Tim Kline on Tuesday announced his plan to resign from the Cortez planning and zoning commission, ending his seven-year tenure.

Kline said at the end of Tuesday’s commission meeting that he had enjoyed his time on the board but that it was time to leave. He said he would serve during the search for a successor, and asked board members to begin their search as soon as possible. Board members said they were sad to see him go, but welcomed letters of interest from the public about the position.

“I ended up (here) by going in and complaining to the previous city manager about some trash,” Kline said. “He said, ‘Oh, you’re complaining? I’ll put you on the board. That’s the best place to put a complainer.’”

He said his years on the board have been “a great experience,” and expressed his hope that the city will find a replacement who cares about Cortez and its citizens.

Chairman Danny Giannone said they would do their best, but joked that he wanted to “drag (his) feet as much as possible” in finding a replacement.

“We appreciate you, Tim,” he said.

The planning and zoning board has several big changes ahead. On Tuesday, city planner Tracie Hughes presented a draft of a “3-mile plan” for land use that must be in place before the municipal government can annex property or adopt a new land use code, which Hughes said was due in September 2016. The commission has scheduled an open house on the 3-mile plan for Thursday, July 6, during which they will present the draft and ask for public feedback. The commission hopes to adopt a revised version this summer.

It is the city council’s job to appoint board members, but current members may offer recommendations. Permanent residents of Cortez can start the process by submitting a letter of interest to the Cortez city clerk, 123 Roger Smith Ave., Cortez 81321.