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Public Services director outlines 2024 accomplishments and 2025 priorities, flags staffing and permitting constraints
Summary
Yakima County Public Services highlighted a state grant to test private wells, flood‑risk Gap‑to‑Gap pilot channels, landfill upgrades, an April migration to a new permitting system, and chronic difficulties recruiting engineers and a utilities manager.
Public Services Director Lisa (last name not provided) told the Yakima County commissioners on Feb. 10 that 2024 included several notable accomplishments — a state‑funded safe drinking water initiative in the Lower Yakima Valley, progress on the Yakima River Gap‑to‑Gap flood‑risk pilot channels, and required landfill upgrades — while 2025 priorities center on implementing the new permitting platform, meeting state permitting timelines and addressing long‑standing staffing shortages.
On the Lower Yakima Valley groundwater management area, Lisa said a 2023 state appropriation of about $850,000 funded a 2024 outreach and well‑testing campaign targeting roughly 5,600 private and shared wells. She said county teams and extra‑help staff completed at least 625 well tests by the end of 2024, knocked on about 1,700 doors, offered bottled water to 95 households and installed 67 reverse‑osmosis point‑of‑use systems to date. The contract for the safe drinking water work runs through June 30, 2025, she said.
On flood mitigation, Lisa summarized the Gap‑to‑Gap project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: pilot channels and channel realignments provide flood relief, habitat restoration and the potential to remove acreage from regulated floodplain for future development. She also said county code enforcement coordinated with the Corps to clear encampments and debris from county property so construction could proceed.
On solid waste, staff completed work to install gas collection wells required by federal rules at Terrace Heights and continued operational efficiencies that delayed closure dates. Lisa said some landfill investments were funded from county reserves and rate studies but that she will provide additional cost details to the board on request.
Looking ahead, Director Lisa listed these priorities for 2025: migrate to the county’s new permitting platform (April 1 go‑live), implement the state’s new permitting timelines, ensure consistent fire‑life‑safety inspections, consider adopting the 2021 building code while also addressing Initiative 2066 compliance, and complete a planning‑fee study (planning fees had not been updated in 15 years). She urged the board to consider options for recruiting scarce engineering and utilities expertise; staff discussed the possibility of hiring an external recruiter or pursuing interlocal arrangements.
Commissioners and director traded several policy and operational suggestions: establish a short, defined stakeholder advisory group to resolve stock‑restricted area questions; consider appointment rules and funding for long‑term special initiatives such as a water‑bank formation; and evaluate whether to require planning customers to schedule appointments to reduce interruptions and improve staff productivity. Lisa said she will return with additional data on some of these items, including comparisons of other groundwater management areas and cost details for landfill improvements.
