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Bay Times, 11/7/01: Planning position debated Foor now lives in Del. by KONRAD SUROWIEC Staff Writer CENTREVILLE - A Kent Island resident said Dr. James Foor should no longer serve on the Queen Anne's County Planning Commission because he no longer lives in the county. The county commissioners countered that it's important for Foor, the planning commission chairman, to continue serving on the panel until it completes its review of the county's updated comprehensive plan. Elizabeth Eckhardt asked the commissioners Tuesday if they would ask for Foor's resignation. She said it seems "adverse and irresponsible to the citizens of the county" to have a non-resident serve on the planning commission. Commissioner George O'Donnell said Foor moved to Lewes, Del. in September. The planning commission is nearing the end of a big project to update the county comprehensive plan and make a recommendation to the commissioners. "To eliminate Jim from this process would be a mistake", said O'Donnell. O'Donnell said it's better to have Foor, with his expertise in planning issues, continue to work on the comprehensive plan project than to bring in somebody brand new. "To me, its not good", said Eckhardt. Foor, who is serving his second five-year term on the planning commission, said he owned a building lot in Lewes, Del. for several years and moved to his new home in early September. He said he was prepared to submit a letter of resignation several months ago, but the commissioners asked him to hold off on the letter until the comprehensive plan project was finished. The planning commission will probably make a recommendation on the comprehensive plan at either its December or January meeting, said Foor. At that point, Foor said he would resign as chairman but would offer to serve as a voting member of the planning commission until the county commissioners appointed a replacement. "I continue to work at their pleasure," said Foor. Foor, a veterinarian, said he still has strong family and financial ties to Queen Anne's County, including a property interest in Queenstown Veterinary Hospital. Steve Ziegler, director of the county department of planning and zoning, said Foor was "very up-front" about his plans to move, but the county commissioners wanted him to stay on the planning commission until the comprehensive plan project was finished. Ziegler said the project is about 95 percent complete. Ziegler said planning commission members are typically residents, business owners or significant property owners, but there is no legislative requirement that a member be a county resident.
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