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City amends planning commission membership language to allow county participation flexibility
Summary
Council passed Ordinance 15-51 amending Tonganoxie City Code to change planning commission membership language from 'shall' to 'may' regarding inclusion of county residents, a change proposed after legal issues surfaced during a recent annexation dispute with Leavenworth County.
Staff reviewed the background behind Ordinance 15‑51, explaining that a 1959 ordinance and a related state statute had required two county residents living within three miles to serve on the city's planning commission. Staff recounted a legal dispute with Leavenworth County over a voluntary annexation in 2024–25 that exposed practical challenges in enforcing the older language. The proposed amendment softens the requirement from 'shall' to 'may' to give the city more flexibility in filling planning commission vacancies.
City Manager George summarized the annexation dispute, including county requests for the city to assume road maintenance costs, and said the amendment is not intended to eliminate county participation but to ease recruitment challenges for volunteer positions. After brief discussion and recognition of long‑serving Planning Commission Chair Monica Gee, the council voted to adopt Ordinance 15‑51 unanimously.
