Planning commission chair John Holden proposes stipends to improve attendance

John Holden, chairman of the Planning Commission, told the council’s finance committee that low attendance and difficulty retaining volunteers are undermining the commission’s ability to conduct business and urged a stipend increase to improve participation.

Holden said the commission has struggled to achieve quorums and proposed two compensation scales: $75 per member per meeting and $100 per meeting for the chair, which he estimated could cost about $7,200 a year if the commission met 12 times annually. "If everyone's present, then it's $600 for them," he said, describing how the expense adds up at higher meeting counts.

The proposal was presented as a recruitment and retention tool rather than a salary overhaul. "We're not doing it to, you know, make a living," Holden said, arguing a modest stipend would recognize members' time and encourage attendance.

Staff and committee members pressed for funding details. A staff member (S4) explained that the planning hearing application fee has been $200 for more than two decades and that certified-mail and posting costs historically drove that fee. "The certified mail alone was a $120," the staff member said, noting those procedural costs mean fee increases would need careful calibration.

Committee members did not vote on the stipend proposal during the meeting. Instead, finance committee members asked staff to gather comparable pay scales and additional financial detail and to include the topic for discussion at the next committee meeting. Several members said they favored reviewing the handouts and the ordinance language first before making any change.

What happens next: Staff will compile comparables and cost estimates; the council deferred any final decision to a future meeting.