Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

The Planning Commission for the city of Mill Creek is preparing for new faces, and applications are due Nov. 23.

Three Planning Commission seats are open, but Stan Eisner, current chair, has re-applied for his seat for a term that will end in 2023. The public is welcome to apply for Eisner’s seat, as he will have to re-interview and is not guaranteed the role, said Tom Rogers, Planning and Development Services Manager.

Other openings are due to resignations. Dennis Teschlog has resigned because he is moving away, Rogers said. April Berg is overbooked with a legislative seat and school board services. She is also a Democratic precinct committee officer.

Teschlog's replacement will serve through April of 2023.

Berg confirmed with the Beacon that she will not re-apply for her seat, which ends Dec. 31. She is leaving the Planning Commission to focus on other leadership roles. Her replacement will serve through April of 2022.

“It’s all so interesting,” Berg said of her civic involvement. “I’d like to do it all.”

Berg, a Democrat, drew 52% of the vote in a race against Republican Mark James for Position 2, representing the 44th District in the state Legislature. Berg is also precinct committee officer for the Democratic party, and will continue as a school board member.

Planning Commission is a nonpartisan body, and its members do not need to be residents of the city. The City Council is scheduled to fill vacancies in its Dec. 8 meeting, Rogers said.

Other commission members are Brian Hyatt, Daniel J. Mills, Matthew Nolan, and Nicolas Marin. Planning Commission meetings are normally held at 7 p.m. the third Thursday of each month , but every meeting since May has been canceled.

“I wish we could have had some on Zoom,” Berg said.

Duties and responsibilities include preparation of the Comprehensive Plan. That plan can shape a city as it contributes to issues such as transportation, utilities, land use, recreation and housing. It also influences development of land and building uses within the city. The city’s most recent Comprehensive Plan is here: https://bit.ly/3pBPW1a. It must be updated every eight years, and has to be reviewed periodically to assure it is in compliance with the Growth Management Act, according to the Municipal Resource and Services Center, a nonprofit that guides municipalities on laws and policies.

Berg is encouraging women to apply for Planning Commission openings. A female voice is important because “its perspective, its lived experience,” Berg said. She said the view of an at-home parent, regarding land use, adds perspective that may be different than that of a business owner, or some other currently represented role on commissions and boards. She said that insight is relevant to city development because the planning is about land use. For those new to commission roles, more information is available here: https://bit.ly/2UASkH9.

The Planning Commission conducts public hearings on land use. Those interested in volunteering for one of these roles can fill out a Board and Commission Application and return it to City Hall no later than 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23. An application can be requested via email at [email protected] and returned to that email or to 15728 Main Street, Mill Creek, Wash. 98012.