HomeMy Public PortalAbout01-08-2019MEDINA
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2019
7:00 P.M.
CITY HALL (2052 County Road 24)
1. Ca11 to Order
2. Introduction of Planning Commission members
3. Election of 2019 Planning Commission Chair
4. Election of 2019 Planning Commission Vice -Chair
5. Public Comments on items not on the agenda
6. Update from City Council proceedings
7. Planning Department Report
8. Planning Commission Operational Procedures
9. Planning Commission Orientation Manual Updates
10. Discussion of 2019 Planning Department Goals
11. Approval of December 11, 2018 Planning Commission Minutes
12. Council Meeting Schedule
13. Adjourn
POSTED IN CITY HALL January 4, 2019
AGENDA ITEM: 7
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Martin and Members of the City Council
FROM: Dusty Fluke, Planning Director; through City Administrator Scott Johnson
DATE: December 26, 2018
SUBJ: Planning Department Updates — January 2, 2019 City Council Meeting
Land Use Application Review
A) Cavanaughs Meadowwoods Park Third AdditionlOSl Expansion — Arrowhead Drive, north of
Highway 55 — Arrowhead Holdings (real estate company for OSI) has requested approval of a site
plan review, preliminary plat and rezoning to construct a 2'd building north of their existing facility.
The applicant proposes to construct the building on a separate lot and to rezone the property to
Business, in line with the updated Comprehensive Plan. The Council adopted approval documents
on November 7. The applicant has now requested final plat approval. Staff will present to Council
when ready.
B) Raskob Elm Creek Addition — 500 Hamel Road — The John W Raskob Trust has requested to
subdivide the 8 acres (approximately 4 net acres) of property into two separate parcels so
that the family could market the two separately. Staff is conducting a preliminary review
and the application will be presented to the Planning Conunission when prepared,
potentially at the January 8 meeting.
C) Raskob Variance — 3240 Carriage Drive — Brian and Christine Raskob have requested a variance
from the 50 -foot side yard setback to construct a detached garage on their property. The property is
subject to a 50 -foot setback because it is over 5 acres in area, but much of the property is
unbuildable. The owners have requested that the City consider a variance to allow a 20 foot setback,
similar to surrounding parcels which are under 5 acres. The application is currently incomplete for
review and will be scheduled for a hearing when complete.
D) Theisen Riding Arena CUP — 3325 County Road 24 — Scott and Chantelle Theisen have requested a
CUP for construction of a barn and indoor riding arena. Staff is conducting a preliminary review
and the application will be presented to the Planning Commission when prepared.
E) Richardson Lot Combination — PIDs 18-118-23-24-0116 and 18-118-23-24-0117 — Big Island
Land LLC (Dale Richardson) has requested a lot combination of two vacant parcels along
Ardmore Avenue, just west of County Road 19. The parcels do not meet relevant lot
standards and the applicant desires to combine them to construct a single home. The
application is currently incomplete, and staff has requested additional information. Staff will
schedule when complete for review.
F) Deer Hill Preserve 3'd Addition Final Plat — Property Resources Development Corporation has
requested approval of the 3`d addition final plat to include 5 lots and an outlot. The outlot was shown
as a residential lot on the preliminary plat, but the applicant seeks to convert this lot to a small park.
The applicant has inquired if the City would be interested in this Land as a public park, or otherwise
would maintain a private park. The Council adopted a resolution of approval on December 5.
G) Diller Concept Plan — Jim Differ, Tom Differ, and Differ Properties have requested review of a
concept plan related to the potential subdivision of four existing parcels totaling approximately 25
acres into six lots. Two of the existing parcels are served by City sewer and included within the
urban service area but all the property is zoned rural residential. The applicants requested that the
City consider rezoning the two parcels served by city sewer to Suburban Residential, allowing the
parcels to be reduced in size to create additional rural lots. The Planning Commission held a public
Planning Department Update
Page 1 of 2 January 2, 2019
City Council Meeting
hearing at the May 8 meeting and feedback was generally supportive of what was proposed. The
Council reviewed on June 19 and raised questions whether designating the property as LDR was
consistent with the objectives of the Comp Plan. The Council directed staff to continue discussions
with the Differs and staff has done so. The application will be left open in case the Ditters have
additional information to provide in the coming months.
