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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Battle over Columbia River oil terminal set to begin Monday ... Justice Kennedy is key wildcard in Supreme Court decisions ... George Will leaves GOP: 'This is not my party' ... Battle over Columbia River oil terminal set to begin Monday ... Justice Kennedy is key wildcard in Supreme Court decisions ... George Will leaves GOP: 'This is not my party' ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Work hours vary for Medford volunteer councilors, planners Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jun. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News How many hours does a volunteer who serves on the Planning Commission or City Council spend each month on city issues? —Craig H., Medford I'm sure we could talk to every Medford councilor and planning commissioner and get varying estimates as to how many hours they spend on the job, Craig. Over the years, we've heard that a councilor should expect to put in about 20 hours a week, which works out to 80 hours a month. Councilor Michael Zarosinski, said he probably averaged about six to eight hours a week when he was on the Planning Commission. Now that he's on the council, Zarosinski said he probably puts in about 12-15 hours but sometimes puts in up to 20 some weeks. "You can put in a lot more depending on how engaged you wanted to be," he said. "You could even do this as a full-time job." Zarosinski said there are other civic functions that a councilor could go to that might take up more time as well. Bill Mansfield, a planning commissioner who was previously on the council, said he thinks 20 hours a week is more than what most councilors need to spend doing that job. He said he probably spends up to 10 hours a month on the planning commission, which includes two two-hour meetings, sometimes a study session and then poring over a bunch of materials. Mansfield said he's been reviewing city materials for a long time, so he's more familiar with them and can get through them faster. "Some of my colleagues may say they spend more time," Mansfield said. —Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jun. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501