At the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, 1/6/22, the Planning Commission voted to defer to the experience and expertise of ZoneCo, the consultant hired to rewrite the Zoning Ordinance, with respect to the Project Plan that ZoneCo presented (rather than accept a revised project plan that the Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Planning Director proposed). A friendly amendment to accept Attachment 2 was made and unanimously adopted.

The consultant has established a Project Plan, which was presented to the Planning Commission at their meeting on January 6, 2022. The Planning Commission had no changes on the overall scope. The only change was to go back to the original draft proposal, as shown in Attachment 2 to the Staff Report, where the Town Council only participates in joint work sessions with the Planning Commission at Task 3.9, which is the final draft of the Zoning Ordinance for public review, and Task 3.10 which is the Draft of the Zoning Ordinance and deliberation on its adoption. The remaining touch points in the scope, 2.3, 2.6, 3.3, 3.6 and 3.8, would be conducted with the Planning Commission only.

My office, the office of the Town Attorney and the office of the Planning Director strongly encourage the acceptance of Attachment 1, which allows for a joint work sessions with the Planning Commission and Town Council at all touch points to ensure that a full understanding and consensus is facilitated toward all elements of this comprehensive rewrite. Please keep in mind that if the independent review of the draft document would require in-person or virtual representation of the consultant in its deliberations, both the timeline, cost and scope would require adjustment. The cost to facilitate an in-person meeting with the consultant is $5,500 (includes presentation, preparation, travel and attendance by one consultant - 16 hours max.) and the cost for a virtual meeting with the consultant is $1,750 (includes presentation preparation and meeting time for one consultant - 2 hours max.). 

In addition, a Planning Commission work group was established to work with the Planning Director on a regular basis through the 16-month period to advise staff prior to formal Planning Commission deliberations. The Planning Commission appointed Commissioners Neham and Ogelman. The Town Council should deliberate on whether it would like to appoint up to two Council members to this working group.

1. I move that the Town Council accept the recommendations of the Planning Commission to limit the joint work sessions with the Planning Commission and Town Council to two times, Tasks 3.9 and 3.10.

or

2. I move that the Town Council accept the recommendations of the management team to afford joint work sessions with the Planning Commission and Town Council on all eight touchpoints throughout the 16-month development of the draft Zoning Ordinance. 

I further move that the Town Council appoint Council member(s) ____________________ to the Planning Commission work group to advise staff prior to formal Planning Commission deliberations.