____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting:
Disposition:
Agenda Item No: 4.d
Meeting Date: January 21, 2025
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Department: City Clerk
Prepared by: Lindsay Lara, City Clerk City Manager Approval: ___________ TOPIC: PLANNING COMMISSION ALTERNATE MEMBER APPOINTMENT SUBJECT: APPOINTMENT OF JEFF KENT TO A FOUR-YEAR ALTERNATE
MEMBER TERM ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION THROUGH THE
END OF APRIL 2029 DUE TO THE CREATION OF TWO NEW
ALTERNATE MEMBER ARCHITECT SEATS
RECOMMENDATION:
Appoint Jeff Kent to an Alternate Member Four-Year Term on the Planning Commission Through the End of April 2029 Due to the Creation of Two New Alternate Member Architect Seats.
BACKGROUND:
On July 15, 2024, the City Council adopted an Ordinance Amending Titles 2 – Administration of the San Rafael Municipal Code to Add Design Professionals to the Planning Commission Membership Composition, and Amend Titles 14 – Zoning, and 15 - Subdivisions of the San Rafael Municipal Code, to Dissolve the Design Review Board and Transfer Existing Duties of the Design Review Board to the Planning Commission, or Zoning Administrator, or Director of Community and Economic Development.
Additionally, two Alternate Members were added to the Planning Commission with the eligibility requirement that they be licensed architects.
ANALYSIS:
The City Clerk’s office recruited applicants through social media, the Marin IJ, posting physically at community centers across the City and contacting the American Institute of Architects, and have received one (1) application to serve on the Planning Commission until the end of April 2029. Jeff Kent served as the Landscape Architect on the San Rafael Design Review Board, and in speaking with Director of Community & Economic Development Micah Hinkle, he would be a great addition to the Planning Commission and supports his appointment. Staff recommends appointing Jeff Kent as an Alternate Member of the San Rafael Planning Commission until the end of April 2029..
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
The call for applications for the Planning Commission was advertised through mass email notification, the City website, social media platforms, Marin IJ, physical posting at City facilities, and the American Institute of Architects.
ATTACHMENT:
1. One (1) Application
2. Bylaws
Boards, Commissions & Committees Application
1 / 3
Q1
Contact Information / Información del contacto
First and Last Name / Nombre y Apellido Jeff Kent
Address / Dirección
City / Ciudad San Rafael
State / estado Ca
ZIP/Postal Code / Código postal 94901
Email Address / Dirección de correo electrónico
Phone Number / Número de teléfono
Q2
What district do you currently live in?¿En qué distrito vive actualmente?
District 3/Eastern / Distrito 3/Este
Q3
How long have you lived in San Rafael?
30 years
Q4
Business Information
Company Retired
Q5
How did you hear about this vacant position?
Other (please specify):
City staff
#71
COMPLETE
Collector: Web Link 1 (Web Link)
Started: Wednesday, July 10, 2024 10:30:58 AM
Last Modified: Wednesday, July 10, 2024 11:17:28 AM
Time Spent: 00:46:29
IP Address: 174.195.86.143
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Boards, Commissions & Committees Application
2 / 3
Q6
What Board would you like to apply to?¿A cuál te gustaría aplicar?
Planning Commission
Q18
Do you participate in any civic activities? If so, what are they? Design Review Board
Formally Public Art Commission
Volunteer for Street Painting Festival
Q19
List any civic organizations of which you are a member:
Marin Agricultural Land Trust
DBCNA-neighborhood association
Q20
Education:
UC Berkeley, Post Graduate Certificate in Landscape Architecture Oregon State University, MS Horticulture/ Plant Pathology UW-River Falls, BS Horticulture/Soil Science
Q21
Why are you interested in serving on a board or commission? After 23 years of serving on the Design Review Board, I still have a strong interest in participating in the design and planning process in San Rafael.
Q22
Describe possible areas in which you may have a conflict of interest with the City:
None
Boards, Commissions & Committees Application
3 / 3
Q23
Upload your resume.
Respondent skipped this question
Q24
Ethnicity / Raza/etnia:
Q25
To which gender do you most identify?¿Con qué género se identifica más?
