HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 Planning Commission MeetingsITEM #6
TUSTIN
Inter-Com - ~~~.~„'~
DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2008
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TO: PLANNING COMMISSION 6ULLDING OUR FUTURE
HONORING OUR PAST
FROM: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Commission maintain the status quo.
BACKGROUND
At the August 26, 2008, Planning Commission meeting, Commissioner Thompson requested
that staff evaluate the feasibility of reducing the number of regular Planning Commission
meetings from two per month to one per month. Staff has evaluated the matter and offers the
following comments for the Commission's consideration:
1. The Tustin Citv Code requires regular Planning Commission meetings
Section 1515 of the Tustin City Code currently requires the Planning Commission to
"hold its regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00
p.m. in the Council Chambers, except when such a day falls on a legal holiday, in which
event the Planning Commission shall meet at 7:00 p.m. on the first weekday following
which is not a legal holiday. In addition, the Planning Commission may also call for
additional or special meetings as "necessary or convenient." Meetings may be cancelled
by the Commission whenever there are no applicant-initiated items scheduled for a
particular date.
If a reduction in the number of meetings is desired, the Planning Commission would
need to make a formal recommendation to the Tustin City Council to direct staff to
prepare a code amendment to change the frequency of their meetings.
2. The public has come to expect regularly scheduled Planning Commission meetings
Citizens, elected and appointed officials (City and other jurisdictions), and project
applicants have become accustomed to regularly scheduled Planning Commission
meetings. There is an expectation that the Planning Commission is available the second
and fourth Tuesday of each month. Project proponents and Tustin area residents and
business interests have come to know when the Planning Commission meets and that
they can address the Planning Commission at these times if desired. Should the
number of Planning Commission meetings be reduced to once per month, and a
meeting is cancelled due to a lack of action items, the Planning Commission could
conceivably be unavailable to the public and others for a significantly extended period of
time and cause the public confusion as to when the Planning Commission meets.
Planning Commission Report
Planning Commission Meetings
September 23, 2008
Page 2
3. The processing of development applications could be delayed
Residential and commercial property owners, developers, and other applicants may find
a proposed reduction to monthly meetings to be a hardship. Development applications
that normally would be scheduled for the next available Planning Commission meeting
may need to be held for an additional two to three weeks. Matters continued by the
Planning Commission would also need to be continued for at least a month or more. In
addition, City Council requests for Planning Commission input on any matter could also
result in delays.
4. No significant reduction in cost would occur
Planning Commissioners currently receive $150 per meeting for a total cost to the City of
$750 per meeting (5 Commissioners X $150) or $1,500 per month. However, the cost
for Planning Commission attendance only occurs when there are items on the agenda
for Planning Commission action and a meeting occurs.
In addition, non-management staff attendance at Planning Commission meetings
typically involves paid overtime (e.g., the Associate Planner hourly rate with
administrative overhead at time and a half is $68). A reduction in the number of
Planning Commission meetings would likely result in longer agendas and meetings with
an associated increase in the amount of overtime paid by the City.
Again, Planning Commission meetings are typically cancelled when there are no action
items scheduled for a particular date, so the minimum number of Planning Commission
meetings already occurs. Consequently, no significant cost savings would be expected
from the elimination of one Planning Commission meeting per month.
5. Monthly meetings would be longer in duration
Most Planning Commission meeting agendas can currently be addressed in a relatively
timely manner. With a proposed reduction in the number of meetings, the number of
agenda items would presumably increase. Some project applicants would need to wait
through multiple agenda items prior to consideration of their projects scheduled at the
end of the agenda. In addition, Planning Commission agendas extending into the late
evening can negatively impact active citizen participation and input.
Staff will be available at the meeting to answer any questions regarding this matter.
~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~
Scott Reekstin
Senior Planner
Elizabeth A. Binsack
Community Development Director
S:\Cdd\PCREPORT~2008\Planning Commission Meeting Frequency.doc