Charter Review Commission - Regular Meeting
About this meeting
- Government Body
- Charter Review Commission
- Meeting Type
- Charter Review Commission
- Location
- Clallam County, WA
- Meeting Date
- April 21, 2026
Video will appear here as soon as Clallam County Charter Review Commission posts it — usually within a day of the meeting
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
2 items on the agenda.
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Start free trialRetention of a Water Resources Specialist by the Department of Community Development
Recommendation to the Clallam County Board of County Commissioners for the Retention of a Water Resources Specialist by the Department of Community Development. THE CLALLAM COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION finds as follows: 1. Changing climatic conditions in Clallam County are resulting in shrinking glaciers, lower winter snowpacks, hotter summer temperatures, less summer precipitation, and lower late summer stream flows. 2. The considerations expressed in Finding 1 above, combined with increased population growth and management decisions historically, have resulted in lower water tables in many parts of the county and a reduced ability to provide water from existing groundwater wells. 3. At the same time, the desire to avoid the adverse effects of climate change, that are predicted to be more adverse elsewhere, will increase Clallam County's population more rapidly. 4. The considerations expressed in Findings 1 through 3 above have made it increasingly difficult to supply water for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and environmental purposes in most parts of the county, especially in the late summer months. 5. Although there is a lot of water data for Clallam County, critical parts of it are more than 10 years old, and in some cases over 20 years old; the long-term sustainability of the County's water resources is unknown; and the actual water availability is poorly understood. Actual available water may not be sufficient to fulfill existing water rights that exist on paper. There is a great need for continued work which leverages on prior studies and incorporates new information to provide Clallam County with the information necessary to plan for our future water supplies. 6. A strategic investment in one position collecting and consolidating data will avoid potential future costs caused by case-by-case decision-making by multiple contractors using limited data, or by responding to shortages in water supply. 7. Multiple local, state, federal and tribal agencies, and many public and private water purveyors, have roles to play in managing and/or supplying water for the many purposes water is needed. None of these players do county-wide, comprehensive water planning, but all could benefit from improving the information necessary to make wise and informed water supply decisions. The County is the government authority in the best position to assist all water management entities across the county with up-to-date water resources data. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Clallam County Charter Review Commission, in consideration of the above findings of fact, transmit the following recommendations to the Clallam County Board of County Commissioners: 1. Hire A Water Resources Specialist Under The Following Provisions The Director of the Department of Community Development should retain, through a personal services contract bidding procedure, a Water Resources Specialist, with the necessary expertise to collect, analyze and provide water resources data to all entities managing water resources in the County: Bids should be ranked by an ad hoc Committee with seven members comprised of: three county employees, one from Department of Community Development; one from the Department of Public Works, one from the Environmental Health Section of County Health and Human Services Department; two citizens selected by the Director; and two citizens selected by the Board of County Commissioners. The bid price may be considered in the ranking, but should not be determinative of the ranking of a bid. This position should be contracted for four-year terms, with the first term starting no later than July 1, 2026. Subsequent bids may be solicited to ensure the position is filled on a continuous basis unless a vacancy develops prior to a contract expiring, in which case bids shall be solicited to ensure the position is filled within four months of the vacancy occurring. The Specialist’s position need not be filled unless the annual cost of the winning bid is less than the annual salary of a County Commissioner. If the Specialist’s position is not filled at any time for this reason, it shall be re-bid within one year of that occurrence. 2. Require The Following Job Description For The Water Resources Specialist Position Education and Experience The successful candidate must possess the necessary expertise to collect, analyze, and provide water resources data to all entities managing water resources in the County, including: 1. A Bachelor Degree or higher that provides the aforementioned expertise, such as Geology, Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Environmental Science, or Environmental Engineering, all with a focus on water. 2. A minimum of three years of professional experience in hydrogeology or water resource science. 3. Any combination of related experience and education that is sufficient to demonstrate thorough competency will be accepted. Essential Functions 1. Compiling county-wide historical water data in one place from federal and state agencies, water purveyors, Tribes, and other water stakeholders, and understanding seasonal trends of water availability. 2. Quantifying the status of county-wide water systems, inclusive of groundwater, river and stream flow, aquifer status, and water storage systems, and identifying research needs in these areas. 3. Conducting independent hydrogeological testing and analysis, groundwater modeling, contaminant transport evaluation and/or modeling, and/or updating previous research models. 4. Forecasting future water availability based on updated data with consideration of planned county-wide growth, climate change impacts, irrigation and ecological needs. 5. Communicating scientific findings on water resources to the Director of the Department of Community Development and other County departments, and also to federal and state agencies, water purveyors, Tribal Nations, and other water stakeholders. This includes publishing findings on the County's website. 6. Providing their expertise to County staff, Tribes, and stakeholders county-wide. 7. Maintaining a water information database that can inform county-wide decision making over the long term. Desired Skills, Knowledge and Abilities 1. Ability to work both independently of and cooperatively with DCD and other County staff, Tribes, and water stakeholders. 2. Fundamental knowledge of hydrologic and hydrogeologic processes including techniques and skills to conduct and evaluate technical assessments and evaluations. 3. Ability to research, collect, prepare, and analyze technical data pertaining to hydrogeology. 4. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing. 5. Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with staff, officials, and public they interact with. 6. Ability to prepare and deliver comprehensive technical reports. 7. Ability to enlist volunteers to aid in research.
Procedures for County Responses to Land Acquisitions by State and Federal Agencies
Recommendation to the Clallam County Board of County Commissioners Regarding Procedures for County Responses to Land Acquisitions by State and Federal Agencies. WHEREAS, from time to time, State and Federal agencies ask Clallam County whether it has any concerns regarding the acquisition by those State and Federal agencies of land within the County’s taxing, legislative, regulatory, and law enforcement jurisdiction. WHEREAS, such acquisitions can result in the loss, to various degrees, of the County’s taxing, legislative, regulatory, and law enforcement jurisdiction. WHEREAS, these requests occur, for example, when Washington State Parks wants to acquire land for park purposes, and when Indian Tribes ask the Bureau of Indian Affairs to acquire land in trust for Tribal Trust Land or Reservation purposes. WHEREAS, historically, Clallam County has not responded to many of these requests, and it has no formal standards on which it should base any response. WHEREAS, the land acquisitions by these state and federal agencies could have positive or negative impacts on Clallam County. WHEREAS, for example, the acquisition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs of property for Tribal Trust Land could result in economic opportunities only available to Tribes or Tribal Citizens. This could result in economic benefits to Clallam County offsetting the lost tax revenue from that property. On the other hand, the inability of Clallam County to enact land use controls on Tribal Trust Lands could result in development on those lands inconsistent with adjoining properties within county jurisdiction and adversely affect the value of those adjoining properties. WHEREAS, the many and various ways such acquisitions could positively or negatively affect Clallam County’s future, or the many and various ways in which any negative effects of such acquisitions could be mitigated through conditions imposed on such acquisitions, dictate that the county should study the potential impacts of such acquisitions; develop standards under which such acquisitions are supported, or opposed, or conditioned; and respond to those requests for comments from the state and federal agencies seeking to acquire the property. It is important that Clallam County base any comments on well-thought-out and considered standards which have been developed through an orderly process. Therefore, the 2025 Clallam County Charter Review Commission, in consideration of the above findings of facts, hereby recommends to the Clallam County Board of County Commissioners that it develop policies and procedures for responding to requests from State and Federal agencies for comments on the potential impact of transfers or acquisitions of land to or by those agencies where such transfers or acquisitions would affect the County's taxing, revenue raising, legislative, regulatory, and/or law enforcement jurisdiction.