Clark County solid waste plan near final adoption; county council public hearing set for Sept. 23

Clark County staff reported that participating cities and towns have been adopting the county's Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan and that the plan will come before the Clark County Council for a required public hearing.

Sarah Schroeder, the county project manager on the solid waste management plan, summarized the planning timeline and legal context. She said local plans are governed by state guidance and are typically considered current for five years; they must project capital improvements for six years and include a 20‑year outlook. Schroeder said staff used Ecology's 2010 guidance during the plan development and that Ecology is updating its guidance concurrently.

Schroeder said that several cities had already passed resolutions of adoption (including Camas, Battle Ground, and Ridgefield) and that Vancouver and Washougal workshops and council adoption were underway; the package of signed resolutions will be appended to the plan submission. She said Clark County Council will hold a public hearing on Sept. 23 because the plan modifies the county comprehensive plan.

After council adoption and finalizing appendices of city resolutions, staff said they plan to submit the complete plan to the Washington State Department of Ecology prior to the October 25 deadline for county submission and stated Ecology has instituted a 365‑day window for responding to plans under its updated process.

Schroeder reminded members that the plan is a snapshot in time and that staff intend to develop mechanisms to keep the plan current with legislative and market changes; she asked for members to watch for adoption actions by individual cities and to participate in upcoming public hearings and outreach.