Dunes City Planning Commission

M I N U T E S REGULAR SESSION – December 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm

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 City Hall - 82877 Spruce St. , Westlake , OR 97439

 

1.     Call to Order  

The Planning Commission meeting was called to order by Planning Chairman, Lee Riechel at 5:01 pm .  

2.     Roll Call  

Roll Call was taken by City Planner, Lisa Ekelund.  

Present:    Planning Chairman Lee Riechel , Planning Vice-Chairman Tom Bassett, Commissioner David Bellemore, Commissioner Ken Henderson, Commissioner Marilyn Miller and Commissioner Ken Platt.  

Absent:     None  

Others Present:    City Planner, Lisa Ekelund.  

3.     Pledge of Allegiance  

All who were present stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.  

4.     Approval of the Agenda  

Commissioner Henderson made the motion to approve the Agenda.  Commissioner Platt        seconded the motion.  The motion passed by unanimous vote.  

5.     Consent Agenda  

·        Approval of the 09/23/10 meeting minutes  

Commissioner Miller made the motion to accept the minutes of 09/23/10 .  Commissioner Bellemore seconded the motion.   

Commissioner Bassett stated that his name is misspelled under item 4 paragraph 2.  

Commissioner Miller amended her motion to approve the minutes of 09/23/10 as corrected by Commissioner Bassett.  Commissioner Platt seconded the motion.  The motion passed by   unanimous vote.  

6.     Announcements / Correspondence / Discussion  

Lisa Ekelund stated that she has been working on a new fee schedule with Councilor Mills.  

Commissioner Bassett asked if it included a fine schedule.   

Lisa Ekelund said it did not include a fine schedule, as she was not directed to do so.  

Commissioner Henderson said he has been working with the Water Quality Committee regarding the 6-mile area of influence.  Commissioner Henderson asked if Dunes City was planning on working with the Lane County Planning Department on an intergovernmental agreement.  

Lisa Ekelund said she was given direction from the Mayor to compose an intergovernmental       agreement.  Lisa said this item is on her to-do list after she is finished with some time sensitive       projects.  

Commissioner Henderson said it is strange that the Planning Commission would deal directly with Lane County because the Planning Commission channels all recommendations to the Dunes City Council.  

Commissioner Bellemore indicated he thought that Dunes City was told by Lane County that it was not interested in working on an intergovernmental agreement.  

Lisa Ekelund said she was not aware that Lane County was not interested.  Lisa said she understood that either the City Attorney or Lane County did not like the last submittal offered by the prior City Recorder, Amy Graham.  

Lisa Ekelund explained that she received a follow up report on the Clough property from the         Conservation Committee and she has provided it to the Commissioners for informational reasons only.  

Commissioner Bellemore made the motion for the Planning Commission to send a memo to the Conservation Committee complementing them on their follow up along with their follow up     report on the Clough property.  Commissioner Miller seconded the motion.  The motion passed by unanimous vote.  

Commissioner Bassett asked when the Commission can discuss fines and their appropriateness when they are given, when they are not given, and who decides the level of it.   

Chairman Riechel said the way the code is written, the City Council is solely responsible for issuing fines.  Chairman Riechel said the City is in a reactive mode and the only time the City can do anything is if a written complaint is received.  Chairman Riechel said the Conservation Committee and the Planning Commission can only recommend a fine but the final decision is made by Council.   

Commissioner Bellemore said at the last council meeting, a case of shoreland abatement was addressed and the fine assessed seemed very trivial and ineffective.  He indicated that he felt fines should be substantial enough to be effective.  

The Planning Commission continued a discussion regarding the vegetation removal complaint process.  

Chairman Riechel announced that he was involved with the vegetation removal on the Ulstad property as permitted earlier this year.  Chairman Riechel said the property owner requested a representative from the City to come out to observe and advise them on what they were doing within the bounds of their permit.  Chairman Riechel said he arrived on site to provide guidance before they cut the trees down.  

