Behind the Scenes Advocacy
by Greg Dale

When planning commissioners become "behind the scenes" advocates. Some cautionary advice from Greg Dale.

As I have noted in previous columns, you (and each of your colleagues) come to the planning commission with certain values, beliefs, and political orientations. No one is asking you to abandon these. On the other hand, by becoming a planning commissioner you are accepting allegiance to certain principles that transcend your personal political beliefs; these principles have clear ethical implications. When you agree to serve on a planning commission you accept the obligation to treat all persons fairly, even if those persons happen to have radically different political viewpoints than you.

Is there anything wrong with your using your knowledge of commission affairs to advise friends of pending or future issues? Can you encourage individuals and groups to become active in planning commission affairs?

Clearly there is a benefit in public knowledge of matters before the planning commission. Likewise, encouraging advocacy before the planning commission simply makes for a more open and diverse process. However, you should not provide certain information to one group while withholding it from another, or selectively encourage participation only by those who share your views.

While there is nothing wrong with your encouraging public participation, it is often best, if you have a planning director or staff planner, that they be the ones principally responsible for ensuring that all segments of the community are aware of pending or future items that may be of interest.

Is there a problem with your working behind the scenes to assist certain groups or individuals on matters pending before the commission? In a word, yes. First of all, it is very difficult for a commissioner to become involved in an issue and try to keep that involvement "behind the scenes." Invariably that involvement comes out, often in the form of rumors and innuendo. A commissioner's greatest asset is credibility; once damaged, that credibility may be impossible to restore.

An even more serious problem raised when a commissioner becomes a "behind the scenes" advocate is that it implies that the commissioner has taken a position on a particular issue before it has been aired through the public hearing or review process. ...