2/25/1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FEB 25 1981 809. 45 pAcE-921 CHAIRMAN LYONS AGREED THERE IS A NEED FOR A CHANGE IN PROCEDURES. COMMISSIONER WODTKE APPRECIATED THE COMMENTS MADE, BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE COUNTY'S SITUATION IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY'S IN THAT THE CITY IS A RELATIVELY CONFINED AREA WHEREAS THE COUNTY IS MUCH MORE SPREAD OUT AND DIVERSIFIED. HE PELIEVED SUCH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE EACH COMMISSIONER'S RESPONSIBILITY AND AN IMPORTANT PREROGATIVE AND POWER, AND HE WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF TAKING APPLICATIONS AT LARGE BECAUSE HE FELT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMISSIONER FROM THE NORTH COUNTY, FOR INSTANCE, SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUGGEST SOMEONE FROM HIS DISTRICT TO SERVE. IN ADDITION, BY TAKING APPLICATIONS AT LARGE, HE FELT YOU WILL TEND TO GET RECOMMENDATIONS SPONSORED BY THE VARIOUS CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND THAT YOU WILL NOT GET THE REAL STRONG INDIVIDUAL WE NEED TO SIT DOWN OBJECTIVELY AND REACH DECISIONS. COMMISSIONER WODTKE CONTINUED TO DISCUSS THE OVERALL MAKEUP OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION AND THE NEED TO HAVE REPRE- SENTATIVES FROM DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION WITH KNOWLEDGE IN VARIOUS AREAS. COMMISSIONER FLETCHER COMMENTED THAT BASICALLY HE SAW THE PLANNING & ZONING BOARD AS AN EXTENSION OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER WHO IS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE TO REPRESENT A CERTAIN PHILOSOPHY OF GOV- ERNMENT. HE BELIEVED THAT EXTENSION IS NECESSARY ON THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION. HE SUGGESTED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THAT PERHAPS EACH COMMISSIONER SHOULD OFFER THREE CHOICES INSTEAD OF JUST MAKING ONE RECOMMENDATION. COMMISSIONER BIRD AND CHAIRMAN LYONS DID NOT HAVE ANY OBJEC- TION TO THAT SUGGESTION, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOTED THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE TO AGREE TO TAKE THIS JOB, WHICH IS DIFFICULT AND THANKLESS. COMMISSIONER BIRD POINTED OUT THAT THE SYSTEM WE ARE USING HAS BEEN USED OVER LONG YEARS, AND HE DID NOT FEEL WE SHOULD OVER -REACT BECAUSE OF ONE BAD APPOINTMENT. COMMISSIONER SCURLOCK FELT WE ALREADY HAVE UNDERGONE SOME TRANSITION IN OUR PROCEDURES IN THAT FORMERLY THE VOTE WAS PRACTICALLY ALWAYS UNANIMOUS AND NOW IT IS NOT.