The Lewis County Board of County Commissioners recessed the public hearing on Ordinance 13-68, a proposed interlocal-agreement annexation of territory within the Chehalis urban growth area, after more than two hours of staff presentations and public testimony on Nov. 25, 2025.

Mindy Brooks, Lewis County director of community development, reviewed the ordinance and the two interlocal agreements tied to it: an annexation ILA and a UGA co-management ILA intended to preserve permitting and development continuity while annexation proceeds. Brooks told the board the city of Chehalis agreed to the ILA and staff asked that signatures be expedited so the city could move forward with notice to the Boundary Review Board.

Stacy Denham, representing the city of Chehalis, described years of negotiation with the county and said legal counsel had reviewed the approach. Denham told commissioners the city expects the annexation process to be completed by March 31, 2026, and said most annexed property owners would not see higher taxes absent a fire-department merger. "We believe this is lawful," Denham said, adding the city is prepared to proceed and to negotiate with fire districts on outstanding operational details.

Residents and stakeholders testified at length about potential service and financial impacts. Gregory Green, commissioner for Lewis County Fire District 6, said the district does not support the annexation as presented and argued statutory requirements were not followed, saying the district had not been included as a party to the interlocal agreement in the timeline required by law. "Accordingly, we believe the proposed annexation as it currently is presented is illegal and should not be adopted today," Green said.

Several residents raised concerns about water infrastructure, citing an existing 1993 agreement and the need for upgrades. Charlie Allen, an Alderwood Heights resident, said property owners had been given responsibility for substantial upgrade costs and that the city had not engaged sufficiently to resolve those disputes before today. Tim Potter, another resident, said he would pursue a referendum to force a public vote on annexation and questioned utility-cost projections he said would raise household bills.

Adam Fulbright, Chehalis fire chief, disputed some claims about readiness: he said the city plans to staff a south-end station initially with six firefighters, would use existing pumpers rather than purchasing engines immediately, and anticipated continued mutual-aid support from neighboring districts during transition.

Developers and attorneys also addressed the board. Ted Knapp, vice president of development for CRG, said the company supports annexation to keep permitting consistent and avoid disruption to a large industrial project; Heather Burgess, CRG's counsel, urged approval of the interim permitting ILA (Exhibit D) so permits could continue without delay.

Commissioners debated whether to proceed immediately or allow a short delay for legal review and additional outreach to fire districts and residents. After discussion, the board voted unanimously to close public testimony and recess the hearing until Dec. 2 at or after 10 a.m. to give legal counsel time to review statutory concerns and allow staff to answer outstanding questions on police coverage, fire services, and water issues.

The decision to recess leaves the ordinance undecided; staff indicated that the county intends to resolve outstanding interlocal ILA signatures quickly and avoid delaying developer permits where possible. The board also committed to additional public discussion between now and the Dec. 2 reconvening.

The hearing will resume on Dec. 2 at or after 10 a.m. with additional information requested by the commissioners.