The township knew way before March 29 that they were going to have a planning commission meeting on April 2. However, the public did NOT know that. I call all these meetings and their agendas that are posted on a Thursday at the end of the day....with the township being closed on Fridays....with the meeting to be on Monday ---stealth meetings and a disservice to the public it serves. There is no good reason for not posting the new date and new outline of what may be discussed ....days after the last scheduled meeting date.
Here is some information about what happened at the Planning Commission meeting on April 2, 2012. I did not attend this meeting as I missed the late Thursday noticing... I do not read the township website daily.
The township website link for this agenda and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the "meeting packet" that gives DETAILS of what the commissioners will see can be found here under "meeting packet".
PLEASE READ THE DETAILS FOR III and IV.
I am NOT sure that this site plan for the Maple Theater will be reviewed again at the Planning Commission. Minutes of this meeting will not appear on the township website until tomorrow: April 12, a Thursday. Decisions MAY have already been made. The township offices are closed on Fridays. The PUBLIC HEARING may be Monday, April 16, 2012 @ 7 PM for : Proposed Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance" IF it is at the Planning Commission. Or is this call for a ZONING change going to the ZBA? That meeting will be May 15, 2012 @ 7 PM. That meeting date was changed from May 8 because of the school election. By law, there SHALL be 15 days notice of the public hearing. The township has a category called : "Legal Notices" on their own website....but did not bother to mention this public hearing as of 11 am April 11. The "home" page on the township website apparently does not consider public hearings as "News and Events" worthy of first page notification. If the township KNOWS NOW of the public hearing...why not post it NOW?
I looked in the Eccentric newspaper of April 8 and no mention of this public hearing was posted there.
The township did post a notice of street lighting for a certain subdivision. Therefore, I consider this public hearing IF scheduled for Monday, April 16 @ 7 PM at the Planning Commission meeting illegal. IF scheduled for the ZBA it would be on TUESDAY, May 15. The township should still post the information on their website AS SOON AS KNOWN. It should be in the Eccentric the last week of April/first week of May.
However, which ever meeting will hold the PUBLIC HEARING there will be only printed minutes ..in the township version.....and NO audio/video tape will be made, although the township has the capability and money to do so....and therefore, no audio/video archived records will be archived on the township website. Please contact the township and ASK for all public meetings to be recorded and archived ASAP.
FYI: If the April 16, 2012 Planning Commission meeting is cancelled.....you will NOT see the minutes of April 2, 2012 until the Thursday before May 15. Note to township: it is easy to write DRAFT on a page and post it....why wait? Answer, the less the taxpayer knows... you won't interfere with the township leaders and employees changes to the township zoning and other policy changes..... Remember...the Township claims they "...know what services you need and want..." Why not try ASKING for a change? Or including us in the agendas of the different meetings?
The PAST agenda from the 4/2/12 Planning Commission meeting... see III and IV .....
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
TOWNSHIP AUDITORIUM
Monday, April 2, 2012 at 7:00 P.M.
I. Attendance
II. Approval of Minutes THOSE MINUTES WERE FROM DEC. 19, 2011 (marcia's comment)
III. Call for Public Hearing
A. Proposed Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance – Cinemas with a Class C License
IV. Site Plan Review
A. 4135 W. Maple Rd. – Maple Theater – Special Use with a Class C License
V. Discussion ItemsA. Items Not on the Agenda
VI. General Business
A. Election of Officers
B. 2011 Planning Commission Annual Report
C. Next Commission Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 16, 2012
VII. Adjournment
Posted: Thursday, March 29th, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment