HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-12 6:00 PM - Planning Commission - Minutes KITTITAS COUNTY
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Courthouse RM 201 , ELLENSBURG
Special Public Meeting
TUESDAY 6 : 00 PM November 12 , 2025
Board members present: Bruce Coe, Joseph Pearson, Judith
Jackson, Bill Hinkle, and Pat Deneen.
Absent: Warren Taylor, Scott Carlson
Others : Jamey Ayling, Chad Bala, Clay White - Kimley-Horn,
Jessica Miller, Clerk and one (1) members of the public.
The meeting was called to order at 6 : 00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER - Roll Call
CITIZEN COMMENTS (1 min. time limit)
There were no citizen comments .
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
COMMISSIONER DENEEN asked if the video recording of this meeting
is part of the record if we were to go before the Growth
Hearings Board. He questioned how the minutes were done and who
does them. COMMISSIONER HINKLE stated that the Growth Hearings
Board would take all minutes and recordings into consideration
as evidence . The clerk of this meeting creates the minutes .
COMMISSIONER PEARSON moved to approve the minutes from the
October 28, 2025 meeting as presented. COMMISSIONER DENEEN
seconded. Discussion - none . Motion passed.
NEW BUSINESS
KIMLEY-HORN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PRESENTATION: ENVIRONMENT AND
CLIMATE RESILIENCY
CLAY WHITE from Kimley-Horn, provided background on the topics
we have previously covered and today' s topics . He stated tonight
we will be tying in the joint meeting that is scheduled for
December 15th with the Board of County Commissioners and how
staff will be using the feedback of the Planning Commissioners
to help frame the draft comprehensive plan which will come out
next year.
CLAY WHITE stated that we will be discussing the environment and
the new climate resiliency element . There are not a lot of
changes proposed for the environment element . The climate
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resiliency element is new to our county. Updating the
comprehensive plan is community driven but it is also driven by
the state laws that have changed and have to address on some
level .
The Natural Environment Element focuses on critical areas,
CARAs, Fish and Wildlife Habitat, frequently flooded areas,
Geologic Hazards and Wetlands . We already have a critical areas
ordinance that will be updated as part of this process to be
consistent with the best available science .
CDS DIRECTOR CHAD BALA mentioned that staff recently, with
regards to the critical areas code, came out of a settlement
agreement with the Yakima Nation on the appeal . We concluded to
meet in the middle and add some items to it that have been
agreed upon, to become compliant . The team at Facet is taking a
look out our critical areas code and will add the changes that
will make it consistent with state law.
The Planning Commissioners requested a brief summary of the
Climate and Resiliency element . CLAY WHITE stated that climate
resiliency focuses on addressing natural hazards, identifying,
protecting and enhancing natural areas and community resilience .
We are proactively planning for the future . There are things
that impact the ability to do things and we should plan on
getting ahead of those things .
CHAIR COE stated that another pathway through this is the
Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) and that is the difference
between strict regulations and working cooperatively with
private landowners . CDS DIRECTOR CHAD BAIA stated that the VSP
is established as part of the last compliance effort and Anna
Lael, at the Kittitas County Conservation District, runs the
program. CDS runs the grant with regards to the offset and
costs . CHAIR COE stated he feels the goal is to ease the tension
between public and private action in a situation. He stated that
there is a lot of activity around setbacks and around stream
head preservation and it is drawing in the need for some
remediation process . CHAIR COE stated he feels that the county
should step in and develop a VSP program that accomplishes this
for people .
COMMISSIONER HINKLE spoke about page 9 of the Preliminary Draft
Policy Review document where it refers to Extreme Heat .
Discussion occurred and COMMISSIONER HINKLE requested that the
county require that the energy providers give notice to its
customers when they are scheduling to turn the power off to
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decrease the fire hazard risks . These outages affect people who
are on medical devices, etc.
CLAY WHITE stated that the Planning Commissioners will receive a
full community engagement report, which will include a list of
the stakeholders . He stated that there are opportunities to get
more specificity around things that are important . Staff has
received a lot of good feedback over the last few months . Staff
will bring forward to the joint meeting the top 20 policy issues
that have been compiled from the community and from the Planning
Commissioners' input . We will categorize them into low, medium
and high effort, break out into groups and as a group rank them
into high and low priorities . We will then develop them as goals
within the comprehensive plan and develop policies for the draft
plan. The Board of County Commissioners have been briefed
throughout this process at the CDS Study Sessions . It was
requested that the Planning Commissioners be provided with the
topic of discussion at least a week prior to the joint meeting.
COMMISSIONER DENEEN suggested that on page 10 of the Preliminary
Draft Policy Review document, to remove Wildfire - Identify and
implement strategies for reducing residential development
pressure in the wildland-urban interface because that is the
entire Upper County. CLAY WHITE stated he will remove as we have
already covered that in the Growth Management Act .
COMMISSIONER PEARSON suggested that on page 8, under Drought, if
we could do something to help mitigate the risk of having a
monoculture Ag system and encourage the diversification of
agriculture .
CLAY WHITE stated again to come prepared to discuss the top
priorities at the joint meeting with the Board of County
Commissioners on Monday, December 15tn.
OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business .
OTHER BUSINESS - No Action to be taken
CHAIR COE concluded the Kittitas County Planning Commission
public meeting.
Meeting ended at 7 : 17 pm.
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