Board supports commission omission

By Jeff Poole
Managing Editor

County supervisors may reconstitute the Orange County Planning Commission so they can cut the 10-member advisory board in half and each appoint their own commissioner.
Tuesday evening, the board took action on a discussion item that's been lingering for more than a year. It voted 3-1-1 to advertise a public hearing at the March 23 meeting to reconstitute and reconfigure the planning commission. Chairman Lee Frame dissented and District 3 Supervisor Teel Goodwin abstained from voting.
"What I want to do is go to a five-member board and within 90 days after every election, a new supervisor can appoint their commission member," District 2 Supervisor Zack Burkett said.
"I disagree," Frame said. "I think it should stay 10."
However, Burkett clarified Frame's stance for him, noting the chairman agreed that new supervisors should be able to appoint one commission member 90 days after elections and the second two years later.
"New supervisors should have the opportunity to appoint their own planning commission members," Frame added. His suggestion meant each supervisor would appoint his or her own commission members, though their terms would not run consecutive to the supervisor's.
Under that system, District 4 Supervisor Grover Wilson argued, each district's commission members could be at opposition with each other for two years.
Goodwin agreed with Frame's position.
Wilson suggested cutting the commission to five members-one from each voting district-would cut costs (commissioners receive a stipend for service, plus mileage). And, should commissioners need to solicit a broader range of input, they could appoint advisory committees instead.
"I think that gives the planning commission more power over their commission," District 1 Supervisor and current board planning commission liaison Shannon Abbs said. "They can pick anyone they want to serve on their subcommittees-someone with institutional knowledge. I think it gives them more authority."
To make the change, the county must amend its ordinance. A public hearing must be held and the board must reconstitute the commission. State code provides counties must empanel a planning commission.
Board members supporting the proposal agreed commissioners' terms should be concurrent with their supervisor's. The board agreed it should keep a representative on the commission.
Current planning commissioners are: District 1 Bill Speiden and Cory Redifer, District 2 Will Likins and Walter Smith, District 3 Elliott Fox, Jr. and Donald Brooks, District 4 Tom Bundy and Terry Apperson, District 5 David Kovarik and Nigel Goodwin. Of those 10, only Brooks and Nigel Goodwin have been appointed by current supervisors. The remaining eight were appointed by previous supervisors to four-year terms, with five of those terms expiring in April.
If the board reconstitutes the commission after next month's hearing, it has the option of reappointing any sitting commission members or appointing new ones. Commission terms would, under the proposal discussed Tuesday, expire with the appointing supervisor's.