[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_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":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6482558,"mediaKeyId","5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6","parentId",5701945,"title","Commissioners raise building‑code, code‑enforcement and road design concerns that affect farms","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",6735000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6&start=6735&end=6735","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6/thumbnail_6735000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6482558/Clark-County/Washington/Commissioners-raise-buildingcode-codeenforcement-and-road-design-concerns-that-affect-farms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482558-d39eb1b401228d8ba1fa198370666c02/orig.mp4?Expires=1770923484&Signature=nEA6bhuWHKXK4UsKdKbrJQMy~rWAKEQSCbSqj7T6OGgVhtk8d6dBaWpbho7UfpjFxjMbScjbpRkyynsqsxGyMycnRiBsvSiaaH~7sveaOPS6E~QqfWYCDkG3ZSBvPyuD-a1VuBwRRON2NZCT~fkfSLHiKSR0MOTXSSmApy0TnF74yPj95IwQwUGQKQrymytysiNKVdu42uPEiF1knaW680fNFNLjUDdny~M4dSjF7HiA9KByCleSnvD2M1vmZRNS5MlKExKaHp~ecr9EYRFOu7t3emecr8bk1RC7YNHDsC49aAnIMNfNSdKukBzG7T7GJLF7TsNn8rXWaDWoyMyTVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Clark County Washington","date","2025-08-29T17:16:20Z","article","Commissioners and members of the public used the meeting’s “good of the order” and public‑comment periods to raise recurring operational issues facing Clark County farmers, including code enforcement on agricultural structures, uncertainty about agricultural exemptions, and transportation‑design decisions that impede farm equipment.

Several speakers reported that horse‑boarding operations and farm greenhouses have been subject to enforcement actions, including fines, for not meeting building‑code requirements such as fire suppression; one speaker said an operation had accrued fines of roughly $100,000. Commissioner Justin Berger and others described inconsistent guidance from county staff about “ag exemption” requirements and recommended the commission seek clarity and consolidated guidance for farmers starting or operating small enterprises.

Commissioners also described repeated practical problems where urban‑style road design — narrow approaches, curb and gutter, roundabouts and divided medians — restrict movement of wide or slow agricultural equipment. Kevin Dobbins and other commissioners said changes such as a 12‑foot approach (vs. prior 30‑ to 40‑foot approaches) create access hazards for large implements and lowboys. Commissioners asked staff to document rules and regulations that make farming difficult and suggested the commission could advise the council on clarifying the county’s approach to ag exemptions, on‑farm events and building‑code interpretation for agricultural structures.

Direction requested
Commissioners asked staff to place code‑enforcement impacts on a future agenda, to invite code enforcement staff and affected operators to explain citations and enforcement standards, and to develop a prioritized list of regulatory or design issues the commission can consider in recommendations to county council.

Ending
Members proposed a commission survey of priority regulatory topics and asked staff to circulate contact points for submitting technical input on the agricultural land study and enforcement concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Clark County Agricultural Advisory Commission Meeting, Aug. 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commission members highlighted county code enforcement actions against horse‑boarding and greenhouse operations and raised infrastructure design problems (narrow approaches, roundabouts, curbs) that complicate farm access and operations.","taxTitle","Clark County, Washington","taxId",2766,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6482563,"County staff, consultants present agricultural resource land study framework; commissioners press on irrigation, parcelization and food security",2618,2750000,5368000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6&start=2750&end=5368","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6/thumbnail_2750000.jpg","/articles/6482563/Clark-County/Washington/County-staff-consultants-present-agricultural-resource-land-study-framework-commissioners-press-on-irrigation-parcelization-and-food-security","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482563-bd34e2a6cdd08e01ab280d15a788b08f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770923484&Signature=j3~9qHMf-JSmEwT7C3nCFtjdDwUQ8S24KqnvVrO8KjbQJFhBN745CzT~H5psXl8K7jUQqevRzNS0eAZQh86iNN3SgM9I0jbvcPQoFgM-golgd-iV-GgH0W~~oqRNsCMqgLI31qkEEPBwd01Co2zDPGdTJiMk1FCeHTSOqvCQAMyMqwuKr2LIQbWcEYyrT2M7E6ck4yVYO4Yx4vSBVv4wUeXczoPepTDiuLTYSIgN9eJ7Qxt46o1PU0Qf9OmMiFHHh23BSeB6wkG4JWeStumzOggXWDKJTPRQ61d5Fk4fvB-W7a689068u8aUzVYagL0atYLHl71satlWza-aZsg9vg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Clark County staff and consultants presented a technical framework for the county’s agricultural resource land study at the Aug. 27, 2025 Agricultural Advisory Commission meeting and invited commissioner input on how to operationalize state guidelines.

