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Residents urge county to strengthen protections for Mill Creek Sink; commissioners seek legal briefing
Summary
Residents and conservation groups pressed the board to require larger buffers and advanced stormwater treatment to protect Mill Creek Sink and regional springs; commissioners asked county legal and planning staff for updates and a technical review ahead of the September meeting.
Several residents and conservation representatives urged the county to oppose or tightly condition development near Mill Creek Sink and the larger springshed. Brian Bisher, representing local cave and conservation interests, said the county should require robust buffers (suggested 150 feet or more) and advanced stormwater treatment to protect water quality and recharge.
Public commenters pointed to a prior 2015 settlement and a dye-trace study showing contaminants can travel miles underground and stressed the need for county-level protections. Tamara Robbins urged consistent audio/video recording and better public access to advisory-board and committee meetings.
Commissioners agreed to request a legal and technical update. The board moved to ask county legal staff to review earlier motions and memos (including a 2015 motion on advanced stormwater-treatment standards and a 2015 memo on charter authority) and instructed staff to provide findings before the board’s second September meeting. Commissioners and staff discussed springs-protection zones and existing stormwater requirements; staff said an update from county planning (Mr. Hofstetter) is scheduled for the second meeting in September.
