FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Commissioners to host Public Hearing on Agricultural Event Venue Moratorium?

The Skagit County Commissioners will host a post-adoption hearing regarding Ordinance #20240001 at 11:30 a.m. on Monday March 25, 2024. The Ordinance imposed a temporary moratorium on events and certain other activities on lands zoned Agriculture-Natural Resources (Ag-NRL).?The purpose of the hearing is to take public comment regarding the moratorium, existing business activities and enforcement, and the Administrative Official Interpretation directed by the Ordinance. The Board will not consider comments regarding a permanent ordinance applicable to new business activity, which will be discussed at a later date.

The public may provide public comment by either joining the meeting in-person in the Commissioner?s Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, or via Zoom. Links to the meeting are available on the Commissioner?s webpage below. Please note, if you watch the hearing via TV21 you will not be able to provide comment. Written comments will be accepted through April 4, 2024, at 4:30pm. You may submit written comments by emailing [email protected] or by mailing and drop off to 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA 98273. Please provide your name and full address on any submitted written comments.

https://skagitcounty.net/Departments/CountyCommissioners/main.htm

On Thursday, March 21, 2024, the Skagit County Administrative Official published an Administrative Official Interpretation (AOI) as required by Ordinance #20240001.?The AOI establishes procedures by which existing businesses in substantial and continuous operation may document existing use rights and obtain compliance with other relevant law through entry into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement (VCA).?Because the AOI is a product of the Ordinance, the Board will accept comment on the AOI as well.

The VCA is a standard contract used by Skagit County Code Enforcement to ease enforcement of agreed-upon compliance terms and conditions. The VCA additionally provides clarity and community transparency as to the permissible scope of each existing activity that seeks recognition as an existing business in operation prior to the adoption of the Ordinance on January 29, 2024.

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