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not require a letter. Larger and more involved violations require additional time to address and are documented <br /> to protect the city's interests. <br /> The violation and enforcement process has significantly improved with a streamlined process since <br /> transitioning to CitizenServe in May of 2019. We follow a standard process to inform property owners of a <br /> violation and seek to work with them to maintain or enhance the appearance of the community that aligns with <br /> our ordinances.We have seen improved compliance with this process and have received relatively few <br /> complaints. We continue to seek improvements to our processes and discuss ordinance amendments with the <br /> City Council as needed. <br /> Staff will also update the wrap on the Community Enhancement truck to reflect the current organizational <br /> structure and goals of the division. <br /> Concern #13: How can Planning and Zoning processes be streamlined and given more authority to <br /> reduce timelines? <br /> Permitting Requirements <br /> Staff continually seeks methods to streamline the Planning and Zoning review process and eliminate permitting <br /> requirements,however,we are limited by statutory and ordinance requirements. The biggest change to simplify <br /> and speed-up the permitting process was approved by the City Council in March of 2018. Several less-impactful <br /> conditional uses were reclassified to a permitted use in the commercial and industrial zoning districts. This <br /> change allows many of the common businesses to be reviewed and approved by staff rather than going through <br /> a public hearing process at Planning Commission and Council. The City Council also updated the landscaping <br /> ordinance to give additional credit for existing trees and discussed paving and curbing standards. <br /> Public Hearings <br /> Elk River city codes currently require two public hearings when reviewing a land use application,but statute <br /> only requires one. Statutory timing of the public hearing (Planning Commission vs. Council) depend on the <br /> type of application being reviewed. Many cities only hold one public hearing during the Planning Commission <br /> meeting. The City Council is still the approving authority,but that action could occur as a consent or general <br /> business item. If the City Council decided to move to one hearing rather than two,the review process could be <br /> reduced by two weeks in some cases,but the second public hearing has also shown to have value in the public <br /> participation process. Staff will discuss this with the City Council during a future work session and take their <br /> direction. <br /> Review Timeline <br /> The standard review timelines and specific dates are listed in every land use application and are communicated <br /> up front with the applicants. The timing itself is dependent on the public notice requirements, staff review <br /> times, and the public input process. Most applications are reviewed in 6 to 8 weeks depending on meeting dates <br /> and accelerating this timeline may require moving meeting dates for the Planning Commission and/or the City <br /> Council. <br /> Concern #14: A review of the city fee schedule is needed both by comparison cities and philosophy. <br /> (i.e. bldg,permit, sac/wac, utility deposits) <br /> Staff continues to work on the fee comparison study, and we will bring that forward to the City Council on a <br /> future work session. <br /> Financial Impact <br />