Plainfield looks to fill vacancies on Plan Commission

The village of Plainfield needs residents to serve on its Plan Commission.

Plan Commissioners attend up to two meetings per month to review development proposals and requests for variations from the zoning code.

The Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Special meetings and joint meetings with the village president and board of trustees may be called on occasion, according to a news release from the village.

Commissioners receive an agenda and packet of information during the week prior to the meeting and review staff reports, plans, traffic studies, and often visit the site of the proposed development or variance request in advance of the meeting, according to the release.

At the meeting, commissioners hear a summary of the staff report and any additional testimony from the applicant. Public comments are welcome for all projects and many types of projects involve a public hearing, according to the village.

After hearing all information and public comments and discussing the cases, commissioners vote to make recommendations to the village president and Board of Trustees, according to the village.

Video recordings of meetings and electronic copies of the agendas and packets from past meetings are available on the village website, plainfieldil.gov.

The village encourages interested residents to review previous meetings and agendas to get a sense of what is involved in being a Plan Commissioner.

“A commissioner is required to have an open mind, understand the village’s Comprehensive Plan, and apply individual judgment in the public interest while fostering an intellectual and factual examination of the issues together with other commissioners in a public setting,“ according to the release.

A background in a field related to planning and development – such as architecture, engineering, environmental science, or similar – is helpful but not necessary, according to the village.

The position entails about 5 to 10 hours per month including attending meetings and preparation in advance, according to the village. Attendance at most meetings is expected.

Anyone interested in applying should submit their letter of interest and brief professional resume by March 31 to: Michelle Gibas, village clerk, village of Plainfield, 24401 W. Lockport St., Plainfield, IL 60544 or email at mgibas@goplainfield.com.

For information, contact the village’s Planning Department at 815-439-2824 or via email at planning@goplainfield.com.