Possible cases of conflict of interest arose with two out of the three candidates interviewed Tuesday for a pair of coveted positions on the Montgomery County Planning Board.
Finalist Tedi Osias’ employment by the county’s Housing Opportunities Commission was called into question by County Council members, as was Robert Mitchell’s decades of experience in the building industry.
The five-member Planning Board is considered the County Council’s advisory arm when it comes to land use and community planning matters.
Up for grabs are two of the seats that will be left vacant come Thursday.
In defending her ability to be an objective member of the board, Osias pointed to an advisory opinion she sought from the county’s Ethics Commission before applying that said taking on both roles would not be a conflict.
“They said it was not a problem except in two very specific cases — if I were to represent HOC at the Planning Board or the Planning Board at HOC,” she said. “And neither one happens with any frequency at all.”
Mitchell’s potential conflict, which came to the attention of the council during his 30-minute interview, is the fact that his background is skewed heavily in favor of the construction and development business.
But, in somewhat lighthearted fashion, he deflected the criticism that having him on the Planning Board would be like “having the fox guard the henhouse.”
“I’d be tougher on my peers in the building community than my peers on the planning board would be,” he said, adding that there has been a handful of past Planning Board members whose prior jobs were builders.
In their responses to questions, Osias and Mitchell both stressed the need for morepublic involvement and understanding in zoning and planning decisions and said they support both the Intercounty Connector and the proposed Purple Line.
The third candidate considered Tuesday, John Low, portrayed himself as a severely overdue independent voice who hopes to bring integrity to the board.
The day prior council members interviewed six other candidates: Alan S. Bowser, Robert L. Cope, Elvin J. Crespo, Jean B. Cryor, Cary Lamari and Gene Lynch.
The selection of the two new Planning Board members will be made next week at the earliest.
