 What We Do
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The role of the Planning Commission is primarily legislative as its members review policy proposals and make recommendations on the Comprehensive Plan, zoning map, and development regulation amendments. Appointed by the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners and approved by a majority of the Board, the nine person Planning Commission serves as the county’s principal citizen advisory body on land use and policy regulations.
The three planning commission members are appointed to represent each County Commissioner district to ensure countywide geographical membership among the Planning Commission.
Planning Commission meetings take place every other Tuesday at 6:00 PM PST, please see Meeting Schedule & Agenda for the current schedule. Sign up on our Planning and Development email list for notifications. For more information, contact: Kimberly Adams, Planning & Development Services Administrative Coordinator, at (360) 416-1338 or kadams@co.skagit.wa.us.
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Get to Know your Commissioners
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Commissioner District Map (Full size version)
Kathy Mitchell | email
Commissioner District 1, Seat 1
Term Expires: 8/31/2022
OPMA Training: 1/8/2019
Kathy Mitchell has been a retired small forest owner in rural Skagit County since 1999. To name a handful of her most recent volunteer commitments, Kathy has been a volunteer for the Washington State Forest Stewardship Program, the Washington State Master Gardener Program, the Washington State Firewise Program, Edison Fire Department, and the Skagit County Planning Commission.
Kathy’s extensive work career has spanned work as a Geologist, a National Sales Trainer, and as a Medical Sales and Marketing Manager. Kathy’s lifetime hobbies encompass hiking, backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, skiing, traveling, biking, watercolor painting, birding, gardening, cooking, recipe development, reading, music, research, and continued personal education. |
 Vincent Henley | email
Commissioner District 1, Seat 2
Term Expires: 08/31/2025
OPMA Training: 4/18/2021
Vince Henley is a retired computer scientist who has been a resident of Anacortes since 2009. Until recently he owned a timberland ranch in Northern California’s Mendocino County and is familiar with the issues and land-use policies that affect rural property owners.
Vince is a member of the International Code Council (ICC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a number of other professional and technical organizations.
As a contribution to the community, since 2014, and until the current pandemic closed in-person activities down, Vince taught an annual eighteen-week long class in writing fiction at the Anacortes Senior Activity Center. Some of his students are now published authors.
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 Mark Knutzen | email
Commissioner District 1, Seat 3
Term Expires: 08/31/2024
OPMA Training:
I grew up on a farm in Burlington, and after attending Skagit Valley College and Washington State University, I came back to Burlington and started farming full time in 1974. I farmed in partnership with 2 brothers, and in the early years we grew grain, vegetable seed crops and peas for processing. In 1984, we added fresh market potatoes, and continued with this until we sold our packing facility in 2014.
I was on the board of several farm organizations over the years, including Skagit County Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Services, Western Washington Horticulture Association,State of Washington Potato Committee and the Washington State Commission on Pesticide Registration.
Now, in addition to serving on the Skagit County Planning Commission, I also serving as the President of the Burlington Historical Society.
I€™m now mostly retired, and enjoy spending time with our 3 adult children and 6 grandchildren. |
Amy Hughes | email
Commissioner District 2, Seat 4
Term Expires: 8/31/2023
OPMA Training: 8/24/2020
Amy Hughes was raised by Skagit County. She spent her childhood fishing the Skagit River with her father, exploring beaches, enjoying the magic of our Sound and its surrounding islands. Hughes’s hobbies take her to our glorious Mountain tops. From the ages of 18 to 24 local farmers allowed Hughes to work in their fields (berry, spinach, bulb, green peas and grain crops) and learn valuable lessons in being a responsible employee and earning a paycheck. These experiences made Hughes appreciate and treasure our natural resource lands. She joined a farming family and has been part of continuing a passion for agriculture for our communities into the future.