H) Johnson ADU CUP, Maxxon, DykhoffSeptic Variance, Hamel Brewery, St. Peter and Paul
Cemetery — The City Council has adopted resolutions approving these projects, and staff is assisting
the applicants with the conditions of approval in order to complete the projects.
I) Woods of Medina, Hamel Haven subdivisions — These subdivisions have received final approval.
Staff is working with the applicants on the conditions of approval before the plats are recorded
Other Protects
A) Rezoning for consistency with 2040 Comp Plan — The Planning Commission held a public
hearing on an ordinance rezoning 35 parcels of land which were identified by staff to be
consistent with the updated Comprehensive Plan. At the hearing, many comments were
received about the rezoning of two of the parcels at County Road 116 and Meander Road.
A few other comments were received as well. The Commission tabled the ordinance and
requested additional information from staff. Staff has been in discussions with several the
persons who raised concerns at the hearing and it appears that most concerns on the County
Road 116 matter have been addressed. Staff intends to present the ordinance and updated
information to the Commission again at the February 12 meeting.
B) Tolomatic Administrative Site Plan Review — Tolomatic has requested approval of a site
plan review to expand its parking lot at 3800 CR 116. Review is underway.
C) Long Lake Subwatershed Partnership — Minnehaha Creek Watershed received a Board of Soil and
Water Resources (BSWR) grant for 5112,000 to conduct a comprehensive subwatershed-wide
assessment and implementation plan. The group is planning to meet early in the year to put together
a work plan.
D) Hickory Drive improvement project — Staff finalized the agreement related to the acquisition of the
easement for the stormwater pond and intends to provide to the property owner this week. Staff
received favorable comments related to potential partial funding for the City's grant application for
the Hennepin County Natural Resources Opportunity Grant. Staff has also inquired if Elm Creek
Watershed may be able to provide funding in 2018 (rather than 2019, when it has been scheduled).
The City should have a good idea of potential funding in the middle of February.
E) Stormwater Ordinance and Design Guide —staff met with Engineering staff to discuss the scope and
workplan for reviewing the City's stormwater regulations to conform with the City's surface water
management plan and current practices. The Planning Commission and City Council held a
workshop on the regulations at the May 15 meeting. The Council adopted the ordinance at the
August 8 meeting. Staff is working on the Design Manual.
F) Planning Commission interviews — Mayor Martin, Council member -elect Albers, and myself
interviewed applicants for the Planning Commission. We had a strong pool and had a tough
decision to make. The panel recommended appointment of Robin Reid, Kerby Nester, Beth Nielsen,
and Peter Galzki, which are included on the City Council's potential appointments list at the January
2 meeting.
Planning Department Update
Page 2 of 2 January 2, 2019
City Council Meeting
MEDINA POLICE DEPARTMENT
600 Clydesdale Trail
Medina, MN 55340-9790
I,: 763473.9209
f: 763.473.8858
non -emergency: 763-525.6210
EMORANDUM
Emergency 9-1-1
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
RE:
City Council
Edgar J. Belland, Director of Public Safety,
Through City Administrator Scott Johnson
December 26, 2018
Police Department Update
Holidays
Our officers will be out working over the next two weeks keeping our community safe. We
are here 24/7 for anyone who needs assistance. Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe
Holiday Season!
Holiday Train
On December 26th the city of Loretto informed me that they had received $22,142.96 and
750 pounds of food for the Holiday Train event. The estimated attendance was 2,000
people. Since 2003, Loretto's Holiday Train event has raised $286,156.25 and 51,313
pounds of food.
I want to thank everyone who contributes to this event. Our Officers and Reserve Officer
did another great job.
