A site application is complete and is about to go before the planning commission. You have a conflict of interest because you personally own property near the proposed site and stand to benefit from the increase in property value that the new development is projected to generate. If you are the only planner in the community what might you do?

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Scenario

A site application is complete and is about to go before the planning commission. You have a conflict of interest because you personally own property near the proposed site and stand to benefit from the increase in property value that the new development is projected to generate. If you are the only planner in the community what might you do?

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Answer: You are definitely conflicted in this case. So first issue is to recognize this financial conflict of interest and disclose it. (Rule of Conduct 6) You have 2 options. One option is to get approval of your supervisor with full written disclosure as to your personal interest. You may get consent in writing to move forward and complete the review. The second option is to hire an independent consultant to review the situation. It is good policy for a planning department to pre-qualify consultants for such situations so that the matter can be expeditiously turned over. This may also be a good route to take if the applicant is a member of the city council and has hiring authority over the planner.