Agenda Packet Cc - regular meeting 7/11/1988

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TO: Mayor and City Council Ouk f Ij MEETING FROM: Mark Bernhardson, City Administrator - 1 19,11, DATE: July 6, 1988OF 1 SUBJBCT: Planning Commission Responsibilities �1�[ Attachments: A. Options Regarding Land Use Reviews - 4/1/88 ISSUE - 1. Opportunity for Representatives to share their views on Planning Commission responsibilities anti relationships with the Council. INTRCDUCTION - At the Counci l's April 11, 1988, meeting Council reviewedi Attachment A. This attachment was transmitted to the Planning Commission and discussed at their meeting held on May 16, 1988. At that meeting the Chair and Vice Chair indicated their desire to discuss this; issue with the Council as to their viewpoints on the matter. DISCUSSION - In addition to the outline and views to be expressed by the Planning Commission Chair and Vice Chair in relationship to this item, I did have the oppor' nity to discuss these concepts; with an Orono resident, Dick Putnam. In the courses of our discussion he indicated that there may be a possibility to utilize the existing Planning Commission to perform the two differing functions of longer range planning together with Board of Appeals by separating the types of issues undertaken by meetings. The idea is that longterm planning, subdivision and zoning ordinance amendment work be done in one meeting and that the Board of Appeals be held at a second meeting to consider conditional use permits, variances acid appeals of Zoning Administrator decisions. (If separate Boards were created conditional use permits would need to be done by the Planning Commission.) Such could be allowed under the current schedule for the summer months and provisions however need to be made for the months apart from May through September. The other suggestion was to work on zoning ordinances through a Task Force. The Task Force approach may be most appropriate for the anticipated overall review of the City's zoning and subdivision chapter. The work product developed would still need to be reviewed by the Planning Commission and Council, under the current ordinance ane according to State law. The zoning staff has advised that the majority of Planning Commission members did not wish to split the duties of the commission (monthly Zoning Board of Appeals and monthly Planning Commission meeting to review Conditional Use Permits, Subdivision applications etc.) Commission members preferred the action of a task Force (both Council and Planning Commission members) to r-view all major planning issues and zoning amendments.