08-04-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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to: Mounds View Planning Commission from: Jim Ericson, Community Development Director re: Public Comment Unrelated to Planning and Zoning Matters date: July 30, 2004 On July 21, 2004, Commissioner Zwirn exercised his right as a resident of this City to speak on a matter relating to the operation and governance of the City, taking issue with the City Council in general and the Mayor in particular. Before addressing the appropriateness of the comments, let me stress that free speech and the right to express one’s opinion is the cornerstone of democracy and a foundational principle of American liberty. That said, the residents of the City of Mounds View are provided opportunities to express themselves at each and every City Council meeting. Public comment at these meetings may be directed at any facet of the operation or governance of the City--past, present or future; short term or long term. The Council is an elected body, voted to act on behalf of and in the best interests of the community as a whole. Residents vote for those individuals who best represent their own ideals and vision for the community. The Planning Commission, like the other City commissions, is an appointed advisory body with very specific duties and responsibilities. The Planning Commission is a volunteer board of Mounds View residents charged with studying and recommending to the City Council ways in which to carry out the Zoning Code and related regulations. In this capacity, the Commission has the responsibility to maintain and update the comprehensive plan; to act upon variance requests; to conduct public hearings and make recommendations to the City Council on zoning classifications, rezonings, plats, lot splits, planned unit development and conditional use permits. The Commission receives citizen input on these matters, solicits all available information on an issue and recommends appropriate action to the City Council for final action. If a resident were to address the Commission on a matter completely unrelated to the function of the Commission, the resident would be instructed to bring his or her concerns directly to the City Council. The public comment one would expect and welcome at a Planning Commission meeting would be related to those duties and responsibilities as outlined above—generally speaking, the development and redevelopment of the City and the zoning codes implemented to effectuate such improvement. Not explicitly stated but generally understood, Planning Commissioners do not use their position as a Commissioner to lobby, advocate or criticize the policies, philosophy and actions of the administration and City Council if not related to the planning and zoning of the City. Planning Commissioners do not take advantage of their position to make Planning Commission M E M O