Vancouver, WA – Proposed updates to the county’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan are the first topic on a new, online community forum designed to enable residents to speak out and Clark County to gather public comments on a variety of county-related topics. Launched today, Engage Clark County will increase transparency and encourage community members to participate more regularly in local decision-making. The platform enables the county to gather a broad range of perspectives from residents, facilitate a more informed dialogue and generate greater community participation. Cloud storage allows maps, plans and other large public documents to be archived. Citizens can sign up for Engage Clark County at http://peakdemocracy.com/2623. Topics will vary, but the initial question is: “What do you think about the four suggested land use and growth alternatives?” Comments will become part of the public record and kept with comments previously received. Comments on Engage Clark County are reviewed regularly by county staff and moderated by Peak Democracy, a Berkeley-based company that developed the platform, to ensure standards of respect and civility are upheld. “Engage Clark County is a welcome addition to county outreach tools,” said Oliver Orjiako, Community Planning director. “It is a great way to get critical feedback from citizens, and allows us to more effectively respond to community interests, comments and priorities. This will give the public greater access to key decision-makers." Engage Clark County also can be reached at www.clark.wa.gov. For other comment options, please go to www.clark.wa.gov/Planning/2016update/index.html.