Editorial Commentary: The E Allen has no idea what happened at the first Zoning Commission meeting. We were physically present. We were recording. We were 10 feet away. But, the newly appointed zoning commission members employed tactics making it nearly impossible to discern what was said. The commission clearly coordinated with supporters in the room to block the camera and to keep the room at nearly 80dB for an hour so they could hide their deliberations from the public.

Residents deserve to observe the public process that decides how their land can be used. Public meetings should not happen at 80dB. We are not even sure when their next meeting is because it was so hard to hear (again, from 10 feet away). We encourage you to try to watch the video for yourselves.

The Zoning Commission met at 6 PM on Sunday. Immediately after starting the meeting, the Assistant Prosecutor advised them that she received notice on Friday that the Township had been sued by One Energy who had alleged the Township failed to follow the correct public procedures when it started the zoning process. The Zoning Commission canceled the meeting and the following Zoning Commission meeting on 2/4/24. The Assistant Prosecutor advised that the Township Trustees would deal with the lawsuit and determine the path forward at the regular Trustee meeting on February 6th. 

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The Zoning Commission held its first meeting. They elected a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, and a Secretary. They introduced themselves. They were advised on the process going forward by the Assistant Prosecutor. The newly elected Chairman provided a brief explanation to the public that the Commission was focused on using zoning to ensure that everyone was a “Good Neighbor”. They set a schedule with the intent of moving as fast as possible. They decided that their next several meetings would be on Sunday afternoons at 6PM. The Assistant Prosecutor advised them of the open meeting rules and the need to not deliberate privately. The Commission took 20 minutes of public comment at the end of the meeting.