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Planners put their money where their mouths are DISPUTED ORDINANCE
Stafford planning commissioners pay for their own ordinance
Date published: 1/9/2009
BY JONAS BEALS Some Stafford County planning commissioners are taking a stand against a recently passed Board of Supervisors resolution. And they are willing to pay to prove their point. Planning Commissioners Pete Fields, Arch Di Peppe, Cecelia Kirkman and Ruth Carlone pooled $400 of their own money Wednesday night to advertise a public hearing for an ordinance they created. With a 5-2 vote last month, supervisors announced that the Planning Commission would need permission from the board before it could hold a public hearing on any zoning ordinance changes. Planning commissioners are appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The new rule was intended, in part, to save the money involved in advertising public hearings. At the time, Board of Supervisors Chairman George Schwartz said the move would "completely emasculate the Planning Commission." Now, he says, "the citizens of Stafford no longer have a properly functioning Planning Commission." At their first 2009 meeting, the planners functioned in a highly unusual manner. Supervisors passed an ordinance to the Planning Commission that some members disagreed with. Unable to alter the ordinance, commissioners decided to write their own. Opening wallets was the only way for their new ordinance to go to public hearing. "The Commonwealth of Virginia gives us the right to propose ordinances," Di Peppe said, "but this is what it's come to in Stafford County--we're taking up a collection. Hopefully, this will bring things to a head and show how incredibly wrong [the supervisors] were." Supervisor Paul Milde, who voted in favor of the resolution governing ordinance creation, thinks the Planning Commission is just perpetuating what he believes are wasteful government practices. "This is a renegade Planning Commission, once again trying to circumvent the will of the board," he said. "This directly contradicts the instructions we just gave them." Planning commissioners have put their money where their mouths are, and plan to discuss their ordinance at a Feb. 4 meeting. "We're in uncharted territory here," Fields said. "It's an intense issue. The board is attempting to insert itself into the Planning Commission's authority. We'll open the dialogue with this, and see where we can get." Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Read more stories about Stafford Date published: 1/9/2009
pass the hat
(posted by
infizon
, Jan. 9, 2009 8:59 pm)
Guess Stafford's budget is so bad the planning commission is passing the hat. Planning Commission is advisory but they are authorized by state law to propose ordinances, hold public hearings and then send it on to BOS to vote up or down. Why did the BOS pass resolution to cut-off the planning commissions funding for public hearings.
Who are they serving?
(posted by
JustSo
, Jan. 9, 2009 7:23 pm)
Themselves. Fields says that "the board is inserting itself.." I'm sorry, Pete. The board was elected; you were appointed. And you weren't appointed to assert your "authority". Per VA State Code "the local planning commissions shall serve primarily in an advisory capacity to the governing bodies." You are attempting to govern, not serve in an advisory capacity. Pete, Ruth, Arch and Cecilia.... if you are not happy....LEAVE OR RESIGN.
Planners?
(posted by
mmqc
, Jan. 9, 2009 4:48 pm)
These people are NOT Planners, they are commissioners.
Planners are paid staff that they generally disregard the
advice of anyway. The practice that they are considering is
self serving and should be illegal if it isn't already. Does this
make their checking accounts subject to FOIA? It seems
that the public should have the right to know where the
money is really coming from to pay for such a thing.
Training courses or verification of qualifications
(posted by
ReadingOne
, Jan. 9, 2009 9:14 am)
are needed for these people. They, in fact, apparently do not understand their role nor the function of the PC. Arch, Cecilia and Ruth are activists who are power hungry dictators who constantly throw temper tantrums. Arch's statement of "I want to be able to regulate..." is beyond telling. YOU, Arch? Do you understand you are appointed and part of an advisory group? I firmly believe those who are not qualified and are not functioning in the capacity required need to be removed from the Commission.
h
(posted by
MrDes529
, Jan. 9, 2009 7:50 am)
http://www.cpeav.org/Training%20Calendar/index.htm
They have great training sessions to refresh these planners mind on the what, where, who and why to their roles.
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