The Snyder Township Board of Supervisors, on Monday, agreed to advertise an ordinance for the creation of a planning commission or committee.
The supervisors decided not to name any members to the committee at this point in the process. The proposed ordinance, as it stands now calls, for five members to serve on the proposed “committee.”
Township Secretary Viola P. Dysart revealed to the supervisors that five people had come forward with interest in serving on the board. Under a previous proposal, seven members were to have served on the planning commission, but that five was eventually the number agreed upon by the supervisors.
“The question before the supervisors was ‘were those five members going to be named as part of the initial ordinance or would they be named at some later time’,” said township solicitor Allen E. Gibboney.
The solicitor had posed the question to the supervisors before they voted on advertising the ordinance. He needed to know the information to properly complete the proposed ordinance. Gibboney stressed to the supervisors it was their choice to name the panel in the proposed ordinance or to indicate the panel would be appointed later.
There are some stipulations on the supervisors as to when the members of the proposed planning commission must be named.
“Under the ordinance, they are set up to be named no later than the first Monday in January of next year,” explained Gibboney.
“That is the time when municipal bodies reorganize,” he said. “The Snyder Township supervisors decided not to name the planning commission members at this point, but they can do it at anytime between the enactment of the ordinance and the first Monday in January of 2004.”
The supervisors discussed the matter between themselves and also heard concerns from the public. Those in the audience became concerned that all the members of the planning committee might come from the same part of Snyder Township.
The question was asked if the issue had been officially advertised in the paper. Secretary Dysart indicated the need for committee members was mentioned in newspaper articles, but was not officially advertised. Some Snyder Township citizens felt the matter should be advertised to see if others might come forward to seek the positions.
Also discussed was the possibility that one or more members of the Snyder Township Supervisors could serve on the planning commission. It was explained that no more than two elected officials could be appointed to the new panel. There was a suggestion that a member of the supervisors be a part of the planning commission, since the two bodies will work closely with each other.
None of the five names submitted were current supervisors, but one of them was the wife of a current supervisor.
One member of the public wondered if that would be a conflict of interest. Gibboney said it would not be considered such a conflict.
The planning committee, as it is structured, can only recommend to the supervisors what action it thinks should be taken on a particular matter and does not have final authority on matters in which it votes on.
The proposed planning commission came about as a result of an outside recommendation that the supervisors should create such a panel to deal with the updating of Snyder Township’s comprehensive plan. The planning commission/committee would handle a proposed zoning ordinance among other issues. The updating of the township comprehensive plan is being funding through CDBG money.
