9.3. SR 02-03-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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/i ECly l Request for Action Rive'r' To Item Number Mayor and City Council 9.3 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Worksession February 3, 2014 Jeremy Barnhart,Deputy Director, CODD Item Description Reviewed by Planning Commission Cal Portner, City Administrator Reviewed by Action Requested Consider for adoption at a future meeting ordinance amendments pertaining to the organization of the Planning Commission. Background/Discussion The Planning Commission has seven members and meets for regular business on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Over the past several reappointment cycles,the number of people desiring to be Planning Commissioners has decreased, creating a struggle to maintain the seven-member commission. The City Code states that a member serves on the Commission until a replacement is appointed (a continuation clause). Staff suggests this clause be removed,to avoid quorum issues. If no quorum exists for a Planning Commission meeting that includes a public hearing,which is most of them,the land use case cannot go forward to the City Council,increasing review time and applicant frustration. A second option to consider is to reduce the Planning Commission membership to five members. Planning Commissions with five members are common for communities our size and activity level. A survey with area communities will be included as part of the worksession discussion. The third option to entice candidates or retain existing commissioners is to provide a small stipend, which seems to becoming more popular among cities. Several options exist regarding the Planning Commission make up,to be discussed: 1. Do nothing, other than remove the continuation clause 2. Reduce the number of commissioners to five 3. Consider paying Planning Commissioners Lastly,it is recommended that the date of the meeting shift from the 2nd Tuesday of the month to the 4"' Tuesday of the month. The total review time will not change;the change allows staff time to prepare the Council packet after the Commission meeting. As land use cases increase in number, as we are already seeing, this extra time will be invaluable. Financial Impact None Attachments ■ Draft ordinance P a w E A E U s r NaA f RE]