Washougal City Council Workshop Summary — June 22, 2026

The City of Washougal City Council held a workshop on Monday, June 22, 2026, convening at 5:00 PM and adjourning at 6:43 PM. Mayor Pro Tem David Fritz called the meeting to order. Councilmembers David Stuebe (remote), Tia Robertson (remote), Ernie Suggs, Michelle Wagner, Marty Swofford, and David Szyplinski (remote) were present. City Manager David Scott (remote), Community Services Director Joe Walsh, Finance Director Daniel Layer, Community Development Director Mitch Kneipp, and Assistant Finance Director Monie Holmes (remote) were among the staff present. The workshop included public comments, updates to council rules, an RCO grant authorization, the 2026 supplemental budget, and group 5 development code updates on impact fees.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Port Commissioner Larry Keister reported on an upcoming Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) flood wall mobilization scheduled for Thursday, June 25, 2026, from 8:30 AM to approximately 1:30 PM. He stated that SR-14 will be reduced to one lane during this time, with traffic detoured via Evergreen Way. He explained that the flood wall is tested every five years and is designed to protect the city from Columbia River flooding.

Discussion Items

• City Manager's Office: Updates to Council Rules of Procedure: City Manager David Scott presented a draft resolution to update the Council Rules of Procedure. Key updates include modernizing the remote attendance section to reflect current Zoom-based participation, removing an incomplete list of executive session reasons in favor of a direct RCW citation, clarifying the presiding officer succession language, and updating committee references (e.g., adding the Community Services and Strategy Committee). The resolution is scheduled for formal action on July 13, 2026.
• Community Services & Strategy: RCO Grant Authorization: Director Joe Walsh presented a request for council authorization to apply for three Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grants for projects including a mid-family park and the Shepherd Road parking lot expansion. The required authorization form affirms City Council support for the grant applications.
• Finance: 2026 Supplemental Budget: Finance Director Daniel Layer presented the second budget amendment for the 2026 fiscal year. Capital project amendments were deferred to the July 13 workshop to allow the new city engineer time to review. Presented items included: a TrueNarc detection device funded by a JAG grant ($51,000, no city match), police ammunition carryforward ($7,500), a detective vehicle purchase funded by police salary savings (RAV4, ~$59,000), reappropriation of unspent parks board discretionary funds ($4,000), carrying forward funds for the DOWL comp plan contract ($482,000), and transfers from the Strategic Plan Implementation Fund (SPIF) for a civic brand strategy ($83,000) and small business program ($8,000). Staff also presented grant-funded stormwater projects and Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) approved expenditures. Council discussed the legal basis for moving funds within the fund-level budget; Layer clarified it requires a council-approved ordinance. Staff was asked to provide further details on an LTAC expenditure for the Artisan Guild of Camas.
• Community Development: Development Code Updates — Group 5 (Impact Fee Sections): Director Mitch Kneipp and Jessica Herceg of DOWL presented updates to the impact fee chapters.
  • Low-Income Housing Exemptions: A tiered exemption model was proposed, capping exemptions at 80% of the impact fee to avoid the city's obligation to pay back exempted fees from other funds. The tiered structure targets deeper affordability levels (0-30% AMI and permanent supportive housing at the 80% exemption level, 50-80% AMI at 60% exemption). The exemption is proposed for transportation and parks impact fees but not fire or school fees. Councilmember Ernie Suggs stated his support for a 100% exemption. Councilmember Michelle Wagner emphasized understanding the revenue impact. Council directed staff to proceed with the 80% tiered model.
  • Early Learning Facilities: Council considered a potential partial exemption. The planning commission recommended an 80% exemption conditioned on reserving 25% of capacity for families receiving state child care assistance. Councilmembers expressed concerns about verifying compliance, determining market saturation, and ensuring the incentive creates new affordable capacity rather than subsidizing already planned development. Council directed staff to gather input from existing local daycare providers before finalizing code language.
  • Other Updates: Revisions include formalizing ADU impact fees (35% of single-family rate), expanding transportation impact fees to explicitly include bike and pedestrian facilities, and clarifying refund and credit processes. Future updates will transition the fee calculation from a flat-rate structure to one based on square footage or bedrooms to comply with new state proportionality requirements.

Key Outcomes

• Council Rules of Procedure: The draft resolution is set for action on July 13, 2026.
• RCO Grant: Staff was authorized to proceed with the RCO grant applications.
• 2026 Supplemental Budget: The capital projects amendment was deferred. Council supported the presented non-capital items and requested clarification on a Camas-related LTAC expenditure. Council suggested exploring a formal cap or budget line item for managing the cumulative fiscal impact of fee exemption programs in future budget cycles.
• Development Code Updates: Council concurred with the 80% tiered low-income housing exemption model and directed staff to provide concrete fee examples. Staff will gather additional data from daycare providers regarding early learning facility exemptions. A comprehensive code adoption packet, including updated impact fee rates and capital facility plans, is scheduled for public hearings in November with a target adoption in December 2026.