A bill that would have allowed Lewis, Thurston and Grays Harbor counties to form a taxing district to tackle flood problems in the Chehalis River Basin died Friday in committee. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, and passed unanimously through the Senate before getting hung up in the House Local Government and Housing Committee. The deadline to consider opposite house bills was Friday. Amendments made within the Local Government and Housing Committee since the bill was introduced made the bill unpalatable to Republicans. Chief among the concerns were changes to the makeup of a potential flood district's governing board. Though the original bill called for an elected board with representation from each of the three counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis, the House version would now require membership from cities within the proposed district and the Quinault Nation in Grays Harbor as well. Members would be appointed rather than elected, and any tribe that borders the district would be eligible for representation. Swecker called the changes "a disaster" and said he would engage the tribes in negotiations to see if the bill could be salvaged. Those attempts appear to be unfruitful. Swecker did not return requests for comment. Options Available Lewis County Commissioner Ron Averill, chairman of the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, said the death of the bill does not spell an end to the possibility of a flood district. Existing legislation would allow for the creation of a district, but it doesn't address a three-county body. Averill said that leaders from the three counties will have to decide how to move forward. He said the options are to pursue the creation of a district using current laws, or wait for the next legislative session. Averill said one problem with the current laws regarding flood control district is that it grants the largest county in a potential district the right to appoint all three members of its governing board. He said Thurston and Grays Harbor would likely not allow Lewis County to appoint all of the commissioners. In the meantime, engineers from the three counties are drawing out boundaries for a potential district. The Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority is also working up a list of projects that could eventually be handed over to a district, Averill said. "The three counties are going to have to get together and decide how they want to go ahead," Averill said. "There's no real prohibition for a tri-county flood district. You can do it, but it raises some interesting political considerations." Eric Schwartz: (360) 807-8245
