Over the past several weeks we’ve discussed the Planning Commission (PC), and how it functions and we’ve focused on the selection of Tim Hughes’ replacement. But before we turn to the final consideration – who is the best candidate –we should examine the process in one last detail.
Last week, after I reviewed the PC applications, I got to thinking about some fundamental issues, so I e-mailed the City Clerk to provide me with the rest of the information I expected to receive. I wanted to know if the applicants were
- US Citizens
- Residents of Lake Forest
- Registered voters
- Registered sex offenders
- Convicted felons
- Lost licenses to practice their profession
- Declared bankruptcy
Given that a Planning Commissioner makes decisions that impact thousands of people and involves multiple millions of dollars, I imagine these factors are vital. In fact, I’ve worked for companies that are much smaller than our City, and even small companies do background checks to be sure their key people are bonafide.
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In addition, I thought it was also important to know if they
- Made any financial contributions to city council members
- Actively campaigned for city council members
- Worked for city council members
- Are related to any city council members
After all, we want people on the PC who are independent thinkers, and we particularly don’t want them involved in any sort of cabal with a Council member who theoretically oversees their decisions. It goes back to the idea of separation of powers, and the PC or any other Commission, should not be an extension of the Council, but rather an independent agency, above the political flay.
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The answer I got back was shocking. The answer was “no” 10 out of 10 times. Suddenly I was reminded of Jimmy Durante (aka the Schnozzola), the comedian who was a fixture on TV in the early years. Jimmy was famous for saying “Stop da music” in the middle of a routine. It always got a laugh. Here we are in the middle of the selection process for a new Planning Commissioner and I want to scream –
STOP DA MUSIC
Background checks should be a routine part of the selection of any Commissioner. In fact, the City should do background checks on people who want to be elected to the City Council, and this information should be available to the public.
As much as I think we need to fill Tim Hughes’ seat as soon as possible, I am worried that inadequate background checks may result in a poor candidate being chosen. My recommendation would be that we delay the selection until these checks are completed.
