(A) Membership. To guarantee balanced input from across the county in areas where the county has jurisdiction over land use decisions, and the impacts of those decisions on adjacent population areas, the Commission shall consist of seven members who shall be appointed by the Board of County Commissioners from the following areas of the county: one member from Blanding area; one member from Monticello area; one member from Bluff area; one member from La Sal area; one member from Spanish Valley area; one member from a special service district within the county and one member at-large. In addition to the seven members, the Board of County Commissioners may appoint one non-voting, ex-officio staff member to serve as liaison between the Board of County Commissioners and the Commission and provide administrative support to the Commission. Board of County Commissioners members may not serve as regular members of the Commission.
(B) Term of office. The term of office for Commission members shall be staggered so that the terms of at least one member and no more than three members expire each year. As the term of each regular member expires, the vacancy thus created shall be filled by a majority vote of the Board of County Commissioners for a term of four years, so as to maintain the succession of staggered terms of service.
(1) Terms of all Commissioners begin on January 1 and expire on December 31 of the fourth year following the year of appointment. If the Board of County Commissioners has not appointed a new member(s) to the Commission at the expiration of term, the current Commission member(s) will remain on the Planning Commission until replaced by appointment of the Board of County Commissioners.
(2) Current Commissioners whose term has expired can submit their name for consideration to renew for an additional four-year term by notifying the Commission Chair and County Administrator.
(C) Vacancies. County staff shall notify the current Commission of those members whose terms will expire at the end of the calendar year. In cases where a vacancy is created during the middle of a Board member’s term (mid-term vacancy), county staff shall notify the Commission as soon as practically possible. County staff shall post a notice of Board vacancies, including mid-term vacancies, in a local newspaper of record.
(D) Candidate interest. In early November of each year, the County Administrator shall cause notice of appointment(s) to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The Planning and Zoning Department shall be responsible for the costs of such advertisement. Such notice shall state the nature and term of the appointment(s), the qualification for such appointment, request written statements of interest and qualifications, and establish a deadline for submittal of such statements, which time shall not be earlier than 15 days from the date of publication.
(E) Candidate qualifications.
(1) Required conditions. Commission candidates shall be a resident and registered voter of the county.
(2) Preferred qualifications. Experience or knowledge in land use, knowledge of county and local issues, a good listener, ability to communicate and analytical reasoning are preferred.
(3) Training. Trainings through the State Property Ombudsman or other state-approved trainings are encouraged and will be considered when determining qualifications.
(4) Exception. Preferred qualifications may be waived dependent upon a lack of preferred qualifications with those candidates applying for vacancies, and the need for balanced input as outlined in division (A) above may necessitate.
(F) Candidate interviews. Upon availability, a member of the County Board of Commissioners, a Planning Commission member who is not also a candidate, county zoning staff, County Attorney and County Administrator may interview qualified candidates and provide a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. At the start of each interview, candidates will be given three to five minutes to briefly introduce themselves and to provide relevant information as to background and experience. During the interview process, the committee are encouraged to ask questions which verify a candidate’s land use knowledge, experience, eligibility and availability to meet the requirements of service. The committee shall ask the same questions of each candidate. After responding to those questions, Commissioners may ask the applicant additional clarifying questions if necessary based on the responses the applicant has given.
(G) Voting.
(1) The committee shall vote upon the names of candidates in alphabetical order. Each committee member shall be entitled to one vote for each vacancy. Committee members shall vote by voice or a raise of hands. If requested by the Chair, written ballots may be used for voting purposes.
(2) Staff will tally the number of votes cast for each candidate and read this information back to the committee. The committee, by motion will forward this recommendation, including any findings, to the Board of County Commissioners for consideration.
(H) Recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners.
(1) The planning staff or the County Administrator as directed by the Chairperson, shall present the committee’s recommendation, including any findings, to the Board of County Commissioners.
(2) When presented with a recommendation(s) for election to the Commission, the County Commissioners may:
(a) Accept or reject the recommendation(s) as presented in total or part; and/or
(b) Instruct the County Administrator to continue the process for an additional 30 days to solicit additional candidates before making a decision.
(Ord. 2020-03, passed 2-18-2020; Ord. 2020-03A, passed 3-15-2022)