Franklin County BOC Turns to Citizens to Form UDC Committee

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners has approved a plan to allow citizens to form a Unified Development Code Committee.

In discussions at their meeting this week, the Board heard from County attorney Bubba Samuels who pointed out that if the County forms the committee, it would have to be publicly advertised as a county meeting.  Another option, he said, is for citizens to form the committee.

Commissioner Busby offered to represent the County on a citizen-led UDC committee.

Commissioner Eddie Wester then suggested citizens who have concerns about the new UDC have an avenue to express those concerns by forming the committee.

“What if we allow the citizens who have volunteered to serve on that,” he said. “What we allow them to get together and make that decision. They can get in touch with Commissioner Busby and start the process of setting up a meeting and moving forward with it. There are one or two members of planning and zoning that are included and they can take that back to their board and Commissioner Busby can bring it back to our Board so everyone is in the loop of what’s going on at the same time. So maybe we let the citizen group that has volunteered to take the lead on this. Then there is no actual committee formed from the direction of the Board of Commissioners.”

No vote was taken but Commissioners agreed by consensus to allow those citizens who have already expressed an interest in being on a UDC committee to take the lead in forming it.