My comments will follow these sections of the Virginia Codes (remember to pay close attention to crucial words like may and shall):
§ 15.2-2212. Qualifications, appointment, removal, terms and compensation of
members of local planning commissions.
A local planning commission shall consist of not less than five nor more than
fifteen members, appointed by the governing body, all of whom shall be
residents of the locality, qualified by knowledge and experience to make
decisions on questions of community growth and development; provided, that at
least one-half of the members so appointed shall be owners of real property.
The local governing body may require each member of the commission to take an
oath of office.
One member of the commission may be a member of the governing body of the
locality, and one member may be a member of the administrative branch of
government of the locality. The term of each of these two members shall be
coextensive with the term of office to which he has been elected or
appointed, unless the governing body, at the first regular meeting each year,
appoints others to serve as their representatives. The remaining members of
the commission first appointed shall serve respectively for terms of one
year, two years, three years, and four years, divided equally or as nearly
equal as possible between the membership. Subsequent appointments shall be
for terms of four years each. The local governing bodies may establish
different terms of office for initial and subsequent appointments including
terms of office that are concurrent with those of the appointing governing
body. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term only.
Members may be removed for malfeasance in office. Notwithstanding the
foregoing provision, a member of a local planning commission may be removed
from office by the local governing body without limitation in the event that
the commission member is absent from any three consecutive meetings of the
commission, or is absent from any four meetings of the commission within any
12-month period. In either such event, a successor shall be appointed by the
governing body for the unexpired portion of the term of the member who has
been removed.
The local governing body may provide for compensation to commission members
for their services, reimbursement for actual expenses incurred, or both.
(Code 1950, §§ 15-901, 15-916, 15-963; 1956, cc. 282, 497; 1960, c. 309;
1962, c. 407, § 15.1-437; 1973, c. 160; 1974, c. 521; 1986, c. 208; 1988, c.
256; 1997, c. 587; 2006, c. 687.)
§ 15.2-2213. Advisory members.
A member of a local planning commission may, with the consent of both
governing bodies, serve as an advisory member of the local planning
commission of a contiguous locality.
(Code 1950, § 15-963.5; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-442; 1997, c. 587.)
§ 15.2-2221. Duties of commissions.
To effectuate this chapter, the local planning commission shall:
1. Exercise general supervision of, and make regulations for, the
administration of its affairs;
2. Prescribe rules pertaining to its investigations and hearings;
3. Supervise its fiscal affairs and responsibilities, under rules and
regulations as prescribed by the governing body;
4. Keep a complete record of its proceedings; and be responsible for the
custody and preservation of its papers and documents;
5. Make recommendations and an annual report to the governing body concerning
the operation of the commission and the status of planning within its
jurisdiction;
6. Prepare, publish and distribute reports, ordinances and other material
relating to its activities;
7. Prepare and submit an annual budget in the manner prescribed by the
governing body of the county or municipality; and
8. If deemed advisable, establish an advisory committee or committees.
(Code 1950, § 15-963.7; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-444; 1997, c. 587.)
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All of the above comes directly from the Virginia Codes. Planning Commission Members are some of the most powerful people in government. They also have a huge responsibility. Most jurisdictions require that their Planning Commission Members complete a training program and are certified.
These people serve the Town Council in an advisory capacity by reviewing applications for Zoning changes, Rezonings, CUP's (Conditional Use Permits), Ordinances, and other issues.
In the first paragraph above, certain specific criteria are set forth as to the requirements for citizens serving on the Planning Commission: "...shall be
residents of the locality, qualified by knowledge and experience to make
decisions on questions of community growth and development; provided, that at
least one-half of the members so appointed shall be owners of real property."
The questions for citizens should be: 1) Who is on the Planning Commision? 2) How well do each of those people meet the criteria set forth in the State Codes? 3) What does the Town do to make sure that these individuals have the ongoing training that is required to make sure they are as informed as possible?
Perhaps the new webpage the Town is having built will include information on each of the Planning Commission Members and their qualifications for those positions. In the meantime, call the Town for a list with contact numbers, then call each member and ask them about qualifications. That will take care of questions 1 and 2.
In the meantime, the current webpage has a list of these members:
- Steven C. Simmons (Chair)
- James VanHoozier (Vice-Chair)
- R. Lance Terpenny (Secretary non-voting) (representative from Administration)
- Ann H. Carter (Member) (representative from Town Council)
- Wayne E. Booth (Member)
- Bob Poff (Member)
- Craig Moore (Member)
- Michael Byrd (Member)
Now, question 3 is a different beast. Each individual member brings to the table a unique set of personal experiences, all of these are great. However, there has to be a common basis of training that forms the framework for decisions, and those must be based upon the laws. Many localities require their Planning Commissioners go through the training and certification process such as the one offered through
Citizens Planning Education Association of Virginia (CPEAV). This is a comprehensive training program that makes sure these appointed officials are given the knowledge and then tested to be sure they have a thorough understanding of their duties and the laws which they are to uphold. This training, like other similar training for Zoning Officials and Board of Zoning Appeals, serves as a buffer to prevent unnecessary litigation at the expense of taxpayers.
Let me also add that anyone can take this training. It is not restricted to Planning Commissioners and it would be a worthwhile investment of some of the Town's funds to make sure that the Town Council Members are also certified. I personally plan on taking the training (any citizen can take it as well). Who knows maybe if there are enough people interested, we could get them to do it at a more local venue like Virginia Tech where traveling would not be an issue.
Join me in making it known that providing the proper training for officials should be mandatory not optional. Call your elected and appointed officials today and find out who has the certification necessary to perform their duties. Ask that these dedicated members of our community be given all of the tools they need to do the jobs they do well.
More to come.....