The City of Sugar Land is looking for a few good commissioners. The city needs residents to volunteer as commissioners on its planning and zoning and building standards commissions, after a member of each body recently vacated his seat. Applicants must be city residents, and must have experience and training in matters pertaining to each commission. Members of the planning and zoning commission are responsible for reviewing issues related to land usage. The commission then recommends whether such usage requests should be approved or denied by the Sugar Land City Council, which has final say in the matters. The planning and zoning commission meets twice per month and additional discussion workshops are held as needed to review proposals and plans. Members typically spend six to seven hours per month on business related to the commission, according to city documents. Applicants for the planning and zoning commission should have an understanding of land use regulations, and issues related to real estate. Meanwhile, applicants for the seat on the building standards commission must have knowledge of property maintenance codes, and have experience and knowledge in matters related to building construction and property maintenance. “The candidates must have the necessary backgrounds, but we’re looking for a diversity of candidates; we don’t want all engineers, all surveyors, or all attorneys on the commissions,” Sugar Land Secretary Glenda Gundermann said. The planning and zoning commission counts among its current commissioners a healthcare executive, a former real estate developer, and a vice president of sales, marketing and training. Members of the buildings standards commission are responsible for making decisions concerning how to handle structures in the city that have fallen into disrepair. The buildings standards commission does not meet on a regular basis, but meets only when there are cases that need to be heard. Gundermann said the buildings standards commission heard two cases in 2016, with each case requiring the commission to meet twice. The terms needing to be filled expire Sept. 30, 2017. Members who wish to stay on as commissioners are then reexamined by city council at that time, Gundermann said. Timothy Hart vacated his seat on the planning and zoning commission, while T. Andrew Uschold vacated his seat on the building standards commission, Gundermann said. Both moved out of the area for work-related reasons. City council members will review the applications that are received and will then nominate candidates from that pool. Council members will then interview those nominees, and will then vote for their choices for each commission. The deadline to apply is April 10. Gundermann said the city council plans to review the applications in late April, and have the vacated seats filled by early summer.