ADAMS TWP — Township supervisors and members of the planning commission held a joint meeting Monday afternoon that township officials hope to make a semiannual event.

Both groups agreed to hold a work session in an effort to be more transparent and improve communication channels, according to Supervisor Chairman Russell Ford.

“(We want transparency) with the people who pay the bills,” Ford said. “How can we make this process better?”

Ford and planning commission Chairman Martin McKinney began the meeting by clarifying the roles of each group.

The planning commission has seven appointed members who review plans for development before they reach the supervisors. While members of the commission understand most of the information they receive about each development, they turn to experts such as engineers for official analysis and review.

“The devil's in the details,” McKinney said.

The planning commission also periodically reviews township codes and determines what are reasonable standards for developers to follow. McKinney told the public the planning commission is neither pro-development nor pro-rural. It tries to reflect the public's needs.

“There are some that would like to see (Adams) grow faster,” McKinney said. “And there are some that would like to see it grow slower.”

Township supervisors act as the planning commission's bosses. Among other things, these five elected officials provide the final vote to determine if developments are ready to move on or need more work.

The biggest concern both groups have is the public's access to information.

In the past, the public wasn't able to access copies of proposed developments and ordinances before the township took official action on them. Ford and McKinney said this meant both bodies of officials didn't know about potential concerns until the last minute.

Officials discussed the possibility of clearly identifying drafts of plans for developments as “DRAFT” and making them accessible to residents for preliminary review online. Township solicitor Sean Gallagher told the board posting drafts of development plans may run into copyright issues.

McKinney and Ford said the township could look into any correlating concerns.

“Believe it or not, we're listening more than you think,” McKinney told the public.

“I'm certainly appreciating everything I'm hearing,” said resident Tina Wilson.

Still, Wilson said she would like the public and developers to have equal access to township documents.

“I want an equal playing field,” Wilson said.

Two ordinances the township has been in the throes of developing have to do with slopes and trails.

A slopes ordinance initially presented in 2019 will be undergoing review following concerns voiced by the public. The trails ordinance should answer the question, “What should a trail consist of?”

Both the planning commission and board of supervisors will be part of the overall development of both ordinances.

McKinney recognized that the planning commission and supervisors aren't always “on the same page.” Still, he hopes both groups will begin trying to improve their communication and efficiency. The public is an important part of that, according to Ford and McKinney.

Township officials said they will review different courses of action regarding public access to plan drafts, as well as practices neighboring municipalities use. In the meantime, residents with concerns are encouraged to first contact township workers, then proceed up the hierarchy of officials.

“It is a work in progress,” McKinney said. “It's not easy to sit up here.”