Toy -For -Tots
On December 20th our Officers assisted the Toy -For -Tots program with the giving out toys
to a family in Medina for their five children. The kids were very excited to receive the toys.
The officers enjoyed the time spent with the family.
Squad Damage
In the last two weeks we have had one squad involved in an accident and another damaged
in an altercation during a domestic. Both vehicles will be getting repaired. The most
serious damage was to our newest squad a 2018 Dodge Charger, which sustained over
$13,000 in damage. It will be out of service for the next five weeks. The second one is only
$300 in damage. In both instances, the damage was the fault of the other party. No officers
were injured.
Sergeant Update:
Out of the Office
Investigative Update:
Out of the Office
MEMORANDUM
TO: City Council, through City Administrator Scott Johnson
FROM: Steve Scherer, Public Works Director
DATE: December 21, 2018
MEETING: January 2, 2019
SUBJECT: Public Works Update
STREETS
• Public Works staff has been cutting brush along the sides of the road as sightlines
become restricted when brush is not addressed.
• We plan to have a full update on the Hickory Drive N project at the January 15, 2019
council meeting.
• Staff hopes to have updated budget numbers for the Brockton Lane project soon. This
will allow us to put together a financial plan moving forward since funding will come
from several sources as previously mentioned.
WATE RISE W ER/ST ORMWAT ER
• We have been working with our control integrator to extract information to fulfill our
well level monitoring mandate from the DNR. It appears the information is accessible in
our current software and there should be limited costs associated in fulfilling their
requirements.
• The Hamel water system is working well. We will be analyzing water consumption for
the 2018 year and its effect on the water systems to determine if any necessary changes
are needed.
• Katrina and I will be working together on the DNR and Minnesota Department of Health
yearend reports over the next month.
• In 2019, Joe Ende will be taking the Class D water operator exam and Derek Reinking
will be taking the Class C operator exam. Keeping our employees up-to-date on
certifications and training becomes even more important as we lose knowledge and
experience as others plan for retirement.
PARKS/TRAILS
• The unseasonable weather has affected the ice rinks and the sliding hill. When cooler
weather returns, Public Works will resume making ice and snow.
• We will submit the grant fund application to Hennepin County for reimbursement for
Pinto Trail as soon as we receive the last two documents needed from Engineering.
MISCELLANEOUS
• Public Works has been performing maintenance on all the equipment to ensure they are
working effectively.
• The brush and compost site are scheduled to be chipped and hauled away by the end of
January.
Page 2 of 2
AGENDA ITEM: 9
G % T Y 0
As
MEDINA
Planning Commission Training
and
Orientation Manual
January 2019
Planning Commission Training Manual
Table of Contents
Page:
Organizational Structure of the City of Medina 3
Organisational Chart (see Exhibit A)
A. City Council 3
B. Planning Commission 3
C. Park Commission 4
D. Ad Hoc Committees 4
E. Administration 4
F. Planning & Zoning 5
G. Public Safety 6
H. Public Works 6
II. Structure and Function of the Planning Commission 7
A. Structure 7
1. Officers 7
2. Meetings ... 7
3. Procedures and Policies 8
B. Function 8
III. Responsibilities and Recommendations for
Planning Commission Members 10
A. Reviewing Monthly Meeting Information Packet .... 10
B. Performing Site Visits 10
C. Conducting Additional Research 11
D. Submitting Questions to city staff ... 11
E. 60 -Day Rule 12
F. Participating in Monthly Planning
Commission Meetings 12
G. Establishing Liaisons to City Council 12
H. Participating in Continuing Education 13
I. Compliance with Data Practices Act 13
J. Code of Conduct 14
IV. Educational Resources 14
Web Sites 14
Books/Videos 14
Planning Commission Training
and Orientation Manual
2
I. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF CITY OF MEDINA
Please see EXHIBIT A for the Organizational Chart of the City of Medina
A. City Council
The City Council consists of a mayor who is elected for a two-year term, and four council
members, each of whom is elected to a four-year term. The City Council meets on the
first and third Tuesdays of each month. Meetings are held in the City Council Chambers
at City Hall. Meetings are open to the public.
