Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pasco weighs annexation into Franklin Conservation District, mitigation ILA to speed development reviews
Summary
City staff outlined options to annex Pasco into the Franklin Conservation District and adopt an interlocal agreement for shrub‑steppe mitigation (staff estimated annexation would add about $5 per parcel annually and an ILA mitigation charge roughly $4,000/acre paid by developers). Conservation district leaders and developers said local coordination would speed permitting and reduce project delays.
Deputy City Manager Sigdell briefed council on a request from the Franklin Conservation District to annex the City of Pasco into the district and to enter an interlocal agreement (ILA) to streamline shrub‑steppe mitigation for developers.
Sigdell said the city currently contracts with the conservation district for limited mitigation services (Broadmoor and a process water reuse project) and that annexation would allow district services — heritage gardens, school education programs, shrub‑step mitigation coordination and technical assistance on water rights transfers — to be provided citywide. She outlined three alternatives for council: approve both the annexation and ILA, approve one and not the other, or reject both.
The conservation district’s representative told council that annexation would add about $5 per parcel annually to the district’s rates and that the ILA sets a working baseline of approximately $4,000 per acre for mitigation funds paid by developers. The speaker cautioned that $4,000 is a baseline administrative figure and that actually securing mitigation land or easements typically costs more because of appraisal, legal, and transaction costs.
Local developers and the Pasco Chamber backed the annexation and ILA as ways to reduce unpredictability and negotiation time with Fish & Wildlife, saying projects stalled or withdrew because mitigation timing and options were unclear. A developer who had previously used the conservation district said mitigation via the district reduced mitigation time from months to weeks.
Council members asked whether annexation would shift costs to existing residents; staff replied that the $5 annual parcel assessment is the primary direct rate impact on residents while developers would continue to pay mitigation costs per acre. Council asked staff to return with ordinance/ILA language and timing for formal council action if they wish to pursue annexation.
