Commissioners table formal action on planning commission ordinance to allow full planning commission review

Commissioner Mance presented a draft ordinance to update Hampshire County’s planning commission enabling ordinance on April 15 and described it as largely a recitation of state law with a single local modification: increasing membership to an odd number (11) to reduce tie votes.

Mance said he and staff located an original 1986 ordinance and draft bylaws; the proposed document updates statutory references, folds in compliant bylaws and adds a residency requirement change he said would be incorporated to match a separate statutory amendment taking effect July 1. "It just says that we still have a planning commission. Here's the state code that controls it," Mance said, adding the only substantive local change was raising membership to 11.

President Brian Englanger and Commissioner Brill both praised the work but asked that the full planning commission have an opportunity to review the draft and, if advisable, for the county to obtain outside legal review before the board schedules a public hearing. Englanger emphasized the importance of getting the planning commission's input given anticipated growth pressures in the county. "I would like to see the planning commission take a hard look at it... and then come back to us with a recommendation," he said.

Commissioners agreed by consensus to defer formal action and instead route the draft ordinance to the planning commission for review and possible outside counsel review before a first-reading hearing is set.

Ending: The ordinance remains on the commission’s agenda for future action after the planning commission completes its review and any suggested edits or legal review are returned to commissioners.