Mayor: No more planning commission

Electric City has changed the way it will do its municipal planning.

Mayor John Nordine, in responding to a person interested in being on the planning commission, said that he has decided to bring planning in-house with a professional planner working with city staff.

The old planning commission was down to a single person, Merle Kennedy. The other members of the planning commission, Monty Fields, Carl Russell and Ray Clover, had resigned in protest because the city council disregarded recommendations on how to deal with the height and size of accessory buildings.

The resignations came about two months ago, with all but Kennedy resigning. Kennedy was out of town at the time and the commission was functioning with only four members,

The resignations came early in March at the commission’s monthly meeting where the minutes of the previous meeting were read and then it was over.

The commission had submitted recommendations on accessory buildings, fencing and home business occupations to the council. But the burr was accessory buildings. The council, after receiving the commission recommendations on accessory buildings, decided to lift all square footage restrictions, and that was enough for planning members.

The city already pays for the services of professional planner Kurt Danison. The city staff will work with him in all matters dealing with zoning problems.