Charter Review Commission debates possible 'water steward'; committee says role would gather data, not regulate

Commissioners and members of the public discussed a proposal to create a county-level "water steward" or similar position during the April 2025 Charter Review Commission meeting. Committee members described the concept primarily as an information and data role, not a regulatory office.

Commissioner Fisher Pickett (presenting the idea through the water committee) and committee members said the intent is to improve county-level data and monitoring that many speakers said is out of date. "We are not telling anyone what to do; we are just collecting information now," a committee member said during the meeting. Several commissioners and public commenters stressed that the steward would not perform enforcement duties: the county's existing regulatory agencies and tribal and state authorities would retain their legal powers.

Committee members described open options for the steward's structure and compensation: they said a technical professional likely would need to be paid rather than volunteer, and that one option would be a paid staff position, another would be an advisory board or committee. A caller from the public, Jamie Porter, suggested an advisory board or committee as a transparency measure, noting that advisory boards publish agendas and minutes and that multiple perspectives reduce the risk of a single individual shaping policy.

Public commenters raised questions about overlap with existing programs. John Worthington urged the commission to acknowledge the North Olympic Development Council (NODC) and other regional entities that already fund hydrologists and produce action plans, saying some water planning already exists. Committee members replied they were collecting information about existing resources and gaps.

Committee members said they are working under a compressed timeline if the concept is to reach voters in November: the committee discussed a June deadline for items it intends to forward for ballot consideration in 2025, though members noted that delaying to 2026 might be required depending on the work needed to define scope and funding.

Ending: The water committee said the group is still gathering evidence and has not settled on a final recommendation. If commissioners pursue a charter amendment or a county program, they will need to clarify duties, funding sources, and relationships with the state, regional councils and tribal governments before any final action.