Hooper council amends planning-commission appointment language, approves two appointees

The Hooper City Council amended city ordinance language on Feb. 6 to say the mayor and city council "shall collectively identify and select potential members subject to a majority vote of the city council," then approved two planning-commission appointees and swore in three members.

Council members debated whether to finalize the appointment process immediately or refine a more detailed procedure later. Mayor Sherry Bingham said the change responds to a state law shifting final approval on many small residential subdivisions to planning commissions, a move she said increases the commission’s responsibilities and the need for a city-elected body to have input on appointments.

"The planning commission has a lot more responsibility than they've ever had before as given to them through the state legislature," Bingham said during council discussion of the ordinance language and related Title 10 changes.

Council member Bryce Wilcox moved the amendment to the existing ordinance (motion text: amend O-2025-01 to read that the mayor and city council shall collectively identify and select potential members subject to a majority vote of the city council). The motion was…