Benton County CAC plans re‑acknowledgment, elections and outreach as countywide plan update begins

Members of the local Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and Benton County staff spent a lengthy community meeting planning steps to formally reactivate the CAC, seek acknowledgement from the Benton County Board of Commissioners, and run an election to fill executive board seats ahead of a countywide comprehensive‑plan rewrite.

The group agreed to prepare a one‑page packet to present to the commissioners asking the board to re‑acknowledge the CAC. County staff said they would help with logistics including bulk mailings, an application form for candidates and public‑outreach support. The committee discussed whether nominations and elections should be handled at a public meeting or via a mailed application and agreed that the county’s role would include preparing an application and helping with outreach and mailing lists.

The CAC discussion covered bylaw provisions that members read aloud during the meeting: the executive board consists of five members plus two alternates; terms for executive board members are three years and must be staggered so no more than two seats expire in the same year; elections for executive boards are to be conducted at…