Planning commission not <br />adhering to its goals <br />I served on the Lane County Planning Commission from 2010 to 2014. <br />The Planning Commission is under the administration of Lane County’s <br />Land Management Division. Planning commissioners judge proposed or <br />existing land use practices based on Oregon statewide planning goals <br />and guidelines. Goal 1, citizen involvement, is the first of 19 goals <br />because “extensive citizen participation has been the hallmark of the <br />state’s planning program from the outset.” <br />During my tenure on the Planning Commission, I found that Lane <br />County does not comply with Goal 1. That is a serious criticism that <br />needs to be evaluated not by opinion, but by the state’s Goal 1 guidelines. <br />Goal 1 guidelines can be divided into “shalls,” those practices used to <br />determine compliance, and “shoulds,” or those guidelines recommended <br />by the state to achieve citizen involvement. <br />Oregon’s statewide planning goals and guidelines require that every city <br />and county have a Citizens Involvement Committee to “monitor and <br />encourage active citizen involvement.” Lane County’s general plan <br />policies require that the Planning Commission function as the Citizen <br />Involvement Program Committee of Lane County. <br />As a new planning commissioner, I was never told that. What’s more, <br />throughout my tenure the Planning Commission never met as the CIPC, <br />nor did we comply with Planning Commission bylaws by making <br />recommendations in an annual report to the Lane County Board of <br />Commissioners. <br />Goal 1 requires that the CIPC shall assist the Board of Commissioners by <br />developing a program that promotes citizen involvement in land use <br />planning, helps in the implementation of the program and evaluates the <br />process being used for citizen involvement. <br />4 <br /> <br />