Thurston County commissioners voted Dec. 3 to sign a revised resolution expressing the county’s support for the Chehalis Basin flood strategy process and aquatic-species restoration work, while omitting explicit county endorsement of any specific flood-retention structure or dam pending further analysis and tribal input.

Chair Ty Mentzer framed the change as a procedural, cooperative step: “I would personally be comfortable signing or voting in favor of something like what I edited because it sort of says that we understand the problem. We’re partners in the process.”

Why it matters: The Chehalis Basin work dates to major flooding in 2007 and combines locally implemented mitigation projects with larger regional planning. Commissioners said the county’s role is to support continued examination and funding of basinwide projects rather than pre-approve any single engineering solution without further study.

Authority and staff comment: Scott Venture, staff to the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, described work already underway — pumps, raise-home projects, pump stations, flood-warning systems and habitat projects — and urged continued funding for analysis and planning: “We are collectively in a process called the Chehalis, flood strategy process,” Venture said.

Board action: Chair Mentzer moved to sign the revised resolution; the motion was seconded and passed on an audible vote. The board directed the clerk to apply electronic signatures and routed the resolution to legal review before signatures are applied.

What’s next: The resolution will be finalized and signed electronically after pending legal review. Commissioners said they expect to see further analysis and tribal consultation before taking positions on specific structural proposals.