After the planning commission was abolished, preparation for Troy’s new planning board continues.
Troy’s City Council held a special finance meeting Thursday night to discuss legislation regarding the city’s new planning board.
The former planning commission was scrapped last week after the council’s Republican majority voted against it.
The move has the backing of Mayor Carmella Mantello, who called the planning commission “dysfunctional” for allegedly delaying projects. Supporters of the old commission contend it had approved all 118 projects brought before it in recent years and that the move is a “power grab” by the first-term Republican.
Members of the former commission said they were asking the necessary questions and making reasonable requests, including requests for ADA compliancy, green space, and fencing, as laid out in the site plan checklist and city code (285-64 section E (c)).
Mantello says the new legislation takes resident concerns into consideration, adding the legislation outlines where members may receive their mandatory four hours of training.
“This is not just about new, new members. It's also about rejuvenating, you know, a really important board commission, whichever you want to call it, and really provide them the tools to do their job,” Mantello said. “So, we're going to have more workshops prior to the meetings.”
Mantello says the city has received several applications.
According to the law, the board will be made up of five members, “at least three of whom must have substantial experience in one or more fields related to land use, including, but not limited to, engineering, architecture, real estate, law, surveying, or other profession or experience related to land use.”
Appointees will serve five-year terms, and the mayor may fill vacancies as necessary.
Councilmember Katie Spain-McLaren, a Democrat from District 3, expressed concern that current city employees are allowed on the board, pointing to potential conflicts of interest. Councilmembers are prohibited from sitting on the board.
Deputy Corporation Counsel Rick Morrissey says the mayor has no intention of appointing employees who would frequently encounter conflicts.
“An alternate would only be for a particular matter when a board member had a conflict with a matter, so I do not believe that the alternates would attend every meeting or have to familiarize themselves with more than one application at a time, because I don't envision a lot of conflicts,” Morrissey said.
Spain-McLaren voted against the ordinance adding the planning board to the city’s code and against a resolution meant to establish training requirements for members of said board.
“Even though it was better defined, was not an exhaustive list. And I do feel like that's something that, in the past, has been done by the planning commissioner, coordinated effort to get everybody to go to the same trainings, but maybe different sessions, things like that,” Spain-McLaren said. “I don't I think this was a way to show that they were, you know, ‘providing training to the new board.’ But in essence, it's not one bit different from the training that has already been required by the state. Nothing new, nothing different. Just set forth to make it look like the new board will be trained better than the commission that was just abolished.”
After some confusion between Corporation Counsel, the council, and the administration, it became clear Thursday that the city would cover the cost of land use trainings, which are typically free or low-cost, for board members.
Additionally, the board will have two alternate members, in case of conflicts. Each alternate will be paid half of the $2,000 salary allotted to regular members.
Applications are being accepted for the planning board and are due August 9th.
The proposals now move forward to a final vote August 8th.