In 2016, Hughes was asked to be a member of the Skagit County Planning Commission. She joined with reservations about the possibility of saving our local natural resource lands. Western Washington is growing quickly and urban sprawl seems destined to spread into our valley. She has been pleased to see the passion and dedication our local communities have in maintaining our Natural Resource Lands as a cornerstone of our future. Her hope is, that by listening to each other and continuing to implement sound solutions to growth issues, we will leave this beautiful valley to future generations. |
 Joe Woodmansee | email
Commissioner District 2, Seat 5
Term Expires: 8/31/2023
OPMA Training:
Joe Woodmansee is a 3rd generation business owner in Skagit County. He is currently working for two of his sons at BYK Construction Inc. who are 4th generation business owners in Skagit County. Joe has spent his business career providing housing to the residents of Skagit county either by building housing or developing lots for others to build on. Born in Sedro Woolley he has spent most of his life in Skagit County. Joe has been married to Kim Woodmansee since 1980 and they reside in Mount Vernon. In the past, Joe has served as a volunteer as a little league coach when his children were growing up. He also spent nearly 20 years serving on church boards including at Central Valley Assembly in Burlington and at Citipoint Church in Mount Vernon. He has been on numerous mission trips building both churches and schools in Mexico, Panama and Honduras over the years. His favorite hobbies include traveling with his wife, spending time with family vacationing, hanging out with his grandchildren and going to Nascar races. |
Tim Raschko, Chair | email
Commissioner District 2, Seat 6
Term Expires: 8/31/2024
OPMA Training: 1/8/2019
Tim Raschko moved to Skagit County from the Seattle area in 1978 to work locally in the forest products industry. He graduated in 1972 from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management. After a 42-year career, he retired in 2014 as Director of Timberland Operations for Pope Resources LLC. His career included timberland acquisition and forestland management actifvities in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Chile and Argentina.
Raschko filled a vacancy in the Planning Commission in 2016. Prior to this, he served for 15 years as an elected Commissioner for Skagit Valley Hospital where he was a participant in the dissolution of Affiliated Health Service and the construction of the new hospital.
Spare time avocations include mountaineering, cycling, kayaking, photography and golf. |
Tammy Candler, , Vice Chair | email
Commissioner District 3, Seat 7
Term Expires: 8/31/2022
OPMA Training: 1/8/2019
Tammy Candler was born and raised in Sedro Woolley, Washington. She lived in Seattle while attending the University of Washington and later Tacoma, Washington while earning her Juris Doctor at the Seattle University School of Law. After graduation Commissioner Candler lived out of state for a couple of years while working at the Attorney General of Tennessee in Nashville. Commissioner Candler spent that time travelling throughout the South, East and Middle Eastern portions of the United States and abroad. After that valued adventure she has returned to the home she loves and now resides in unincorporated Skagit County. Commissioner Candler has been a public defender for Skagit County for the past 18 years. It is a pleasure to serve on the planning commission. |
 Jen Hutchison | email
Commissioner District 3, Seat 8
Term Expires: 08/31/2025
Jen relocated to Washington State in 2011 from Pennsylvania and found herself calling the Skagit Valley her home in 2012. A calling to serve others has allowed her to find employment in area non-profits and has brought her to genuinely know our communities basis of sustainability and ethical environmental stewardship.
Perspective from her real estate and business management background help her see growth opportunities here, while realizing area housing needs from her current work. “Planning is the first step in getting it right” says Jen, regarding her interest in filling the vacant seat on the planning commission in April of 2022.
Jen enjoys home gardening, meeting new people and helping her neighbors every chance she gets. She is married to a native Washingtonian and spends a lot of time with her husband working on home improvements at their Burlington residence.
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Martha Rose | email
Commissioner District 3, Seat 9
Term Expires: 8/31/2024
OPMA Training: 8/16/2020
I've been in the construction industry since 1972, wearing all the hats at different times. Today, my specialty is building high performance homes on in-city (infill) lots. My last project, Abbott's Alley, in Sedro-Woolley, comprises (6) live/work homes, each one generating more energy than needed to operate the home.
I have two sons: Silas, the owner of Forge and Nail, a blacksmith shop in Wooley, and Leo, a dancer, now enrolled in college. I love to garden, cook, ride my bicycle, hike, and road trip. |
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We Want to Hear From You
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The Skagit County Planning Commission meetings take place every other Tuesday at 6:00 PM PST.The Planning Commission has resumed meeting in person in the Skagit County Commissioners hearing room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA 98273. You may still watch the meetings "Live" on Skagit 21 Television, and live and on demand online with TV21 or over Zoom.. For more additional information on Public Participation in meetings please visit this page: Commenting in a Meeting
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Resources for Planning Commissioners |
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