By Adam Pagnucco.
The Montgomery County Council has obtained the resignation of all five members of the planning board. I will have more to say about this soon, but for the moment, the press release from the council appears below.
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Montgomery County Planning Board Commissioners Resign
Montgomery County Council will move swiftly to select new Planning Board
ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 12, 2022—The Montgomery County Council has accepted the resignations of Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, Vice Chair Partap Verma and Commissioners Gerald Cichy, Tina Patterson and Carol Rubin. These resignations are effective immediately.
“The Montgomery County Council is united in taking the steps necessary to ensure that the Montgomery County Planning Board can serve its critical functions and oversee the Planning and Parks Departments’ important work for our community,” said Council President Gabe Albornoz. “The Council has lost confidence in the Montgomery County Planning Board and accepted these resignations to reset operations. We are acting with deliberate speed to appoint new commissioners to move Montgomery County forward. We thank the commissioners for their service to our County.”
“The Council is confident that the Planning Department’s newly appointed Acting Director Tanya Stern will provide steady leadership in the weeks ahead. The Council also appreciates and supports Park and Planning staff.”
The Council is scheduled to select new temporary acting Planning Board commissioners on Oct. 25 and is immediately seeking individuals with expertise in land use, planning, economic development, transportation, and environmental and park issues. Montgomery County residents who are interested in filling these temporary acting positions should apply to the Council by Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. More information about this process can be found on the Council’s webpage here. The Council will separately conduct a formal application process for individuals wishing to be appointed to serve out the terms of the officially vacant seats.
Montgomery County Planning Board commissioners are Council appointments and generally serve four-year terms. The Planning Board serves as the Council’s principal adviser on land use planning and community planning. Additionally, Planning Board members serve as commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
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