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E-mail leads to boycott of transportation vote
An important vote on the countywide transportation plan was set for June 25 at a county Planning Commission meeting.
Despite months of intensive discussions on the topic, however, not enough commissioners attended the meeting June 25 to vote on the issue.
The reason for low attendance? An e-mail, several sources confirm, was sent by one of the commissioners asking members of the panel to boycott the vote.
The result of the boycott will push back a decision on the countywide transportation for months, county staff said.
The county Board of Supervisors was to receive the Planning Commission's recommendation in July and vote on the plan in the fall.
Planning Commission Chairwoman Peggie Maio said she wouldn't comment on the contents of the e-mail, but she said it did result in low attendance June 25.
“For sure the meeting was canceled for lack of quorum,” she said. Five of the nine planning commissioners must be present at a meeting for a vote to be taken.
Maio said some commissioners were concerned that they had not come to a decision on the transportation plan by the board's deadline.
“The issue was whether we could get the work done in time for a July public hearing," she said. "We have run out of time.”
A second meeting of the Planning Commission was scheduled for June 27 to continue talks and a possible vote on the countywide transportation plan. There was no quorum at this meeting either.
Senior county staff members said they were unaware that this e-mail was sent. They said no investigations were being conducted.
John Merrithew, of the county planning department, said he did not receive the e-mail in question but was warned ahead of time that there might not be a quorum at the June 25 meeting.
The Planning Commission, he said, had been reviewing the transportation plan for more than a year.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York (I-at large) said he had heard rumors of the e-mail but had not received it.
“I'll be very disappointed if there is an e-mail,” he said.
He added that the county is out of time and resources to continue analyzing the transportation plan. York said he thought the minority opinion holders weren't ready to vote June 25 and took advantage of the situation.
York said the Planning Commission should have asked the board for more time rather than dodging the vote through e-mails.
Like the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission takes its recess in August. This means a decision could be made sometime during the fall rather than the July deadline pursued by the board.
Contact the reporter at hhobbs@timespapers.com
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