Newsbriefs

Coulee Dam looking for planning members

Coulee Dam is looking for three people to form the town’s planning commission.

The city is putting together a state-required updated comprehensive plan, and Clerk Stefani Bowden said the city must either find volunteers to head that effort or pass a new ordinance establishing a one-person commission. Such solo commissioners are usually city employees.

Mayor Bob Poch said finding volunteers is challenging.

Grand Coulee last week revised its planning commission requirements to make non-resident Grand Coulee business owners eligible to take part.

Boat launch at Porcupine reopens

The National Park Service said its boat launch at Porcupine Bay on Lake Roosevelt reopened Friday, but only part of the dock would be available for use and no moorage is avaialable.

The area had been closed after a massive landslide in Lincoln County closed off land access to the area in 2017. And the NPS, now able to get workers to it, is working on getting it ready for use.

“Park staff is working hard to complete a waterline replacement project and clean up the campground and day-use area to reopen the area as soon as possible,” an NPS press release said last week.