Planning staff reports progress on housing amendments, Goal 18 updates and FEMA EIS; new hires and fair-board work planned
Loading...
Summary
Community Development staff reported several planning projects moving forward — housing amendments effective Oct. 10, Goal 18 and Army Corps map/text amendments adopted pending appeals, and submitted comments on FEMA's draft environmental impact statement — and announced upcoming staffing changes and a fair-board strategic-plan update.
David Cook, planning manager for the Community Development Department, reviewed the project status report and highlighted several items moving toward completion.
Cook said the county's housing amendments were readopted by the Board of Commissioners on remand and went into effect on Oct. 10. He said updates to Goal 18 were heard and adopted by the board at first and second reading and, pending appeals, should go into effect in early November. At the same hearing on Oct. 8, the board adopted two Goal exceptions and the text and map amendments related to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging projects in the Columbia River; Cook identified those as ordinances "25 03, 25 04, 05 and O6" (as stated in the meeting).
On the FEMA action, Henriksen said FEMA issued a draft environmental impact statement in July and that comments were due Oct. 6; Clatsop County submitted comments. She said whether FEMA moves forward depends on federal funding and other federal-level determinations. Henriksen also summarized litigation history noted in the transcript: an environmental group filed suit in 2023 alleging FEMA was not implementing requirements quickly enough, and a counter-suit asking for an injunction is on hold.
Henriksen told the commission the Community Development Department will begin work with the fair board to update the board's 2009 strategic plan; the board approved the scope of work and an agreement between the entities and work will start in early November.
Staffing and scheduling updates: Henriksen said a planner has been offered a position and will start Nov. 10; interviews are scheduled for a code compliance specialist and a permit technician replacement; and Laura Byrne, building codes permit technician, is retiring at the end of the year. She also reminded the commission there will not be a meeting on Nov. 11 because of Veterans Day.
Commissioners asked for updates on FEMA, and Henriksen reiterated the county had submitted comments and would wait to see how federal funding and litigation affect implementation. No formal votes related to these items were taken by the Planning Commission at this meeting.
