The Hall County Planning Commission will be one member short heading into the new year as District 1 representative Trey Bell steps away from his appointment.
December 19 marked Trey Bell’s last planning commission meeting as he finished his time serving Hall County. Bell was appointed by District 1 Commissioner Kathy Cooper, who will now need to find a replacement for Bell’s position on the planning commission.
Planning commission positions are appointments, as opposed to other governmental seats that are decided by elections. Bell said he was grateful for the opportunity to be a planning commissioner, but has a lot on his plate right now.
“I have a family, young family,” Bell said. “So I've got a four-year-old and two-year-old, a baby on the way in February. And two businesses to run and just trying to make more time for my family. As I said earlier, I had no clue how much time, effort and energy goes into the planning commission and what's required. And so just as far as I want to do a good job of the things I'm involved in, and so I felt like I was getting spread a little thin.”
At the conclusion of his final meeting, Bell was surrounded by other planning commissioners who praised his actions while on the board and his reasoning for resigning. They shared a cake and presented him with a certificate for his time served.
Bell served on the commission for two years. He said it was an interesting experience, teaching him a lot about land use and real estate.
“I mean, it was an education for me,” Bell said. “I've been on the other side of the table, getting things approved. And I wanted to sit on this side of the table and understand and when I was asked to be on the commission, I absolutely said yes. And I've learned so much from being on this side and understanding how the county works, and what all goes into planning and zoning, and really the weight and the responsibility of zoning in general, and what that does for the county. It's a big deal.”
Moving ahead, Bell plans to focus on raising his family and be a more active and present participant in his business ventures. During the meeting, Bell reaffirmed his love for Hall County and his desire to see it continue to thrive.
“I'm just going to go take care of my family and be a part of the companies that I'm involved in,” Bell said. “And I hope to serve again, in the future, you know, as time permits, and as my kids get older, I hope to be able to serve in some capacity in the future."
