Havre de Grace council removes council voting seat on Planning Commission and approves two other commission ordinances

The Havre de Grace Mayor and City Council on March 3 adopted ordinance 11-73 on second reading to remove the city council member as an ex officio member of the Planning Commission, after accepting a staff-drafted amendment that clarified residual references to the ex officio position.

City Attorney Paul Rychinsky told the council the ordinance "is to remove the city council member as a member of the planning commission" and that the amendment before the body captured one remaining reference to the ex officio member. Council members described the change as converting the council member role from an ex officio voting seat to a liaison role without altering the commission's duties.

The council adopted 11-73 on a roll-call vote of 4–2. The recorded votes were: Councilmember Robertson — No; Councilmember Booger — Yes; Councilmember Jones — Yes; Councilmember Boyer — No; Councilmember Shenagas — Yes; Council President Ringstacker — Yes. Council members discussed that the change removes voting rights for the council's representative on the Planning Commission and makes that position a liaison similar to other appointed commissions.

Separately the council adopted ordinance 11-74 (amending chapter 25, article 8, Youth Commission) and ordinance 11-75 (amending chapter 25, article 9, Independent State Commission) on second reading. Both measures passed by roll call, 6–0. Councilmember Robertson explained one change in 11-74 moved responsibility for adult background checks for youth volunteers from the police department to administration.

All three ordinances cite the same authority language in their preambles, invoking Article 11E of the Maryland Constitution, the Local Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, and sections 33 and 34 of the Havre de Grace City Charter.

The council did not change the substantive duties of the Planning Commission in 11-73, city staff said; the amendment was described as cleanup to remove the ex officio reference and to make the council representative a nonvoting liaison. The council president characterized the change as aligning the Planning Commission with other boards where council members serve as liaisons rather than commission members.

The council adjourned to a closed session later in the evening where it planned to consider personnel matters and a pending contract for a planning director; the mayor said that if the closed-session vote goes as planned, the council will introduce the new planning director at a future meeting.