Boards & Commissions

The Ward Planning Commission consists of seven (7) members serving five (5) year terms.  Members must live in the city limits of Ward and cannot be a full-time or part-time employee. 

What is a Planning Commission?

The Planning Commission’s primary role, as its name implies, is to plan.   A  Planning  Commission  is  a  body of citizens  that  serve  within  local  government,  acting  as  an  advisory group  to  the  municipal  governing  body on issues  and  policies  related  to  planning,  land  use  regulation,  and  community development.    Planning Commissioners  act  as  citizen  planners  and  work  to  develop  plans  and  implementation  policies  that  affect how their  community manages  changes  in  growth  and  development.

Who do Planning Commissioners Represent?

Planning Commissioners are appointed by the Mayor and represent the municipality at large.   Planning  Commissioners  do  not  represent  any particular  person,  business, or  group  within  their municipality.    Planning  Commissioners  should  strive  to  provide  input  and  guidance  that  will  positively  affect the  entire  municipality  and  excuse  themselves  from  any  actions  where  a  conflict  of  interest  could  be perceived.

Planning Commission Duties

While  planning  commissioners  are  appointed  by the  Mayor to act in  an  advisory role,  commissioners  should  be  unbiased  in  regards  to requests  and  proposals  and  consider the  overall  impacts  to  the community as  a whole. The  Planning  Commission  plays  a  crucial  role  in  shaping  the  future  of  the  community.    Considering  the  future of  the  community  and  developing  plans  to  guide  growth  and  development  is  both  complex  and  time consuming.