Friday, March 02, 2012

Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Strategic Plan Draft Review...Sees P.U.D. Talks Stricken For Possible Later Discussion


Thursday, March 1, 2012

COMMISSIONERS REVIEW DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN

The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners signed off on a list ranking the projects in the county’s draft Strategic Plan.

At a retreat Wednesday, Feb. 29, the board made few changes to the rankings first proposed last month by the county Planning Commission, which reviewed the plan and weighed each project under a variety of criteria. The board has scheduled a public hearing and final adoption of the document for March 28.

Development of the plan, a key goal of the board, is intended to provide a framework for planning and pursuing the various major projects proposed by the county. The document lists projects already underway, including the Ensign Lane extension at the North Coast Business Park, Highway 101 flooding solution and Emergency Operations Center addition, as well as future initiatives such as the county comprehensive plan update and Clatsop Plains wastewater solution. The plan also includes the projects’ cost, potential funding sources and estimated time for completion.

The strategic plan contains 42 total projects – the planning commission was asked to prioritize 23 items yet to be launched or scheduled. Each panel member scored the 11 planning projects, eight infrastructure projects and four facilities projects based on several criteria, including public need, revenue availability, cost/benefit analysis and support from other agencies.

On Wednesday the board of commissioners changed the rankings of a handful of projects but largely left the planning commission lists intact. Topping the planning project list is a proposed county technology plan update, followed in order of ranking by a historic preservation program, the comprehensive land-use plan update, transmission line standards, re-establishment of citizen advisory committees, renewable energy plan, estuary planning, sustainability plan, housing quality plan and criminal management evaluation.

The infrastructure projects were ranked, in order: Westport Slough dredging, fire station access development, Westport pedestrian improvements, county-wide bypass/evacuation route, Department of State Lands permitting by the county, Clatsop Plains wastewater improvements, Columbia River sediment clean-up and East County dock expansion.

Facilities plans ranking are: Incubator light industrial building at North Coast Business park, household hazardous waste recycling center, and joint public works location.

Consideration of a people’s utility district for Clatsop County, which was ranked last by the planning commission, was eliminated from the strategic plan by the board. The commissioners left open the option of addressing the idea separately sometime in the future.

The complete draft strategic plan can be viewed on the “Land Use Planning” page on the Clatsop County website, www.co.clatsop.or.us.

Released by:Tom Bennett
Community Relations Coordinator
(503) 338-3622

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