At the close of the regular candidate filing period on Friday, May 21, 2021, Clark County election officials had not received candidate filings for one elected office: Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue, commissioner, position number 5.

Pursuant to Washington state law, an additional special three-day filing period must be held for these offices.

Public Health is urging Clark County residents not yet vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear face coverings in indoor public places and get vaccinated as soon as possible. COVID-19 case numbers are once again on the rise in Clark County, with the number of new cases doubling in the last week.  

COVID-19 case rates are increasing across most age groups, with the highest rates among young adults 20 to 39 years old. And about 95% of Clark County cases since March have been unvaccinated, according to information gathered during case interviews.

Due to the extreme fire danger, recreational fires will be prohibited throughout unincorporated Clark County effective 12:01 am, Saturday, July 24, 2021. 

This recreational fire restriction is in addition to the general outdoor burning prohibition that was implemented on June 25. According to Fire Marshal Dan Young this is a preventive measure to reduce the risk of grass or brush fires as a result of escaped campfires. 

This ban joins with the ban imposed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on their lands.

Each year, the Clark County Auditor’s Office publishes a voters’ pamphlet for the general election which is mailed to all households in Clark County. It includes candidate statements and photographs and local ballot measures with supporting and opposing statements written by citizen committees.

A legislative body placing a measure on the ballot shall appoint a committee to write a supporting statement and another committee to write an opposing statement.

The Clark County Council this week approved two proposed amendments to the county charter be placed on the November 2021 general election ballot. Both measures relate to the charter’s language regarding initiative and referendum petitions.

One proposed amendment would clarify language regarding procedures for processing initiative, mini-initiative and referendum petitions. If approved by a majority of voters, this amendment would:

Clark County recognizes that older adults are valuable contributors to the vitality of this community. To encourage and support older adults for their contributions to their communities, the Clark County Commission on Aging has established a program to recognize older adults by means of an annual award typically presented at a Commission on Aging event.

James Smith and Todd George invited for second interviews for Department 3 seat

The Clark County Council this week appointed Commissioner Abigail Bartlett to serve as District Court Judge in Department 6. Bartlett will fill the position previously held by Judge John P. Hagensen who retired on June 30, 2021.

Bartlett will have to run for election in 2022 in order to keep the seat. District Court judges serve four-year terms. All Clark County District Court judge positions will be up for election in 2022.

The Housing Options Study and Action Plan project’s purpose is to identify housing challenges within the unincorporated Vancouver Urban Growth Area and opportunities to encourage development of housing that is affordable to a variety of household incomes through the removal of regulatory barriers and/or implementation of other strategies.

The group’s sixth meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public and will be recorded.

The Clark County and city of Vancouver councils are recruiting for two volunteers to join a collaborative policy group addressing the issue of homelessness in the community known as the Joint Executive Group.

The recruitment is for individuals with lived experience with homelessness. Terms would be approximately 12 months with the exact term to be decided at a later date.

Clark County Council is seeking applicants for two seats on the Clark County Law and Justice Council.  

• One position will be filled by a resident living in the unincorporated area of Clark County
• One Position will be filled by a resident living in an incorporated city of Clark County  

Residents from throughout the unincorporated and incorporated areas of the county are encouraged to apply.