The City Council has multiple functions and responsibilities. For the purposes of this
manual, the primary focus is on the Council's responsibility to create and implement a
long-range comprehensive plan for city development and also in matters related to land
use. Implementation is achieved through the creation or modification of zoning and
building regulations as well as through the granting or denying of requests to deviate
from written regulations. To accomplish this goal, the council works with many other
entities, agencies, and private enterprises. The council also takes under advisement the
recommendations made by the Planning Commission when considering action on a
regulatory request (requests for conditional use permits, variances, subdivisions, or
amendments to the zoning ordinance or to the comprehensive plan). Regulatory requests
of these types are generally brought before the Planning Commission prior to being
scheduled for a council review.
B. Planning Commission
The Medina Planning Commission has been established by the City Council pursuant to
City Code Section 825.33 (see attached EXHIBIT B) and Minnesota Statutes Section
462.354 Subdiv. 1(2).
The purpose of the Planning Commission is to make recommendations to the City
Council on matters related to the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance and also on
land use applications such as subdivisions, conditional use permits, site plan reviews and
variances. The Planning Commission shall also review such additional matters as may be
requested by the City Council.
The Planning Commission consists of seven (7) members, each of whom is either
appointed by the City Council to serve a three-year term or a shorter term to fill a
vacancy. A commission chairperson and vice -chairperson are elected from its members.
All Planning Commission positions are voluntary.
The Planning Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month. Meetings are
held in the City Council Chambers at city hall. Meetings are open to the public.
Details of the Planning Commission structure and function are covered in section II of
this manual.
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and Orientation Manual
3
C. Park Commission
The Park Commission consists of seven (7) volunteer members, each of whom are
appointed by the City Council to serve a three-year term or a shorter term to fill a
vacancy.
The Park Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Meetings are
generally held in the City Council Chambers at city hall. Meetings are open to the public.
The purpose of the Park Commission is to make recommendations to the City Council
related to the City's parks and trails.
D. Ad Hoc Committees
From time to time, special circumstances or developments affecting the city may require
a more intensive investigation or a collaborative effort between the city and another
entity. At such times, an ad hoc committee may be formed from members of the council
or any of the commissions, city staff, liaisons, and possibly city residents. The City
Council may appoint Planning Commission members to serve on study group or task
forces to address a specific issue and for a designated time frame and, as such, are
temporary bodies. Any recommendations or reports developed by such a committee that
relate to local planning matters shall be brought before the full Planning Commission for
action.
When necessary, ad hoc committees or task forces may be convened which necessitate
participation by one or more Planning Commission members. Assignment to these
groups should be based not only on a member's expertise, experience, and interest, but
also on a rotational basis so that Planning Commission members have an opportunity to
expand their knowledge and increase their interaction with other group members.
E. Administration/Finance
The city administration/finance staff consists of a City Administrator, Assistant City
Administrator, Finance Director, Accountant, and Administrative Assistant. Professional
contracted consultants report to the City Administrator include: City Attorney, City
Assessor, Building Official/Fire Marshal, and City Engineer. All positions are filled by
city employees or professional contracted services.
General responsibilities are as follows:
City Administrator - oversees all city depaitnients, contracts, and day-to-day
administrative operations of the city.
City Attorney - provides legal counsels for city officials and staff. The city contracts this
service with Kennedy & Graven.
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and Orientation Manual
4
City Assessor - views each parcel of real estate in the city to determine its market value.
Also determines the classification or use of each parcel. This information is the basis for
property tax assessments. The city contracts this service with Rolf Erickson.
Building Official/Fire Marshal - physically inspect structures to ensure compliance with
building permit specifications. Medina is served by four volunteer fire departments; each
of which serves other adjacent communities as well. The city contracts for the building
inspections and fire marshal services with Metro West Inspection Services, Inc.
City Engineer - works to address engineering issues and reviews plat submittals with
engineering issues. Also provides complete civil engineering services including
landscaping and transportation. The city contracts this service with WSB & Associates.
