The Chehalis City Council has taken another step forward in the potential annexation of its urban growth area (UGA), scheduling a joint public hearing with the Lewis County Board of Commissioners for 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20 at the Lewis County Courthouse.
The council voted 6-1, with Councilor Kevin Carns the lone opposing vote, on the first and final reading during a Monday special meeting. This move comes nearly five months after city councilors voted to proceed with annexation negotiations with Lewis County.
The city has not declared that it will annex over 3,600 acres of the UGA outright, but staff hope the meeting will provide citizens the opportunity for public comment and input on the proposed interlocal agreement for annexation. A date has not been determined for when possible annexation would take place, as the city would have to wait on the Lewis County Boundary Review Board to review and post its findings and the council to pass its final resolution.
Councilors expressed concern over incomplete details, including the total residents affected, the costs the city will pay, and the revenue streams the city will see from property taxes.
Councilor John Six, referencing a “findings of fact” page on the council’s agenda report with missing acreage, residents, assessed value and parcels, admitted prior to the vote that he didn’t feel comfortable making a decision if there isn’t complete information.
City Manager Stacy Denham said the city is required to conduct a census for the proposed annexation area and added that total parcels and assessed value should be in hand before the public hearing. A census would cost somewhere between $15,000 and $25,000 to conduct, Denham said.
“We believe the financials are done. We need to continue to verify that those are accurate before we actually publish those because I think everyone deserves to have accurate numbers,” Denham said. “For the population, we have to do a census. We’re required to do that. If I give you a number now, it would be a guess, and I don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Mayor Tony Ketchum clarified that the purpose of the special meeting and Monday’s resolution was to start the process, and then the council will be inundated with the numbers. Denham added that city staff are working on collecting data on revenue streams, but permitting is the biggest impasse.
In a Monday Facebook post, Carns further elaborated on his decision to vote against scheduling the joint public hearing. He said once all relevant data is provided, he will fully support moving forward with annexation discussions.
“Annexation is one of the most consequential actions a city can undertake. It affects city finances, public services, infrastructure and the daily lives of residents for decades to come,” he wrote. “Before we invite the public to weigh in on such a significant matter, the council must have a complete and transparent understanding of the potential costs and impacts. At this point, key financial details — including the full range of costs associated with annexation — remain incomplete. My vote was not a rejection of the concept of annexation itself. Rather, it was a call for due diligence.”
Councilor Bob Spahr asked Community Development Director Celest Wilder about how the process of annexation may affect residents’ water sources, specifically if residents with wells and septic systems will be forced to hook up to the city’s sewer system.
Wilder responded that if residents own existing systems that are in good condition, they can keep their systems. If the health department finds that the well is not in good condition, the well would be decommissioned and the resident would have to hook up to the city sewer system. Additionally, new developments are required to connect to the city sewer system.
According to the draft interlocal agreement between the City of Chehalis and Lewis County, the city will become responsible for permitting, road maintenance, wastewater services and stormwater services within and relating to the city annexation area.
The city would also become responsible for fire protection services within the annexation area unless the city enters into a merger with Lewis County Fire Districts No. 5 and/or No. 6, in which case the merged fire districts would assume responsibility for fire protection services.
Several county public works projects are ongoing or pending within the city annexation area, three of which are along Berwick Creek. These are not expected to be affected if annexation is approved.
Citizens can submit written comments to the city community development office and/or to the city clerk’s office, or verbal comments on Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. at the Board of County Commissioners’ hearing room at the Lewis County Courthouse, located at 351 NW North St. in Chehalis.
