Alton Approves Appointments To Plan Commission, Historical Commission

Alton City Council Meeting

ALTON – Appointments to two key Alton commissions were approved this week by City Council members following delays and debate at their last meeting.

City Council members unanimously approved two appointments at their May 27, 2026 meeting. These include the appointment of Mike Batchelor to the Alton Plan Commission and Gwen O’Brien to the Alton Historical Commission.

Both appointments were laid over at the council’s previous meeting on May 13, 2026, when Alderman Chris Bohn requested a copy of Batchelor’s resume or more information on his background or qualifications. Mayor David Goins and multiple council members expressed their confidence in Batchelor’s ability and understanding of the City Code.

“Planning Commission roles focus on land use decisions, not technical design. These responsibilities require fairness, good judgment, and familiarity with the City Code,” Goins said. “I am confident that he will do a good job – he will come to meetings, he will read staff reports, he will ask questions and do his homework, and he will treat those that appear before the commission with respect. I just believe he will be an asset to this community.”

City Attorney Heidi Eckert said that while a resume is not legally required for either position, Bohn was authorized to request the appointments be laid over until he received more information. Alderman John Meehan noted he was never asked for a resume or credentials when he was appointed to the Plan Commission.

Alderwoman Rosie Brown noted Batchelor’s consistent attendance at City Council meetings, where he has spoken out on topics ranging from downtown planters to raising sales taxes to establish a new business district and more.

“As we all know, Mike Batchelor has not missed a beat in these council meetings,” Brown said. “He’s here out of concern for the city, and he knows the duties of being on the Plan Commission.”

O’Brien’s appointment was also laid over at the May 13 meeting. Alderman Michael Velloff said both appointments had been “dropped on” council members the day prior, and Bohn said Mayor Goins hadn’t yet provided further information about their qualifications.

When both appointments came back up for a vote on May 27, both were approved unanimously and without further discussion. Batchelor is set to serve a three-year term expiring in May of 2029, while O’Brien will serve a four-year term expiring in May 2030.

A full recording of the May 27, 2026 Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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