Staff asks commissioners to fund up to $300,000 for zoning code rewrite; consultant to be selected by procurement

County staff told commissioners that after a diagnostic review, the county needs a comprehensive rewrite of its zoning and subdivision code and has included a $300,000 supplemental request in the draft budget to pay for consultant-assisted recodification.

The presentation, led by county staff, emphasized that the planning office lacks the internal capacity to handle a full code rewrite. "This diagnostic really highlights the need for, pretty much an entire code rewrite," said Tanya Voigt, zoning and codes director. Staff said the $300,000 figure is an estimate on the high end and that the work is expected to take at least two years and could be staged over multiple years.

Commissioners asked whether Clarion or another firm had already been chosen. Staff replied that Clarion has not been selected for the rewrite; the county would go out for qualifications and return a recommended consultant and contract to the Board of County Commissioners for approval. Staff also said some recent, recently completed text amendments (for example, home-based business regulations and vacation rentals) would be carried forward and not rewritten from scratch.

Why it matters: the county's zoning chapters date back decades and staff said the rewrite is both technical and legal in nature. Commissioners flagged capacity and public-process timelines as factors that could extend the schedule; staff indicated the diagnostic will set goals for the consultant's work and that public engagement will involve both city and county planning staff.

What happens next: staff will return with a procurement and contract recommendation if commissioners fund the supplemental request or otherwise direct staff to proceed. The commission did not take formal action during the presentation.