000.0 out of that landfill, and I think you could make up this difference with that,” Howard said. Todd (representing the city of Woodland) said his city’s revenue has not risen 20%, calling the proposed increases difficult to absorb: “The city of Woodland budget has not increased 20%,” he said.

Longview and Kelso representatives likewise asked for more detail. Chris Collins of Longview requested a line-item budget and a longer historical trend line so municipalities can see what has driven cost changes over time. Andrew Hamilton of Kelso asked for better information on what steps the cities can take to reduce case volume, noting investments such as therapeutic courts.

County staff and several commissioners agreed to modify the phase-in from two years to three years after municipal feedback. The board did not adopt a formal ordinance; instead, staff said they would prepare the requested detail, break out case types more granularly (for example separating DUI and other criminal charges), provide multi-year trend data, and convene a working group of municipal leaders and county staff to review the allocation methodology. “We can look back on the past. We can try to determine how it was done in the past,” Baxter said, adding that staff would provide quarterly bills that include case counts so cities can track year-to-date activity.

Discussion items for follow-up included: (1) providing a line-item breakdown of court operating costs and personnel; (2) more granular case-type billing (to distinguish high-cost case types such as DUI); (3) documentation of the historical methodology used to set prior rates; and (4) formation of a municipal–county committee to review the proposed methodology and results. County staff said they would prepare the additional materials and convene interested municipal representatives for a technical review before returning to the full board.

The board’s discussion closed with broad agreement to provide the additional materials and to allow municipal representatives a role in evaluating the new cost-allocation approach. No formal vote to adopt new rates occurred during the meeting.","County finance staff proposed phasing in higher district court billing rates over three years to move the fees to a full cost-allocation basis. City officials from Castle Rock, Woodland, Longview, Kelso and others urged more granular budget detail and formation of a joint committee to review cost drivers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cowlitz County staff urge returning private-road review to building and planning; commissioners call for more study

Cowlitz County to join 911 radio-system upgrade; county’s portion estimated at about $123,000

Cowlitz County proposes three-year phase-in of higher district court billing rates; cities press for detailed cost breakdown