HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 2016 Packet
City of Falcon Heights
Planning Commission
City Hall
2077 W. Larpenteur Avenue
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
7:00 p.m.
A G E N D A
A. CALL TO ORDER: 7:00 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL: Chair Schafer____ Alexander ____
Murphy ____ Bellemare ____
Williams ____ Larkin ____
Tinetti ____
Council Liaison Harris ____ Staff Liaison Moretto ____
C. APPROVAL OF MINUTES for October 27, 2015
D. AGENDA
1. Selection of Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary
2. Approval of the Standing Rules – No Change
E. INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Prepare for Discussion on Current Interim Ordinances
F. ADJOURN
If you have a disability and need accommodation in order to attend this meeting,
please notify City Hall 48 hours in advance between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. at 651-792-7600. We will be happy to help.
City of Falcon Heights
Planning Commission Minutes
October 27, 2015
PRESENT: Commissioners Murphy, Williams, Schafer, Larkin, Bellemare, Council Member
Harris, Staff Liaison Moretto
ABSENT: Commissioners Tinetti, Alexander, Council Liaison Harris
The meeting was called to order at 7:15 p.m. by Chair Schafer.
The minutes of the August 22th, 2015 meeting of the Planning Commission were approved.
Introduction of new Commissioners – Marc Bellemare
Commissioner Bellemare discussed his background and interests with the Commission.
Commissioners asked questions regarding details of his professional experiences.
Presentation – Student Presentation: Sustainability
A student group presented their projects on sustainability that will feature the City of Falcon
Heights. These project will focus on redevelopment through various modes of transit throughout
the city. Each student will focus on a different aspect of development and transit and will prepare
a report on the matter.
The Commission asked follow-up questions clarifying the goals and outcomes of the projects.
Holiday Season Planning Commission Meetings
The Commission agreed that November and December meetings should be cancelled unless
there was a planning application submitted. A motion was made and the action approved
unanimously.
Information and Announcements:
Preparing for the Comprehensive Plan
Staff Liaison Moretto suggested that the Planning Commission become familiar with the
Comprehensive Plan and the Metro Council’s System Statement in preparation for the up-
coming planning process.
Gearing Up for the End of the Year Reporting
A report is to be submitted to City Council as to the Commission’s activities.
Updating Commission Member Binders
It was discussed that the standing rules and Commission binders are to be updated in the near
future. The discussion on this issue will continue.
Community Forum: None
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________________ ______________________________
Paul Moretto Emily Schafer
Community Development Coordinator Chair – Planning Commission
Falcon Heights City Code
Sec. 2-118. Planning commission.
(a) The commission shall be the city planning agency authorized by
Minn. Stats. § 462.354, subd. 1.
(b) The duties of the planning commission are:
(1) To guide future development of land, services, and facilities;
(2) To ensure a safe, pleasant and economical environment for
residential, commercial, and public activities; and
(3) To promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of
the community.
(c) These duties are to be carried out by:
(1) Establishing community objectives and policy;
(2) Making recommendations to the council regarding petitions
and applications for rezoning, special use permits, etc.;
(3) Reviewing and making recommendations on all matters
relating to or affecting the physical development of the city.
(Code 1993, § 2-4.05; Ord. No. 98-02, § 3, 4-8-1998)
City of Falcon Heights
Administrative Manual and City Policies
Section II: Commissions
B. PLANNING COMMISSION
1. Purpose. The commission shall be the city planning agency authorized
by Minnesota Statutes, Section 462.354, Subd. l, which includes guiding
future development of land, services, and facilities to ensure a safe,
pleasant and economical environment for residential, commercial, and
public activities; and to promote the public health, safety, and general
welfare of the community by:
a. establishing community objectives and policy;
b. making recommendations to the council regarding petitions and
applications for rezoning, special use permits, etc.
c. reviewing and making recommendations on all matters relating to
or affecting the physical development of the city.
2. Composition & Qualifications. The commission shall consist of not less
than seven nor more than nine members to be appointed by the mayor
and approved by the council as follows:
a. Members of the commission shall be appointed according to their
ability to contribute to and perform the functions, powers and
duties imposed upon the commission.
b. Members of the commission shall be eligible voters residing within
the city.
3. Terms, Vacancies, Oaths. The term of office of all commission members
shall be three years. Except for appointments to fill a vacancy, an
appointment in any year shall be deemed effective as of January l of such
year for purposes of computing the term. No member shall serve more
than two consecutive three year terms or more than eight consecutive
years on the Planning Commission and until an existing term of office
expires.
Members shall hold office until their successors are appointed. All
members shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for
expenses as authorized and approved by the city council.
4. Removal. Commission members shall be subject to removal for cause, by
a four-fifths vote of the city council. Failure to attend meetings regularly
shall be one basis for removal.
5. Organization, Officers. Each commission shall elect a chairperson from
among its appointed members for a term of one year. The commissions
may create and fill such other offices as determined necessary.
6. Meetings, Records, Reports. The commissions shall hold scheduled
meetings, not less than one per calendar quarter. They shall adopt rules
for the transaction of business and shall keep written public records of
resolutions, recommendations and findings. On or before February l5 of
each year, the commissions shall submit to the council work reports for
the preceding calendar year.
