Pasco planning commissioners review regional climate element draft, voice concerns about cost and local fit

The Pasco Planning Commission on Sept. 22 heard a presentation from Cascadia Consulting Group on the draft Tri‑Cities Regional Climate Element — a regional package of goals and policies intended to help participating cities meet new state requirements — and several commissioners said the draft contains too many prescriptive policies for Pasco and lacks clear funding for implementation.

The draft, prepared for the five participating jurisdictions in the Tri‑Cities region, responds to changes in state law requiring climate resilience and greenhouse‑gas reduction measures in comprehensive plans. Gretchen Mueller, director and project manager at Cascadia Consulting Group, told commissioners the draft includes two subelements — resilience and greenhouse‑gas emissions reduction — and is designed to help cities meet the Growth Management Act requirements as amended by House Bill 1181. "The climate element and the two subelements were informed by data, community engagement and integrated with other plans and comp plan elements," Mueller said.

Commissioners focused their comments on local impacts and implementation. Several commissioners said many policies in the 14‑page regional draft duplicate existing local policies and could increase costs for developers and homebuyers if adopted in full. Commissioner Jerry Cochran, the commission chair, and others urged staff to present Pasco‑specific policies that prioritize tangible, locally actionable items such as cooling centers, retrofits for vulnerable residents, and measures to reduce smoke and heat impacts. "Focus on things that we can do locally," Cochran said, adding that GHG reductions at the city level will not change global emissions alone.

Other recurring concerns included: unclear funding for implementation beyond the planning grant; the potential effect of stricter building and land‑use policies on housing affordability; and air quality. Commissioner Rob Waits said regional air quality has worsened over the past decade and asked that the draft better address local particulate and smoke exposure sources in addition to vehicle miles traveled. Mueller and other consultants said the draft documents include inventories and projections — for example, the team reported that on‑road passenger vehicles and industrial natural gas are the largest local sources of greenhouse gases and that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the region are projected to increase by about 26 percent by 2045 — but they acknowledged that funding to carry out many implementation actions remains uncertain.

Commissioner Pat Jones asked about funding sources. Catherine Allison of Cascadia and city staff said the planning work was paid for through a grant program under the Climate Commitment Act; however, direct state funding for implementing the range of proposed policies is not guaranteed. City staff said they will continue to search for applicable grants and creative funding mechanisms (for example, certain housing or transportation grants) but cautioned that many implementation actions will require additional resources or partnerships.

The presentation summarized community engagement and technical work. Catherine Allison said regional community survey results showed residents are experiencing financial and health impacts from extreme weather and are concerned about wildfire and smoke, extreme heat, drought and wind. The consultants also identified local vulnerabilities, including wildfire risk exacerbated by invasive grasses, flood risk along agricultural lands and the Columbia River, and concerns about water quality and harmful algal blooms in local waterways.

Staff described the planned next steps and public outreach. The regional draft is available for public comment through Oct. 8 on the local review site referenced by the consultant team. Cascadia and city staff are holding additional public meetings, including an in‑person meeting scheduled at City Hall Council Chambers on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m., and will incorporate public input before producing a final regional element. City staff emphasized the regional element is a resource: the City of Pasco can choose which policies to adopt into its comprehensive plan and may modify or limit policies based on local priorities and funding realities.

Votes at a glance: The commission unanimously approved the Aug. 21, 2025 meeting minutes. The motion to approve the minutes was moved by Commissioner Kim Lerman and seconded by Commissioner Rob Waits; a quorum of six commissioners was present and the vote was recorded as unanimous.

City staff said the regional draft will be used as a starting point for a Pasco‑specific climate component of the comprehensive plan. Staff promised to circulate the list of advisory‑team members to commissioners, to invite the Pasco school district to review the draft, and to return proposed Pasco policies during the comprehensive plan update cycle. The consultant team asked commissioners to identify any gaps or groups that might be particularly benefited or burdened by the proposed policies during the public comment window.

For more information and to review the full draft, staff and the consultant team pointed listeners to the regional review page (the consultant referenced BFCOG) and to upcoming public meetings. The commission adjourned at 7:35 p.m.