Kittitas County directs staff to prepare enabling documents for proposed countywide public facilities district

Joshua Fredrickson, a county staff presenter, told the Board of County Commissioners the Washington State Department of Commerce retained Johnson Consulting to complete an independent financial feasibility review assessing a proposed countywide Public Facilities District.

Fredrickson said the review found formation of a PFD could be a viable financing mechanism for contemplated projects, including an upper-county recreation center, a lower-county fieldhouse and aquatic facility improvements. He explained that a PFD would function primarily as a funding mechanism rather than the owner of facilities and that each future project would require its own independent feasibility review and separate approval process.

Vice-Chairman Brett Wachsmith moved to direct staff to prepare enabling documents to accept the Department of Commerce review; Commissioner Laura Osiadacz seconded the motion and the board passed it. The motion directs staff to return the matter to the board at a future meeting for further consideration.

The review and the board motion do not approve specific projects or authorize funding; they authorize the next administrative steps for considering a financing structure, which could include the formation of a five-member governing board and, if pursued, a future voter-approved sales tax mechanism for project funding.