Four named to Afton planning commission

Talk about it

In a stroke of luck, the Afton Planning Commission received more than the needed number of applications after weeks of having too few.

At the Feb. 17 meeting of the Afton City Council, four new commissioners were appointed to the planning commission by the council.

“Thank you for applying and stepping forward to serve your community,” Mayor Pat Snyder said.

What seemed like a relatively easy decision hit a snag when councilmember Peg Nolz questioned whether to maintain the seat designated for a business member.

“I see no advantage to having a business member,” she said.

Nolz also reminded the council that when the ordinance requiring this was first approved several years ago, Afton was in a time of turnover and turmoil.

Nolz said she can’t recall the ordinance ever being published. Technically, if an ordinance is unpublished, it does not go into effect.

She recommended there be at least one commissioner per ward and the remaining seats would be at large from any ward.

Councilmembers Bill Palmquist and Randy Nelson said they felt it is important to have a business member on the planning commission, and were not comfortable eliminating that idea.

The elimination of the requirement for a business member on the commission will come back to the council at its March meeting before appointing the fifth and remaining commissioner.

Tags: news, afton, planning, commission, snyder, nolz, palmquist