Letter to the editor; City Planning Commission needs new members

In The Jamestown Sun’s “On the Issues” questions to the mayor and council candidates, the The Sun made the statement “Yet the mayor can choose not to appoint members to boards and they go unfilled.” I did attempt to make appointments to the Planning Commission and the Renaissance Zone Committee, all who are competent business and professional people. This council refused to approve my nominations.

After this council’s action of refusal, any attempt by me to nominate any more people for appointments to the various boards would be a waste of my and everyone else’s time. I believe that the current Planning Commission is not fulfilling its obligation of planning which its name implies. The positions do not go unfilled. The people currently serving continue to serve.

Regarding your question “Is planning needed to facilitate future development in the area west of the city near the Regional Medical Center (RMC)?” This planning by the Planning Commission should have been done prior to its recommending the approval of annexing the land for the RMC. Just as planning should have been done prior to extending a contract with Stutsman Rural Water to sell them city water. My question to this council and Planning Commission has been “How do you plan to entice the property owners west of 17th Avenue Southwest to agree to be annexed into the city of Jamestown, to increase our tax base, now that they will have good water?”

Regarding this hospital project and infrastructure, I had several meetings over the last year and a half with the hospital administration people in an attempt to convince them of the need to involve, in the planning up front, the landowners whose land they need to get easements from for the water and sewer. These easements are still not in place.

Now we are learning from city staff that we don’t have a sufficient water supply for other development south of Interstate 94. Water to the hospital should have been addressed with planning for adequate water for growth for the entire area from the medical center on the west to the State Hospital on the east end and south to the city limits. Adequate planning by the Planning Commission should have revealed this information prior to the annexation. Thus, there is a need for new people on the Planning Commission.

Clarice Liechty

Jamestown

(Liechty is Jamestown’s outgoing mayor)

Tags: opinion, letters, planning