AGENDA ITEM #14
TOWN OF FAIRFAX
STAFF REPORT
February 1, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: David Woltering, Interim Planning and Building Services Director Linda Neal, Principal Planner
SUBJECT: Adopt a resolution to change the regular monthly Planning Commission meeting date from the 4th Thursday of each month to the 3rd Thursday of each month. _________________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt attached Resolution restoring the regular Planning Commission meeting date to the third Thursday of each month.
BACKGROUND
On January 19, 2022, the Town Council, at the request of the Planning Director, and based on the frequent special meetings that the Town Council had been scheduling due to Covid regulations and State General Plan Housing and Safety Element Update mandates, the Town Council changed the regular Planning Commission meeting date from the third Thursday of each month to the fourth Thursday of each month. This resulted in the regular Planning Commission meeting occurring one week before the regular Town Council meetings on the first Wednesday of each month for seven of the remaining months of 2022.
After a year of having to prepare notices, write staff reports and prepare for the regular Planning Commission Meeting and the regular Town Council meeting all concurrently during the last two and half weeks to three weeks of each month, the collective Planning Department staff finds this revised schedule counterproductive to move items in a timely manner from the Planning Commission to the Town Council.
The Planning Commission had been holding their regular meetings successfully on the third Thursday of each month with the Town Council meeting two weeks later during the first week of each month since June of 1977 (Attachment B – Town Council Resolution No. 1102).
This schedule allowed Planning staff to focus in the third and fourth weeks of the month on preparing and mailing out the legally required notices, making the site inspections and preparing the staff reports required for the regular Town Council meeting on the first Wednesday of each month, while focusing on the first and second weeks of each month on the Planning Commission regular meeting.
At the December 15, 2022, regular Planning Commission meeting, the Planning Commission directed staff to forward a request to the Town Council that they restore the regular Planning Commission meeting date to every third Thursday of each month. If the regular meeting date 2 change is approved by the Council, the new schedule will commence in February of 2023 to comply with legal meeting noticing requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT
None identified
ATTACHMENTS
A. Proposed Resolution
B. Town Council Resolution No. 1102
C. Town Council Resolution No. 22-05
RESOLUTION 23-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
SETTING THE DATE OF THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE FAIRFAX
PLANNING COMMISSION AND REPEALING AND REPLACING ALL PRIOR
RESOLUTIONS REGARDING THE SAME
WHEREAS, Section 2.28.090 of the Fairfax Municipal Code provides that the Planning Commission shall meet at least once each calendar month, at such times and places as fixed by resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission’s regular meeting has been set on the fourth Thursday of month, usually one week prior to the Town Council regular meeting date the first Wednesday of the month, since February 24, 2022; and WHEREAS, after almost a year of this schedule the Planning Department staff advised the Planning Commission at their December 15, 2022, meeting that scheduling the Planning Commission regular meetings for the fourth Thursday of each month was counterproductive to moving items in a timely manner from the Planning Commission to Town Council regular meetings when necessary;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax that the regular meeting date of the Fairfax Planning Commission shall be the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. beginning in the month of February 2023; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all prior resolutions setting the regular meeting date and/or time of the Fairfax Planning Commission are hereby repealed and replaced.
The foregoing Resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 1st day of February 2023, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
__________________________
Chance Cutrano, Mayor
Attest:
________________________________
Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
ATTACHMENT A
RESOLUTION NO. 1102
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
CHANGING THE MEETING DATE OF THE TOWN'S PLANNING COMMISSION WHEREAS, Section 2-28 of the Fairfax Town Code provides that the Planning Commission of the Town of Fairfax shall meet at least once each calendar month, at such times and places as fixed by resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission wishes to insure that the City Council of the Town of Fairfax has available to it copies of the minutes of the Planning Commission's deliberations on all matters that come before the Fairfax City Council; and
WHEREAS, the Fairfax Planning Commission feels that if they meet earlier in the preceding month, the City Council may be assured of receiving copies of their minutes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the Town of Fairfax that the Fairfax Planning Commission shall meet on the third Thursday of each calendar month at 8:00 PM in the Town's Women's Club or at another location as determined by the Planning Commission and properly noticed.
The foregoing resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular adjourned meeting of the City Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the
by the following vote, to-wit:
13 th day of ------ June , 1977,
AYES: COUNCILMEN: EGGER, GATELY, GARRISON, GRAY, and MAYOR MAHONEY NOES: COUNCILMEN: (NONE)
ABSENT: COUNCILMEN: (NONE)
ATTEST: /MAYOR
// ,,
AS TO FOR"I\J.:
ATTACHMENT B
RESOLUTION 22-05
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
SETTING THE DATE OF THE REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING OF THE FAIRFAX
PLANNING COMMISSION AND REPEALING AND REPLACING ALL PRIOR
RESOLUTIONS RE SAME
WHEREAS, Section 2.28 of the Fairfax Municipal Code provides that the Planning Commission shall meet at least once each calendar month, at such times and places as fixed by resolution; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission's regular meeting is set on the third Thursday of every month pursuant to Town Council Resolution No.1102; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council often holds a special meeting on the third Wednesday of the month, the evening immediately preceding Planning Commission's regular meeting; and WHEREAS, having back-to-back meetings of the Town Council and Planning Commission raises scheduling-related logistical and staff attendance issues; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commissioners determined that holding their regular meeting on the fourth Thursday of the month would avoid said issues; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax the regular meeting date of the Fairfax Planning Commission shall be the fourth Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all prior resolutions setting the regular meeting date and/or time of the Fairfax Planning .Commission are hereby repealed and replaced.
The foregoing Resolution was duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 19th day of January 2022, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: ACKERMAN,COLER,CUTRANO,GODDARD,HELLMAN
NOES:
ABSENT:
Attest:
None
None
AM·��
Michele Gardner, Town Clerk
Ult-� bStephanie Hellman, Mayor
ATTACHMENT C