Finance Director — manages the day-to-day financial operations of the city.
Accountant- administers utility billing and general fund accounting.
Assistant City Administrator — provides support to the City Administrator, acts as the
City's Clerk, coordinates human resources, and administers elections.
F. Planning & Zoning
The city planning and zoning department consists of a Planning Director, Associate
Planner, Administrative Assistant, and Planning Consultants. All positions are filled by
city employees or professional contracted services.
Planning Director — manages the day-to-day general planning, zoning and code
enforcement operations of the city. Oversees and processes requests for variances,
subdivisions, platting, building permits, and conditional use permits. Prepares and
oversees the preparation of all planning staff reports and agendas to the Planning
Commission. Also serves as a resource for building codes, zoning ordinances, septic
systems, GIS (Geographical Information System) mapping, and the city's comprehensive
plan.
Associate Planner - assists with general planning and zoning information, administers
building permit process, and assists with general city information. Also conducts day-to-
day functions of the planning department, including code enforcement and general zoning
information.
Administrative Assistant — shared with Public Works and assists both departments with
general planning and zoning information, city infrastructure and public works
information, processing building permits, and general city information.
Planning Consultant — the city currently contracts with Northwest Associated Consultants
(NAC) to assist the Planning department in planning responsibilities.
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and Orientation Manual
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G. Public Safety
The Medina Police Department has organizational responsibility for all public safety and
Emergency Preparedness activities in the City, including police, fire and emergency
preparedness. The Medina Police Department also provides public safety services to the
city of Loretto on a contract basis.
Structurally, the police department includes the public safety director, sergeant, police
officers, police assistant, community service officers, police reserves, and city prosecutor.
The city prosecutor is an attorney in private practice whose services are contracted by the
City. Police reserves are non -paid volunteer positions. The balance of positions are city
employees.
Public Safety Director, Sergeant, officers, and assistant - carry out duties including but
not limited to law enforcement, investigation, initial emergency medical response,
emergency preparedness, and evidence and, record management. The Medina police
department is established by City Code, Chapter 205. The duties of the police chief and
employees are set out in Sec. 205.03.
Community Service Officers — assist with logistical operations, enforce parking, animal
control, and other City ordinances, assist with calls, and participate in community and
public education programs, such as Operation ID, bicycle safety, and Neighborhood
Watch.
Police Reserves - assist police and community service officers with non -emergency calls,
represent the city and provide assistance for department or special details, such as Medina
Celebration Day and the Hamel Rodeo.
Fire: City Code, Chapter 210, authorizes the City Council to contract for fire protection
services with other municipalities (Long Lake and Maple Plain) and volunteer fire
departments (Hamel and Loretto). The Public Safety Director serves as the City's
primary liaison with volunteer fire departments that serve Medina. The City
Administrator administers the contracts.
City Prosecutor - prosecutes misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors on behalf of the City
(Note: the office of the Hennepin County Attorney prosecutes felonies).
H. Public Works
The Public Works Department consists of a Public Works Director, Administrative
Assistant, Foreman, water and sewer operator, field inspector, and several public works
maintenance employees.
The public works department is in charge of all public facilities in Medina, including city
roads, parks, sewers, water distribution networks, stormwater facilities, and city
buildings.
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and Orientation Manual
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H. STRUCTURE & FUNCTION OF PLANNING COMMISSION
A. Structure
1. Officers
The Planning Commission consists of seven members, appointed by the City
Council. No member may serve more than nine consecutive years. The Planning
Commission elects two officers, a chair and vice -chair, each year at the January
Planning Commission meeting. These two positions are elected for a one-year
term.
The chair is the presiding officer at all meetings of the Planning Commission and
consults with the Planning Director and other staff members as necessary between
meetings.
The vice -chair fulfills the duties of the chairperson in the event of an absence and
also assists the chair as needed.
