Washington County moves to dissolve planning board for state compliance

Washington County is poised to make significant changes to its planning board structure following a recent Services Committee meeting. The committee discussed an emergency ordinance aimed at aligning the county's planning board with new state law requirements set forth in Act 519, which mandates that a majority of planning board members must come from unincorporated areas of the county.

The ordinance proposes to dissolve the current planning board and reconstitute it under the new guidelines by August 5, 2025. This decision comes after the state legislature's enactment of Act 519, which did not provide specific instructions on how counties should comply. County Attorney Lester explained that the simplest path forward is to abolish the existing board and start anew, ensuring compliance with the new law.

Currently, the planning board consists of seven members, with four from incorporated areas and three from unincorporated areas. To meet the new requirement, the board must have a majority from unincorporated areas. Some committee members expressed concerns about dissolving the board, suggesting that simply adding two members from unincorporated areas could achieve compliance without the need for a complete overhaul.

Justice Hires and Justice Koger raised questions about the necessity of disbanding the board, arguing that it may be possible to amend the existing ordinance to add members instead. However, the urgency of the situation was emphasized, as the county risks being out of compliance if changes are not made by the deadline.

Public comments during the meeting echoed these concerns, with residents questioning the need for such drastic measures and advocating for an increase in the number of planning board members to enhance representation. Suggestions included raising the board size to ten members to better reflect the county's growing population.

As the committee moves forward, the focus remains on ensuring compliance with state law while addressing community concerns about representation and the effectiveness of the planning board. The ordinance will be forwarded to the full quorum court for further consideration, with the deadline for compliance looming just weeks away.