Members of the planning and zoning commission and city council make many of the key decisions concerning future residential development in our towns. Their meetings are open to the public, and citizens in attendance can share their concerns. You can voice your concerns at any meeting during an open forum period, or can address specific issues as they are discussed. Sometimes the meetings get quite exciting. No, really!

The MV City Hall releases the agenda of any meeting sometime before the meeting. Sometimes it appears online far enough in advance to check and plan accordingly. Otherwise just stop by City Hall to pick up a copy. (Could someone in Lisbon please let me know if that’s the way it works there as well?) You might, for instance, want to look for a meeting at which a specific development plan (or plat) will be up for discussion and approval. There you can raise any objections you might have. You can of course just listen as well.

From my experience at these meetings in MV, many officials appear to work from a perspective not of whether to approve new development, but only of how and when. I cannot overstate how much they need to hear from those of you who object to their intention to approve new residential development to begin with.

In MV the Planning and Zoning Commission meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm. The City Council meets the first and third Monday of the month at 7:30pm. Times occasionally vary, so check with City Hall.

In Lisbon, Planning and Zoning meets the Third Thurday of each month at 7:00pm. The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday at 7:00pm. Verify by checking the calendar at the top of the Lisbon city homepage.