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Russ Soyring, Planning Director for the City of Traverse City, Michigan, feels that "having an architect on the Commission helps fellow Commissioners understand building plans better," while Marty Ryan, City Planner for Cedar Falls, Iowa, reports that his city seeks to have a geographically balanced commission, without a "clustering" of members from one or two parts of the city.

Timothy Huey, Planning Director for Scott County, Iowa, noted that "given the importance of agriculture in Scott County, there's an effort to have individuals with farming backgrounds serve on the commission." Currently Scott County's seven member commission includes three farmers. Huey did add, however, that "a good planning commissioner is someone who has a good sense of the community character and understands that commissioners represent the whole community and not just their neighborhood or profession."

Better gender balance was listed as a goal in several replies. Cindy Gray, a senior planner and zoning administrator in Fargo, North Dakota, told us of efforts to increase gender diversity on the Fargo Planning Commission. Three women now serve on the 11 member board (up from just one recently). Interestingly, Gray also reported that "we have tried to get an age balance on the Planning Commission ... and have made efforts to have someone on the Planning Commission who lives in rental housing or in the downtown area"" though, Gray observes, "that's been difficult."

Criteria for Board Composition

We did hear back from several communities which do have written criteria on planning commission composition. For example, Bryan Wood, Zoning Administrator for the City of Greenville, South Carolina told us that by city ordinance planning commissioners are to be appointed "in consideration of their professional expertise, knowledge of the community, and concern for the welfare of the total community and its citizens" and that "membership shall represent a broad cross section of the interests and concerns of persons residing and doing business within the city." Reflecting this charge, the Commission currently includes an architect, two lawyers, a residential builder, a realtor, a planning professor, and one retiree.

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