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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES <br />AGENDA ITEM STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />AGENDA DATE: June 17, 2025 <br /> <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Request to Set a Public Hearing for July 1st, 2025, at 2:00 pm to consider <br />Amendments to the Kittitas County Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />BACKGROUND: On December 7th, 2021, Kittitas County adopted Ordinance No. 2021- <br />016 adopting the Kittitas County Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). <br /> <br />The Yakima Nation (Petitioner) filed a petition for review with the <br />Eastern Washington Growth Hearings Board (GMHB) on February 11, <br />2022, Case No. 22-1-0002 and On July 28th, 2022, a hearing on the <br />merits was held. <br /> <br />On September 7th, 2022, the GMHB issued a final decision and order in <br />favor of Kittitas County on each issue and the Petitioner filed an appeal <br />of the GMHB’s decision to Superior Court in Thurston County. <br /> <br />On March 20, 2023, the Thurston County Superior Court certified direct <br />review to the Division II Court of Appeals, where the Division II Court <br />of Appeals transferred review to the Division III court under Case No. <br />396711. <br /> <br />In July of 2024 Kittitas County and the Petitioner entered settlement <br />discussions over the next eleven (11) months, which included numerous <br />meetings and correspondence from July 2024 through May of 2025. <br /> <br />On June 9, 2025, at a regularly scheduled CDS Study Session Meeting, <br />the Kittitas County BOCC approved Resolution No. 2025-118, <br />Concerning the Settlement negotiations with the Yakama Nation <br />Pertaining to the Kittitas County Code Title 17A, Critical Areas <br />Ordinance. <br /> <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION: Set a Public Hearing for July 1st, 2025, at 2:00 pm to Consider Approval <br />of the Amendments to the Kittitas County Critical Areas Ordinance <br />(CAO). <br /> <br />HANDLING: Return one Notice of Public Hearing to Community Development <br />Services. <br /> <br />ATTACHMENTS: None <br /> <br />LEAD STAFF: Chad Bala, Director <br />