The Polk County Board of Commissioners made its first appointments to its planning board with a new structure that includes representation from townships and members serving two-year terms instead of three-year terms.

Commissioners met Monday, Feb. 3 and appointed new members Buffy Blackwell (Tryon Township), Bill Davis (Green Creek Township), Eric Bradley (Coopers Gap Township), Wally Pace (Saluda Township) and Rickie McFalls (alternate, at-large member).

The new planning board members will join current members Lee Bradley, Christel Walter and Lisa Krolak.

The terms of members Bill Ennis, Wayne Horne, David Smith and Susan Welsh expired. Welsh applied but was not re-appointed by commissioners last week.

Last year the board of commissioners changed the structure of the planning board to two-year terms instead of three-year terms and now is attempting to get representation from each of its six townships.

The former planning board consisted of three members from Columbus, one member from Green Creek, two from White Oak, one from Saluda and the alternate from Columbus. There was no representation from Tryon or Coopers Gap on the previous planning board.

The planning board’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 13 at 5 p.m. when a chair and vice-chair will be appointed. The previous chair was Ennis.

There is no other business on the planning board’s agenda.

The planning board meets the second Thursday of the month in the Womack building in Columbus.