Clark County Close Up

0:00 Thank you very much. Thank you.

1:00 I'm the Clean Water Outreach Manager. The county acquired Heritage Farm in 1873 from the Anderson family, and it became a poor farm operated by the county from 1873 to 1943. And at that point, the poor farm was shut down, and WSU Extension came in and used it as an agricultural research facility. And that continued for a while. And then in 2011, the WSU Extension administration offices, as well as some of the different programs that they run, the Small Acreage Program, Master Gardeners, and 4-H, they also moved to this site. On June 17, approximately 50 members of the community gathered to celebrate the completion of the Heritage Farm Wetland Restoration Project. This project restores a wetland at the headwaters of Cougar Creek. And this Heritage Farm Wetland Restoration site is actually the first step in a 2020

1:58 master plan that was approved by Council with public input. And other things coming at the Heritage Farm will include accessible trails with interpretive signs and a pavilion that will be the centerpiece for a children's garden. Not only through environmental improvement, but also through the successful procurement of state and federal funding. One of the best examples is right here, the Heritage Farm Wetland Project. Through strong partnerships and careful planning, this project secured approximately $500,000 in state and federal grant funding, along with $3.5 million in low-interest loans. This demonstrates how local investment can attract substantial outside resources that would otherwise not come to our Clark County. The celebration included tours where participants visited four stations and learned about how the project fits into the Heritage Farm Master Plan.

2:57 One of the stations was discussing the Heritage Farm Master Plan, of which this is a part of. Another station talked about the engineering and design that went into this project. Another station discussed the water quality and stream health benefits that will be coming from this project. And finally, we wanted to make sure that we touched on some of the other benefits, including the native plants and the wildlife that they will support. The restored wetland provides a state-of-the-art assessment of the project. The restored wetland provides multiple ecological and community benefits. It provides a unique opportunity to educate the community on how agricultural practices can coincide with native wetland habitat. It's going to be a great water quality improvement project for Cougar Creek and the Salmon Creek watershed. This project will help to recharge groundwater and also help to slow the flow of water, which will improve stream health in Cougar Creek. This project will help to recharge groundwater and also help to slow the flow of water, which will improve stream health in Cougar Creek. This project will help to recharge groundwater and also help to slow the flow of water, which will improve stream health in Cougar Creek. This project will help to recharge groundwater and also help to slow the flow of water, which will improve stream health in Cougar Creek. This project will help to recharge groundwater and also help to slow the flow of water,

3:55 It's also going to be an opportunity for the community to come and learn about projects like this, projects where agriculture and water quality can coexist. And so there will be interpretive signs where people can learn about this project and other parts about the farm. Planning and design for the project began in 2019. Construction finished on time and under budget. It was funded through a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Clark County Clean Water Fund. A low interest loan was provided by the EPA and Ecology through the Washington State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund program for Green Project Reserve. Today's ribbon cutting represents far more than the completion of a construction project. It reflects years of collaboration, planning, engineering, and partnership across our teams as well as with our colleagues at the Department of Ecology.

4:54 For more information about the Heritage Farm Wetland Restoration Project, visit clark.wa.gov/public-works/heritage-farm-wetland-restoration. Voting is one of the most important responsibilities we have as citizens. Why? Because your vote helps decide who leads our country, our state, and our local communities. Government affects our lives in countless ways. When you vote, you're having a say in how that government works for you. So who can vote? If you're 18 or older and a U.S. citizen by Election Day, November 3, 2026, you can register and cast a ballot in this year's general election. You can register online at votewa.gov, mail in a voter registration form, or when you're getting your driver's license. And here's the ballot timeline. Military and overseas ballots go through the ballot system.

5:52 The overseas ballots go out first. For voters here at home, ballots are mailed beginning October 13th. If you haven't received your ballot by October 22nd, contact your local elections office. Once your ballot arrives, and you've properly filled it out, there are two big things to remember. Number one, sign it. Your ballot envelope includes an affidavit, and your signature is required for your ballot to be counted. We've seen a significant increase in ballots coming back without signatures. So don't forget this step. Number two, get it in on time. You can return your ballot to one of 22 ballot drop-off boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Or you can mail it. If you're mailing your ballot, it needs to be postmarked by Election Day or earlier. We strongly encourage you to get your ballot to the post office at least one week ahead of time. And here's a cool feature. You can track your ballot. Text "VOTE" to 868-392, and you'll get updates. You can also sign up for ballot tracking at VoteWAH.gov.

6:52 Here's what you need to remember. Election Day is November 3, 2026. Make sure your ballot is returned to a dropbox by 8 p.m. or mailed with a postmark of Election Day or earlier. Most importantly, make sure it's signed so your voice can be heard. If you're eligible to vote, participate in the election. You can also sign up for ballot tracking at VoteWAH.gov. VoteWAH.gov is the only place where you can vote. You can also sign up for ballot tracking at VoteWAH.gov.

7:20 Participate in democracy, cast your ballot, and make sure your vote counts. For more information, visit clarkvotes.org. In November 2025, voters elected a 15-member review commission to recommend amendments to the Clark County Charter. Any changes would need to go to a countywide vote in a general election. Recently, we spoke with Brandon Erickson, Chair, Duncan Haas, Vice Chair, and Kathy Garber, Secretary of the Charter Review Commission, to discuss the nine proposed amendments that will appear on the November 2026 general election ballot. Hello, I'm Jim Demmon with Clark County Close-Up. Thank you so much for all meeting with us. Nice to be here. So, Brandon, let's start with you. What is the charter review process? Well, the Clark County Charter has a provision within it. That it must be reviewed every five years.

8:18 That is done by commissioners who are elected for that purpose. It's called the Charter Review Commission. You have three commissioners from each of the five council districts. Those 15 commissioners come together. They bring ideas and suggestions for how the charter can be revised and updated. It's debated and discussed and voted upon. And then whatever the commission ends up approving sends those recommendations and proposed amendments to the Charter Review Commission. And then whatever the commission ends up approving sends those recommendations and proposed amendments to the voters for their consideration on the ballot. Okay. Duncan, when did the commission start to meet? When and where do they meet? And how can people either join or view these sessions? Well, we just are coming off taking a break. We started back in the second week of January. We were meeting every week on Wednesday at five o'clock at the public service building for the county for about three hours each day.

9:16 And then July we took a break until September, and actually our next meeting is tomorrow, September 30th, at five o'clock. We're going to meet every other week until sometime after the general election, and then we'll get fired back up for probably every week after that. And people can watch the meetings. I know they're recorded. They could also attend the meetings in person. Yeah, it's an open public meeting. You can come, you can speak, you can give us your feedback. You can come, you can speak, you can give us your feedback. You can give us your thoughts on the business we're talking about, as long as it pertains to the charter. You can come, you can speak, you can give us your thoughts on the business we're talking about, as long as it pertains to the charter. You can watch the video replay of it at any time you want. It's on demand on the county's website. And all the meetings are posted on the county's website ahead of time, so you have a reference to go look at. Okay. Brandon, what has been your progress to date? Well, as Duncan said, we started meeting in January.

10:11 And between January and July, we discussed, debated, and voted upon amendments. And then in mid-July, we finalized our amendments. We voted to send nine amendments to the public for their consideration on the November ballot. And as Duncan also mentioned, we've been in recess since then. We're about ready to start meeting again to consider amendments for the 2027 ballot.

10:39 Okay. So, like you mentioned, you developed nine amendment proposals for consideration on the November 2026 ballot.

28:13 you