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Kittitas County directs staff to prepare enabling documents for proposed countywide public facilities district
Summary
The county commissioners voted to accept an independent feasibility review and directed staff to prepare enabling documents to consider forming a countywide Public Facilities District (PFD) as a funding mechanism for future recreation and aquatic projects, with each project requiring its own feasibility study.
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.
