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Lewis County delays annexation vote after residents and fire district raise legal, safety and infrastructure concerns
Summary
After hours of public testimony and fire-district objections, Lewis County commissioners recessed a vote on Ordinance 13-68 (annexation of part of the UGA into the City of Chehalis) until Dec. 2, 2025 to allow legal review and further discussion of fire, police, water and permitting issues.
Lewis County commissioners on Nov. 25 recessed a vote on Ordinance 13-68 — the interlocal agreement (ILA) to annex territory within the City of Chehalis’ urban growth area (UGA) — after extended staff presentations, city remarks, and extensive public testimony raising legal, emergency-service and water-infrastructure concerns.
Mindy Brooks, director of community development for Lewis County, opened the hearing by reviewing the joint process with the City of Chehalis and two ILAs included with the ordinance: the annexation ILA and a UGA co-management ILA that would allow permitting and other work to continue while annexation is pending. Brooks told the board the ILA would take effect through the anticipated annexation-completion date of March 31, 2026, and asked that signatures be expedited so the city could proceed with noticing to the Boundary Review Board.
Stacy Denham, speaking for the City of Chehalis, defended the city’s approach and said the annexation had been researched with county attorneys and other partners. “We believe this is lawful. It is something that’s allowed by the state,” Denham said, acknowledging residents’ concerns about…
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