Two join planning post

Ken Duft of Pullman and Keith Paulson of Diamond were appointed to Whitman County’s planning commission Monday by county commissioners. Both were appointed to represent commissioner District 3 on the citizen panel.

The appointments put seven members on the nine-member commission with the pending departure of commission chair Guy Williams. Planner Alan Thomson has proposed shrinking the volunteer panel to a seven member roster because declining ranks have made it tough for the board to field a quorum for official meetings.

The volunteer commission sets land use policy for the county. In recent years, the planning commission has dealt with a number of controversial issues, including zoning laws for wind farms, housing in the agricultural zone and development rules for the Pullman-Moscow Corridor.