HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/27/1994 Special Joint Meeting 42 4
CITY OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
SEPTEMBER 27, 1994
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
The City Council met on this date at 7:30 a.m. in the Library of
the Yakima School District Administration Building, 104 North 4th
Avenue, Yakima, Washington for a Special Joint Meeting with the
Yakima County Commissioners. Council Members present were
Mayor Pat Berndt (absent after 8:30 a.m.), Ernie Berger (absent
after 8:30 a.m.), Lynn Buchanan, and Bernard Sims. Council Members
Clarence Barnett, Henry Beauchamp, Bill Brado were absent and
excused. City staff members present were City Manager Zais,
Assistant City Manager Rice, Douglas Dodd, Water & Irrigation
Superintendent, and Deputy City Clerk Skovald. County
Commissioners present were Chuck Klarich and Bettie Ingham. County
staff member present was Dick Anderwald.
The meeting began with Dick Anderwald briefly reviewing the agenda
and inviting dialogue and the exchanging of ideas about the water
availability issue.
The Yakima River Watershed Presentation by Mel Wagner
Mel Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of the Yakima River Watershed
Council, presented information about the organization that consists
of an inclusive group from Kittitas, Yakima and Benton counties.
He announced all of the members on the Board of Directors have been
chosen, with a balanced representation from all different water
interests. Council Member Sims and Yakima County Commissioner
Klarich will serve on that board. Mr. Wagner expressed
appreciation for the supportive efforts received from the City
Council and the Board of Commissioners in addition to efforts from
area legislators. Enthusiastic responses of support from the
Department of Ecology and the Bureau of Reclamation have also been
received.
The Yakima River Watershed system consists of five high mountain
reservoirs, which have less than half of the needed storage
capacity. Mr. Wagner identified some of the problems that the
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system has, including the need to better manage the water by
determining the amount of water available, the amount needed, and
the amount controlled. There have been some positive steps taken
to improve the situation, including a grant application for funds
which would be used to install measuring devices on the Yakima
River Watershed. Because of the seriousness of the current drought
situation, the Yakima Watershed Council was formed to avoid
Joint Meeting September 27, 1994 425
economic disaster and to avoid the elimination of the fish runs.
There was discussion about how Clean Water Act issues and
Endangered Species Act issues, as they relate to special interest
groups, might impact the solution. Mr. Wagner emphasized the
importance of building a consensus among all water and business
interests to assure sufficient water for the future. What the
group hopes to accomplish is to talk about the problem, determine a
common solution, and then take the solution to the political
leaders in Olympia and Washington, D.C. The job of the Watershed
Council will be to decide which solution is most practical and what
short -term assistance and /or what long -term solution will result.
There will be a tremendous amount of constructive dialogue taking
place and the chairman of the board will have to make sure that one
group is not favored.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 a.m.
READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY: 73
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COUNCIL MEMBER DATE
ATTEST:
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CITY CLERK MAYOR 7
Minutes prepared by Deputy City Clerk Skovald. An audio tape of this meeting is available in
the City Clerk's office.
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