Planning Commission

CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Minutes - Final Planning Commission Chris Spivey, Chair Darrell Windsor, Vice Chair Randy Hughey Richard Parmelee Taylor Colvin Tuesday, September 5, 2017 7:00 PM Harrigan Centennial Hall I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Chair Spivey called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Present: Spivey, Windsor, Colvin, Knox (Assembly liaison) Absent: Parmelee (excused), Hughey II. CONSIDERATION OF THE AGENDA III. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES A PM-30 Approval of the August 15, 2017 meeting minutes. Windsor/Colvin moved to APPROVE the August 15, 2017 meeting minutes. Motion PASSED 3-0. IV. PERSONS TO BE HEARD V. PLANNING DIRECTOR’S REPORT Planning and Community Development Department Director Michael Scarcelli stated that today was Keith Brady’s first official day as Municipal Administrator. VI. THE EVENING BUSINESS B MISC 17-27 Comprehensive Plan public participation process evaluation. Community Affairs Director Maegan Bosak gave an overview of the Comprehensive Plan process and stated that the process has been underway for 21 months. Bosak reviewed the tentative schedule. An open house will be held October 4th and final plan approval will be considered by the Planning Commission on November 7th. Spivey requested that the draft plan be made available more than a week prior to the meeting to approve the plan. Bosak stated that the draft will be out more than a month before the November 7th CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 1 Planning Commission Minutes - Final September 5, 2017 meeting. Bosak went through a public process presentation. At the beginning of the Comprehensive Plan process, a public participation plan was developed with eleven goals. Bosak outlined the manner in which these goals have been met. Public feedback was received through open houses, meetings in a box, and Planning Commission hearings. Facilitated activities have included build-a-park, land management dot voting, and spend 100 city dollars. At least one month or more was spent on each topic. Meetings have been held in various locations to attract a diversity of citizens. Internet-based interaction has been enabled as well as in-person public meetings. Windsor requested that Bosak find out how many people have visited the project website. Bosak highlighted the pedestrian and bicyclist count as well as the haiku contest. Bosak stated that all of the public participation goals have been met, but requested Planning Commissioner feedback. Windsor stated that the process has been “just fine” and doesn’t think that it could have been done better. Colvin stated appreciation for the “accessible” website, and stated that he found it helpful. Knox asked if any of the public participation components were more helpful than others. Bosak stated that the open houses and focus groups were strong components, and Scarcelli agreed. Planner I Samantha Pierson stated appreciation for the meetings in a box making participation easy for individuals who are already involved in other commissions and social groups. Scarcelli stated that informal conversations through development reviews, such as variances, have provided opportunity to discuss the Comprehensive Plan process and goals. Knox pointed to social media as a good way to gather community opinion. Spivey stated that staff did a great job and we could not have done better. Spivey stated that he likes the website and sMap and would like to see those continue after the Plan is approved. Bosak has stated that the process has made staff more approachable to the public. Knox asked about inclusion of financial matters, and Bosak stated that the implementation matrix and prioritization will address financial feasibility. Windsor asked about the project budget, and Bosak stated that approximately $10,000 remains and staff are watching the budget. Bosak handed out a survey, and the group completed it individually. BREAK 7:35-7:45 Chair Spivey opened the floor for public comment. Charles Bingham stated that the public process has been positive overall, but he wonders if Filipino and Latino immigrant communities have been missed. Bingham stated that he appreciated email blasts and shared them online. Bingham stated that it can be hard to get constructive feedback from the online community. Bingham stated that he would like to see more climate change information in the plan, considering sealevel rise and the previous weekend’s landslide. Bingham stated that he participated in the traffic count. Sherry Aitken, Visit Sitka's Marketing Director, complemented the multimodal CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 2 Planning Commission Minutes - Final September 5, 2017 marketing and the presentations. Scarcelli stated that the survey will be put on the website. Scarcelli asked if commissioners had any strengths or weaknesses to share, or final comments on the plan. Spivey advised staff to keep it the plan simple and readable. Colvin encouraged simple and easy to read visuals. Knox stated that the document should provide clear direction. Bosak asked about weaknesses. Spivey stated that he struggled to identify a weakness. Spivey stated you can always have more time, but the commission has to move forward. Windsor stated that he could not think of a weakness. Bosak encouraged commissioners to call staff if they think of any weaknesses. Knox stated that it is important to tie in financial information to solidify the document. Scarcelli summarized that the commission would like clear, concise, and detailed language and would like financial information addressed. Scarcelli stated that some bridges have been built in the community throughout the Comprehensive Plan process, resulting in improved working relationships. VII. ADJOURNMENT Chair Spivey adjourned at 7:57 PM. ATTEST: __________________________ Samantha Pierson, Planner I CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA Page 3