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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/29/1999 - Minutes - Planning & Zoning CommissionMINUTES • WORKSHOP Planning and Zoning Commission CITY OF COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS March 29, 1999 11:30 A.M. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chairman Massey, Commissioners Garner, Maloney, Parker, Kaiser and Mooney. COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: Commissioner Rife. STAFF PRESENT: City Planner Kee, Staff Assistant Grace, Assistant City Engineer Morgan, Graduate Civil Engineer Tondre, Staff Planner Timmerson, Development Coordinator Ruiz, Assistant Development Coordinator George, COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: None. • Commissioner Massey called the meeting to order. AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Discussion of Ethics Ordinance. City Secretary Hooks introduced herself and City Attorney, Cazgill to the Commissionersa Ms. Hooks briefed the Commissioners on the history of the ethics ordinance. Ms. Hooks told the Commissioners that she and Mr. Cargill were there to familiarize them with the information that was provided to them prior to the meeting, answer questions and receive any comments. The goal is to take comments back to the City Council and let them know what the feelings aze of the Planning and Zoning Commission and how this ordinance will affect each person. Ms. Hooks encouraged the Commissioners to give honest feed back and if someone did not want to express those comments verbally they are encouraged to write a letter to the Mayor. After review and discussion of the ethics ordinance Mr. Cazgill asked the Coirunissioners to express as much as they could Nhat their thoughts were. Mr. Kaiser stated that what the ordinance seeks to address is some of the evils of the "Good Ole Boy System" and in that sense it is good to make the disclosures the ordinance addresses, but the ordinance goes beyond the harm to the city, it gets into personal matters that aze totally irrelevant to the city and totally irrelevant to your duties to the city. Mr. Kaiser stated that he personally would have no problem if Section 3 (a-e) were targeted to people who did business with the city. Mr. Kaiser stated that the . linkage is that if any entities aze doing business with the city, not only on. a contractual basis, but on a regulated basis as well. These are the type of things that the commissioners should be disclosing. P&Z Workshop Minutes March 29, 1999 Page 1 of 3 Mr. Maloney stated that he agreed with Mr. Kaiser that the new ordinance needs to be looked at which puts an end to any possibility of the "Good Ole Boy System" but that it is done in such a way that it • would not preclude the service of concerned citizens. Mr. Maloney stated that he does not want to tell people everything about his business or personal business. Mr. Maloney ended by saying that this will cause a great loss of people in this community that will not want to serve. Ms. Cramer stated that an ethics ordinance is for guidance. If we aze going to adopt and enact this, it is so broad in some azeas (section D-Z) that you do not know what the guidelines are. How can a citizen want to serve the city and understand what their restrictions are really going to be. Ms. Garner stated that Sections 3 a-e are also so broad that you aze vulnerable to all sorts of attack when all you're wanting to do is volunteer your services free of charge to help this city grow. You are put into a situation that your personal life and your integrity come under attack. If better definitions aze not given then there will not be the volunteers that are needed to make this a democratic government. Ms. Garner ended by saying that the proposed ordinance needs to be reworded and be more definitive in the requirements. Chairman Massey stated that the ethics laws concerning that aze in place now and followed by the city seem to be fairly all encompassing. In the proposed ordinance there are some points that need to be improved and focused on. Chairman Massey ended by saying that what he would like to see, is to continue with the existing ordinance and chazge the professionals on the city staff to address specifically those issues to be reworded in an identifiable philosophical language and then considered in an open forume Mr. Pazker stated that an ethics ordinance needs to be in place. Mr. Pazker stated that sections D.~E. & • J. need to be deleted in their entirety (Additional Standards of Conduct -Disclosures and Further Official Action - Appeazance by Past Official). Mr. Mooney stated that the perception is a high level of distrust among certain elements of the city. Mr. Mooney stated that he does not see this situation being resolved where it would be amicable to the majority of the parties and that is the goal of any democratic society. Mr. Mooney stated that it would be his recommendation that a group of individuals that are appointed or elected officials, as well as some that aze not, look at the issues and find a blend and either strike the ordinance or rewrite it so it becomes a blend of what already exists and fine tune it. Mr. Mooney ended by suggesting putting together a group that the community could embrace. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: Discussion of future Planning and Zoning Agendas. Mr. Cargill referred to a memo that was sent the Commissioners concerning Notices for P&Z as required by the O; s. Meetings Act. Mr. Cargill told the Commissioners that "other busine~~'' can not be posted. The Notices must be sufficient to apprise the public in general terms of each subject to be discussed. Mr. Cazgill stated that it really does not change what has been done in the past, but it does change what is posted on the agenda. Mr. Cargill told the Commission what they have to do according to the Open Meeting Act is to post it so that a person with reasonable intelligence will know what will be discussed. If the Commission wants to have an item on the agenda "Future Items" "Additions" "Discussions" "Hear Visitor", etc., that would be sufficient. Mr. Cargill stated that however the Commission wants to address this is their decision. The one thing that is required is to post enough • notice that when someone looks at the notice they know what is going to be talked about, Mr. Cargill. told the Commissioners that "other business" puts a red flag up to the citizens and the media, P&Z Workshop Minutes March 29, 1999 Page 2 of 3 Mro Kaiser stated that his concerns is that there has to be some vehicle to do two things: 1,) a forum for citizens to come and express their views before P&Z recognizing that a formal action can not be taken, but the opportunity to hear citizens; 2.) the second would be for commissioners to have the opportunity • to identify future areas of interest or things that are needed to work more closely with staff ono Mr. Maloney stated that one thing that has been discussed is finding a way to get the information out before a meeting to the neighborhoods that would be affected by development. The other concern is when the commission approves something there is no follow up to the conditions that are set in places Mr, Maloney stated that more continuity is needed. Mr. Maloney stated that those discussions are not allowed to happen because it would not be specifically written out and posted on the agenda. Mr. Maloney ending by saying that there must be a way to allow the commission to discuss these items as they come up. Ms. Kee told the commissioners that the FYI Flyer (information memo) that had previously been given to ±he commissioners giving them information concerning council action, n,~w development that was occurring, up coming items for P&Z, etc. will soon be given again. Ms. Kee asked if that memo can be handed to the commission as part of their packets and then be discussed at the meeting. Mre Cargill stated that if general enough discussions were held to degide if something can be placed on a future agenda and no decision was made. Chairman Massey asked if that is something that could be accomplished as apre-workshop agenda. Mr. Cargill stated that it would still have to be specifically listed on the agenda. It was decided that "hear visitors" would be placed at the beginning of the meeting to let those who came to the meeting to speak, they would not have to stay for the whole meetirg. It was also decided • that "Future Agenda Items" would be placed last on the agenda to list items to be discussed at the next meeting. Ms. Kee suggested that the applicant be given more than the standard 3 minutes to speak concerning his application. That is not enough time to say what they need to say and defend their cased The Commission was in approval of giving the applicant more time to speak in their defense. Ms, Ruiz stated that there should be an item on the agenda for stating absences from future meetingso AGENDA ITEM N0.3. Adjourn. Charman Massey made motion to adjourn. Ms. Garner seconded the motion which passed (6-0), ~i P~~ I%f~orkshop Minutes March 29, 1999 Page 3 oJ'~