Oliver Oriaco, Clark County community planning director, said the county engaged EcoNorthwest and Triangle Associates to conduct a study required by the Washington Growth Management Act as part of the 2025–2045 comprehensive plan update. Barrett Lewis of EcoNorthwest summarized county trends and the state rule that guides the work, saying farmland acreage in Clark County fell about 38% in the last five years while farm counts declined roughly 3% and market value rose about 24%.

Lewis described the state guideline (WAC 365‑190‑050) that requires counties to evaluate whether land is (1) not characterized by urban growth, (2) used or capable of being used for agriculture, and (3) of long‑term commercial significance. He said the WAC lists about 11 nonexclusive criteria — including soils, parcel size, proximity to urban growth boundaries, irrigation availability, access to markets, and tax status — and that the county must tailor the analysis to local context.

Commissioners pressed staff and consultants on several operational issues to inform the next methodological draft: availability of irrigation and how it should be factored; how to count clustered agricultural parcels or agricultural density versus isolated parcels; whether tax status (current‑use or open‑space programs) would be included; the role of infrastructure design (curb, roundabouts, narrow approaches) in practical farm access; whether critical areas or overlays such as riparian habitat would affect designation; and how to define and measure “food security” as a criterion. Staff confirmed they will reference the county definition of agriculture in Title 40 when preparing bylaws and will propose a methods memo at the next commission meeting.

Public engagement and next steps
EcoNorthwest and Triangle Associates will draft proposed methods based on commissioner input and staff direction, then present those methods at a subsequent meeting before producing general mapping results. Staff said they plan an open house in September and may deploy a public survey; consultants asked commissioners and stakeholders to email technical input and data references to staff. Staff will provide historical documentation of prior ag designations and maps used in the 1994 process on request.

Quotes
“The WAC provides a framework but grants counties flexibility to tailor methods to regional characteristics,” EcoNorthwest’s Barrett Lewis said. “How we define, measure and prioritize these criteria is the central question for our methodology.”

“What I would say is that irrigation is probably the most critical,” Commissioner Dylan Hagerty said during discussion, noting dry parcels that cannot be irrigated are often unsuitable for commercial agriculture.

Ending
Staff requested written input and offered one‑on‑one technical follow‑ups; consultants will return with a proposed methods approach for commissioner review.","Clark County staff and consultants from EcoNorthwest and Triangle Associates presented the scope and methodology for an agricultural resource land study required by the Growth Management Act; commissioners focused questions on irrigation, parcel density, access, roads and food security measures.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6482568,"Ag advisory commission adopts bylaws, staff to insert county definition of agriculture",288,2438000,2726000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6&start=2438&end=2726","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6/thumbnail_2438000.jpg","/articles/6482568/Clark-County/Washington/Ag-advisory-commission-adopts-bylaws-staff-to-insert-county-definition-of-agriculture","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482568-d49631085dd6c5861dee76b6903aa6c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770923484&Signature=EQxhmAExnPKF1-Dz-L8uqqsWkQvVU~b6Re1SlWC4NAXCkKMHs3h0DOglDmIQrksW9xJ9gQyZ9zJI3IZmOecEJm1DJzGi1lEtTS9VC3cg69UAC2BIwj4vW1ChENQ4i2Ed3LWUjvO4Hf-0iITEIgB0k1pJVQO917bWlTGTBCLOpO82870PRlmb-biLm6mx8LWPN2lTrXo2~95HV83wehcXxqxO3B7aRw~pM8Ltu2aNdgU48V3UW~nZd9o970u1VWNqgxc1ex31ACbmTfD7i3Lqw91KiOCre-iIj4QTxmn-~K-zvrKxlIVSohecUGcV5FVloNtdmpPH1mHk9offT0tq8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clark County Agricultural Advisory Commission approved its draft bylaws at the Aug. 27 meeting, with staff stating they will add language referencing the county’s Title 40 definition of agriculture and permitting a shared‑chair option.

Commission staff said the bylaws had been circulated in advance and that no written edits had been submitted since the prior meeting. During discussion commissioners raised whether to incorporate a county code definition of agriculture and whether to allow co‑chairs; staff said Title 40 contains a county definition and offered to reference it in the bylaws. The commission voted to approve the bylaws with those adjustments.

Motion and vote
A motion to approve the bylaws with the two changes (linking to the county definition of agriculture and allowing a shared chair role) was made and seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote with no recorded nays.

