Clatsop County planners outline work-plan priorities as state rule changes loom

Clatsop County Community Development Director Gail Henrickson told the Planning Commission that staff has incorporated the legislative amendment package from the 2025 session into the current work plan and is preparing for additional bills likely to emerge in the 2026 session. “In December, we did the legislative amendment package, which came out of the 2025 session,” Henrickson said, adding that the county will need to make code changes when new state requirements arrive.

Henrickson specifically flagged state rule changes to Goal 5, related to cultural resource areas, that the state has adopted and that will become effective Jan. 1, 2027. She said the department will bring those amendments forward later this year so the county can comply with new state rules.

Staff also asked the commission to consider updates to cooperative and management agreements with the five cities that share Clatsop County’s urban growth boundaries and with multiple special districts (fire, water, sanitation). Those agreements — some dating to the 1990s and others established in 2003 when rural communities were defined — set out responsibilities for zoning, permits and capacity documentation. Henrickson said those documents “probably just need to be looked at again” to reflect changed growth boundaries and modern permitting practices.

Commissioners emphasized a need to simplify permitting processes and shorten processing times for residents and developers. One commissioner said the most common complaint heard in the community is that the process is “difficult and tedious” and urged staff to identify roadblocks and streamline workflows. Henrickson acknowledged staffing turnover and retirements will slow some work in the short term but said recent hires, including a building-permit technician from the City of Warrenton, should help stabilize operations.

Next steps: staff will continue drafting code amendments tied to recent legislation and rule changes, update cooperative agreements with cities and districts, and return items to the commission for review as part of the FY26–27 budget process.