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Whitman County readies rapid update to Critical Areas Ordinance with consultant and Commerce grant
Summary
County staff said a Department of Commerce grant will fund consultants to update the Critical Areas Ordinance; an RFQ returned a teaming (Facet and Rachel Granrath/Himley Horn), contract negotiations were underway, and staff aim to have consultants on board and the ordinance adopted before the grant expires at the end of June.
County planner Allen Thompson told the commission that Whitman County received a Department of Commerce grant to support an expedited update to the county's Critical Areas Ordinance. Thompson said the county issued an RFQ and received a response; staff are negotiating a contract with a teaming that includes a firm identified as "Facet" and consultant Rachel Granrath (Himley Horn/SGSCJ Alliance). Thompson said both firms have prior experience with the county and related programs and that the consultant team should be under contract within a few weeks.
Thompson emphasized the process must move quickly: the grant funding runs through the end of June and the scope of work requires SEPA and adoption steps to be completed within that schedule. He described major influences on the update, including templates and requirements from Ecology and Fish and Wildlife (floodplain and species-related sections), and said the consultants will guide the commission through drafting, agency input, SEPA review, and public comment leading to adoption.
Commissioners asked whether the update would be a wholesale rewrite and were told that some sections (for example floodplain rules) have already been heavily revised by state agencies; other sections will be adapted rather than replaced. Staff said they expect consultant check-ins and that the commission must prioritize the update over the next months.