In the event a vacancy occurs in the office of the chair or vice -chair, the Planning
Commission fills the vacancy for the balance of the term at its next regular
meeting.
2. Meetings
Regular meetings of the Planning Commission are held monthly unless there is no
business to conduct. The meeting has historically been held on the second
Tuesday of each month in the City Council chambers at city hall. If the Planning
Commission desires to meet at another time or place, a special meeting notice
must be given.
Information packets with the upcoming meeting agenda and all related paperwork
are delivered to Planning Commission members prior to the Tuesday monthly
meeting, generally on Friday prior to the meeting.
In addition to the Planning Commission members, meetings are usually attended
by a designated liaison of the city council, planning staff, city planning
consultant(s), as well as the public.
Special meetings of the Planning Commission may be called by the chairperson or
three Planning Commission members. A notice for a special meeting must be
given as specified in Minnesota Statutes, 13D.
The order of business at meetings of the Planning Commission generally follows
the published agenda. However, matters may be taken out of order for the
convenience of the Planning Commission, members of the public, or the applicant
upon the consent of a majority of the planning commission. Public hearings
cannot be held prior to the time established for them in any published or mailed
Planning Commission Training
and Orientation Manual
7
notice. With the approval of a majority of the members of the planning
commission, items may be added to the published agenda so long as no public
hearing or prior notice is required.
The Planning Commission keeps a record of its proceedings, including minutes of
its meetings and a record of all votes. These records are available to the public
during regular city hall business hours and on the city's website
https:l/medinanm.gov.
3. Procedures and Policies
Operational Procedures — The Operational Procedures of the Planning
Commission are attached hereto as EXHIBIT C. The Commission generally
conducts business in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, but with a lower
level of formality.
Quorum/Open Meetings - All meetings of the planning commission, including
study groups and task forces established by it, must be conducted in accordance
with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law, Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13D.
A majority of appointed members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
all business. When there is less than a quorum present, any business transacted is
null and void. Each member of the Planning Commission shall be entitled to one
vote on all matters. All matters require approval by a simple majority of those to
be adopted.
Planning Commissioners should be vigilant to avoid creating a meeting outside of
a meeting called under the Open Meeting Law. Telephone calls and e-mail
threads would create an open meeting concern if the group discusses city
business. A serial meeting may also constitute an open meeting. For example,
commissioner A talks to commissioner B; B talks to commissioner C; and C talks
to A and D. A quorum of the Commission would have been involved with the
discussion and could be a violation.
Conflict of Interest - A Planning Commission member has a conflict of interest if
the matter at hand would directly or indirectly materially affect his or her personal
financial interest. Any member with a conflict of interest shall notify the
chairperson and abstain from the decision -making processes, including voting on
the matter. However, other members of the Planning Commission may request
input from the recused commissioner. The member in conflict must leave the
table and seek to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
B. Function
The purpose of the Planning Commission is to serve the citizens of Medina by making
recommendations to the City Council on the City's comprehensive plan, zoning
ordinance and requests for rezonings, conditional use permits, variances, subdivisions,
Planning Commission Training
and Orientation Manual
8
site plan reviews. The Planning Commission itself cannot grant or deny requests, which
is the function and responsibility of the City Council. The Planning Commission will do
the research, hold public hearings, gather the pertinent information, and perform due
diligence for each case set before it in order to supply the City Council with a fair and
accurate recommendation for approval or denial, as well as provide case findings.
The Planning Commission uses the city's comprehensive plan as a guide in determining
which requests to recommend for approval and which to recommend for denial. The
comprehensive plan guides the future land use and development of Medina and reflects
the wishes of Medina's residents. The plan takes into account current and projected
population density, traffic patterns and density, public services, land use, sewer
requirements, educational districts, watershed districts and their requirements, and the
Department of Natural Resources and its requirements. The comprehensive plan is
designed to guide the city's land use and growth for the upcoming 20 -year period.
