The special meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. by Acting-Chair Mary Jo Cady. Commissioner Cynthia D. Olsen was in attendance, Commissioner John A. Bolender was on an excused absence.

The meeting was to consider the proposed revisions to Mason County's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (FDPO), Frequently Flooded Areas Chapter 17.01.090 and Definitions Chapter 17.01.240 of the Resource Ordinance.

Pam Bennett-Cumming, Planning, presented the staff report. Included in the staff report were responses to additional issues raised. (Exhibit A)

She also referred to a two page memo from Jerry Hauth, Public Works/County Engineer regarding the Skokomish River in the Bambi Farms Reach (Exhibit B) and presented soil survey maps which were provided by Public Works (Exhibit C)

At Cmmr. Cady's request, Ms. Bennett-Cumming explained the effect the adoption of these revisions have on the moratorium and the options for people when the moratorium is no longer in place.

One of the purposes of the updates and amendments to the FDPO is to pull provisions of various flood plain regulations into a single ordinance so all the necessary information for an applicant would be in a single ordinance. This means any provisions in the moratorium that relate to issues that continue to be in place within the Skokomish Valley (or anywhere else in the County) are included in this ordinance. It does not mean there is a moratorium on development in the Skokomish Valley, it means certain reviews have to take place and based on those reviews, decisions will be made about the applicability of the parts of this ordinance that apply.

Ms. Bennett-Cumming stated no action would be necessary regarding the moratorium, the necessary provisions are referenced in this ordinance.

She then spoke about avulsion risk areas. She referred to page 22 in the proposed FDPO, dated 2-24-00, section 5.4-2. The studies completed to date and funded by the County, maps the County has and the expertise of the engineering staff along with site review will be used first to determine if a particular piece of property is in a no-new footprint zone. If it is clear from the information that is already available, one way or another, it would not be necessary for the applicant to provide an engineering report. If it is not clear, or if there is a determination that this is an avulsion-risk zone and therefore a new footprint should not be put there, the applicant could then have their own engineering report completed to either confirm the avulsion risk or to counter the determination.

Ms. Bennett-Cumming stated this differs from the moratorium because in the moratorium, in an avulsion risk zone, an engineering report had to be provided every time.

Cmmr. Cady stated she believes they have a product that has taken a lot of time and energy. Although this will not make everybody happy it can be reviewed periodically. If there is documentation that there are parts that are not working, they can be reviewed.

The Board thanked Ms. Bennett-Cumming for all her work on this issue.

The special meeting adjourned at 8:25 a.m.