The Clark County Council this week approved using American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding to establish a Public Defense office. The office will be staffed by 10 full-time employees: one senior public defender, six public defenders and three legal assistants.

The two-year ARPA funding will be the foundation to begin the Public Defense office as the county transitions away from its current practice of contracting with local defense attorneys. After the two years, funding for the office will come from indigent defense contract savings in the general fund.

The Clark County Finance Committee is scheduled to be held on the second floor of the Public Service Center, Room 243 at 9:30 am Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023.

Pursuant to RCW 42.30.030(2), which encourages public agencies to provide for public access to meetings, this meeting can also be viewed via Teams or joined telephonically.

Participants can also join online or telephone via Teams.

The Clark County Board of Health has extended the application period for the Public Health Advisory Council position held by a dentist practicing in Clark County. The three-year term for the volunteer position begins as soon as it’s filled and ends Sept. 30, 2026.

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Public Health has lifted its algae advisory at Lacamas Lake. The bloom of cyanobacteria at the lake dissipated and is no longer present.

The warning signs posted at the lake are being removed. Educational signs about harmful algae will remain year-round at Lacamas Lake and other waterbodies known to have harmful algal blooms. Public Health encourages people recreating in the lakes to continue to watch for floating scum and avoid direct contact with water in those areas.

Clark County recognizes that older adults are valuable contributors to the vitality of this community. To encourage and support older adults for their contributions, the Clark County Commission on Aging established a program to recognize older adults who go above and beyond in service.

The recipient of the 2023 Silver Citizen Award is Pat Suggs. Pat is a resident of Washougal and has devoted her volunteer time to the Camas-Washougal community through a variety of organizations.

The Clark County Commission on Aging focused the last part of 2023 on community engagement for people 60 and older. At its November meeting, the commission will reflect on their three-part speaker series that explored ways to support individuals, businesses and community groups understand best practices for engaging with older adults and reviewed their priority community engagement strategies. They will also discuss dissemination of materials to help foster community-wide awareness of available aging resources.

The Parks and Lands division of Clark County Public Works has identified the need to replace the roofs of several structures at Hazel Dell Community Park, for the long-term preservation and usability of these structures. A roofing contractor will replace the roofs on both picnic shelters, the restroom building and a small shed.

While the park will remain open during work, access to these facilities will be limited:

The board of the Clark County Public Facilities District will hold a public meeting 4-5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, 2023.

Clark County is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the local civil service commission for the Sheriff’s Office created under state law (RCW 41.14).

The county has extended the deadline for applications to 5 pm Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.

The five-member commission is required to oversee certain employment and personnel matters. The primary focus is to ensure that pre-employment testing and hiring is fair, valid and non-discriminatory. The commission also presides over appeal hearings.

Clark County Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, will host its first ever Color of Justice Event. With support and funding from the Administrative Office of the Courts, this is a one-day event to encourage local middle school girls of color to consider legal and judicial careers by bringing them together with judges and attorneys.