Planning Commission members are expected to become familiar with the city's
comprehensive plan and apply its goals when making a review of any recommendation
regarding request brought before the commission. The Plan is available electronically at:
https:llmedinamn.us/regulations-feeslcomprehensive-plan/ If Commissioners desire a
hardcopy, please let staff know.
Both the Planning Commission (through its recommendations to the City Council) and
the City Council (through its authority to authorize or deny requests) ensure
implementation of the comprehensive plan in accordance with its goals.
Zoning and other regulatory restrictions also govern recommendations made by the
commission. The goals and rights of citizens appearing before the commission are
additional determining factors. An effort is made to review each case on its own merit.
Once complete information is compiled, presented and discussed, the Planning
Commission votes on the matter at hand. This vote, in recommendation form, is
forwarded to the City Council for a final ruling when the matter appears before the
council.
III. RESPONSIBILITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PLANNING
COMMISSION MEMBERS
In order for the Planning Commission to function maximally, each member must be committed
to performing all duties in a thorough and professional manner. The following guidelines have
been developed in order to clarify member duties and explain the rationale behind those duties.
Sequencing of tasks also follows the outline below:
A. Reviewing monthly meeting information packet.
Prior to the monthly Planning Commission meeting, each member of the commission is
provided with an information packet containing pertinent information for the upcoming
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meeting. City staff will provide background material and analysis related to applicable
items on the agenda. As appropriate to the matter on the agenda, the Planning
Commission can expect that staff will:
➢ Provide the Planning Commission members with accurate property
locationsiaddresses related to upcoming issues
Si- Identify which ordinance(s) applies to each issue
➢ Conduct site visits
Si- Inform the commission of relevant provisions in the comprehensive plan and
relevant ordinances in the Medina code book.
D. Alert the commission to nonconforming uses and/or noncompliance with all relevant
city requirements, including zoning and wetlands ordinances, and the comprehensive
plan
➢ Identify options and/or applicable stipulations to proposals
➢ Present analysis of variance requests in accordance with the criteria of the ordinance
➢ Generally include a recommendation, but staff may elect to just present the various
facets of the case for the commission to determine a recommendation to the council.
Members should thoroughly review all of the materials, making notes as necessary.
Members are encouraged to also schedule time to review each site detailed in the
information packet.
B. Performing site visits.
Prior to the Planning Commission meeting, each member of the commission is strongly
encouraged to conduct an on -site review of each application. The following guidelines
should be followed:
➢ For safety reasons, visit the site(s) in the day time hours.
D. Drive in and park on the site if possible.
➢ If there is a dwelling, go to the door and introduce yourself as a Planning Commission
member who has come to review the application.
➢ Take the survey (from the information packet) with you as you walk around the site.
➢ If you are asked to leave without reviewing the site, try to get the name of the person
who asked you to leave and their relationship to the applicant. Bring this information
with you to the meeting.
➢ Walk the site. For sites bounded by section lines, it is usually easy to pick out the
location of the property lines based on fence lines, tree or shrub lines, power lines,
retaining walls, or even locating or observing visible property stakes or irons (usually
located in property corners).
➢ To determine where building walls will be in relation to the lot lines, develop a means
to measure distances. You can use heel -to -toe (as one foot) for distances under 15
feet and your gait (three to four feet) to approximate other distances.
➢ It is helpful to walk the perimeter of the site to evaluate what the finished project will
look like from the adjacent landowner's boundary line. Look both ways from the
property line and get a feel for and understanding of what the applicant will be
looking at from inside and outside the boundaries.
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a d j o i n i n g l a n d u s e , s t a t e o f d e v e l o p m e n t o n a d j o i n i n g l a n d , e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t ,
e t c .
�' I f y o u h a v e q u e s t i o n s o r d i s c o v e r a n u n u s u a l o r u n e x p e c t e d c o n d i t i o n , c o n t a c t s t a f f ,
a n d / o r b r i n g i t u p a t t h e m e e t i n g .
C . C o n d u c t i n g a d d i t i o n a l r e s e a r c h .
