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Clawson council approves two contested Planning Commission appointments after heated public comment
Summary
After extensive public comment urging reappointment of incumbents, Clawson City Council approved Glenn Shepherd and Lou Sampson to the Planning Commission. Speakers on both sides cited experience, residency and concerns about process and past conduct.
The Clawson City Council voted Jan. 6 to appoint Glenn Shepherd and Lou Sampson to the city’s Planning Commission after more than an hour of public comment and debate.
Residents, including Planning Commission vice chair Erin Redmond, urged the council to retain current commissioners who sought reappointment and to follow the city’s 2023 boards-and-commissions policy that favors reappointment of incumbents in good standing. Redmond told the council she had spent “several years working carefully and collaboratively on behalf of the city of Clawson” and said the planning commission is a “nonpolitical body.”
Supporters of the new appointees also spoke. Linda Hale and others said experience and long-term civic involvement mattered; Shar Larsen described the nominees as “transparent” and prepared. Council members debating the appointment cited a mix of those arguments: some praised Shepherd’s planning knowledge and experience, while others pointed to recent public statements and past controversies as reasons for hesitation.
During the discussion, Mayor Moffett acknowledged that Shepherd had made critical social-media remarks about council members but said Shepherd demonstrated “passion and knowledge about the Planning Commission.” After debate, the council approved Shepherd’s appointment by roll call with four votes in favor and three opposed. The council later voted to appoint Lou Sampson in a separate motion.
Neither appointment included conditions or amendments. Councilors discussed procedural questions about incumbent resignations and whether an incumbent’s rescission of an application was binding; the mayor and city attorney explained a courtesy was extended to let an incumbent sit as a holdover when there were only a few meetings left.
The council’s votes concluded the agenda items: both Shepherd and Sampson will serve terms expiring Dec. 31, 2028. Residents who spoke said they will continue to monitor appointments and urged clearer communication about candidate selection in future cycles.
