Following two resignations in five months, Polk Planning Commission to get new members

BARTOW — Two vacancies on the Polk County Planning Commission are set to be filled in August.

One of the spots has been vacant since March, when former commissioner and vice chair Matt Cain resigned from his post more than six months before his term ended.

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A second commissioner, Ronnie Hedrick, resigned via email to fellow commissioners on June 27.

"I would like to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for the confidence bestowed upon me with your 5 to 0 vote to add me to the Planning Commission," Hedrick said. "I hope that I have served you and the residents of Polk County well in my relatively short stay, but I will be resigning my position on the commission, effective immediately."

Hedrick's term wasn't set to expire until October 2024. He said he was not willing to discuss his "concerns" and did not respond to a request for further comment.

John Bohde, director of the Office of Planning and Development who has been with the county over 20 years, said he didn't find the two resignations strange.

"I don't think it's odd, no. It didn't raise any eyebrows around here. People will resign mid term for various reasons," Bohde said. "With planning commissioners, they're obviously appointed, they're not paid. It's not entirely unusual and there's seven of them."

Five months later, still vacant

On March 3, Cain sent an email to Bohde and Martha Santiago, chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners. Santiago reappointed Cain to a second three-year term on the commission in 2019. In that email, he informed Bohde and Santiago that he intended to leave the commission "at the earliest possible date."

"I have truly enjoyed the experience of being on the Commission, however after serving for many years (5 or 6 now, I think), it's time for someone else in your district to have the opportunity to serve," Cain said. "I can serve out my full term if needed, however it would be my preference to end my term as soon as you can find a replacement for me."

Cain told The Ledger Friday that nobody ever reached back out to him regarding his email. He assumed based on the lack of correspondence that they would use an alternate to fill his post.

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Cain, who has not attended a meeting since, said he didn't have any issues with the Planning Commission.

"My schedule just got busy. I do a lot of other volunteer stuff and serve on a couple of other boards as well," Cain said. "It was fun. I enjoyed it while it lasted."

When The Ledger first inquired about Cain's replacement at the end of June, Bohde said the county had not yet filled the vacancy but would "soon."

When a planning commissioner quits early, the land development division informs the county commissioners' office of the vacancy, Bohde said in an email. The next commissioner in line to make an appointment, which may not necessarily be the commissioner who appointed the person resigning, is then made aware of the vacancy.

Commissioner George Lindsey will make the appointment to fill Cain's seat, with a board vote approval set for the August 2 meeting. Lindsey's choice, if approved, will not start until October.

Lindsey said he was made aware in April or May that he would need to select a replacement. Both Lindsey and his office assistant, Chris Chila, were under the impression that Cain would serve in his post until his term was over at the end of September.

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Lindsey said because of when Cain resigned, another appointment may have had to be made when his term ended, which may have complicated getting a replacement assigned immediately.

Bohde said his department calls commissioners each month to determine if an alternate needs to attend that month's meeting in place of a regular commissioner. Cain said that while he got agendas for a couple of months after resigning, he doesn't recall anyone reaching out to see if he'd be in attendance.

Lindsey doesn't think there should be extended absences on the Planning Commission. He said it's "absolutely" a concern if months go by without enough planning commissioners.

"If they resign at midterm, [the seat] ought to be filled at midterm," Lindsey said.

"It’s also a concern when there’s a 3-2 vote and only five show up and there’s supposed to be seven," Lindsey added. "I’ve raised that question many times before."

Last year, the Board of County Commissioners sent a letter to the Planning Commission calling out frequent commissioner absences.

Since Cain resigned, there have been seven members present at two meetings, in May and June. The April meeting had five members and the July meeting had six. Cain was called and marked absent during the June roll call. He was left off the July roll call altogether.

Cain is still listed as a commissioner on the county's website alongside Hedrick. Rebecca Troutman, Rennie Heath, Sean Harper, Tommy Addison and Robert Beltran are also listed as members. Heath's term is set to expire in November. Jonathan Fleming, Angelic Sims and James Lancsek are listed as alternates.

Replacements selected

Lindsey has tapped David Dalton to replace Cain, subject to board approval. According to a biography provided by Chila, Dalton has been a project manager with the Rogers Brothers since 2020, managing field operations for the land development division. He is a University of Florida graduate who was raised in Lakeland.

Commissioner Neil Combee has selected Brooke Agnini to replace Hedrick. Her membership will also be up for board approval in August.

"It kinds of helps to find somebody who really is interested in it because sometimes attendance can be a problem," Combee said. "[We] at least want somebody who really cares about how the county is developing and growing."

Maya Lora can be reached with tips or questions at mlora@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @mayaklora.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk planning commission vacancies: Two up for board approval next month