The Rules Committee of the Evanston Plan Commission voted this week to seek comments from the public about possible revisions to the commission’s rules.
Members of the committee, meeting Tuesday at the Civic Center, said they hope to make the process of reviewing development proposals more effective and efficient.
The commission until recently was bound by a since-overturned court decision to conduct highly formalized hearings in a quasi-judicial format.
Commissioners say they’re looking for a new approach that gives members of the public sufficient opportunity to comment on proposals without bogging down the process with lengthy, repetitive testimony.
They also discussed whether representatives from neighborhood groups should be given more time to testify than individual citizens and how to handle requests from persons who wish to include computer-based slide shows in their testimony.
They’ve scheduled a roundtable-style meeting for Wednesday, May 7, to seek public input on possible new rules.