Planning and Zoning Commission to Elect Chair

The Planning and Zoning Commission meets tonight for the first time since the election of two new members and one new alternate. For the next two years, the Commission will consist of:

• Barbara Plum
• Richard Pelletier
• James Fortuna
• Daniel Russo
• Catherine Johnson
• Nicholas Fazzino
• Les Adams
• Quentin Phipps (alternate)
• Carl Bolz (alternate)
• Ken McClellan (alternate)

The first order of business for tonight's meeting will be the annual election of officers to lead the Commission. In an interview this afternoon, Catherine Johnson suggested the following criteria for election as Chair of the Commission:

• Present at meetings
• Puts City's interests before any political interest
• Builds cooperation among commissioners
• Is accessible to the public and other commissioners
• Encourages collaboration with other city boards (Design Review, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, Economic Development Commission)
• Participates in Commission committees
• Contributes to Commission discussion
• Encourages commission education of best practices in urban planning, land use regulation, sustainable development, urban design
• Builds consensus for a city vision for its future economic and physical development
• Understands full current challenges in planning
• Plans annual calendar to accommodate goals of planning and vision
• Creates an annual report