7. Commission's Duties. In fulfillment of its purpose the commission's
duties and responsibilities shall be to:
a. exercise duties given planning agencies by law and any duties
conferred upon it by the zoning code and by the city council.
b. periodically, but at least once every two (2) years, review the
comprehensive plan, any additions or amendments, and any
capital improvement program the council has adopted to
implement the plan; and if deemed necessary, revise the
comprehensive plan, adopt the amendments or the new
comprehensive plan, amend the capital improvement program, and
make recommendations to council.
City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2011 Page 1 of 4
FALCON HEIGHTS PLANNING COMMISSION
PLANNING COMMISSION STANDING RULES
February 26, 2008; Revised June 28, 2011
INTRODUCTION
In the belief that the best decisions are made by the best informed decision makers and that the public decision
process is best served when the public has every opportunity to present views, the following rules are
established to govern regular and special commission meetings as well as formal public hearings. There are
several goals behind these rules.
1. In general, free and open discussion by all interested parties should be an essential part of the
decision making process.
2. The commission process should have as little procedural overhead as possible.
3. Time is better spent on substantial matters rather than pro forma matters.
MEMBERSHIP
The formal commission membership consists of seven to nine appointed commissioners. All seven to nine
have one vote each and all can introduce motions. For purposes of leading the meeting, the chair, or in the
absence of the chair, the vice-chair will be considered the chairperson. In the absence of the chair and vice-
chair, the Commission shall name an acting chair for the duration of the meeting.
RULES
Agenda
1. To be considered, an item must be on the agenda and the agenda must be distributed to all the commission
members and any other persons having responsibility for an item at least three working days prior to the
meeting. Distribution may be made by electronic media, including the city website. An agenda can be
modified with addenda by a majority vote but this should be used only for minor items or items with
extreme time constraints.
2. Since there will be audience and possibly cable TV viewers not familiar with each item, the chair, or
person appointed by the chair, will give a brief explanation of each item as it is addressed.
3. The order of items on the agenda need not be followed absolutely. The chair may adjust the order in the
interest of:
a. Filling in time before a scheduled item, i.e., a public hearing.
b. Grouping several items to best make use of consultant time.
c. Accommodating individuals who have attended the meeting specifically to provide input on an
item.
City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2011 Page 2 of 4
Process - Regular and Special Planning Commission Meetings
1. For these proceedings the commission will use the 'open discussion' procedure. That is, discussion is open
to any member before or after a motion is made. This privilege is also extended to the city planner and any
of the consultants who may have an interest in or can contribute to the item at hand.
2. At the discretion of the chair, this privilege is also extended to those members of the audience who wish to
provide input. The chair may also rule out of order any input felt to be redundant, superfluous or
irrelevant.
3. The chair can make liberal use of the "unanimous consent" procedure. That is, items that in the judgment
of the chair are likely to be unanimously approved, can be introduced for approval with the statement "If
there are no objections, ... stands approved (or denied)." If any commissioner has an objection, then the
item reverts to the standard motion procedure. This "unanimous consent" procedure cannot be used for
items requiring formal votes, i.e. resolutions.
4. The standard motion procedure is changed to not require a second. A motion need only be made to be
considered. This also applies to amendments.
5. To eliminate confusion, only one amendment will be considered at a time and that amendment must be
germane to the motion. An amendment cannot itself be amended. If a change to an amendment is deemed
appropriate, the amendment should be withdrawn and reintroduced accordingly.
6. The general mode of voting will be by acclamation but with enough clarity that the individual votes can be
recorded in the minutes. If in doubt, the secretary can request a clarification.
7. The meeting will be electronically recorded and the recording will be retained for at least 6 months
following approval of the minutes for that meeting and shall, if possible, be made accessible on the city
website during that period. The standard retention can be extended if in the judgment of the city planner
such action is warranted.
8. If the commission action is the result of a resident request and that request is denied in whole or in part,
reasons of fact supporting the denial will be made part of the public record.
9. No commission meeting will extend beyond 10:00 P.M. except by unanimous vote. This rule is not
subject to the modification or suspension provisions of the Standing Rules.
City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2011 Page 3 of 4
Process - Public Hearings
Since a public hearing is a more formal procedure and often requires certain procedures and actions to be
legal, the meeting rules are changed accordingly.
1. The primary aim of a public hearing is to take input from the public. To accomplish this in the most
effective manner the chair will introduce the hearing with an explanation of the issues. This explanation
will be given by the chair or a person designated by the chair. The use of explanatory visual aids is
encouraged.
2. Following the explanation and before public input is taken, the chair will state the areas where input will
be appropriate, the maximum time to be allotted to any individual presenter and any other rules deemed
appropriate to guarantee that all concerned parties have a fair and adequate opportunity to be heard. The
chair will then open the hearing to input from the public.
