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 an advertised public meeting of the CAC within 90 days preceding the new term on Jan. 1. Committee participants noted several current vacancies and the need to decide which existing seats will have which remaining term lengths so newly appointed members and alternates can complete the correct unexpired terms.

County staff told the group that the county has contracted a development‑code auditor and a firm to design comprehensive community outreach for the countywide plan rewrite. Committee members asked that the outreach material be available in time for an upcoming print deadline (May 15) for a regional newsletter (Valley Voice) and discussed other outreach channels including Facebook, flyers and bulk mail to property owners and residents who live outside the community’s primary ZIP code.

Participants reviewed options for running nominations and elections. Past practice, they said, has sometimes been to accept nominations and hold selections at a public CAC meeting; county staff advised that the CAC is a volunteer, appointed body and the CAC could use a small, local nomination process rather than a full countywide ballot. Several community members said they preferred a short, professional application form on which applicants would list interests, skills and the perspective they would bring to the CAC.

The group also discussed near‑term committee tasks if re‑acknowledged: standing up subcommittees or working groups to handle priorities such as a proposed clinic, water/sewer concerns, culvert/flood issues, and local economic development; building a membership that balances geography, landowner types, renters and local businesses; and writing updated bylaws that reflect modern communication tools and the CAC’s intended relationship with county departments.

On coordination with the Board of Commissioners, staff described the mechanics: the CAC would submit a brief paper (one page) summarizing background, current status and next steps and request a spot on the commissioners’ agenda; staff expected to meet with the county administrator about agenda timing and aimed to place the item on the commissioners’ agenda within the next few meetings, depending on availability.

Committee members identified several near‑term public dates published on the county website: CAC meetings listed for May 6, June 3 and July 1 (all at 6:00 p.m.), a county budget session on May 6 with community‑specific items, and planning‑commission meetings in early May and late May tied to the countywide plan process. Staff said the county will post formal schedules and would try to provide material for the May 15 newsletter deadline if feasible.

No formal motions or votes were recorded during the meeting; participants left with action items including drafting the one‑page re‑acknowledgement, preparing an application form for prospective CAC members, assembling a mailing/notification list that captures property owners who do not live within the local ZIP code, and scheduling a follow‑up to finalize election logistics and bylaws work.

Ending — next steps: County staff said they will meet with the county administrator to identify the earliest agenda slot for the CAC acknowledgment request. The CAC agreed to draft the election/application materials and to use the county’s mailing resources and PIO assistance to reach residents and nonresident landowners. The committee also discussed forming subcommittees to advance prioritized local projects once the CAC is formally reactivated.