County mulls reduction of planning commission

Number of seats on the Whitman County’s planning commission could be cut because not enough residents have volunteered to serve on the panel.

County commissioners are considering reducing the panel from a nine-member board to seven members. The commission, which sets county policy on land use matters, currently has two vacancies plus a seat held by Pete Hertz of Palouse that is not occupied while Hertz deals with illness.

Planner Alan Thomson told commissioners Monday those numbers have made it difficult for the commission to field enough members for a quorum.

“I think the planning commission...