Frisco City Council approved a request to amend the zoning ordinance regarding the commissioners’ term length and term limits during its July 7 meeting. Commissioners were previously limited to two consecutive three-year terms. All seven current commissioners are presently in their second terms on the commission.
“This would make planning and zoning commissioners terms and term limits similar to council’s in that it would be three [consecutive] three-year terms,” Council Member Bill Woodard said.
The change will also bring the commissioners' terms in line with those of board members for the city’s Economic Development Corporation and Community Development Corporation, Woodward added.
Council appoints the members of the Planning & Zoning Commission as well as the EDC and CDC boards. The commission reviews zoning change requests and planned amendments to the zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance and comprehensive plan. It then makes recommendations to council on those matters. The commissioners also have authority to approve or deny plats and site plans.
The commission recommended approval of the request to extend term lengths during its June 23 meeting and council approved it unanimously, though Council Member John Keating was absent from the July 7 meeting.
“We’re still serving at the pleasure of the City Council,” P&Z Chair Rob Cox said during the commission’s June 23 meeting. “This does not guarantee anybody that they’re going to be on planning and zoning for a period of time other than the initial term they are appointed to.”
Cox said he supported the request because he believes it takes around two years to learn the role of a commissioner and what they do for the city and its citizens.
“From a zoning commission perspective, not from a political perspective, I think this does make sense to match the other roles,” he said.
