Proposed Planning Advisory Commission Membership Alternatives

1
Proposed Planning Advisory Commission
Membership Alternatives

• Planning Department
• Report to Council
• August 28, 2007

2
Background

• PAC consists of
• Seven (7) voting members and two (2) alternates
  all appointed by Council
• Appointments are for three (3) years
• May serve two (2) consecutive terms
• Not eligible for reappointment until a lapse of
  twelve (12) months from the end of the second
  full term

3
Background

• January, 2007 PAC had three vacancies to fill
• Council questioned the policy of automatically
  moving alternates into full member positions
• Method of selecting new members by state
  senatorial districts questioned
• Staff asked to research other communities
  planning commission appointments

4
Research and Analysis

• The Planning Department has researched other
  communities in Georgia, the southeast, and
  throughout the United States
• On average, seven (7) to nine (9) members account
  for the commissions in Georgia and the southeast.
  
• The following 5 options are being presented for
  discussion and, eventually, direction

5
Option A

• Maintain existing commission
• Seven (7) regular members, two (2) alternates
• Currently, two of the members of the PAC live in
  SD 15 and seven live in SD 29
• Of the members, two are black males three are
  white females one is a black female and three
  are white males
• All commissioners are at-large members

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Option B

• Increase the Commission by adding two (2)
  additional alternates
• Commission would consist of seven (7) voting
  members and four (4) alternates
• All commissioners would be at-large members

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Option C

• Eliminate the alternate positions and convert
  them to voting positions
• Commission would consist of nine (9) voting
  members
• All commissioners would be at-large members
• No commission researched in Georgia or the
  southeast has alternates

8
Option D

• Eliminate the alternate positions and convert
  them to voting positions
• Commission would consist of nine voting members
• Eight (8) members would represent a council
  district (nominated by the councilor for his/her
  district) and one (1) member would be nominated
  by the Mayor
• If a councilor is unable to find a commissioner
  from his/her district, then they may nominate an
  at-large choiceUnder this scenario,
  commissioners should be phased in as terms expire

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Option E

• Eliminate the alternate positions and convert
  them to voting positions
• Add two (2) voting members
• Commission would consist of eleven (11) voting
  members
• Eight (8) members would represent a council
  district (nominated by the councilor for his/her
  district)
• Two (2) members would be at-large members (each
  nominated by the at-large councilors). The Mayor
  would nominate One (1) member
• If a councilor is unable to find a commissioner
  from his/her district, then they may nominate an
  at-large choice
• Under this scenario, commissioners should be
  phased in as terms expire

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Recommendations

• Option C offers the best flexibility
• Provides for community-wide participation
• Expands the Commission to nine members
• Eliminates the need for alternates