County to form six-member technical committee to study wastewater, water and connectivity needs

Leavenworth County commissioners directed staff to assemble a six-member technical advisory committee, plus one ex officio staff member, to study utilities constraints and propose actionable solutions for wastewater, water supply, fire flows and broadband connectivity.

County staff said the committee would be advisory, time-limited and technically focused: members would include engineers, project managers, utility managers and developers to produce an actionable plan the commission could consider. The committee's work is meant to support the county's comprehensive plan and to provide proactive options for infrastructure needs tied to residential and commercial development.

John, a commissioner and the staff'identified lead for the effort, described the committee's scope as identifying problems, evaluating available resources and proposing solutions relevant to economic development and subdivision construction. He told the commission: "Take a look at the utilities in Leavenworth County. Take a look at the available resources for each one of those utilities. Be creative in your resolution of the challenges of each one of those utilities, and then bring it to you for your action, your review and action."

Staff said the proposed committee would not have decisionmaking authority; it would produce findings and recommendations for the commission. Commissioners discussed membership balance and the risk that a narrowly technical panel might miss broader policy implications; staff responded that membership would be mixed (developers, engineers, utility managers) and that a staff ex officio member would coordinate across perspectives.

The commission asked staff to return a short list of candidate members; staff said the county would compile names and return them to the board. At the end of the meeting the chair noted, "we'll put the committee together and forward the names to you."

Next steps: staff will present possible committee members and a proposed scope and schedule to the commission for approval. The committee will be advisory and is intended to provide technical recommendations that the commission can use to inform permitting and infrastructure planning decisions.