SUBJECT: General Business
Title
Planning Commission Training
Body
DEPARTMENT: Planning & Development
PRESENTER: Deborah Bachelder AICP, Planning Manager/Deputy Director of Planning & Development
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
n/a
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Welcome to the Town of Erie Planning Commission. Your selection as a Planning Commissioner provides you with a valuable opportunity for genuine public service. Thank you for your contribution.
Town staff will assist Planning Commission with the transition from a general citizen to being a member on the Planning Commission. Planning Commissioners will be trained to have a basic understanding of the regulations, guidelines, plans and approval processes that form the review process for land use applications within the Town of Erie. The majority of the work performed by Planning Commission is related to land use applications that are presented in a hearing where Planning Commission acts similar to a judge does in court. Planning Commission listens to testimony, reviews case documents, considers the laws and procedures that apply and makes findings that support a recommendation or decision on the application.
Planning Commission will have several training events in the next few months. At this meeting, staff will go over general information and guidance for Planning Commission as outlined below.
Relationship to Board of Trustees:
• Planning Commission is appointed by the Board of Trustees and provides two reports a year to the Board of Trustees.
• Planning Commission is primarily advisory to the Board of Trustees except for approval of large (buildings over 25,000 square feet) Site Plan applications and the Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Roles & Support:
• Melinda Helmer: Planning Commission secretary and administrates the posting of Legistar agenda packets, meeting links for virtual meetings and general notices.
• Deborah Bachelder: Designated staff liaison to Planning Commission; and approval authority for all Planning Commission Legistar agenda packets.
• Austin Flanagan: Designated attorney for Planning Commission meetings; assists Planning Commission with legal questions associated with agenda items and oversees legal processes. Has approval authority for General Business items in Planning Commission.
• Other Planning Staff: Other Planning staff will attend Planning Commission meetings, on an as needed basis, to present land use applications, hold study sessions and to facilitate updates to plans and regulations.
o Sarah Nurmela AICP, Director of Planning & Development
o Senior Planners: Audem Gonzales, Chris LaRue, Shannon Moeller
o Andrew Spurgin, Principal Planner - Long Range
o Ariel Tolefree, Affordable Housing Manager
Meetings:
• Agenda packets:
o Prepared by staff.
o Should not discuss items not on agenda. Avoid prejudging issue before decision at hearing.
o Planning Commission reviews all materials in packet before meeting. No independent research; agenda packet materials only for hearing items.
• Chair facilitates meeting; Vice Chair if Chair is not attending
• Need a quorum to hold a meeting; ½ of members (rounded up) = 4
• Public Comment:
o 3-minute time limit monitored by Melinda.
o Beginning of meeting for items not on agenda.
o Required during public hearings; allowed if desired by Planning Commission during other agenda items.
o Public comment should not be used for back-and-forth discussions with Planning Commission/Developers.
• Public Hearing:
o Before public hearing application is scheduled for Planning Commission it is extensively reviewed by Town staff for compliance with regulations and standards and by outside referral agencies for their standards and requirements.
o Chair opens public hearing
o Staff presentation & recommendation
o Applicant presentation
o Public comment
o Planning Commission questions
o Close public hearing
o Planning Commission discussion, recommendation/decision, and findings:
§ Does the application meeting Town regulations and approval criteria?
§ Recommendation/decision, and findings are documented in a resolution.
§ Continue items to a date certain if necessary, but be aware of the timing requirements in the Code.
• Staff Reports:
o Meeting schedule
o Copies of monthly & bi-annual Planning & Development reports to Board of Trustees
• Scheduling/canceling meetings:
o Deborah will share future agendas at Planning Commission meeting and confirm meeting cancelations if no agenda items. May also affirm with Chair if meeting cancelation is needed.
• Legistar agenda packets.
Email/Text/Social Media Correspondence Guidelines:
• Email provided by Town should be used for all communications. All communication is public record and subject to the Colorado Open Records Act and Open Meetings Law (refrain from replying all to avoid issues with the latter).
• You should not correspond with other Planning Commissioners outside of a published meeting or event. More in legal training.
• Always copy Deborah Bachelder, as your designated staff liaison, on any correspondence.
• Legistar agenda item clerical errors; email Melinda and Deborah.
• Request for missing/additional materials for Legistar agenda item; request should go to the Chair for confirmation that they agree document is needed for hearing; then the Chair would forward the request to Deborah to fulfill.
• Requests to Town staff, Board of Trustees, or other advisory boards in general: This needs to be stated in a meeting so the whole Planning Commission can decide if the request is supported. Deborah would coordinate to see if the resources requested are available.
• Legal questions; email Austin and copy Deborah.
• Email sent to the “Planning Commission” email address is sent to Deborah and Melinda. Deborah and Melinda will respond or forward the email to the appropriate staff member to respond. The Planning Commission should not respond to public comments or questions about a land use application.
• Do not correspond or talk with anyone outside of meetings about land use development applications.
Future Training & Learning Opportunities:
• The Town will provide Planning Commissioners with APA (American Planning Association) membership.
• Legal training with CIRSA (Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Industry).
• Training by staff for Unified Development Code and Comprehensive Plan.