Commissioners to look at 2022 Mill Creek assessment

By on Monday, October 4th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners meeting today (Monday) at 10 a.m. On the agenda, county commissioners, acting as supervisors of the Mill Creek Flood Control Zone District, will hold a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 25 to consider the 2022 assessment for the district.

The Mill Creek Flood Control Zone District was created to control flooding with its established limits and there is a continuing need to maintain and repair levees and flood control structures within the district. On Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also present its semi-quantitative risk assessment of the Mill Creek Project, which is said to reduce the risk of flooding but does not eliminate it.

While construction of the channel was constructed in the 1930s and 1940s, it was fully rehabilitated in the 1980s. The channel has performed well during several large flood events, but overtime will continue requiring increasing amounts of maintenance. USACE is helping Walla Walla County identify risks to inform maintenance decisions, improve public awareness, and reduce risk. USACE has forwarded several recommendations on to Walla Walla County.

Commissioners will also consider proposed zoning amendments to the county code to allow organic waste processing facilities in the light industrial zoning district.

Since December 2018, the Walla Walla County Community Development Department has been working with an applicant for such amendments. The original application proposed to make organic waste processing facilities a permitted use in the agriculture residential 10 zoning district. The applicant has modified the proposal to make the use a permitted use in the light industrial zoning district. The Walla Walla County Planning Commission recommends that this be allowed as a conditional use.

The meeting will be streamed on WebEx. The access code is 146 784 0290.