Regular scheduled meeting held on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. Election of new Chair Emily Roose and new Vice Chair Tim Riley. Previous Chair Mike Banovetz still wanted to be P&Z representative on Projects Committee. City website says the P&Z Chair is the representative. Interesting discussion. Does P&Z do want it wants, make up its own rules? Similar opinions have been voiced previously.
Presentation by City Attorney Kelly Klun about P&Z policies and procedures. Emily Roose made motion (passed) back in November 2023 to have City educate P&Z Commissioners on Robert’s Rules of Order and much more. She also made motion (passed) to clarify Board of Adjustments (BOA) process clarified to public. This was after the divisive Public Hearings regarding huge expansion of RV/ATV campground on Miners Lake in residential neighborhood.
Kelly Klun was very professional, as expected. However, are Commissioners supposed to be representatives and voices of their neighborhoods and citizens/residents . . . talk with them . . . or are they to isolate themselves – go out of their way to isolate themselves – due to “open meeting laws.” The City and developers present development plans, sometimes biased towards the developers. How are Commissioners supposed to hear opposing viewpoints or citizen/resident concerns? Are they only supposed to listen to the citizens at Public Hearings? At those hearings, the citizens/residents have limited time to speak and are told not to repeat what others said. That’s not open communication.
The City Attorney discussed “conflict of interest.” She tended to limit herself and commission to money. After Kelly Klun’s group presentation, she was asked about lobbyists. There are different definitions of “lobbyists.” Should Commissioners continue to lobby directly and indirectly for personal interests and groups during P&Z Commission meetings? They can lobby to all the Commissioners at the same during meetings, so it’s not a violation of “open meeting laws”? And then have their biased comments posted in the P&Z minutes?
Kelly Klun announced she would be addressing 3 issues only: Potential conflicts of interest. Proper communication. Open meeting laws. She did not come to discuss or interpret development regulations, definitions or ordinances. At least 2 Commissioners again and again kept trying to get the City Attorney to give them her professional opinion about Miners Lake and topics related to the RV/ATV Campground expansion (not on agenda).
The P&Z Commission got through their entire agenda!
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