Bottom Line

Douglas County commissioners will discuss the possibility of creating separate planning commissions for the city of Lawrence and for Douglas County.

Jere McElhaney, commission chairman, suggested the possibility last month. He said he had become frustrated that the planning commission was too heavily weighed toward urban concerns.

Linda Finger, director of the city-county planning department, compiled a list of steps that would need to be taken to create separate planning commissions: one for city issues and another for county issues.

Among the necessary steps: creation of separate land-use plans for the city and county; revision of city and county zoning regulations; and determination of how to handle budget issues.

Background

Finger completed her report a week ago. Since then, McElhaney’s fellow commissioners have weighed in on the issue:

 Commissioner Bob Johnson: “I can’t see a single positive.”

 Commissioner Charles Jones: “I’d be surprised if there are two votes to go down this road.”

McElhaney, for his part, said he’d heard from about 30 people wondering whether a separate planning commission could be created to address rural concerns.

“I thought it was worth pursuing and worth looking at,” he said last week.

The 10-member planning commission reviews and recommends requests for zoning and other matters that guide development in the city and rural areas of the county.

Five members are appointed by the Lawrence City Commission; five are appointed by the Douglas County Commission.

Other business

 Notify officials in Clinton Township about Linda Steele’s application for a temporary license to sell beer from noon May 3 to noon May 5 at 798 N. 1415 Road in Clinton State Park.

 Consider approving a resolution to amend the administrative structure of Douglas County Community Corrections. The change formally would put community corrections employees under the supervision of Douglas County Dist. Judge Robert Fairchild.

 Discuss the possibility of creating separate planning commissions for the city of Lawrence and for Douglas County.

 Discuss the possibility of buying three radio base stations for public safety emergency communications.

 Consider approval of bids for supply and application of dust palliative material on roads in rural Douglas County.