B a s e d o n y o u r i n f o r m a t i o n p a c k e t r e a d i n g , s i t e r e v i e w , a n d i n t e r v i e w w i t h a n a p p l i c a n t
( i f a v a i l a b l e ) , d e t e r m i n e i f a d d i t i o n a l r e s e a r c h i s n e e d e d t o a n s w e r a n y o u t s t a n d i n g
q u e s t i o n s o r t o f u r t h e r c l a r i f y a n y r e l a t e d i s s u e s f o r a r e q u e s t . S o m e p o s s i b l e s o u r c e s f o r
g a t h e r i n g a d d i t i o n a l i n f o r m a t i o n i n c l u d e t h e c i t y c o d e b o o k , c i t y s t a f f , o t h e r P l a n n i n g
C o m m i s s i o n m e m b e r s , p a s t m e e t i n g m i n u t e s , a n d t h e v a r i o u s c i t y m a p s . T h e r e i s n o
d o c u m e n t e d p r o c e d u r e f o r c o n d u c t i n g f u r t h e r r e s e a r c h ; y o u m u s t u s e c o m m o n s e n s e a n d
y o u r o w n i n i t i a t i v e t o f i n d t h e a n s w e r s .
I t i s h e l p f u l f o r c o m m i s s i o n m e m b e r s t o s e e k ( a n d h a v e ) t h e a n s w e r s t o t h e i r q u e s t i o n s
b e f o r e t h e m e e t i n g . T h i s a v o i d s w a s t e d t i m e a n d h e l p s e n s u r e t h e c o m m i s s i o n i s m a k i n g
a r e c o m m e n d a t i o n b a s e d o n a c o m p l e t e i n v e s t i g a t i v e r e v i e w o f t h e r e q u e s t . H o w e v e r , i t
i s i m p o r t a n t t h a t m e m b e r s r a i s e a l l s u c h q u e s t i o n s t h a t h a v e a n i n f l u e n c e o n t h e i r d e c i s i o n
d u r i n g t h e m e e t i n g s o t h a t a l l m e m b e r s c a n b e n e f i t f r o m t h e i n f o r m a t i o n .
D . S u b m i t t i n g q u e s t i o n s t o c i t y s t a f f .
I f y o u h a v e q u e s t i o n s f o r a c i t y s t a f f e m p l o y e e , t r y t o n o t i f y t h e m a s s o o n a s p o s s i b l e , s o
t h e y h a v e t i m e t o r e s e a r c h t h e a n s w e r s p r i o r t o t h e c o m m i s s i o n m e e t i n g . I f q u e s t i o n s a r e
h e l d u n t i l t h e m e e t i n g , t h e p r o p o s a l m a y h a v e t o b e t a b l e d a n d v a l u a b l e t i m e c o u l d b e l o s t
n o t o n l y f o r t h e a p p l i c a n t b u t f o r t h e c o m m i s s i o n a n d t h e C i t y C o u n c i l a s w e l l . C i t y s t a f f
m a y b e r e a c h e d b y p h o n e o r e m a i l .
E . P a r t i c i p a t i n g i n m o n t h l y P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n m e e t i n g s .
E a c h m e m b e r o f t h e P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n i s e x p e c t e d t o a t t e n d t h e m o n t h l y m e e t i n g s . I f
a m e m b e r i s u n a b l e t o a t t e n d a m e e t i n g , h e o r s h e m u s t n o t i f y t h e P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n
c h a i r p e r s o n a n d C i t y P l a n n e r . I n a c a s e o f r e c u r r i n g a b s e n c e s , t h e c h a i r w i l l a d d r e s s t h e
i s s u e w i t h t h e m e m b e r a n d i f a p p r o p r i a t e w i t h t h e c i t y c o u n c i l .
F . A c t i n g a s l i a i s o n t o c i t y c o u n c i l .
E a c h P l a n n i n g C o m m i s s i o n m e m b e r i s e x p e c t e d t o t a k e a t u r n b e i n g t h e c o m m i s s i o n
l i a i s o n a t t h e c i t y c o u n c i l '