3. At the discretion of the chair, all individuals wishing to speak must fill out and submit an identification
form and speak into a recording microphone. Individuals not wishing to speak in public may provide a
written statement. The commission may take up to 15 minutes to review written statements presented at
the meeting. If the commission decides to not act on the issue at the public hearing meeting, it may by
majority vote extend the time where written input will be taken to a day no later than 1 week before the
next meeting where a deciding vote is planned.
4. All speakers are expected to be business-like, to-the-point and courteous. Anyone not abiding by these
rules will be considered out-of-order.
5. The commission will refrain from initiating a discussion during the public input phase of the hearing
except to clarify points brought up. These 'point of information' requests should be held to a minimum.
6. Once the public testimony phase is complete the chair will announce the public hearing to be closed and
the commission will revert back to its open discussion mode of operation. From this point on, public input
will only be appropriate when solicited by the commission.
7. Voting on any motion that results from a public hearing may be by roll call if requested by a
commissioner.
8. It shall be the intent of the commission to vote on the issue at the same meeting as the public hearing and
as close in time to the public hearing as possible. Should it be necessary to defer voting until a later date,
that procedure will be clearly explained to the audience.
9. No public hearing will extend beyond 9:30 p.m.
10. If the motion contains conditions, as may occur in conditional use or variance requests, those conditions
will be conveyed in writing to the requestor.
11. If the public hearing is the result of a resident request and that request is denied in whole or in part, reasons
of fact supporting the denial will be made part of the public record.
City of Falcon Heights Planning Commission Standing Rules, Revised 2011 Page 4 of 4
ADOPTION/MODIFICATION/SUSPENSION
These rules with the exception of the mandatory 10:00 P.M. adjournment, can be adopted, modified or
suspended in whole or in part by a 3/4 vote of the commission. If suspended, they are automatically reinstated
at the next meeting. Should they be suspended or a situation occurs that is not covered by the standing rules,
Sikkink's Seven Motion System (attached) will apply.
ANNUAL REVIEW
These rules will be reviewed annually in January.
INTERPRETATION
The chair will interpret the rules. However, the chair's interpretation can be appealed by any commission
member and can be overruled by a majority vote.
History
Annual review by the Commission on 2/24/09 – No changes
Annual review by the Commission on 1/26/10 – No changes
Annual review by the Commission on 2/22/11 – Change recommended to clarify sequence of events in
Process – Public Hearings, Item 2. Change approved 6/28/2011
SIKKINK’S SEVEN MOTION SYSTEM
General Rules for a Simplified System of Parliamentary Procedure
1. The purpose of this decision making system is to allow efficient decision making that
represents a majority position. Any motion, request, discussion or proposal, which seems
to have as its purpose unreasonable delay, manipulation, or the goal of serving individual
ends rather than group ends, can be ruled out of order by the chair. Such a ruling by the
chair will be subject to the motion called appeal.
2. Free and open discussions are valued in this decision making system. For that reason,
most motions are discussable and the motion to restrict discussion requires a 2/3 vote in
order to pass. In recognizing persons for discussion, the chair first recognizes the person
who made the motion, next recognizes other persons and always recognizes a person who
has not spoken over a person who has already participated in the discussion. As far as
possible, the chair should try to alternately recognize persons representing different
viewpoints.
3. In examining the chart on the following page, you will note that five of the seven motions
are amendable. However, only one amendment at a time may be considered. As soon as
that amendment is passed or defeated, another amendment may be proposed.
4. The number in front of the motion listed indicates the rank of each motion. Thus,
#1 – General motions are lowest in rank, and #7 – Restrict Debate motions are highest in
rank. Two rules apply:
(1) You usually cannot consider two motions of the same rank at the same time, and
(2) If a motion of one rank is being considered, a motion of the same rank or lower
rank is usually out of order, but a motion of higher rank is in order.
While these rules generally apply, the chair may allow some flexibility in certain
circumstances. These situations almost always occur with motions #5, 6 and 7. For
example, if #7 - “Restrict Discussion” is being discussed and a member wants a secret
ballot vote on the matter, Request, while lower in rank, could be used to accomplish this
purpose. The chair is allowed to make all decisions on exceptions, but all such decisions
are subject to appeal.
Important Note: The previous page and the chart below are taken verbatim from the existing Administrative Manual of the
City of Falcon Heights, now in revision. Please note that in the chart, the motions were put in order of rank from highest (#7) to
lowest (#1).
Type of Motion/Rank Purpose Applies To What
Situations
Needs
Recognition
Needs
Second
Can Be
Discussed Amendable Vote
Required
7. Restrict Discussion
(highest rank)
To stop or limit
discussion
All discussable
motions Yes Yes Yes Yes 2/3
6. Appeal To let the group vote on
a chair’s decision
To decision of the
chairperson No Yes Yes No Majority
5. Request Not a motion but a way
to question, challenge,
or seek help
Any appropriate
situation No No No No
Chair decides
subject to
appeal
4. Postpone To delay action on any
general motion to a
future time
General motions
Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority
3. Refer To have a general
motion studied by a
committee
General motions
Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority
2. Meeting Termination To recess during a
meeting or to end a
meeting
Made to recess or
adjourn Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority
1. General (lowest rank) To bring up business for
majority decisions by the
group
For doing
business Yes Yes Yes Yes Majority