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Benton County commissioners are looking to pay a Seattle consultant $55,500 to determine what it would take to move the county seat from Prosser to Kennewick.
David Sparks, county executive, told elected county officials at their monthly meeting Wednesday that Entrix seemed to have the best approach of the six companies that offered to do the work.
County commissioners may vote to approve the contract at Monday's board meeting.
"They've put a great plan together and feel confident they can deliver with a tight deadline," Sparks said.
The company would have until the middle of August to study the issue, determine how a move would affect the county, the cities, citizens and employees, and develop materials needed for a voters pamphlet when it goes to the Nov. 2 election.
Getting a full analysis on what a county seat move entails is important, Sparks said.
"We have to decide what the citizens expect of the county seat. This hasn't been done a lot anywhere," he said.
An Internet search found only one county in Georgia that moved its county seat, he noted.
Entrix was favored over the other consultant companies because it has done similar work on sensitive subject matters, Sparks said. The company also seems to understand how the public can perceive and respond to politically sensitive issues such as moving a county seat.
Duane Davidson, county treasurer who served on the selection committee, said a critical component in Entrix's work will be getting the public educated on the issues involved.
And there may be misconceptions about how a move will affect services for the public, noted Josie Delvin, clerk of the Superior Court.
In its work plan, Entrix proposed to develop pros and cons about the county seat move, including fiscal, economic and capital effects to the county and cities involved.
The consultant also will meet with an eight-member public advisory board, to be selected, to consider three possible scenarios.
They are: moving the county seat from the Prosser courthouse and all administrative functions to the Benton County Justice Center in Kennewick; leaving the county seat where it is; and a hybrid county seat move to Kennewick, leaving some government functions at the courthouse in Prosser.
The study will include holding two public meetings on the same day, with one in the evening and one during business hours.
-- John Trumbo: 582-1529; jtrumbo@tricityherald.com
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