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He leaned forward on the pew that serves as a gallery seat in the Council Chambers – nodding in acknowledgement as Dr. Alpha Alexander made her inaugural ‘second’ to a motion presented at Tuesday’s Morristown Planning Commission meeting

Bill Thompson was free to go.

He had already been recognized by MRPC Chairman Frank McGuffin for his service on the body that reviews and passes through, by way of voting as a unit, to Council those items that city planning staff have recommended.

Items that range from requests to construct a garage on a private lot to expansive commercial and residential development plat approvals that will change the landscape of the city and, over time, challenge the urban growth boundary again.

“We have something special for you, for your dedication, for your years of service,” McGuffin said as he called Thompson to the Chamber well and presented him with a plaque: “To Mr. William ‘Bill’ Thompson, in appreciation for your loyal and dedicated service to the City of Morristown Regional Planning Commission, December 2008 to April 2023,” McGuffin read aloud.

It’s common for those who are recognized at the beginning of a public meeting to leave immediately, but Thompson lingered.

He listened intently during the discussion about a potential upscale RV park to be located off Davy Crockett Parkway (US 25E) and nodded again in agreement with the vote to rezone the property on which the former As Is furniture building sits from Central Business District to Intermediate Business District. The building is the future home of Tri-Star Physical Therapy.

After the short meeting, Thompson was surrounded by smiles, wishing him well in his new-found spare time. He submitted his resignation from the MRPC in April. Mayor Gary Chesney then appointed Alexander to fill the unexpired term.

“Bill’s skills that he brought to the planning commission were invaluable, based on his career working in the planning department. There were very few things that came to the commission that he didn’t know about. That’s a very valuable individual to have on the commission so we’re going to miss him,” Chesney said.

Thompson reflected on the impact made by the volunteers who serve as planning commissioners.

“It’s very important. You get a wealth of knowledge just by serving. A lot of people, just because I was working on the planning staff, assumed I would know everything coming on the planning commission. But I think it changes the scope of what you’re looking at. It’s not so much of a planning mindset as it is serving the community. But it is important. I’ve seen some wonderful people on that board. You know, they didn’t have any planning expertise or anything like that, but they caught on really fast. It’s very important.”

The years spent in the city’s planning department, along with his role on the MRPC have provided Thompson a detailed view of the changes that have occurred in the city. Yet even he has been surprised at the recent, exponential growth.

“Yes. I had talked to the Mayor about that several months ago and I told him I have seen a lot of development in here, but I said you all have done such a great job. When I say ‘you,’ I’m talking about the mayor and the staff, too. They have done such a great job with all this growth. To me, that’s just the nature of the country now, because it’s happening in other places, too. But I have never seen this type of growth in all the years that I’ve been around the city. And it’s really good; you look around and you see all the things that are going on in development, residential and commercial. It’s good to know, it’s good to know.”

Thompson said the community is in good hands with regard to its planning future.

“I’m confident in the Mayor and city council and the city staff. I’m big on the city staff – they do a wonderful job. That’s from the city administrator all the way down, they do a great job,” he said.