Council Seeks Applicants for Planning Board

The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill two vacancies on the Montgomery County Planning Board. The first terms of Norman Dreyfuss (R) and Casey Anderson (D) expire on June 14. Both Mr. Dreyfuss and Mr. Anderson have indicated their intent to apply for reappointment to a second term. Mr. Anderson currently serves as Planning Board chair.

No more than three members of the Planning Board may be from the same political party, and each member must be a resident and registered voter of Montgomery County when appointed.

Members serve four-year terms and are limited to two full terms. The positions can be filled by a Democrat, a Republican, a voter who declines to affiliate with a party or a member of another party officially recognized by the Montgomery County Board of Elections. In addition to Mr. Anderson and Mr. Dreyfuss, current board members are Natali Fani-Gonzalez (D), Amy Presley (R) and Marye Wells-Harley (D).

Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29.

Annual compensation for board members is currently $30,000. The chair currently earns $200,000 annually. The Council expects to set the salary for the chair prior to the appointment

The Planning Board serves as the Council’s principal adviser on land use planning and community planning. Planning Board members also serve as commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

The Planning Board’s responsibilities with regard to planning include preparation and amendment of the 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 County Zoning Code; implementation of the subdivision process by reviewing and approving all preliminary plans, site plans and other plans for development; advice on the planning implications of capital facilities and programs of the County government, Montgomery College, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and Montgomery County Public Schools; commenting, under its mandatory referral authority, on plans for public facilities of local, state and federal agencies; and approval of the work program and the annual operating budget for the Planning Department and the Commission’s bi-county offices.
The Planning Board sits as the Park Commission and approves the annual Parks Department operating budget and Capital Improvements Program (CIP); land acquisition contracts and major development contracts for parks; development plans for individual park facilities; policies for park operations; and park user fees.
The Planning Board meets all day, including into the evening, every Thursday and will schedule other meetings, as needed. The entire Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission meets on the third Wednesday of every month. On average, a Planning Board member may spend two full days a week in scheduled and informal meetings. Additionally, substantial time is required for preparatory work and other activities related to Planning Board responsibilities.
Letters of application expressing interest, including a resume listing professional and civic experience, should be addressed to: Council President George Leventhal, County Council Office, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. Applications can also be submitted via email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the deadline. After the closing date, Councilmembers will review the letters of application and select applicants for interviews to be held soon thereafter.

Letters of application and resumes are made public as part of the appointment process, and are available for public review. The interviews are conducted in public and will be televised. A resume of professional and civic experience should be included with each letter of application. A financial disclosure statement of assets, debts, income and family property interests will be required to be filed by each applicant. Only the ultimate appointee will be required to make the financial disclosure statement available to the public.

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