By Jessie Burchette

Salisbury Post

County commissioners have downsized the Rowan County Planning Board.

On a split vote Monday night, commissioners approved shrinking the board from 11 members to nine.

Chairman Arnold Chamberlain, Vice Chairman Chad Mitchell and Commissioner Jon Barber joined to approve the staff recommendation to downsize the board.

Chamberlain, Mitchell and Barber first joined to defeat a motion by commissioners Jim Sides and Tina Hall to leave the Planning Board at its current size.

Ed Muire, planning director, said the staff felt the smaller board would be more efficient and generate better discussion. He pointed out that the state requires only three members.

Muire said the county’s Zoning Board of Adjustments will likely be reduced to five members within the next couple of months.

“What you decide is OK,” said Terry Hill, chairman of the Planning Board. But Hill said the board operates well with 11 members.

James Rollans, a Mount Ulla resident who frequently attends meetings of both the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners, also spoke in favor of keeping the board at 11 members. Rollans said having a good cross-section of the community represented is more important than efficiency.

“What has been the problem with 11 board members?” Hall asked.

Muire said there hasn’t been a problem but the staff believes it’s an opportunity to create a better working environment.

Responding to questions from Hall, Muire said no Planning Board member had cited any problems or asked that the board be reduced.

Sides said he had checked the attendance record of the board for the past three years and it has been very good.

“I don’t want to take the opportunity away from people who want to serve,” Sides said.

Chamberlain praised Hill while saying the issue was about making the board more functional, not about getting rid of certain members. He went on the make clear that he doesn’t think all of the members contribute equally. “We have an 11-member Planning Board. We don’t have 11 good Planning Board members.”

“In your opinion, that board will be better at nine?” Mitchell asked Muire.

“Yes, sir,” Muire replied.

Following the vote to shrink the board to nine seats, the board considered filling the two remaining vacant seats.

Planning Board members Joe Teeter, Melanie Earle and Greg Edds had applied for appointments. Others seeking appointment included Dr. Arthur Steinberg, Carl Ford, Ann Furr and Harry Kenneth Smith Jr.

Mitchell nominated Teeter, who was re-elected as vice chairman of the Planning Board last month. Sides nominated Ford, an unsuccessful GOP candidate for the Board of Commissioners. Barber nominated Earle and Edds.

Earle won the appointment in the first round with four votes.

Commissioners then did a second round of voting with Edds and Ford, who got two votes each in the first round.

Ford quickly won the second seat with the support of Hall, Sides and Mitchell.