CCEC Bulletin: 
CCEC, Inc. - 2/5/2007

Chatham County has a new Planning Board
 
This morning, February 5, 2007, the Board of Commissioners made changes that affected the Chatham County Planning Board 's make-up and terms of office. The old Planning Board was and a new one was appointed.
 
This was accomplished with a rewritten ordinance provided by the Board of Commissioners that allows synchronization of the appointments to the Planning Board with the actual terms of office for the Commissioners.   Planning Board members will now serve a term of 4 years and be eligible for 1 reappointment. 

Historically, the Planning Board has always been a board of experienced citizens, familiar in one way or another with planning and development issues.  Each Commissioner has always had 2 appointments to the Planning Board. This will continue, however, an 11th member to be named by all 5 Commissioners has been provided for in the rewritten ordinance as well.
 
The following members of the previous Planning Board have been reappointed:  

Evelyn Cross and Clyde Harris were reappointed by Mike Cross;
Sally Kost and Chris Walker were reappointed by Patrick Barnes.
 
The new members to the Planning Board are:
Karl Ernst and Judy Sharman appointed by Tom Vanderbeck;
Barbara Ford and David Klarman appointed by George Lucier;
Delcenia Turner and Jim Hinkley apointed by Carl Thompson.

The 11th member of the Planning Board is
Warren Glick appointed by all of the Commissioners. 

The new Planning Board will be sworn in at the Planning Board Meeting on Tuesday, February 6th  at 6 PM in the Agricultural Building Auditorium.  Planning issues, Though ordinance changes and developments will come before them that night, there will be no recommendations made as the new board will need time for training, to understand protocol and procedures that govern their decision making and to review the current materials that have come through the Planning Department.
 
In implementing their concept of "open government",  the new Board of Commissioners has instituted major changes in the 2 months they have been in office. Now, with a new Planning Board, new legal counsel, and consideration of the citizens' viewpoint during the water hearing last Monday night, this concept is starting to actively involve the citizens the Board of Commissioners represent  and  we are more confident that the wheels of government in the County will be thoughtful, circumspect and aware of the concerns of the voices of ALL of us from around Chatham County.  

THEY ARE LISTENING!!