Cross_cutting

3:04:20 So the cities have more growth, potentially more growth, because they're allowed to grow under GMA rules. However, we have a big section at the southern end of our district that is in the Vancouver urban growth boundary, so it's allowed to develop, even though it's an unincorporated county. So we have a lot of development coming along the I-5, along 179 to 219, and that's a long answer to your short question, will this help us meet our times? It will help offset the cost of purchasing more fire engines and building two fire stations to be able to meet the times. - This is Commissioner Roon, did your district cover the tribal lands, is that correct? - We, yeah, it's a sovereign nation. We have no ability to tax them. We have a contract with them, they pay $455,000 a year for fire and emergency medical service response there,

3:05:18 but they don't, and they have gifted us things. They secured a fire engine several years ago through a federal grant that was only open to tribes, and they have gifted us three ambulances, which was a significant savings that we would have had to purchase, and so a savings to all the taxpayers in the district. - All right, are you able to get full cost recovery from servicing the tribal lands? - It's very hard to calculate, because there is not an assessed value on their properties, and in the fire service, we don't really build it, we don't give you a cost per call, because there's a lot of things that go into that. Again, it's a negotiation with them, because you take a 14-story hotel on the other side of the freeway, and the county's gonna assess the value on that, and we say, we'd like to collect $1.50 per thousand,

3:06:17 and we know exactly what the bill is. We don't know the value of their hotel, because they don't have to disclose it to us. So it's a negotiation, and each year when some new properties and new development comes on, we come to a new price on that. - So I guess the gist of my question is like, are these impact fees subsidizing development on the Callis tribe? - So no, thank you, thank you for clarifying. We're in our contract with the tribe every year, we come back and renegotiate based on any new properties that came on during that time. So they pay a new fee based on the new properties, the new development that happens on their properties. So for example, they're doing some remodeling inside, even though it's inside the building, it's further development within the structure, we'll come back and say that's a new fee.

3:07:18 So no, this would not be subsidizing their development. - Yeah, I think just for clarity, I think you've answered it, but my fear would be that we need an extra fire engine to service the Callis tribe. However, the only way to collect that is through our impact fee mechanism on that. So I wanted to make sure that our impact fee calculation isn't being encumbered or collared by additional services provided to the tribe. - It is not. - Any other questions? Skid, let's bring public comment into this. - All right. - All right, for those online,

3:08:17 if you're interested in providing public comment, please raise your virtual hand or press star three on your phone to let us know you would like to provide public comment. Nobody is expressing that they would like to provide public comment. There's nobody in the hearing room. So we'll go ahead and close public comment for the last agenda item. - Once again, with the public part closed, bring it back for any discussion from the Planning Commission. - Oh, this is Commissioner LaDuke Montgomery. I think one thing that gives me a little pause on this request compared to some of the others is just what is attributable to new growth versus existing deficiencies. But obviously Ridgefield is growing or there's no question that there is growth, but some of the growth projections seem more aggressive or the increase in demand plus the gap between how they're doing now in calls for service

3:09:15 or the different measurements compared to that 90% benchmark was larger than some of the others. But I think I'm still coming down in favor of supporting, providing better service 'cause there's obviously a growth demand in that jurisdiction. - Just a brief comment.