Context
Staff and commissioners noted Clark County previously included agricultural land designations in the 1994 comprehensive plan and that a new countywide agricultural resource land study is underway as part of the 2025–2045 comprehensive plan update. Commissioners asked staff to bring the county code reference and historical materials back for future review.

Ending
Staff said they would amend the bylaws to reference Title 40 and return any substantive changes to a future meeting so the group could consider them alongside the ongoing ag land study.","The commission approved draft bylaws with a planned edit to allow shared chair roles and to reference the county’s definition of agriculture in Title 40.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6482573,"Clark County Ag Advisory Commission elects Moe McKenna and Joe Zimmerman as co‑chairs; Justin Berger named vice chair",1107,1065000,2172000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6&start=1065&end=2172","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5701945-312b565667613145cc275df5b7f28bb6/thumbnail_1065000.jpg","/articles/6482573/Clark-County/Washington/Clark-County-Ag-Advisory-Commission-elects-Moe-McKenna-and-Joe-Zimmerman-as-cochairs-Justin-Berger-named-vice-chair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6482573-30fa64a7306bad40c38d6d44f899afd9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770923484&Signature=KcjjZ-WwH5Nxc8bxhJ5tDa3o4C~SexckPXec5GZ8WUVjmUfIlhVXbtu7wKxY-m~J9MFRxrdQMiToZEaz3Wu4AHW6M2YsxBjxKM0DG~CKkjiNts0Cg~buGbN4VLeAl~5BQFtfwgKrGGRHFeSaWpAmxowdqGDKCuTkNsIR4AoNSCAtsXUfhGl6ixeTeKXUpycDP7fhJr-RqEpBgcDGLMDNFVFGAgE7z3OddPcphJsFlvSqmiZdT7IJUqNhx3PhA95DT6SpacD~NUSNaT~hhgv9QN1gz2O8meGBmO6rB-DGczZnksMmgwVNAjuAskwT8A4CG9EmlBw0Qb-1i1hrD6lu-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clark County Agricultural Advisory Commission elected Moe McKenna and Joe Zimmerman as co‑chairs by unanimous roll‑call vote and named Justin Berger vice chair in uncontested elections on Aug. 27, 2025.

The vote followed floor nominations and discussion of a co‑chair option. Commissioner Zora Oppenheimer nominated the dual ticket; Justin Burger seconded the motion to replace individual nominations with a co‑chair ticket. After the motion passed, the commission conducted a roll‑call vote and approved the co‑chair ticket with no recorded nays. Commissioner Joe Zimmerman formally nominated Justin Berger for vice chair; commissioners closed nominations and approved Berger in a subsequent voice vote.

The election opened after public comment and the commission confirmed a quorum. Commission staffer Lauren Henriksen explained election procedure and conducted the roll calls. During remarks before the vote, McKenna said she was “incredibly passionate” and emphasized listening to farmers, while Zimmerman said he wanted to “represent all of the agriculture in Clark County.” Both candidates discussed complementary strengths and the commission briefly debated whether to allow co‑chairs in the bylaws before voting.

Votes at a glance
- Co‑chairs: Moe McKenna and Joe Zimmerman — motion to adopt a co‑chair ticket moved by Zora Oppenheimer, seconded by Justin Burger; roll‑call tally: unanimous yes (voting members called in favor). Outcome: approved.
- Vice chair: Justin Berger — nominated by Joe Zimmerman; nominations closed by motion and second; voice vote: unanimous yes. Outcome: approved.

What happens next
Commission staff said they will finalize the logistics for the new leadership and provide scripts and orientation materials to the elected co‑chairs and vice chair ahead of the next meeting.

Quotes
“I'm incredibly passionate about this, and I'm super optimistic that we can make progress,” Commissioner Moe McKenna said in her remarks before the vote. “We won't be successful as a commission if we don't really harness the community voice.”

“I would look to do is to represent all of the agriculture in Clark County,” Commissioner Joe Zimmerman said, adding he wanted to ensure all types of agriculture are included in commission priorities.

Ending
The commission moved on to a bylaw vote and a longer staff presentation on an agricultural resource land study after completing elections.","Commissioners voted unanimously to elect Moe McKenna and Joe Zimmerman as co‑chairs on a dual ticket and selected Justin Berger as vice chair during the August 27, 2025 meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners raise building‑code, code‑enforcement and road design concerns that affect farms

County staff, consultants present agricultural resource land study framework; commissioners press on irrigation, parcelization and food security

Ag advisory commission adopts bylaws, staff to insert county definition of agriculture

Clark County Ag Advisory Commission elects Moe McKenna and Joe Zimmerman as co‑chairs; Justin Berger named vice chair