Debate over the need for geographic diversity on the Planning and Zoning Commission dais was sparked after Kyle city leaders this month appointed two new members.
On Oct. 1, the Kyle City Council appointed two new planning and zoning commissioners and reappointed chair Rick Koch. Former commissioner Michele Christie was approved for Seat 2 and new commissioner Megan McCall was approved for Seat 4.
But some city leaders expressed concern over the lack of geographic diversity among the appointees and current commissioners.
Toward the end of September, the selection committee for the Kyle Planning and Zoning Commission held a series of interviews to recommend candidates for the city council to approve.
The committee was comprised of Mayor Pro Tem Shane Arabie, Planning and Zoning Chairperson Rick Koch, Director of Planning Howard Koontz and City Manager Scott Sellers, who were charged with finding the right candidates.
The hiring committee operated under new guidelines that were created in 2017 for the appointment process. Previously, city council members appointed candidates to serve on P&Z.
The current appointment process includes a series of applications and interviews, similar to a typical hiring process for non-appointed jobs. The process demands an appointee be educated, experienced and familiar with the city. The process does not state where an appointee should reside nor do appointees represent a specific district.
Council Member Alex Villalobos said he believes the Kyle Planning and Zoning Committee selections failed to represent the city as a whole, although he found them to be completely qualified otherwise.
“We have a lot of different development and growth going all over the city,” Villalobos said. “I’m not being negative about the appointments, they’re all well qualified.”
Villalobos added the city’s approach to dividing city council seats by geographic location should also apply to P&Z.
Koontz said the selection committee would take geographic location into consideration for future appointments, but said the city does not receive enough applications to make geographic diversity an effective priority.
The majority of commissioners come from the western side of Kyle and reside in and around the Plum Creek neighborhood, according to Koontz.
Koontz said he received more applications this round than in previous years and narrowed the pool to the five applicants who were interviewed.
“We didn’t receive applications from all over Kyle, but we did advertise to everyone,” Koontz said. “In the interviews, I’d say 80 percent of the applicants came from Plum Creek and I looked at those heavily involved in the community.”
Koch said he does not believe the search committee should focus on or require geographic diversity when making appointments. However, he encourages the council to make the requirement official if they disagree.
Koch said he prioritized experience when interviewing and did not consider where candidates were from. Koch said he is grateful multiple people applied, because in years past the committee had issues meeting quorum due to low interest.
“You have to know all areas of the town and you have to know the needs of all areas of the town,” Koch said. “But we’re a recommended body and it still goes to council so at the end of the day, you have 14 people looking at an item.”
Villalobos has not requested that the council make an official order on this issue, but did suggest to Koontz that geographic location be considered in the future.
