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Commission fills planning and zoning seats amid competing viewpoints and questions about applicant eligibility
Summary
The commission interviewed numerous applicants for the county planning and zoning board, reappointed one incumbent, and appointed several new members; the process surfaced questions about residency, application deadlines and conflicts of interest tied to a contested industrial project.
The Coffey County Commission interviewed multiple applicants for openings on the county planning and zoning board, reappointed an incumbent and appointed several new members, while commissioners discussed residency requirements and potential conflicts related to an ongoing, divisive land-application/industrial project.
The commission reappointed Damon Burke to the planning and zoning board and appointed Art Friend and others to fill open seats with terms beginning 05/01/2025 and ending 04/30/2028. The transcript shows multiple applicants appeared in person or by phone to describe backgrounds in farming, utilities, construction, and local business. Applicants included Brett Gorn (22 years of wastewater/injection experience), Alan Holmes (retired utility employee), Angie Trulove (USDA and extension experience), Art Friend (farmer, FSA county committee experience), Daryl Wilson (farmer and property owner), Bobby Latham (business owner and farmer), Jarrett Trudelof (sixth-generation farmer) and others.
Commission discussion touched on the planning board bylaws, which require that a majority of members reside outside incorporated city limits. Commissioners noted there are nine positions on the planning board and observed that no more than a specified number of members may live inside city limits; the board’s current composition and several applicants’ residences prompted the commission to consider the residency rule when making appointments.
Several commissioners raised concerns about perceived bias or conflicts of interest for some applicants because of their publicly stated views or land-lease relationships connected to a proposed solar (Hecate/Hecate Energy referenced) or other industrial projects. Applicants who said they had financial or lease relationships in projects confirmed their intent to recuse themselves from matters where a conflict exists; one applicant noted an option-to-lease agreement with a developer and said he had received a modest, non-recurring option payment (reported in the interview).
Commissioners discussed application-notice timing; some applicants said they were told a deadline date for applications while commissioners noted the advertisement language used a "positions to be filled by" phrasing that created confusion about whether the deadline was firm. Commissioners agreed that future advertisements should include a clear application deadline.
Appointments were made in open session. Commissioners also noted the planning board bylaws contain attendance and residency requirements and said compliance should guide future appointments. Several commissioners said they wanted the board to include a range of viewpoints and to follow recusal rules where conflicts exist.
The commission did not take any regulatory action on land-use matters at the meeting; these were applicant interviews and appointments, though discussion made clear the planning board will play a role in future reviews of projects on the commission’s radar.