Commissioner Henderson said the City has a good website and Richard Koehler is trying to keep    water related topics on its desktop.  Commissioner Henderson said he thinks over time, more and more   people will go on and look at the website.  Commissioner Henderson said he thinks this whole 50-foot riparian section is a continuing educational need.  

Chairman Riechel announced that there are two vacancies coming up on the Planning Commission.  Chairman Riechel said Commissioner Bellemore and Commissioner Platt are the ones with an ending term.  Chairman Riechel said Commissioner Platt has not seen fit to reapply so he (Chairman Riechel) wanted to wish Commissioner Platt the best and thank him for all of the work he had done over the years for this crew.  Chairman Riechel said that another interesting item is there are only two positions open but there are five applicants.  

Commissioner Miller made a motion that the Planning Commission recommend to Council that they reappoint Commissioner Bellemore because of his inherent value to the position.          Commissioner Platt seconded the motion.   

Commissioner Henderson said it is a wonderful idea that Commissioner Bellemore is here but is it   appropriate that the Planning Commission make such a motion.  

Commissioner Miller said it is absolutely appropriate.  

Chairman Riechel said he does not see any reason not to make such a motion.  

Commission Bellemore questioned if it is against the law.  

Commissioner Bassett said he thinks it is only a recommendation to the Council.  Commissioner    Bassett said it is the Planning Commissions job to make recommendations and he would like to move to question.  

The motion made by Commissioner Miller and seconded by Commissioner Platt that the      Planning Commission recommend to Council that they reappoint Commissioner Bellemore     because of his inherent value to the position passed by a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, and 1 abstain (Commissioner Bellemore).  

Chairman Riechel announced that the Montgomery subdivision is still in the pot but it is getting close to the top.  

Chairman Riechel announced he has been working with Lisa Ekelund on a project and he would invite the Planning Commission's comments on it.  Chairman Riechel said the two things the Commission has not had in its hands is an outline or procedural document for how Dunes City is going to proceed on any given CCI endeavor.  Chairman Riechel said the City has a small paragraph in its               Comprehensive Plan and the State has a much more involved CCI arrangement.  Chairman Riechel said the State details it out in block diagram form and the State has the CCI reporting directly to the Council and no one else.  Chairman Riechel said Dunes City has the Advisory Committee reporting to the Planning Commission.  Chairman Riechel said Lisa gave him a book called Putting the People into Planning.  Chairman Riechel said when the Planning Commission gets to that point, he (Chairman Riechel) would recommend that Lisa provide everyone a copy.  Chairman Riechel said he has asked Lisa to make sense of our Goal 1 Policy in our Comprehensive Plan against what the State has worked out because there is enough difference that it is confusing.  Chairman Riechel said the other item he would like to work on is a checklist for land use decisions.  Commissioner Riechel said a numbered code section, its title in one column and the other column is all of the Comprehensive Plan Policies that are supportive by that section of the code so when we get to a staff report they can reference the checklist.  Commissioner Riechel said in the November 2010 issue of Local Focus from The League of Oregon Cities, there is a section on land use basics and how things go together but there is one paragraph that states land use decisions are not final until the adoption of findings that site relevant  criteria and standards of the city comprehensive plan and or state land use goals.  

7.     Citizen Input - None  

8.     Unfinished / Old Business - None  

9.     New Business - None  

10.            Unscheduled items not listed on the agenda  

Commissioner Henderson announced he would not be at the January 2011 meeting.  

11.            Adjournment  

There being no further business to come before the Planning Commission, Commissioner Miller made the motion to adjourn the meeting.  Commissioner Bassett seconded the motion.             The motion passed by unanimous vote.  

The meeting of the Dunes City Planning Commission adjourned at 5:59 pm .  

The proceedings of the Dunes City Planning Commission meeting were recorded on tape, and are on file at City Hall.  Upon approval by the Planning Commission, these minutes will be available online at www.dunescity.com  

Approved by the Planning Commission on the 24th day of february, 2011.

 

[Signed Copy Available at City Hall]

Lee Riechel, Planning Commission Chairman  

ATTEST:  

[Signed Copy Available at City Hall]

Lisa Ekelund, City Planner