With development still slumping and zoning applications down to a trickle, Forsyth County is considering suspending its five-member planning commission to save money.
Or perhaps the the county is responding to controversy that has swirled around the commission in recent months as new members have repeatedly debated procedure. One member went as far as to call an activist a “Nazi” during a public hearing.
The motivation depends upon who you ask. District 1 County Commissioner Pete Amos, the author of the proposal, said last week it’s purely a money matter. The move could save the county as much as $35,000 a year, he said.
Confrontations between board members at meetings has nothing to do with it, said Amos.
“I talked about this during my campaign, before the new board, with three new members, was even in place,” he said.
The motion to take the matter before two public hearings passed 3-2 during a county commission work session. Commissioners Amos, Brian Tam and Patrick Bell voted in favor. Commissioners Todd Levent and Jim Boff were opposed. The public hearings have yet to be scheduled.
Boff said he sees no reason to suspend the group.
“It will not save money, especially if we have to start making changes to the Unified Development Code,” he said, adding it will make the zoning process faster. But on the downside, it would “provide minimal public participation and doesn't give anyone time to react.”
Boff’s appointee to the commission, Dr. Joe Moses, caused a stir at a public meeting when he confronted Planning Commission Chair Pam Livesay to say the group has been operating in violation of state open meetings laws.Commissioner Matt Murphy called Roswell activist Nydia Tisdale a “Nazi” during one meeting but later apologized.
One planning commission meeting was cancelled after Tisdale pointed out county officials had not provided sufficient public notice of the meeting as required by state law.
Moses said last week he did no wrong in publicly pointing out the planning commission wasn’t following proper procedure and he is opposed to the suspension.
"If they do it, I’m going to Disney World and the county commission can handle the extra work load,” he said.
Murphy agreed with Amos that given the way the planning commission operates now – with no real authority, as it it is only a recommending body that requires three county commissioners sit in on its meetings – it makes fiscal sense to suspend it.
“The way it is set up now, I feel like it’s inefficient use of county time and money,” said Murphy.
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