General Government and Planning Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government & Planning Committee convened on February 14, 2023, at 1:00 PM with P. Worley presiding as the meeting officer. The committee addressed three agenda items during the session, focusing primarily on zoning and administrative matters. The main substantive action taken was the approval of PLN-ZOTA-22-00015 Intents ZOTA, a zoning ordinance text amendment. The committee conducted four votes throughout the meeting and heard no public comments during the session. Additional agenda time was dedicated to committee announcements and reviewing items referred to the committee for future consideration.

Attendance

All members were present for the February 14, 2023 meeting.

Present: • P. Worley • K. Plomin • D. Wu • J. Brown • C. Ellinger • S. Lynch • H. LeGris • L. Sheehan • W. Baxter • J. Reynolds

Absent: None

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The committee took four votes during the February 14, 2023 meeting, all conducted by voice vote and all passing unanimously.

Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment Language 0:00 The committee voted to add language to a zoning ordinance text amendment. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition recorded.

Committee Approval for Zoning Amendment 0:00 A second motion was made to move the zoning ordinance text amendment out of committee with approval to the full council. This motion also passed by voice vote.

Rules Suspension for Immediate Reporting 0:00 The committee voted to suspend the rules and report the zoning ordinance text amendment out immediately rather than following the standard timeline. The motion passed by voice vote.

Removal from Referral List 0:00 The final vote concerned removing an item that had been placed on the referral list by Councilmember Lamb. The motion to remove this item passed by voice vote.

All four motions were conducted as voice votes rather than roll call votes, so individual member positions were not recorded. No opposition, abstentions, or conditions were noted for any of the votes. The specific names of the members making the motions and providing seconds were not captured in the meeting record.

PLN-ZOTA-22-00015 Intents ZOTA

0:00

The council discussed PLN-ZOTA-22-00015, a zoning ordinance amendment focused on modernizing the intents section of zoning categories. J. Reynolds served as the key speaker for this agenda item.

The proposed ordinance centers on updating and clarifying the language within the intents sections of various zoning categories without introducing new permitted uses. This modernization effort aims to improve the clarity and readability of existing zoning regulations while maintaining the current scope of allowable activities within each zoning district.

The discussion emphasized that this amendment represents a technical update rather than a substantive policy change. The intent is to ensure that zoning language is more accessible and understandable to both city staff and the public, while preserving the existing regulatory framework.

The council approved the ordinance amendment, indicating consensus that the proposed language improvements would benefit the administration and interpretation of zoning regulations without altering the fundamental character or permitted uses within the affected zoning districts.

This type of zoning text amendment reflects ongoing municipal efforts to maintain current and effective land use regulations through periodic updates to improve clarity and eliminate potential ambiguities in zoning code language.

Committee Announcements

0:00

During the Committee Announcements portion of the February 14, 2023 meeting, P. Worley led a discussion regarding the formation of new subcommittees to address key operational areas.

The primary focus of the announcements centered on establishing two specific subcommittees:

• Public Input Subcommittee - This subcommittee would be tasked with developing processes and procedures for gathering and incorporating public feedback into the committee's work

• Council Rules Subcommittee - This subcommittee would focus on reviewing and potentially revising existing council rules and procedures

P. Worley presented these subcommittee proposals as part of the committee's ongoing organizational efforts. The discussion was informational in nature, with the announcements serving to inform committee members about the planned subcommittee structure and their respective areas of responsibility.

No specific timeline was provided for when these subcommittees would be formally established or begin their work. The agenda item concluded without any formal action being taken, as this was designated as an informational discussion rather than a decision-making session.

The formation of these subcommittees appears to be part of a broader effort to enhance the committee's operational effectiveness and public engagement capabilities.

Items Referred to Committee

0:00

The committee reviewed items that had been referred for consideration. P. Worley served as the key speaker for this agenda item.

The discussion included the removal of an item that had been previously placed on the committee's agenda by Councilmember Lamb. The specific details of the removed item and the reasons for its removal were part of the committee's review process.

This was an informational item that allowed the committee to maintain awareness of their current workload and any changes to previously scheduled business. The review of referred items helps ensure proper tracking and management of the committee's agenda and responsibilities.

The outcome was informational, with no formal action taken during this portion of the meeting.