Joint planning meeting ahead

The Flathead County commissioners and Planning Board will talk about the Planning Office’s work plan for the coming year when the two groups meet Wednesday for a joint workshop.

The workshop begins at 6 p.m. in the second-floor conference room of the Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First. Ave. W. in Kalispell.

County Planning Director BJ Grieve said he will get input about how to best use his office’s resources for the fiscal 2014 year that begins July 1. During the past year the planning staff spent time updating the county growth policy and flood-plain regulations.

One of the decisions to be made is whether to proceed with updating neighborhood plans. Grieve said he has received formal requests to update the Little Bitterroot and West Valley neighborhood plans, and there are several other plans that have become outdated.

Also on the agenda is discussion of the growth policy implementation plan. Last October the county commissioners approved an update of the 2007 county growth policy after a two-year-long planning review.

Language was built into the growth policy that calls for a review of the document in the seventh month following its adoption. It’s intended to correct any perceived flaws or oversights and remedy any unintended consequences of the growth policy.

Grieve also will give an update on revised flood insurance rate maps that must be adopted by the county by June 18, and flood-plain regulation revisions that took effect Jan. 1.

Public comments will be taken at the joint meeting.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.