Benton County, LC residents seek to revive Citizen Advisory Committee as code and comp plan updates begin

Benton County and residents of the LC unincorporated community discussed a plan to revive the local Citizen Advisory Committee and use it to shape a county-led update of the community's development code and comprehensive plan.

County staff described funding from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to audit Benton County's development code and said the first phase of work will be an audit of current regulations followed by a second phase focused on community-specific policy changes. "We have some funding from the Department of Land Conservation and Development to basically audit our existing development code," said Petra, a county staff member who briefed the meeting. She said contracting negotiations were underway and that the audit's first phase would focus on updating out-of-date portions of the code over six to 12 months, with later work to address policy issues for individual communities.

The county also flagged a state requirement to adopt clear, objective standards for siting housing by July 1, 2025. County staff noted that statewide agencies including the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) are discussing additional flexibility for housing rules and that county staff would track and share developments as they occur. "LCDC is considering new flexibility in addressing housing," Petra said, adding that the details were still emerging.

Staff said they expect the LC community to be able to take an active role in the code work and in updates to the comprehensive plan. County staff said the process will include outreach meetings across the county, starting with a kickoff in Monroe on April 30 and follow-up public sessions in incorporated and unincorporated areas. "We'll be making our way around the county having conversations with the publics," a county staff member said, inviting LC residents to participate in forthcoming sessions.

Meeting participants also discussed reviving the LC Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide a stable, local forum for community priorities. County staff announced a plan to present a draft CAC proposal to the Board of Commissioners and asked the group to consider a more formal election process and board support for outreach and recognition. Staff said an April 29 meeting will present a CAC proposal intended for the county commissioners, and that the board could help by mailing invitations to property owners within the CAC boundary.

County staff also reviewed new requirements from the 2023 Oregon Legislature. "The new law prohibits a public body that is subject to Oregon's public meeting law ... from conducting what's called a serial meeting," said Darren (county staff), describing House Bill 2805 (2023), which the staff member said took effect Sept. 23, 2023. Staff said the law gives the Oregon Government Ethics Commission enforcement authority and urged CAC members to keep deliberations in public forums rather than in serial private conversations.

Staff described improvements to make the county's development rules and permitting process easier to navigate, including an upgraded online code with searchable terms, step-by-step guidance for common permit paths, and a site-consultation process intended to bring county departments together to advise property owners at no cost. "If you're thinking about a permit or you're not sure, just schedule some time. Tell us a little bit about what you're thinking. We'll get the county departments together," Darren said.

County staff asked the group to consider membership renewal and outreach steps; several residents and committee members urged a formal election and better notification of CAC opportunities. Sarah (planning commission member) said she now represents LC on the planning commission and stressed the value of the community's voice at the county level.

The county emphasized that no formal legislative or regulatory changes were approved during the meeting; staff said they would return with the DLCD contract, a proposed CAC structure and timeline, outreach plans and draft materials for public comment.

Next steps announced at the meeting included a code audit kickoff, a Monroe event on April 30 to begin the comp plan outreach, a planned CAC proposal presentation to the Board of Commissioners on April 29, and additional LC meetings to collect local priorities for the comprehensive plan update.