Title
2013 Planning Commission Work Program
Body
Issue:
Discussion of the Commission's 2013 Work Program
Staff Contact:
Amy Buckler, Associate Planner
Presenter(s):
Amy Buckler
Chair Jerry Parker
Background and Analysis:
Typically, in November of each year, the Planning Commission discusses their Work Program for the following year, and then submits a recommendation to the City Council's General Government Committee. The General Government Committee meets with advisory board chairs (typically in February), sometimes makes changes to suggested work programs, and then forwards a recommendation to the full Council for approval (typically in March.)
This year, the Commission and Council delayed discussion and approval of the Planning Commission's Work Program until completion of the Commission's recommendation on the Comprehensive Plan Update on March 18.
Proposed Schedule for Approval of 2013 Work Program:
- May 6: Begin discussion of anticipated work items, and prioritize as high, medium or low priorities for 2013.
- May 20 or June 3: Review a draft work program, and vote on a recommended work program for inclusion in the General Government Committee packet for June 18.
- June 18: General Government reviews the recommended work program.*
- June 25: City Council approves final work program.*
* Dates have been proposed, but still need to be confirmed with City Council. We were not able to get on the May 18 General Government Committee agenda.
Procedures and Assumptions that influence the Work Program:
- According to the City Council, 2013 advisory board work programs will be in effect between April 1, 2013-March 31, 2014.
- Under the guidance of the City Manager, the Community Planning & Development Department's budget assumes the Planning Commission will meet 22 times this year. While, the Commission's 2013 regular meeting schedule shows the Commission meeting twice per month, the department anticipates two of the meetings will be cancelled unless they are absolutely needed. (This year, July 1 and December 16 are proposed cancellation dates, due to the July 4th holiday week, and winter holiday season.)
- In addition to regular meeting business (approval of agenda, minutes, etc.,) the Commission typically has time at each meeting for 2 work items, plus 1 extra item that is less time-intensive (visit from a Councilmember, educational briefing, etc.)
- Typically, each work item comes before the Commission three seperate times: 1) briefing, 2) public hearing and 3) deliberation. (While not required, this has been the standing practice of the Commission. An alternative would be to hold the briefing or the deliberation on the same evening as the public hearing; however, in the past, the Commission has preferred the three-meeting sequence so that they have more time to ask questions and digest the issues.)
- New work items often present themselves mid-year through Council referrals or applicant initiated code amendments. Thus, when anticipating how many work items can realistically be addressed within the work program, the Commission typically assumes room for two extra work items.
- According to the the City's Advisory Committee Rules of Procedure, the full Commission recommends the work program; then the Chair and staff coordinate to plug work items into the calendar and agenda. Thus, the Commission does not need to attempt to schedule each work item at this time.
How many work items can the Commission address within this work program?
Over the past few years, the Commission's work load has been unusually heavy as the City worked concurrently on two major plan updates and other required work items. Commissioners have expressed the need for Council to establish a realistic work program that does not result in an exhaustive schedule. In addition, the City's resources are limited, and the department budget and work plan is balanced to support about 22 Planning Commission meetings.
The number of work items the Commission can address within this work program will be limited. Assuming the above, there will be 16 meetings between July 2013 and March 2014. Thus, there are approximately 32 work item slots, plus 16 extra slots for less time-intensive things. As most work items require 3 work item slots, the Commission has time for approximately 11 work items. This is an approximate number.
There are several Council referrals and legal requirements that must be met within this time frame. It is also important for the Commission's highest priorities to be included in this work program. Items that are of lower priority to the Commission and staff may be captured for consideration within the 2014 Work Program.
Where do the work items come from?
Items on the work program may derive from a variety of sources, including:
- Council referrals (i.e., 2012 urban agriculture code amendments)
- Legal requirements (i.e., the statutory requirement to review the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP) each year)
- Applicant initiated (i.e., rezones, code changes)
- Department initiated (often based on a need to fix outdated or confusing regulations)
- Planning Commission initiated (i.e., Recent request to change public hearing body on rezones from Hearing Examiner to Planning Commission)
Attachment 1 is a draft list of anticipated items for the 2013 Work Program.
Attachments 2 & 3 include other potential work items proposed by Chair Parker and Vice Chair Bardin.
Options:
1. Staff suggests the following process for tonight:
- Receive short briefing from staff about the process and some anticipated work items, with question and answers.
- Begin discussion of potential work items, and using a white board, add to the anticipated work item list.**
- Assign High, Medium or Low priority to each item.
- Provide staff with any guidance needed to support the Commission in completing discussion of the work program on May 20 (or June 3.)
**Based on recent Commission discussions, staff anticipates the Commission would like to work further on the Urban Neighborhoods concept, which arose from deliberations on the Comprehensive Plan Update. If so, the Commission might consider what the scope of such a work item might be. Questions may include:
- What are the main elements of the further work?
- How much meeting time is anticipated as needed for this work?
- Would this involve the public?
- What is the anticipated outcome (i.e., a supplementary recommendation on the Comp Plan to be considered by Council this year, or next year; a recommendation on regulations to implement goals and policies?)
2. A different process, as proposed by the Commission.
Financial Impact:
Included in base budget.