By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Members of the Barton County Planning Commission typically stay out of the limelight. Every few years, when major zoning and building decisions are required in the county, however, the importance of the board becomes evident. At Tuesday's Barton County Commission meeting, Zoning Administrator Judy Goreham asked for approval of the reappointment of three planning board members.
"Every year, I come to you and ask you to appoint or reappoint three of our planning commission members," she said. "We have nine members. There has to always be more of them that live in the rural part of the county than live in town. This year, we have no new applications but we do have three reappointment requests."
Despite the extra workload involving solar regulations over the past 10 months, Rusty Carson, Toni Rice, and Penny Gullett all reapplied for another uncompensated term on the board.
"Rusty has been on this board for more than 20 years," Goreham said. "Toni has been on this board for 12 years, and Penny for five. These are dedicated people."
The board of commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the appointments, which will expire March 31, 2027.