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City of Falcon Heights • Planning Commission Minutes February 26, 2008 PRESENT: Commissioners Anderson, Hasegawa, Lukermann, Noble, Rodich, Salzberg, Watkins, City Council Liaison Kuettel. Also present was Staff Liaison Deb Jones. The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Chair Eric Watkins. The minutes of the January, 2008, meeting were approved with one correction. Review of Planning Commission Standing Rules and Policies (tabled from January) Commission members have received a copy of the standing rules with changes and additions from last month, also a copy of Chapter 2 of the city code on which the policy document is based, a copy of Sikkink's Seven Motion System (cited in the standing rules) and a copy of the guidelines for public meetings passed by the Council in 2005. Staff Liaison Jones explained that the Sikkink system was found in the city administrative manual and is also used by the Council for cases when standing rules do not apply. The chair asked if there were any further changes. Commissioner Noble renewed her call for a vice chair to facilitate a smooth transition in case the chair is absent, explaining later in response to a question from Commissioner Rodich that she had observed a delay at a previous meeting when there was no contingency plan for the absence of the chair. Jones said the • election of a vice chair is provided for in the code, not the standing rules, and the Commission may proceed to elect a vice chair at any time. Noble then asked that this be put on the agenda for March. In response to a question from Commissioner Hasegawa, Jones said that with seven on the commission, four are needed for a quorum. Watkins summarized the requested changes, restoring the vice chair to the Membership provision of the standing rules. Commissioner Anderson raised the issue of Sikkink's Seven Motion System. She said she had found a Professor Sikkink on the University faculty and suspects this system was introduced as an experiment. She asked Council Member Kuettel if the Council does use this system. Ms. Kuettel said the Council's process is open and informal, but this is the policy. Anderson suggested that the Commission use instead Robert's Rules of Order. Commissioner Salzberg objected that this would require a parliamentarian and access to a copy of Robert's Rules. He also pointed out that the Sikkink system is only in effect if the standing rules are set aside by a 3/4 vote of the commission and noted that this has never happened in his experience. Sikkink was left in. Rodich moved, Hasegawa seconded, that the standing rules be approved as amended. Motion passed. City of Falcon Heights -Planning Commission Meeting of February 26, 2008 -Page 1 of 3