KINGMAN - Local Realtor Todd Tarson has resigned from the city Planning & Zoning Commission after serving less than eight months into his first term.
Tarson submitted his resignation to Mayor John Salem on Aug. 17, citing family and business obligations as his primary reason for vacating his seat.
In his letter, Tarson said such obligations would require him to spend "great lengths of time" outside of Kingman, and he conceded he did not feel he would be able to fulfill his duties as a P&Z commissioner during that time.
In a followup e-mail to City Council members and other city staff, Tarson thanked the Development Services Department for all of its assistance in keeping him informed on the issues he was voting on.
"A thousand thanks are not enough," he wrote, adding, "I have enjoyed every second of the opportunity to serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission."
Tarson's term runs through Dec. 31, 2011.
According to Development Services Director Gary Jeppson, the P&Z Commission will recommend a replacement candidate at its next meeting Sept. 15, with the City Council set to consider the issue Oct. 5. In the meantime, any interested parties can apply through the City Clerk's Office. Downloadable applications are also available online at http://cityclerk.cityofkingman.gov/boards.asp.
A vocal proponent of pro-growth policies, Tarson said in an interview Tuesday that he had hoped to provide the board with a strong voice in favor of private property rights. In the eight meetings he attended this year, however, Tarson said he felt he had few opportunities to exhibit those feelings, since many of the items to come before the commission have proven fairly non-controversial, at least compared to those in years past.
"I wasn't looking forward, necessarily, to having contentious items just so I could be a conscience or anything," he said. "But I did see, over the years, opportunities to ask questions of more of these contentious issues that hadn't been asked."
Elaborating further on his reason for resigning, Tarson said he was looking to secure a real estate license in Clovis, N.M. Clovis is the site of Cannon Air Force base, which is nearing its housing capacity and requires a large number of new houses to accommodate its expanding personnel.
"My wife's son is a contractor there," Tarson said. "He's very busy, and he's asked me to help him sell his houses as a real estate agent."
Tarson said his long-term plan is to eventually open his own brokerage in Clovis, though he said he does plan to continue maintaining his local real estate license as well. "I do have contacts with many people here who would like to use my services under different market circumstances," he said. "I could still see me coming back here at least once a quarter; I've still got a home here."
Tarson said he also plans to continue maintaining his online weblog, "MOCO Real Estate News," a chronicle of Mohave County's struggles with the housing market and incoming commercial enterprises, as well as news on pro-growth measures taken by other communities throughout the country. In the last several weeks, Tarson has been prepping the blog for his move by opening it up to several guest commentators, and he said he may even change the blog's name to "MOCO Real Politics" to reflect the growing public debate over alternative energy projects, tax policies, water use issues and the like, on which he frequently comments.
"The one thing that I have noticed over the past year is more voices on both sides of the issues creep up," Tarson said. "I tell people I'll only be an Internet connection away."
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Article comment by:
Todd Tarson
Hey thanks to everyone that chimed in on this. Much appreciated.
Ed... I simply hope that more folks get involved and that in the end we hear from many more voices.
I've always believed that collaborative efforts, with all involved, will lead us to the best solutions for a better community.
Thanks again.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
NOT a NIMBY
Wishing you and your family the best Todd! You will be missed!
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Diogenes' Lantern
Sorry to see you leave Todd, but I hope you'll still stay active in Mohave County politics. We need people like yourself.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Good luck Todd!
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Todd, Sorry to see you leave. I hope they find a replacement with good character and vision for growth. Kingman could be much more than an inbreed ghost town.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Hey Art,
Some day when you and Loyd are no longer with us, be sure to have the water taken from your bodies and pumped back into our aquifers. I can just see how much you deeply care for our water and community.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Art
Ditto Loyd's comment below!
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Good Luck Todd!
Kingman needs you so badly. Please come back soon.
How many other young folks are we going to leave before these NIMBYs are defeated? We need jobs and a better future!
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Yep, people like you Loyd make it hard for young people to find meaningful employment in Kingman.
So, the young and educated are forced to leave due to the selfishness of folks like you.
Guess you can put another notch in your holster ole boy.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Cuda
I wish todd and his family the best. It sad that so many good people are leaving Kingman either for lack of employment,or to find a better life with more opportunities.
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Loyd
Some mornings you wake up and there is manna a foot deep on every horizontal surface. Please pass the sugar.
