Montgomery County Planning Board Planning Board With Temps – GNT NEWS

A week after five members of the Montgomery County Planning Board resigned, the county council plans to appoint an interim planning board to oversee ongoing projects, Council President Gabe Albornoz said.

Five board members resigned last Wednesday after a series of controversies that included allegations of a toxic and misogynistic workplace and ethics violations. Albornoz said the council has heard from former planning board members and experienced individuals who are interested in filling the temporary positions.

“These will be the guards,” Albornoz said. “These will be people who will build the bridge until we are able to appoint permanent members at that time, but again, the next council will make those appointments because of the timing of all this.”

The board focuses on approving individual development proposals and long-term plans for what the county will look like in the future.

Two upcoming planning board meetings have been canceled. The full council will interview candidates for the interim positions on Oct. 25 and vote on the interim board two days later.

“I think some of the conflicts that arose were not specifically related to the jobs that the planning board members have, but there were other external factors that were being reported that created conflict that really began to bleed into staff morale in a very significant way. way,” said Albronoz.

Albornoz said he doesn’t think the resignations will disrupt any ongoing projects, and the council hopes to have a permanent board in place by December.