Walla Walla County adopts updated countywide planning policies

The Walla Walla County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Dec. 29 to adopt Ordinance No. 507, which finalizes updated countywide planning policies developed with city partners.

Melissa Shumake, acting community development director, told the board the ordinance is essentially a final administrative step to ‘‘finish and close the loop’’ on long‑running countywide planning work that the board and local cities have been negotiating this year. ‘‘The city’s approved it and the ordinance is just formalizing closing the loop,’’ Shumake said.

Commissioners noted the amount of interjurisdictional work behind the update, citing repeated meetings with Walla Walla, College Place and Waitsburg officials and public input. Commissioner Clayton pointed out a clerical issue on the signature page and staff said the typographical error would be corrected before final signing.

The Board approved the ordinance by voice vote, 3‑0. County staff said the ordinance becomes effective upon the board’s signing and that invoices to participating cities to share costs have been issued in the implementation phase.

Why it matters: countywide planning policies guide growth‑management decisions, including urban growth areas, comprehensive plan coordination and how the county and cities divide responsibilities for infrastructure and services. The ordinance completes a multiyear process and gives local governments a uniform policy framework going into the next planning cycle.

Next steps: staff will circulate the signed ordinance to the cities and update administrative files; the board and staff said they will monitor implementation activities that follow the policy changes.