Lewis County authorizes interlocal agreements with nearby cities to co-manage UGA; staff to add fireworks standard

The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 28 authorized the county manager to enter interlocal agreements (ILAs) with the cities of Centralia, Morton, Toledo, Vader and PL to co-manage the county's urban growth area (UGA).

Mindy Brooks, director of community development, said the ILAs implement the board's Sept. 23 action to amend chapter 17.17 of the Lewis County Code to adopt the cities' zoning designations and development regulations for uses and development inside the UGA. Brooks said the ILAs are standard in form and that the attachments to each agreement specify the local code and zoning particulars for each city.

During discussion a commissioner noted the draft ILAs apply the county's open burning standards but are silent about fireworks and suggested adding the county's fireworks standards to keep rules consistent. "I would suggest that we also apply our fireworks standards," the commissioner said. Brooks replied, "Yes. We can add that to the ILA."

Brooks said Centralia was expected to take its signature on the agreement the same day; staff did not have final status for the other signatories at the time of the meeting. A press question later in the meeting asked whether the co-management ILAs would affect a moratorium on warehouses in Centralia's UGA; Brooks said the ILAs "shouldn't have any impact" on that moratorium.

The board approved the package of deliberation items, including the UGA ILAs, by voice vote 3-0.