Washington County continues to steamroll over citizens

Carla Axtman

Update12:22PM: My paragraph at the the very bottom of this post is in error: there is no meeting of Metro on December 21st. There is a meeting on December 16th. Metro spokesperson Karen Kane just informed me that no formal discussion or vote on the Washington County proposal can take place at the December 16 meeting because it's not already on the calendar. The proposal would have had to been placed on the calendar yesterday in order to meet public notice requirements. It's possible that an informal discussion of the proposal could take place on December 16th if a Councilor asks, but that would be it. More on this as news breaks.

Sometimes with all the stuff that goes on at the federal level, people can feel like their voice has no impact. There are so many competing interests in such a noisy place that it can be very tough to be heard above the din. But when you narrow things down to the local level, citizens can have a greater impact. So keep in mind, to contact your Metro Councilor, go here. Washington Co. Commission contact info is here

Last week I reported on a plan by Washington County, Metro and the Director of Land Conservation and Development to change the 50 year plan for Urban and Rural Reserves. The plan included no more public process.

As it turns out, this plan had little or nothing to do with Metro or DLCD.

The main source for my reporting on this was a memo sent out to Washington County Commissioners by Chair Tom Brian and Chair-Elect Andy Duyck on December 4, 2010. The memo states:

Andy and I have been working with staff, legal counsel, Metro Counselors, and the LCDC director to develop this proposed response to LCDC’s decisions (and likely official order). We have reviewed substantial LCDC meeting notes and our staff and counsel have been working with their counterparts at Metro and LCDC to avoid misunderstandings and to hopefully, arrive at a response that is acceptable to our Board, the Metro Council and the LCDC.

As it turns out, Brian and Duyck were in touch with two Metro Councilors, according to Michael Jordan, Metro's COO. Jordan told me that Brian and Duyck and met with Kathryn Harrington and Carl Hosticka. But according to Jordan, no plan was agreed on or finalized. When the plan was shown to the public, Metro balked, with all Councilors professing opposition to the plan.

Not to mention the fact that Brian and Duyck decided to skirt the public and avoid our input in the changes.

Oregon Land Conservation and Development Director Richard Whitman had also been in communication with Washington County Commission. Whitman said that he was approached by Tom Brian and Andy Duyck at the Association of Oregon Counties Meeting. "Part of our job is to work with local government. To make sure there is no misunderstanding of the LCDC decision. It was informal feedback." Whitman characterized his discussions with Brian and Duyck as "very general". When asked about the maps from the memo, Whitman said he was "surprised" at them.

So what gives?

First of all, it's pretty clear that Duyck and Brian weren't working with Metro Councilors or Director Whitman to "develop the proposal" that was leaked last week. Calls to Duyck and Brian to clarify the memo were not returned.

However, given that history is the greatest predictor of future events, here's what's likely going on.

When Washington County released their first drafts of the urban reserves maps, the proposals were enormous. They asked for 34,000 acres. That whopper of a proposal elicited howls from all over the county and the region. The ploy by Washington County was, of course, to ask for a huge amount of acreage and settle for what they really want--which is still huge, just less so. A common negotiating ploy.

It would seem that Brian and Duyck are calling that play again.

Last week, the proposal included changing 625 acres north of the Sunset Highway, south of West Union from undesignated to Urban Reserve. 592 adjoining acres change from rural reserve to undesignated. In addition 900 acres between 185th and Cornelius Pass, further north than Germantown Rd and some west of Cornelius Pass, and convert it from rural reserves to undesignated. The encroachment into Helvetia is huge--and very contentious.

Surpise! Just in time for tonight's meeting, Duyck and Brian have changed the map again. Helvetia gets hit with 585 additional urban reserves and 290 additional acres of undesignated. Still HUGE. But you can bet that Brian and Duyck will be crowing about how much they've "compromised". They'll have whatever votes they need tonight to shoehorn this thing through.

And guess what? Still no public process.

It remains to be seen if Metro will go along with this. Metro's next meeting where they could possibly consider this proposal is December 21 (See correction at the top of this post).

By Carla Axtman Dec. 14, 2010