Laserfiche WebLink
KITTITAS COUNTY <br />CDS STUDY SESSION MINUTES <br />COMMISSIONERS' AUDITORIUM, 205 WEST 5th ROOM 109 <br />Regular Meeting <br />MONDAY 2:30 PM June 9, 2025 <br />Board members present: Chair Laura Osiadacz, Vice -Chair Cory Wright <br />and Commissioner Brett Wachsmith. <br />Others: Chad Bala, Jamey Ayling and Shannon Johnson, Community <br />Development Services, Stephanie Hartung, Prosecuting Attorney's <br />Office, and no (0) members of the public. <br />At 2:30 pm Chair Osiadacz opened the Community Development Services <br />Study Session. <br />CITIZEN COMMENTS <br />No public comments. <br />UPDATES TO KITTITAS COUNTY CODE TITLE 17A, CRITICAL AREAS ORDINANCE OF <br />KITTITAS COUNTY <br />CDS Director Chad Bala presented his staff report. On December 7th, <br />2021, Kittitas County adopted Ordinance No. 2021-016 adopting the <br />Kittitas County Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). The Yakama Nation <br />filed a petition for review with the Eastern Washington Growth <br />Hearings Board (GMHB) on February 11, 2022, and On July 28th, 2022, a <br />hearing on the merits was held. On September 7th, 2022, the GMHB <br />issued a final decision and order in favor of Kittitas County on each <br />issue and the Petitioner filed an appeal of the GMHB's decision to <br />Superior Court in Thurston County. On March 20, 2023, the Thurston <br />County Superior Court certified direct review to the Division II Court <br />of Appeals, where the Division II Court of Appeals transferred review <br />to the Division III court. In July of 2024 Kittitas County and the <br />Petitioner entered settlement discussions over the next eleven (11) <br />months, which included numerous meetings and correspondence from July <br />2024 through May of 2025. On June 3, 2025, a joint status report was <br />issued to the Division III Court of Appeals, where both <br />Parties(Kittitas County and Yakama Nation) confirmed settlement <br />negotiations had concluded, necessitating an amended ordinance. <br />Director Bala referred the Board to the attached Resolution NO. 2025- <br />118, for consideration of approval to direct the CDS department to <br />initiate the next steps for formal approval of the amended ordinance. <br />Commissioner Wright moved to approve Resolution No. 2025-118. <br />Commissioner Wachsmith seconded the motion. Chair Osiadacz posed the <br />2025-06-09-25 MINUTES 1 <br />