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Residents press Whitman County planning commissioners on transparency of CAO update
Summary
Multiple speakers at the May 20 public hearing told commissioners the 'near-final' CAO draft and late agency comments were not made sufficiently available, urging clearer public posting and review time.
Several members of the public told the Planning Commission at the May 20 hearing that they lacked access to a stable, final CAO draft before the meeting and that late agency edits undermined public transparency.
Carol Black told commissioners the document being moved forward had evolved since it was posted and said Fish and Wildlife’s memo arrived too late for meaningful public review. "How can you hold a public hearing on a document that has evolved since the point in time when the document was posted for the public to review," she told the panel. Tom Thompson and other attendees echoed concerns about timing and process clarity, especially ahead of potentially more contentious future ordinances for solar and battery storage.
County Planner Alan Thomson and commissioners responded that the process follows state procedures under the Growth Management Act and that the Department of Commerce’s 60‑day agency review and related deadlines create constrained timelines. Thomson said minor agency edits can be added into the record and that the BOCC hearing will be another formal opportunity for public input. The commission voted to adopt Findings of Fact and to forward the draft to the BOCC while recording Fish and Wildlife’s memo as Exhibit 6.
