A special meeting for the Knox Planning Commission has been scheduled for Jan. 14, and Board President Jeff V. Berg told WKVI that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the appointment of a planning commissioner.
A dispute is currently ongoing between Mayor Rick Chambers and the Planning Commission as to who gets to appoint the planning commissioner. Chambers said he believes it’s his appointment, while Berg feels the appointment is theirs to decide. Unfortunately, Chambers said it’s a confusing matter because it has been done both ways in the past.
Berg said he is not trying to usurp the mayor’s authority; rather, he said he just wants to make sure the matter is handled correctly. He said that he knows that the previous planning commissioner, Greg Matt, was hired by the Planning Commission because they went through the interview process and chose him over other candidates.
Berg explained he is going to be contacting the mayor of Delphi, a community of 2700 citizens and the county seat for Carroll County, to inquire as to who appoints the planning commissioner in their community.
Berg was previously the president of the Knox City Council, but he was not reappointed to the position. He said that’s no big deal to him, and he’s going to focus on improving the Planning Commission to ensure they can “truly advance” and keep track of things. He said whoever is appointed to the position of planning commissioner is going to have accountability to the board, and Berg expects to see accomplishments, as well as figures and numbers, and regular inspections be conducted on time.
The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Knox City Hall.
