Ghent P&Z may drop to five members

Zoning administrator Jack Duncan was officially named a member of the Ghent Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday, Sept. 6.

Duncan replaces Rusty Whisman, who resigned as chairman of the commission in May. Because the city council did not appoint a replacement within the state-mandated 60 days since Whisman’s resignation, the task fell to the P&Z, which voted unanimously to appoint Duncan.

Duncan was appointed in the same manor to serve as zoning administrator in July.

Moments later, the commission accepted the resignation of its vice chairman, James Walker. In a letter to the city dated Sept. 5, Walker announced his resignation, effective immediately.

Commissioner Ron Walker, also James Walker’s brother, nominated commissioner David Hendren to serve as vice chairman. Hendren accepted the nomination, and the motion was passed unanimously.

Back down to five members from the six required of its by-laws, commissioners decided to discuss amending the by-laws at its next meeting to reduce membership to five, thus doing away with the need for finding another person to fill Walker’s vacancy.

The by-laws for the board have been changed previously regarding the number of members. When the commission was re-established in 2008, after several years of being defunct, the city commission appointed seven members: Karen Browning, Ron Walker, Susie Crase, Steve Barr, Judy Smith, Charlene Torline and Joe Beall Sr.

Coincidentally, the first order of business, at that time, was to hear a request from Gary and Cheryl Nohner, who were seeking a variance to set a double-wide modular home on property they own at 405 Davis Street. A lawsuit filed against the city and the P&Z in November by the Nohners regarding another of their properties, was settled through mediation Friday, Sept. 7. (See story, Page 1)

The next meeting of the P&Z was set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4. On the agenda is a discussion with owners of the former Ghent School property regarding their plans to develop the remainder of the lot on Main Street, next to the new Fastenal store, which is nearly complete.