WEST COUNTY TIMES

COUNCIL SHORTENS PLANNERS' TERMS

Thursday, June 27, 1996
Section: news
Page: A04

In what some observers interpreted as a move to cut the power of the Planning Commission and the mayor, the City Council has voted to reduce commissioners' terms from four to two years.

The council's vote at Tuesday's meeting was 5-3, with Mayor Rosemary Corbin, and council members John Marquez and Tom Butt voting no.

Council members Donna Powers, Nat Bates, Alex Evans, Irma Anderson and Lesa McIntosh supported the reduced terms. Vice Mayor Richard Griffin was absent.

The commissioners would be limited to four consecutive terms.

The mayor names appointees to city commissions.

Her appointments must be ratified by a majority of the council.

On a related matter, the council approved the appointment of Robert Strauss and the reappointment of Steven Harvey for the commission.

Strauss replaces Susan Geick, whose term expired this month.

Evans voted against those appointments. Bates abstained.

Earlier this year, the council angered Planning Commission members by changing the number of votes it needed to overrule commission decisions on zoning matters, conditional use permits and variances.