Planning Commissioners Journal

Final Results of our January Poll -- Gender is Focus of February Poll

Here are the final totals on our January poll. 

 Check out our just-posted February poll on the gender make-up of local planning commissions (you'll find the poll is in the left-hand sidebar). 

After voting, consider taking a minute to add a comment about whether you think the gender composition of a local planning commission matters. Although this is not a scientific poll, we're still interested about both the poll results and your comments.

At the Wayzata Bar & Grill

Spotted this agenda for last night's meeting of the Wayzata, Minnesota, Planning Commission -- note the area I've highlighted in yellow. Does your community's planning commission get together after its meetings for some informal conversation? Do you also note it on your agenda & invite the public? 

 

 

When Attorneys for Developers Contribute to Local Candidates

 Came across an interesting op-ed written by Andy Green, a member of the Baltimore Sun newspaper's editorial board. Green's piece discusses a report by Bryan Sears in the suburban Towson Times paper about how attorneys for developers are making substantial campaign contributions to candidates running for spots on the County's governing body. What happens in Baltimore County is certainly not unique in the U.S., and probably not all that unusual. We'd welcome any comment you'd care to add on how politics and land use mix (or are kept apart) in your own community.

• To read the full op-ed, Developers playing politics in Baltimore County? We're shocked! (Dec. 15, 2009)
• To read the article in the Towson Times that the op-ed is responding to, see Development attorneys working to fill war chests for county council hopefuls (Dec. 11, 2009)

Here are some brief excerpts from Green's op-ed.

"Perhaps the most surprising thing about the report by Bryan Sears of the Towson Times that two development attorneys ... are making a major fundraising push to back favored Baltimore County Council candidates in potentially open races is that they're limiting their ambition to three districts. ... Why not try to buy a clear majority? ...

 Land-use decisions are the County Council's most important power -- and certainly the area in which it has the most potential to affect people's pocketbooks. The typical council practice of extending courtesy over land-use decisions to the councilman in whose district a piece of property is located further concentrates the authority and raises the question of whether campaign contributions amount to an investment in good government or in personal profit. It would be shocking if developers and their attorneys didn't play the political money game.

Is it a good thing for the county to have so much influence -- or at least the appearance of it -- concentrated in a few well-maincured hands? Probably not, but there's nothing illegal about it, and there's not much likelihood that crying foul will change the situation."

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Note from Wayne Senville, Editor, Planning Commissioners Journal:

We've posted a simple "yes/no" poll question on our web site for January asking whether you think it is ethical for attorneys for developers to contribute to candidates for a local governing body. Vote in this poll. Note, you can add additional comments or explanation fafter you vote.

Planning Commissioners Journal columnist Greg Dale has previously touched on issues related to this in his "Ethics & the Planning Commission" column. For excerpts from Dale's articles & to order and download them:

• Who Do You Work For? (when the Mayor sees you as his voice on the planning commission, what should you do?)
• No Strings Attached? (Has anyone ever offered you a gift or favor because you're a planning commissioner?)