A voting seat and an alternate position are opening up on the Colorado Springs Planning Commission. It's the board that reviews new land development and helps hone the city’s long-range plans.
The nine-member commission meets a couple of times a month to consider new annexations, zoning changes, new developments and more. Along with attending meetings, commission members review materials, which can be quite lengthy. Deputy City Council Administrator Michael Montgomery said it's a volunteer time commitment.
“I would say roughly anywhere from maybe 15 to 20 hours a month, possibly more or less,” he said, “depending on the size of the Planning Commission agenda.”
The meetings can be short, but some have been 10 hours long when there’s a lot of public comment, according to Montgomery.
The selection process includes an application review to determine the top candidates, though there are no specific requirements to serve on the commission other than residency. Those individuals are then interviewed by a committee which, this time around, includes city councilor Dave Donelson. He will then bring final recommendations to the full council for a vote.
“Each different council member liaison (like Donelson) has their own internal set of criteria for what they're looking at for planning commission,” Montgomery said.
The selection committee may also include planning commission chair Scott Hente, vice chair James McMurray and a planning staff member, though it's unclear if either or both are participating..
Planning Commission members are at-large, meaning they do not represent any particular district. They serve staggered three-year terms so that no more than three members are scheduled to rotate off the board at the same time. Colorado Springs residents or those living within three miles of the city can apply for the current positions. A minimum of seven voting members need to live within the city limits.
Applications are on the city’s website and are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 15.
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