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Yamhill council adopts ordinance widening planning‑commission eligibility and appoints three members
Summary
The Yamhill City Council on Nov. 12 adopted Ordinance DO25.03 (Ordinance No. 56546) to allow selection of planning commissioners from outside city limits within a defined radius/zip code and, in the same meeting, unanimously appointed Mary Gardner, Carol Prendergast and Grant Warren to 2026–28 terms.
Yamhill — The City Council voted Nov. 12 to adopt Ordinance DO25.03 (Ordinance No. 56546), amending Yamhill Municipal Code §1.16.020 to expand eligibility for planning‑commission appointments and declaring an emergency so the change takes effect on mayoral signature.
Mayor Ed Corrigan said the amendment will let council select a commissioner who lives outside the city limits (within the statute’s radius and the same ZIP code) to address persistent recruitment shortages that had left the planning commission at risk of losing quorum during land‑use hearings. “We have lots and lots of really great people that love this town that live just a couple miles outside of the city limits, and they'd like to have, you know, an ability to serve their city as well,” Corrigan said.
Council discussed the proposal briefly; one councilor noted concern that an outside resident might not share the city’s interest but was reassured that planning commissioners must follow the city’s code and criteria and that the city planner and council can address conduct or performance problems if they arise. The ordinance includes an emergency clause; Corrigan said he will sign it after the meeting.
In related business, council unanimously approved appointments to fill three planning‑commission seats for the 2026–28 term. Mary Gardner, Carol Prendergast and Grant Warren were nominated and confirmed in a single motion. The council recorded the vote as unanimous. Grant Warren is expected to be sworn in at the next appropriate meeting or continue in place if no re‑administration is required.
What this means: The change expands the pool of eligible volunteers the city can consider for planning‑commission recruitment, an administrative move council leaders said is intended to avoid quorum shortfalls during critical land‑use decisions. The emergency clause makes the change effective immediately upon the mayor’s signature.
Next steps: The mayor will sign the ordinance and staff will arrange swearing‑in procedures for the new commissioners.
Sources: Meeting discussion and vote, Nov. 12 Yamhill City Council meeting. All quotes and attributions come from speakers recorded in the city meeting transcript.
