Planning Board Seeks Applications for Vacancy

For anyone who's ever dreamed of serving on the planning board of a fast-growing county, your chance is here: The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Montgomery County Planning Board.

Planning board member Marye Wells-Harley's term expires on June 14, 2013, and she has "indicated her intent to apply for reappointment to a second term," according to a statement from the office of the county council.

Want to run for the $30,000-a-year, council-appointed position? Submit a letter expressing your interest and a resume "listing professional and civic experience, political party affiliation, home and office telephone numbers and an email address" by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, according to the statement. (Send to: Council President Nancy Navarro, County Council Office, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, MD 20850, or email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.)

Members serve four-year terms, and are limited to two full terms.

The board meets all day—and usually in the evening—on Thursdays. It occasionally meets on one other evening during the week. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (of which board members are a part) meets on the third Wednesday of every month. And, "substantial time is required for scheduled and informal meetings, preparatory work and other activities related to Planning Board responsibilities," according to the council office statement.

The board is the council's main adviser on land use and community planning, and members also serve as commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the statement added. Responsibilities of the planning board include:

• Preparation and amendment of the Montgomery County General Plan.
• Preparation and amendment of master plans and functional plans.
• Formulation of subdivision regulations.
• Preparation of or recommendations on text amendments to the Montgomery County Zoning Ordinance.
• Implementation of the subdivision process by reviewing and approving all preliminary plans, site plans and other plans for development.
• Advising on the planning implication of capital facilities and programs of the county government, Montgomery College, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and Montgomery County Public Schools.
• Commenting, under the board's "Mandatory Referral" authority, on plans for public facilities of local, state and federal agencies.
• Approving the work program and annual operating budget for the planning department and the commission’s bi-county offices.

Interviews for the position will be held in May. Note that "the names of all applicants are published and available for public review and interviews are conducted in public. A financial statement of assets, debts, income and family property interests will be required of all applicants. Only the candidates appointed will be required to make their financial statements available to the public," the statement added.

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