City of Alexander needs three volunteers

(Open letter to Alexander residents)

Dear City of Alexander Residents;

We need you! I am one of two members of the City of Alexander Planning Commission. Alderwoman Juanita Wilson (Ward-2) and I were recently appointed by Mayor Paul Mitchell to fill two of the five vacant seats on the newly re-established planning commission. I won’t go into the details as to how we got to this stage, but needless to say we need three more selfless city residents to help guide Alexander’s growth to the next level.

We have some catching up to do. For the past two plus years the city has been using the Saline County Planning Board Subdivision Rules and Regulations. Because Alexander didn’t have its own set of regulations, at least none that could be found, it was adopted as a temporary measure to allow the Meadow’s Edge Subdivision project to move forward. A city version, converting it from county to city, has never been proposed. The City’s zoning rules from the 1980s are outdated. The zoning map has never been updated since the annexation of Woodland Hills in 2006. And, of course, there is no current Land Use Map to guide new development in the now larger city.

The problem is, aside from myself and Wilson, no one has stepped-up to fill these vacancies. With only two of us we can’t have a meeting because a quorum of five is three.

State law also requires planning commissions to have one meeting per quarter, but with the amount of work that needs to be done immediately there may have to be a meeting a month for a while. Once we get past the backlog of non-accomplishments meetings should be able to be held every quarter, unless something comes up that can’t wait.

Legally, a planning commission is allowed to have a maximum of one-third of its members holding another elected or appointed position in the city. Since one-third of five is one no other members of the city council, or department heads, can hold a position on the planning commission. That’s why we need three residents to come forward and donate their talents and wisdom to help the City of Alexander move forward.

If you want to join the planning commission and make a difference in the City of Alexander send a brief resume with contact information to;

Mayor Paul Mitchell

City of Alexander

P. O. Box 610

Alexander, Ar 72002

Or, E-mail to

mayor@cityofalexander.com

If you know someone you feel would be helpful in planning the city’s future, speak to them and if they are willing have them submit their information to the address above.

Respectfully yours,

Michael Huck

City of Alexander Planning Commission Member

Former City of Alexander Alderman; Ward-3