Members of the Wayland 
City Planning Commission aren’t all that excited about the raises they got recently.
The City Council, in its May 4 meeting, followed the recommendation of the Officers Compensation Commission to award each of the members a raise from $35 to $38 per meeting.
Commission Vice Chairman J.D. Gonzales said he personally knows that members of the Wayland Township Planning Commission receive $80 per meeting and it was noted that other nearby municipalities, such as Martin Township, pay $50 per meeting.
Mayor Tim Bala, who was in the audience at Tuesday night’s Planning Commission meeting, said the compensation commission insisted the rates city plan commissioners are paid are consistent with others of similar size.
Gonzales maintained, “Our meetings are longer than the City Council’s. And we only get $3 more a meeting?
“It befuddles me,” he added in reference to the process in which the compensation commission made its recommendation.
He added that issue isn’t just economic, it’s a matter of respect for what the Planning Commission does, which is working on the master plan, considering ordinances and fielding and examining requests for rezoning, site plan reviews and variances. Their recommendations then are sent to council members.
The commission still numbers nine, but only seven actually are serving now and there is serious discussion about permanently reducing the number from nine to seven.
