INOLA, Okla. — Four Inola Planning & Zoning Commissioners have resigned, leaving only one person sitting on the board.
The resignations were discussed during Monday night's Inola Public Works Authority meeting.
James Shaffer, Dora Remington, and Bobby Kasten submitted their registration before the July 27 meeting. Daniel Raasch had previously resigned from his position.
In addition to his position on the Planning & Zoning Commission, Shaffer served as the Town Planner and on the Rural Economic Development Board. He resigned from all three positions.
City officials are now searching for their replacements. It's not clear if the resignations are related to the discourse involving the proposed smelter.
2 News Oklahoma has attended several public meetings involving the proposed smelter in Inola. Members of the resident-led Inola Community Accountability Review and Engagement committee, also known as ICARE, have previously called for Shaffer's resignation due to concerns involving conflicts of interest.
In June, the Inola City Council approved a six-month moratorium for the proposed smelter.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has also spoken out against the proposed smelter. He has filed a petition in a Rogers County District Court to block the project.
Drummond faces Mike Mazzei in a runoff election next month for the Republican Gubernatorial nomination. Last weekend, 2 News attended the Cattlemen's Congress, where Drummond, Mazzei, and Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Cyndi Munson spoke about issues facing rural Oklahomans.
While all three candidates expressed their concerns about the proposed Inola smelter, only Drummond and Munson spoke about the environmental impact. Mazzei said he'd like to see more research involving the project.
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