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Hamilton County commissioners debate new county planning commission; vote deferred
Summary
Commissioners spent the bulk of the Dec. 10 agenda session debating Resolution 1225-16 to dissolve the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and create a Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. Commissioners disagreed on whether a separate county-focused advisory body would better address infrastructure, sewer capacity and tax equity; no vote was taken and consideration was continued to next week.
Hamilton County commissioners on Dec. 10 discussed a resolution to dissolve the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and create a Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, but they did not vote on the measure.
The resolution, introduced by Commissioner Eversall, would create a planning commission focused on unincorporated Hamilton County and provide transition steps for continued regional coordination. Eversall said the move is intended to ensure county infrastructure needs '1 like roads, schools and fire protection '1 are identified earlier in development reviews so the governing body can plan for long-term impacts. "If we make this move ... anything that goes through [the RPC] will come to the Hamilton County Planning Commission before it comes to this board," he said.
Proponents said a county-focused advisory body would better represent unincorporated residents. Public commenters including Sabrina Daniel and Gary Bowles told commissioners the change would give unincorporated areas a stronger voice. "I am very supportive of Mister Eversall's proposal," Sabrina Daniel said during public comment.
Opponents cautioned that the existing regional planning structure has generally worked and warned of unintended consequences. "If it's not broken, let's not try to fix it," Commissioner Mackey said, arguing the current process has supported growth without raising taxes. Commissioner Sharp pressed for concrete infrastructure planning, saying sewer capacity and other constraints must be solved before major growth: "We don't have enough sewer capacity." Sharp recommended a countywide tax equity study to understand where revenue is raised and where it is spent.
County legal staff said the statutory process to dissolve a regional planning commission exists but requires more steps: the county attorney explained that the statute requires resolutions from each governing body that participates in the current regional planning agency, meaning each municipality would need to approve any dissolution and transition.
The chair and several commissioners repeatedly clarified the proposal would not itself halt development or change zoning; final land-use decisions would remain with this governing body. Commissioners asked for additional detail on mechanics, voting requirements, and cost estimates and signaled the proposal merits further committee review. Commissioners agreed to discuss the resolution again next week; no formal vote was recorded on Dec. 10.
What happens next: The commission left Resolution 1225-16 on the agenda for full consideration next week and suggested staff and committees prepare presentations outlining legal steps, interface with municipalities, and projected costs and timelines for a transition.
