Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Minutes 2021-03-24MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION Meeting Held Virtually Port Angeles, Washington 98362 March 24, 2021 6:00 p.m. REGULAR MEETING PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chair Schwab opened the regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Andrew Schwab (Chair), Benjamin Stanley (Vice-Chair), Richie Ahuja, Steve Luxton, Marolee Smith, Colin Young City Staff Present: Emma Bolin (Manager) Ben Braudrick (Associate Planner) Chris Cowgill (Assistant City Attorney) Public Present: Bob Vreeland, Mark Hodgson PUBLIC COMMENT: None Chair Schwab closed public comments APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Young moved to accept the minutes from the February 24 and March 10, 2020 meeting. The motion was not seconded because Commission Smith was not in attendance for the February 24th meeting. Commissioner Smith moved to accept the minutes of February 24, 2020. Commissioner Young seconded the motion, all were in approval. Commissioner Young moved to accept the minutes of March 10, 2020. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion, all were in approval. ACTION ITEMS 1. Action Item: Planning Commission Elections. Election of the 2021-22 Planning Commission Chair and Vice Chair positions Chair Schwab opened up the nomination for the Chair and Vice Chair positions. Commissioner Smith nominated Chair Schwab to continue in the chair position. Vice Chair Stanley stated that he would accept a nomination for chair if Chair Schwab was not interested in continuing in that role. Chair Schwab asked if he had any interest in remaining Vice Chair. Vice Chair Stanley responded that he still had interest. Chair Schwab then nominated Vice Chair Stanley to continue in the Vice Chair position. Commissioner Young made a motion reinstate Chair Schwab as the Chair. Commissioner Smith seconded, all were in approval. Chair Schwab made a motion to reinstate Vice Chair Stanley as the Vice Chair. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion, all were in approval DocuSign Envelope ID: 02AD491C-3DD5-4320-BEDD-A616BCE6BF06 Planning Commission Minutes March 24, 2021 Page 2 2. Discussion Item: Planning Commission Bylaws Amendments Review and discuss staff suggested bylaws amendments to place as an action item on a future meeting agenda. Planning Manager Bolin presented a change to the Bylaws recommended by staff to eliminate language in Article IV, Section 1 that requires the Commission to have meetings in 9 months of the year. This change was due to this requirement not being codified in Code Cities, such as Port Angeles. Rather, it was for counties and second-class cities in Washington State. Chair Schwab asked if the Commission wanted to act on this suggestion first or continue to provide more suggested changes. It was agreed that they would continue forward with suggestions. Commissioner Smith presented changes to the bylaws in Article III, Section 4 and Article III, Section 3 to allow Commissioners continue serving in their position after their term had expired for a set amount of time if the City Council had not yet appointed, or reappointed a Commissioner to that position and to make officer terms 2 years instead of 1 year with the option to reappoint. Discussion followed. Commissioner Stanley made a motion to retain the language that staff had removed in Article IV, Section 1 and add an additional sentence, “The Planning Commission retains the right to change the number of meetings required in a given year in any Planning Commission meeting by a majority vote”. Commissioner Smith seconded the motion; discussion followed. Chair Schwab called for a vote and the motion failed 1-5. Bylaws discussion continued. Chair Schwab introduced a change to Article IV, Section 4 to include “Regular monthly meetings shall be held on the second and/or fourth Wednesdays of each month beginning at 6:00 P.M. in City Hall except as otherwise designated by the Planning Commission”. Commissioner Smith made a motion to accept that change. Chair Schwab seconded the motion, which failed in a 3-3 split. Discussion continued. Staff requested that the Planning Commission be provided time prior to a formal motion of adoption of the bylaws changes in order to review the suggestions for consistency. A request that Commissioners provide any subsequent changes by April 7th was also made. Chair Schwab tabled the discussion and asked the Commissioners to provide any subsequent suggested changes to the bylaws to Staff by April 7, 2020. 3. Work Session: Climate Resiliency Plan Task 4 Preparation Discussion on continued Commissioner work on SWOT analysis review Commissioner Smith presented her SWOT analysis for the Housing Element. Commission discussion followed. STAFF UPDATES Manager Bolin updated the Commission on the Climate Resiliency Plan. The City’s consultant Cascadia Consulting group met with the Climate Action Volunteer Group to set up a workplan for the continued process. FEMA floodplain mapping will be publicly under review by the County on May 10th at the County Commissioners meeting. There will be a six-month comment period. Planner Braudrick notified the Commission that the Peninsula Section of the American Planning Association would be holding an educational forum focused on transportation equity on April 15th. REPORTS OF COMMISSION MEMBERS Vice Chair Stanley gave further update on the kickoff meeting between Cascadia Consulting and the Climate Action Volunteer Group. DocuSign Envelope ID: 02AD491C-3DD5-4320-BEDD-A616BCE6BF06 Planning Commission Minutes March 24, 2021 Page 3 Commissioner Luxton asked about his interest in municipal code changes related to housing that he had provided Staff. Manager Bolin responded that code changes dealt with housing were underway by the consultant Makers, and staff would work with the Chair and Director to find when the suggested changes would be appropriate to review by the Planning Commission. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m. Ben Braudrick, Secretary Andrew Schwab, Chair PREPARED BY: Ben Braudrick, Secretary DocuSign Envelope ID: 02AD491C-3DD5-4320-BEDD-A616BCE6BF06