Board approves two Planning & Zoning appointments amid disagreement over appointment process

The Gage County Board of Supervisors approved two appointments to the Planning & Zoning Commission but did so amid procedural debate about how commission members should be selected.

Chair-appointed candidates Tim Lottman and Ross Traorek were each approved by the board after discussion. Tim Lottman’s appointment passed on a 4–3 vote (Adams, Claibaugh and Haxby voting no); Ross Traorek’s appointment also passed with a similar margin. Several supervisors said they were not opposed to the individuals but objected to bypassing the county’s recently adopted process for soliciting applications when terms expire.

Supervisor Haxby raised the point that a year-old county policy asks for letters of interest, resumes or applications for Planning & Zoning vacancies and said the board should follow that process to ensure transparency and to give supervisors an opportunity to review applicants. Several board members said the appointment process will be reviewed and possibly revised at a future meeting.

Supporters of the appointments said the nominees were known to supervisors and had been discussed informally; a few supervisors said the chair had contacted prospective members in advance. One supervisor said the process should allow for an interview step in which prospective appointees appear before the board.

The appointments were placed on the consent/regular agenda and approved after discussion. The board signaled intent to revisit the appointment policy in the near term and urged prospective nominees to file application materials if they prefer the formal process.