Truesdale’s aldermen approved an ordinance overhauling the structure of the city’s planning and zoning commission at their May 12 meeting. 

The ordinance set requirements for the number of commissioners as well as their terms and the specifics of their duties, but the most impactful change was geographic requirements for a quorum. 

Per the ordinance “no quorum of the commission shall be comprised solely of members who reside within the same neighborhood.”

City Clerk Elsa Smith-Fernandez said they wanted to improve the geographic diversity of the board to prevent any one neighborhood from having undue influence on its proceedings. 

“What drove it is we have a 10-member commission, and five of them are from the same area,” said Smith-Fernandez. 

The city’s planning and zoning commission is comprised of 10 members, including Chairman Donald Smith, Vice Chair Kelly Riehl, Kari Hartley, serving as secretary and the board of aldermen’s representative on the commission along with Amanda Lefholz, Missy Bachamp, Gary Burke, Jack Dixon, Kevin McCurdy, Ellen Wortham and Elisabeth Jaouni. 

Burke, Dixon, McCurdy, Jaouni and Riehl are all residents of the Heritage Hills subdivision. 

“We wanted to make sure the best interests of the entire city are met,” said Smith-Fernandez. 

The ordinance also stipulates if it is determined a meeting will be attended only by commissioners from the same neighborhood, that meeting must be rescheduled or postponed until the requirements for a quorum can be met. 

The quorum requirements can be suspended in case of emergencies, or vacancies on the board for a maximum of 60 days with written approval from the mayor or city manager. 

The ordinance is clear that it does not retroactively impact any of the commission’s previous rulings. 

It does outline punitive measures for members who do not adhere to the new quorum requirements. Violators may be subject to suspension or removal from the commission following review by the board of aldermen. 

It also came to light that Wortham, who was elected an alderman in April, is still serving on the planning and zoning commission. Per the ordinance only one current member of the board of aldermen can serve on the commission. That aldermen is selected by the mayor and approved by the board and Alderman Kari Hartley was selected to continue in that role at the April 23 board meeting. 

Smith-Fernandez has maintained that planning and zoning is new to the city, the commission was first formed in November 2022, they have been ironing out kinks and fixing mistakes throughout the process. 

She said she would consult with the board and one of the aldermen, either Hartley or Wortham, will be stepping down from the commission. 

The ordinance states the commission can be made up of no less than five, and no more than 15 citizen members including the mayor and an alderman appointed by the board if they choose. Commissioners are to serve staggered, multi-year terms per the ordinance. 

Mayor Jerry Cannon, has not elected to serve on the planning and zoning commission, leaving the responsibility up to the current members. 

Smith-Fernandez said the city is actively looking for new members of the commission and will work with applicants to ensure the board’s geographic diversity increases. 

“We’re definitely looking for members of the public to join the commission,” she said.