Speaking of codes...

This is a meeting not to miss!  Especially for the Mayor, City Council Members, the Planning Commission and the DRC.  These question-and-answer sessions that occur well before they come to the Planning Commission and then move on to Council for approval can be enlightening on their own and reveal citizen concerns.  There is information at the meetings that they never get in the stiff, choreographed testimonial and then rebuttal hearings.  The Development Codes are the MOST IMPORTANT part of the land use process along with zoning.

The entire Public Hearing process is skewed in favor of approval for whatever is brought before the Planning Commission and City Council.  Sometimes I don't know why I try (I can't believe I am saying that), but by the time the public approaches the Council to appeal their case, the decisions have pretty much been made.  Council will say (and some believe) that interested citizens will have been informed about the issues and have had their chance to attend meetings to influence the parties involved by expressing problems or concerns.

At Public Hearings, testimony is given just before staff gives their lengthy explanation of whatever the topic of the moment is.  And then, just as the Meeting Agenda says, the next item is "Council Approval."  It doesn't say, "Council Discussion," as that was supposed to happen during the work session before.  It doesn't say, "Council Deliberation" or "Thoughtful Reflection," or "Council Redirection," indicating they were willing to consider citizen testimony before they made any decision - perhaps waiting until the next council meeting to make any decision.  They might decide to ask staff to better reflect Council concerns about citizen testimony.   The one-sided staff recommendations bear more weight than any citizen.

Proposals for City Council and all Hearing Bodies:
To encourage Citizen Involvement, recognizing that some parties believe citizen involvement is not a good thing and seek to minimize the opportunities for, and impact of citizen engagement.

1. Some jurisdictions do not allow staff recommendations and instead require information on all sides of an issue with no favoritism.  Councils then discuss options and let staff know which way they wanted to go or where they needed more information.  
2. On all land use related issues, wait at least 1week following a Public Hearing to make a final decision, allowing time for consideration of new information and citizen rebuttal.  
3. Open Advisory Committee membership to applications with at least half (or more) being residents of the city with no other ties to the purpose of committee.  Advertise for committee members and include "members at large" in addition to stakeholder groups.  
4. Staff should log citizen comments at meetings (as practical) and in email, written or phone communications for distribution to the governing body.  Separate meeting notes and verbal communications from written forms as the latter are already recorded.  The collection of notes should become public documents. 
5. Allow greater access to written documents.  Those with a few pages are generally free, but larger documents and reports should also be free or at a greatly reduced price (5 cents per page).

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATES

Date/Time: Thu, May 15, 2014 4:00pm - 6:00pm

INFORMATIONAL MEETING

THURSDAY, MAY 15, FROM 4-6 P.M., CITY HALL

You are invited to learn about proposed updates to the City’s Development Code, including:

• Amendments that are intended to streamline and simplify sections of the Code that allow adjustments or variances to code standards and regulate nonconforming structures and uses.
• Amendments that would bring the Code into compliance with State requirements for clear and objective housing approval standards, intended to reduce unnecessary costs and delays in permitting needed housing.
• Other amendments for the purpose of clarifying and updating various code provisions.

There will be presentations at 4 and 5 p.m. with an opportunity for questions and discussion with staff after each session. Drafts of the proposed Code updates will be available at the meeting.

The Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to hold public hearings on these amendments on May 28 (clarifying amendments), July 28 (variances and nonconformities) and August 11 (clear and objective housing standards). To learn more about this project, visitwww.ci.oswego.or.us/planning, or contact Sarah Selden atsselden@ci.oswego.or.us or 503-697-6524.