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Commissioners approve resolution advancing Long Lake Management District No. 25; ballots to be mailed Oct. 8
Summary
After public comment and staff review, the Board approved a resolution of findings and determinations to proceed toward forming Long Lake Management District No. 25. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 8, are due Oct. 29, and will be counted Oct. 30; a public hearing on the ordinance to form the district is scheduled for Nov. 4.
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution of findings and determinations to advance creation of Long Lake Management District No. 25 and set a schedule for ballots and follow-up hearings.
Jen Freitheit, director of Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, told the board the county conducted a closed public hearing on Sept. 30 and had taken additional time to review public comment. Staff summarized follow-up work by the Long Lake steering committee, including meetings with the City of Lacey and a review of deed records for affected parcels.
Freitheit said the next steps include mailing ballots to property owners on Oct. 8; ballots are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 29 and will be counted publicly on Oct. 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the Rochester Room at the county atrium. The board also set a public hearing on Nov. 4 to consider an ordinance that would formally create Thurston County Lake Management District No. 25; if the ordinance is adopted, a later hearing to set assessment rates is scheduled for Dec. 2.
A Lake Forest resident, Chad Booth, addressed the board during the meeting and disputed elements of the proposed assessment methodology. Booth identified himself as a civil engineer specializing in stormwater and a Thurston County home septic inspector and said in part: “The current resolution violates the RCW since fairness and special benefit is not evident according to all my various ways of dissecting the topic.” He said he had previously raised concerns with the steering committee and provided suggested solutions to county staff and the committee.
Vice Chair Wayne Fournier said he supported moving forward with the resolution and urged residents with concerns to engage with the Long Lake steering committee, noting the district structure allows those constituents to elect and work with their representatives. Freitheit and Susan Longman, district staff, told the board there remains time to negotiate assessment rates with stakeholders before the Dec. 2 hearing.
Commissioner Rachel Grant stated on the record that she would abstain from voting because family members live within one of the affected homeowners associations; the board proceeded and approved the resolution by voice vote.
