Almost a dozen people spoke during the 90-minute discussion within the four-hour meeting against the text amendment. This included Bill Becker, former city manager and police chief; Debbie Houser, Middletown City Schools superintendent; and Rick Pearce, president and CEO of the Middletown Chamber of Commerce.
No audience members spoke in favor of the text amendment.
City Planner Claire Fetters said planning commission recommended in February not to approve the text amendment.
City council requested the change to allow for the council to appoint all seven members of the planning commission. The text amendment also modifies that only city council can appoint a new member to a vacancy.
The school board seat on the planning commission allows the school board to have a say on zoning and development projects to infrastructure and public facility planning, some people said
In the past, the school board has worked alongside the city on the siting of new school buildings, the development of city facilities, and rezoning decisions that impact traffic patterns, pedestrian access and neighborhood density.
Todd Moore, a school board member who served as the planning commission representative for 10 years, spoke against the text amendment.
“I’m here tonight to ask you to deny what I believe is an unwarranted and wrong text amendment,” Moore said.
In the 10 years that Moore served as the planning commission representative, he said that he “never heard an issue” about the structure of the planning commission.
He said that the city council “could not establish a rationale” as to why they wanted to remove the school board seat.
Councilman Paul Horn approached Moore with the idea of removing the school board seat in October 2024, according to Moore.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The reason that Horn gave at the time, according to Moore, was that the Comprehensive School Compensation Agreement prohibited Moore from asking any questions about a Tax Increment Financing document, or TIF.
Moore said the school board legal counsel indicated that the Comprehensive School Compensation Agreement “does not preclude” a school board member from serving on the planning commission.
“What is going on? Why are we doing this?” Moore said to the standing-room only crowd.
Moore removed himself as the planning commission representative in December 2024 because he was “not interested” in applying to the planning commission as a school board member, as Horn suggested to him.
“I wasn’t interested in saving myself, I was interested in what this relationship means between Middletown City Schools and you, as the city council,” Moore said.
Horn said that “no significant decisions” are made at planning commission.
“If you’re a school teacher, a school administrator, on the school board or even just a parent with a child in the school system, I’m just going to be brutally honest, having one seat on planning commission does not do a thing for you,” Vice Mayor Steve West said.
We are not just partners, we are co-architect's of Middletown's future. When we plan together, and lead together, we ensure a thriving, connected and prosperous community.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
West said that “educational choice is expanding” and that “change is very hard” in Middletown. “More and more families in this city are sending their kids to private schools.” He said he sent his kids to private schools, but he doesn’t want “everybody to do that.”
Councilman Paul Lolli said there are real estate, construction and development organizations in Middletown that have asked Lolli why they don’t have a seat on the planning commission. “They have a point,” he said.
Lolli said that there was no “legitimate reason” to continue with the school board seat on planning commission, adding the school board can still have a seat if they apply and lobby city council.
Mayor Elizabeth Slamka said that “being able to vote is a voice.”
“My vote would be to keep the relationship going between the schools and the city council in this way, plus I really do like what Mr. West said about having the meetings...so we can actually speak directly as full city council and full school board,” Mayor Slamka said.
West said he wants to work directly with the school board and superintendent, Debbie Houser.
Houser spoke against the text amendment, saying that the seat is “not symbolic.”
“We are not just partners, we are co-architect’s of Middletown’s future,” Houser said. “When we plan together, and lead together, we ensure a thriving, connected and prosperous community.”
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