Planning course offered in Davenport

Mayors, council members and planning commission members from five counties met in Davenport last week for training in planning and open government. The focus of the training was comprehensive planning for rural counties that are not required to fully plan under the state’s Growth Management Act.

Planner and consultant Chaz Bates of Studio Cascade in Spokane was the first presenter. He covered planning topics relevant to counties not covered by the Growth Management Act, including the Shoreline Master Program that Lincoln County is working through right now.

The second part of the training centered on land use and development regulations and was presented by Attorney Mike Connelly of Koegen Edwards, LLP. Connelly also presented the third part of the program – certification of elected officials under the new Open Government Trainings Act passed by the Legislature in March.

The training was presented by the Planning Association of Washington and the Washington Department of Commerce and was hosted by the Lincoln County Economic Development Council.