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Romeo trustees urge Planning Commission to clarify which bylaws govern after conflicting documents surfaced
Summary
Trustees debated which version of Planning Commission bylaws should govern (2019, 2022 or a 2024 draft), with council members urging the commission to reaffirm a single, dated set and the village attorney to advise at the commission's March meeting.
Trustees at the Romeo Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 24 pressed the Planning Commission to resolve confusion over which set of bylaws the commission should follow, after council members and staff found multiple, undated or conflicting drafts in packet materials.
The issue stretched across a lengthy exchange in which trustees recounted a sequence of bylaws presented in April and May 2024, a 2022 set that some commissioners referenced, and an undated packet that trustees said lacked a clear adoption record. Trustee Parker said the Planning Commission "needs to decide" and "pick whichever bylaws you would like to abide by," urging the commission to clarify and reaffirm the set it will use.
Mark Clark (referenced as Mr. Clark), who was asked to offer guidance, advised that whatever the Planning Commission adopts so long as it complies with Michigan law and village ordinances is the set they should follow. Clark suggested the clearest remedy is for the Planning Commission to meet, reaffirm the chosen bylaws in a single recorded action and put a dated, complete copy in its files.
Trustees and the clerk traded accounts of the packet materials and minutes. Several speakers said the May 2024 packet included redline edits and additions, but that the minutes did not explicitly state a wholesale replacement of prior bylaws. Trustee Fowler and others urged restraint from the village council in directing the Planning Commission, saying the body is semi-autonomous and should make its own determination.
The board agreed to send the question to the Planning Commission for a firm, public resolution at the commission's next regular meeting on March 6. President Banski and several trustees said they would attend to listen and help clarify the record.
The council did not adopt any bylaws itself; instead, members asked staff and the commission to document and date the adopted bylaws so future packet readers and members can track which rules govern meeting procedure and resignations.
