In its first meeting of the year, the Cortez Planning and Zoning Commission honored departing vice chair Ken Brengle while announcing the search for a new member.
Brengle has served on the board since October 2014, and he announced his plan to resign in December. During a brief meeting on Tuesday, the rest of the board thanked him for his service and voted to appoint Rebecca Levy as the new vice chair.
The city is seeking a new board member, and clerk Linda Smith said one person has already submitted a letter of intent.
“Every single item that came through here, you knew Kenny was going to vote his conscience and do what he felt was right for the town,” board chairman Danny Giannone said. “I wanted to personally say thank you very much for joining and doing all that you did.”
Mayor Karen Sheek presented Brengle with a plaque to honor his time on the board, and thanked him on behalf of the city.
“I always think it’s a shame that we wait until somebody resigns ... to bring up what a great job they did and how much we appreciate their service,” she said.
Brengle said he would miss being on the board, but he said he hoped to spend more time with his family on Tuesday nights.
The board voted unanimously to make Levy vice chairwoman and to reinstate Giannone as chairman. Smith recommended the board address the new board candidate’s application at the February meeting, and City Manager Shane Hale recommended the board members conduct a public interview during a future meeting to ensure the hiring process is transparent.
The city clerk’s office will continue accepting board member applications until the position is filled. Planning and zoning board members meet once a month and are paid $25 per meeting.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also voted unanimously to recommend approval of an amendment to a high-impact permit on 6950 County Road 24.2 that would allow recreational vehicles and storage units to be stored on the property. City Planner Tracie Hughes presented a draft of the master street plan that would, if adopted by the city, provide guidelines for future road construction in the three-mile area around Cortez set out by the Three Mile Plan.
