Mercer County commissioners press outside firm for ordinance-draft timeline before approving extension

Mercer County commissioners on Tuesday pressed the county’s contract consultants for a clear deliverable schedule on a comprehensive planning-and-zoning rewrite and agreed to return the item to the agenda after the firm provides a draft. Commissioners said they expected to see draft ordinance language before approving any contract extension or additional funds.

The concern focused on pace and scope. An unnamed commissioner said, “I just believe it's disingenuous to come back for an extension and more money when you have not produced anything,” and asked why the county had not yet received a draft product. A representative of the consultant firm said the rewrite had grown into a more comprehensive package than originally envisioned and that some tasks (flow charts, fee schedules, maps and coordination with a land-use plan) were outside the original scope.

Why it matters: the rewrite would replace decades-old zoning rules and is intended to provide a set of ordinances, checklists and flowcharts to guide development decisions. Commissioners said they need a draft they can review and share with the planning-and-zoning board before approving additional spending.

Key details and direction: commissioners requested that the firm provide a draft of the proposed ordinances by Oct. 1 and that the item be placed back on the agenda for a fuller review at the commission meeting mid-October (commissioners mentioned Oct. 15 as the meeting to discuss a draft and Oct. 17 as a target for follow-up). The consultant acknowledged the need for better status reports and agreed to provide regular progress updates to both the commission and the planning-and-zoning office.

Staff context: commissioners said part of the reason the work was contracted out was the county’s limited internal capacity. Commissioners asked that staff — including the county land-use administrator — receive more frequent updates so they are not “left in the dark.” The consultant said some draft elements could change depending on the final comprehensive land-use plan but that preliminary drafts could be produced sooner if the commission prefers incremental review instead of a single finished package.

Next steps and timeline: commissioners agreed to leave the item on the agenda for the next regular cycle and requested a written draft by Oct. 1 so the commission and planning-and-zoning board can review before deciding on any amendment or money. No additional appropriation or formal vote to amend the contract amount was recorded during the meeting; commissioners discussed tabling a contract amendment until they review draft materials.