LC group volunteers to be first community for Benton County comprehensive-plan outreach; staff previews schedule

County planning staff told the LC Citizen Advisory Committee that a request for qualifications (RFQ) seeking contractors for a comprehensive-plan public-outreach effort was open and closes in about two weeks, and that the county plans to contract with firms experienced in rural outreach. Staff said the county intends to begin contractor-led outreach in roughly six to eight weeks and asked whether the committee would be willing to be the first unincorporated community worked with.

The committee made a motion offering to be the first community to participate in the comprehensive-plan outreach; members voted “Aye” and the motion carried unanimously. Sarah, a county planning staff member, described the same schedule for the development-code update: a kickoff with the contractor (MIG) has occurred, planners’ notes and prior materials will be audited and incorporated, and the county will seek additional funding from the state Department of Land Conservation and Development for policy work.

Staff said the outreach team would work with the planning commission as a primary liaison and that a contractor visit to LC could occur in the six-to-eight-week window, depending on scheduling. Staff also offered to provide regular standing updates to the committee from the planning office on the comprehensive-plan and development-code work. The committee discussed the resource intensity of serving as the first community and acknowledged that being “the guinea pig” would require more volunteer time.

Formal motion recorded in the meeting: a member moved that LC offer to be the first community for the comprehensive plan outreach; another member seconded; the motion passed unanimously (vote recorded as “Aye”). No roll-call tally of individual votes is recorded in the transcript.