Monongalia County removes district-seat requirement from planning commission ordinance

The Monongalia County Commission approved on May 14 an amendment to the ordinance that created the Mon County Planning Commission, removing a sentence that required “one planning commission member shall be appointed from each planning district.”

The change was presented during a public hearing and second reading of the amendment to Ordinance No. 2003-01. A county planner described the amendment as removing a vestige of the commission’s original structure, which was created when planning responsibilities were organized by a few districts; the planner said the countywide comprehensive plan adopted in 2013 supported countywide planning and that the district appointment requirement is now out of date.

Resident Mary Ann Folz of 321 Morgantown Avenue spoke in favor of the amendment during the public hearing, saying she supported the proposed change. The planner confirmed the specific deletion: one sentence in Article 5 that read, “one planning commission member shall be appointed to each planning district,” will be removed.

The commission noted the change had been published for public notice on April 30 and May 9 and that the amendment’s first reading occurred at the April 30 regular commission meeting. No correspondence opposing the amendment was reported by staff.

The commission then moved and approved the amendment during the meeting’s new business section. Commissioners said the change allows broader participation in the planning commission. The public hearing record and the ordinance amendment as approved will be added to the county’s files.

The action was recorded as an approval on the second reading; no roll-call vote with counts was read into the minutes during the meeting.