Q26
How old are you?¿Cuántos años tienes?
Planning Commission Bylaws
PLANNING COMMISSION BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1.1. Name. The name of this body shall be the City of San Rafael Planning Commission, hereinafter referred to as the “Commission.” Section 1.2. Purpose. The purpose of the Commission to make decisions or advise the Council on land use and property development issues. The Commission assures that new development is consistent with our long-range General Plan, State laws and other public policies that advance the interests of our community.
Section 1.3. Committee Responsibility. The Commission’s authority is decisionmaking.
It shall be the function and duty of the planning commission to act as a decision-making body on matters including, but not limited to:
• Major subdivisions as delegated to the planning commission under Title 15 of this Code.
• Conditional use permits delegated to the planning commission. • Environmental and design review permits delegated to the planning commission. • Appeals made by a lower body and appealed to the planning commission. • Other matters including physical improvements, or environmental and design permits referred by the community development direction to the planning commission pursuant to powers and duties set forth in the Municipal Code.
It shall be the function and duty of the planning commission to act as an advisory body to the city council on legislative matters related to but not limited to the following:
• General plan updates and amendments.
• Zoning text and zoning map amendments.
• Other land use matters requiring city council action.
It shall be the duty of the members of the planning commission to inform themselves on matters affecting the functions and duties of the commission and all planning matters, and, to that end, they may attend training and planning conferences and the reasonable traveling expenses incidental to the attendance shall be charged upon the funds allocated to the commission.
The planning commission shall provide professional design analysis, evaluation and judgment as to the appropriateness of development proposals for the use and setting and to recommend approval, approval with conditions, redesign or denial based on design standards and findings of approval adopted by the city council.
Planning Commission Bylaws
The planning commission shall endeavor to promote public interest and understanding of plans developed, and the regulations relating thereto. The commission shall adopt rules for the transaction of business and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings, and determinations, which records shall be a public record.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP
Section 2.1. Number of Members. The Commission shall consist of a total of nine (9) members. Seven (7) regular voting members and two (2) alternate members as follows:
- District 1 Representative
- District 2 Representative
- District 3 Representative
- District 4 Representative
- At-large Member
- At-large Member (Design Professional)
- At-large Member (Licensed Architect)
- At-large Alternate Member (Licensed Architect)
- At-large Alternate Member (Licensed Architect)
Section 2.2. Eligibility. The commission shall be composed of seven (7) regular voting members, comprised of one (1) commissioner from each of the city's four (4) city council electoral districts, and three (3) at-large commissioners.
Requirements for eligibility:
1. District representatives: Each district representative must reside in the district they represent.
2. At-large members: Must reside in city limits. At least one (1) at-large member shall be a licensed architect and at least one (1) at-large member shall be a design professional.
”Design professional” means an architect, engineer, landscape architect, building designer, urban designer, urban planner, or other similar design specialist. They may, but are not required to, be licensed or registered in their related field.
In addition, the commission shall include two (2) alternate members who shall be eligible to vote when serving in the absence of any of the commission’s regular voting members.
Both alternate members shall reside in city limits and be licensed architects.
Section 2.3. Term Limits. Members of the Committee shall be limited to three (3) consecutive four-year terms. Additional terms may be served if there is a break between terms.
Section 2.4. Absence and Removal. An unexcused absence from two (2) consecutive Planning Commission Bylaws
Commission meetings without notification to the Staff Liaison shall be considered a voluntary resignation from the Commission. Previously dismissed Commission members may be eligible for reappointment to the Commission.
Section 2.5. Compensation. Commissioners may apply for stipends through the Stipend Program at $50 per month, not to exceed $600 per year per member.
ARTICLE III. MEETINGS
Section 3.1. Time and date of Regular Meeting. Notification of meeting place, date, and time shall be rendered to the public through posting on the City of San Rafael website.
Regularly scheduled Commission meetings shall be the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, but these dates may be impacted by holidays. A schedule shall be approved annually by the Commission. The Commission shall meet once per month and shall be scheduled annually. The schedule for the upcoming year will be set by December of the previous year.