The proposed annexation of the Chehalis urban growth area (UGA) will move forward as planned after a week-long delay in approving the process by Lewis County.
The Lewis County commissioners officially signed off on the City of Chehalis’ annexation of its UGA during a weekly business meeting on Tuesday.
The decision was the final action necessary to push forward the process of annexation and also closes the county's public hearing on the subject, which was first opened in October and recessed twice.
Lewis County Commissioners Scott Brummer, Lindsey Pollock and Sean Swope voted unanimously in favor of annexation. Commissioners recognized that annexation would take continued work and may come with growing pains but ultimately argued it was the best path forward for both the county and the city.
“Yes, there are going to be some rough patches going forward,” Pollock said. “There is a lot to still coordinate through this, but I am very hopeful and thoughtful with the groups involved … It is a major change for the residents of the UGA, but I'm looking forward to a very prosperous and hopeful future for Chehalis.”
According to the interlocal agreement that describes the annexation, the City of Chehalis will become responsible for providing all of the utilities and services in the annexed area. The city will be expected to take over permitting, road maintenance, wastewater services and stormwater services upon the effective date of annexation, which is yet to be determined. The city will take over operation of Lewis County Sewer District No. 4 at the same time.
The interlocal agreement also states that the city will take over providing fire protection and emergency medical services starting Jan. 1, 2027, unless a fire district merger takes effect before that date.
An exact timeline for when annexation will go into effect is not yet clear. According to Director of Lewis County Community Development Mindy Brooks, the county will now issue a notice of intent to annex to the Lewis County Boundary Review Board. That notice begins a 45-day timeline for the board. The City of Chehalis will send out a 60-day annexation notice to parcels that are set to be annexed.
While the relevant governments — the city and the county — have now approved the process, the review will take time, and there is still the possibility of an appeal that could extend the annexation timeline.
The final approval also came with testimony from the public. Many of the same interest groups and locals spoke and aired concerns similar to those they had raised at previous meetings, including the Lewis County public hearing last week and the City of Chehalis meeting the night before. The Chehalis City Council approved the annexation that evening on Monday, Nov. 24.
The Lewis County commissioners had originally planned to vote on the annexation last week during a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Instead, the commissioners ended up recessing the hearing after receiving public testimony. Before recessing, the commissioners cited concerns from the public as well as the threat of legal action as the reasons for the delay.
During the Nov. 26 hearing, Lewis County Fire District 6 Commissioner Greg Greene announced that the district was prepared to sue if annexation went forward. Greene alleged that the county and city had rushed the timeline for the annexation and violated the annexation process procedure outlined in Washington state law.
A staff briefing ahead of the unanimous vote on annexation was meant primarily to settle concerns of a legal challenge as well as a range of other issues raised by the public.
Immediately ahead of the vote, Brummer asked Lewis County Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor David Bailey to settle any legal concerns. Bailey stated that the relevant state laws had been reviewed by staff for both the city and the county who determined that the relevant procedures were being followed.
A range of other concerns were also raised and addressed during the Tuesday meeting and previous meetings.
Lewis County Fire District 5 Commissioner Mike Goodwillie raised some accusations that his firefighters had been harassed by the Chehalis Fire Department. Those accusations were not addressed.
Goodwillie also stated that he believed that property taxes for properties taken into the city would go up by 23% and that a wishlist for the Chehalis Fire Department showed the department needed upwards of $60 million in equipment.
Commissioner Swope questioned the accuracy of a 23% tax increase for newly annexed properties and asked Chehalis City Manager Stacy Denham to clarify.
Denham echoed his response to similar claims in the past, stating that a 23% tax increase for annexed properties was inaccurate. He stated that while the properties would pay new taxes under the city, they would also stop paying old tax levies to the county and other taxing districts. Some of the properties will also pay less for utilities that charge a higher rate for providing services outside of the city limits.
Others who have already been vocal during the proceedings also spoke one final time. Those who spoke included new Lewis County Fire District 6 Commissioner Greg Cole and two prominent voices opposed to the annexation — Bud Goodwillie and Tim Potter.
Cole clarified that he was not necessarily for or against annexation but was simply concerned with the city’s plans to maintain roads and other services. Others echoed their previous statements.
For previous reporting on the county’s consideration of the City of Chehalis annexation and concerns from members of the public, visit https://tinyurl.com/yt32tey2.
For more reporting on the details of the annexation itself, visit https://tinyurl.com/56jdwyru.
