Planning department will now assign rural addresses

When a new house is built in Whitman County, who sets the address for it?

Previously, for unincorporated areas, this was done by Whitcom. It will now be handled by the county planning department, under Public Works.

Members of the Public Works department spoke to county commissioners Dec. 3 about the change, which comes after the departure of a Whitcom employee who handled addresses.

A group from the planning department went to Asotin County Nov. 27 to talk to Mark Janowski, former Whitcom staff member who kept the master street address guide for Whitman County.

“I think we’re getting a handle...