Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Planning to Make a Difference

Name the people who are involved with government and who make a big difference in the community for good or for bad. Obviously, the names of city council and school board members come to mind. But what if you want to make a difference through public policy and don't want to run for office? Or what if you have a specific interest in how our city will look and feel in 10 years? Do you care what kind of businesses and housing we have?

There's a vacancy for a seat on the city's planning commission (which we officially call the Planning Advisory Board) It would be harder to name a more influential group in town in terms of land use issues because they often do the hard work and set the tone for the final decisions. They have dealt in everything from basic zoning to adult family homes and adult-oriented businesses.

Interestingly, nobody applied for the vacancy the first time. The opening is now being re-advertised, and the deadline is Oct. 29. If you have any time, please give some thought to applying. The planning commission can make a huge difference, and you could make a huge difference on it.

You can get a lot more information about the planning board - and several other advisory groups that have openings all the time - at http://www.cityoflakewood.us/department-pages/planning-advisory-board.html