Commissioners
working hard
to craft document collectively
Since reopening the county’s
Comprehensive Growth Management plan for modification, the three member board of
county commissioners is so far in agreement on issues that have been discussed
at the first of what is expected to be several public meetings.
That 20-year growth management plan
approved last fall was adopted by a split vote, with chair of the board,
Democrat Betty Sue Morris, dissenting
because she believed the plan did not provide for sufficient growth. That plan
also invited over a dozen formal appeals to the Western Washington Growth
Management Hearings Board.
Since then, Democratic commissioner
Judie Stanton retired after eight years
in office. Former Republican state representative
Mark Boldt was elected to succeed
Stanton. Commissioner Craig Pridemore, a
Democrat, then successfully ran for the state senate. His position was filled
with the appointment of Democrat Steve Stuart.
In their work session on May 10, the
new lineup of commissioners tentatively agreed to plan for more people to live
in Clark County by 2023.
The total planned population would
then be 567,000 people, a 49,000 increase over the plan adopted last year.
The commissioners also directed the
county staff to prepare for a residential “market factor” of 10 percent, to
provide more choices in siting new homes. These tentative changes could affect
planning for capital facilities and expansion of urban growth areas.
Additional work sessions on the plan
have been set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25. At
least three more meetings are scheduled this month and in June.
The commission will continue its
examination of policy assumptions and then will evaluate additional planning
assumptions based on data from the county’s Geographic Information System.
Requests for changes in urban growth
boundaries from cities in the county will be considered in June.
Written comments on all aspects of the
current review of the growth plan may be sent to the Board of Clark County
Commissioners, P.O. Box 5000 Vancouver, WA 98666, or emailed to
boardcom@clark.wa.gov.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
headlines
Vancouver chamber program Tuesday
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Mike Johanns will discuss the Central
America Free Trade Agreement proposal with southern Washington business leaders
at a special meeting of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at 7 a.m.
Wednesday, May 18, in the Heathman Lodge. Congress has not taken action on the
proposal.
The public is invited to attend this
special meeting, according to chamber president
John McKibbin. Reservations are required for the $30 breakfast. Call
694-2588 for further information.
Group discussing increases in city
taxes meets with council Monday
Vancouver City Council will meet in
retreat with members of the Finance Working Group from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, May
16, in City Hall. The public meeting will replace other scheduled council
meetings on Monday. No testimony will be accepted.
Members of the Finance Working Group
are mayor Royce Pollard and city council
member Dan Tonkovich,
Jim Etzkorn, Neighborhood Traffic Safety
Alliance chair, Mark Brandon, First
Independent Bank, and Beth Quartarolo,
Hewlett-Packard. The working group is staffed by city manager
Pat McDonnell, city chief financial
officer Lloyd Tyler,
John McKibbin, president of the Greater
Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and Paul Lewis,
former chief financial officer for the city.
The meeting will be cablecast by CVTV
Channel 23.
Food vendors sought
Through Wednesday, June 1, the City of
Vancouver is accepting applications from food vendors for a series of events at
Esther Short Park this summer. Food vendors must have city approval to offer
their wares in the park plaza weekdays, and for the Qwest Noon and the Riverview
Six-to-Sunset concert series.
For further information, call
619-1131.
News briefs
Southwest Washington Medical Center is
offering a workshop on how to spot and stop a stroke at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May
14, in the Health Education Center, 400 NE Mother Joseph Place. The workshop fee
is $10. The first 25 persons to register and commit to promoting stroke
awareness in the next 12 months will receive a free tool kid from the American
Stroke Association. For further information, call
514-2190.
g International
Migratory Bird Day is being celebrated at the Ridgefield National Wildlife
Refuge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14. Vancouver Audubon Society
volunteers and staff from the refuge will lead free bird walks along the Kiwa
Trail. For further information, call Toni
Schoulder, 887-4106.
g 49th Legislative
District Democrats Sen. Craig Pridemore
and Reps. Bill Fromhold and
Jim Moeller are holding a town hall
meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14, in the main hearing room of the Public
Service Center, 1300 Franklin Street.
g Civil
Disturbance, the Vancouver Police Department Benefit Band, is playing a benefit
concert at 9 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Mojos Restaurant and Lounge at 1819 Main
Street. The benefit is for officer Mike Kellog,
an Oregon police officer who was diagnosed recently with Leukemia.
g Bravo! Vancouver
presents “Out of Africa,” a double featured concert of spiritual chorale music
and the piano artistry of Ghanan William Chapman
Nyaho at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 15, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S.
Andresen Road. Tickets are $15 at the door.
Correction
The
Daily Insider Monday failed to state that a principal partner in the new
Southwest Washington Medical Center program, Project Search, aimed at helping
match jobs for people with development disabilities, is the Clark County
Department of Community Services, Developmental Disabilities Program.
Joel Schudde is the coordinator for the
Developmental Disabilities Program.
Headlines at home and from around the world:
(Click on the headlines below for the rest of the story)
Higher fares more than compensate for lost ridership C-TRAN says--Oregonian,
Bill Stewart
Vancouver council to hear how tax increases would boost city revenue by $14
million--Oregonian, Bill Stewart
Oregon Air
National Guard at PDX to be downsized--KATU
No major bases in state to be closed--Seattle Times, AP, Matthew Daly
Mount St. Helens erupting with new life 25 years later--Seattle Times, Sandi
Doughton Oregon
revenue up by $200 million legislators learn--KATU, AP, Charles E. Beggs
Former
Portland archbishop William Levada named Pope Benedict XVI's successor to the
powerful position as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
He's the first American ever to hold the job--KGW-TV, AP, Kim Curtis
Oregonian's best entertainment bets
Mount St. Helens VolcanoCam
[updates every five minutes]--USDA Forest Service, Mount St. Helens National
Volcanic Monument |