The Commissioner — Spring 2005

Commission Profile

Respect Is Key to Success

Lenexa, Kansas, Planning Commission

If there is one word that sums up the workings of the Planning Commission in Lenexa, Kansas, it is "respect" — for the process, the people, and various perspectives.

"One of the hallmarks of planning in Lenexa that stands out above others is the respect that is exhibited by the planning commission toward the applicants, the residents, and the staff," says Roger Kroh, the city's planning director.

That respect has engendered a great deal of support for planning among the citizenry, says Planning Commission Chairman Don Oppliger, and given residents a level of comfort when they become involved in the planning process. "For many people, their only interaction with government is when they go to the post office or renew their driver's license — not always the most pleasant experiences," he says. "When someone comes to a planning commission meeting, we explain exactly how things will work and try to leave no questions about the process unanswered."

As part of that discussion, Oppliger reminds residents that "a developer, in the eyes of the law, has just as many rights and protections as does an individual. It helps soften things a bit." While not everyone leaves a meeting happy, he says, most depart with a sense that their concerns have been heard. "Everything done here is in accordance with state law," he says. "We make the tough black-and-white legal interpretations and then pass on a recommendation to city council."

While Oppliger characterizes his commission as non-political, several commissioners have, over the years, gone on to serve on the city council. "Because of that, there is a tremendous respect for the separation of powers," he says. "They know that we'll ferret out the tough answers, ask the tough questions. We don't have very many remands."

"When the governing body goes in a different direction than the planning commission, it's rare but not unheard of," says Kroh. "In other cities, overturning a planning commission decision would create a good deal of bad will. Here it doesn't."

"A remand isn't necessarily bad," adds Oppliger, "as long as the city council gives us good information as to why it made the decision it did."

Another key to the planning commission's success is the diversity of backgrounds and experiences that commissioners bring to the table, and the willingness of commissioners to serve several three-year terms. Oppliger has been a planning commissioner since 1972, while Hoffman has served since 1993. "That institutional memory is invaluable," says Hoffman.

Among the nine planning commissioners are a banker, a civil engineer, an architect, a retired state representative, an insurance broker, an emergency medical technician, a lawyer, a business owner, and a developer of assisted living facilities. The commission also includes someone who is not a Lenexa resident, says Hoffman. Under Kansas law, he explains, "back when we were expanding, in order to annex, we had to take on two planning commissioners from outside the city limits. That has always been a great help in that it allows us to bring in people with different expertise and different points of view."

Continuing education is important to members of the Lenexa planning commission. "We are fortunate that the city gives us opportunities for study and development," says Hoffman. In addition to in-house study sessions, the commissioners attend local and regional workshops, and one commissioner attends the National Planning Conference.

"Once in a while, on a Saturday morning, we'll take a tour of one or more of the projects we've approved just to see how they turned out," Hoffman says. "It can be a real education."