HomeMy WebLinkAbout143Michelle Farfan
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Darrell and Lorna Smith <ecosmithspt@gmail.com>
Friday, )une 24,2016 2:30 PM
David W. Johnson
Philip Morley
Re: Draft Letter
David, please see this gets back to Matt ASAP...Appreciate it. Thanks,
Loma
On Jun 24,2016, at2:06 PM, Darrell and Loma Smith <smithsnoh@aol.co wrote
Confused accronyms in hrst, corrected version, here:
On Jun 24,2076, at 12:42 PM, Darrell and Loma Smith <smithsnoh@aol.com>
wrote
Hello, All,
Hi, Matt,
I Really appreciate your time and effort in preparing this letter. However, I
believe that a number of the issues you raise might result in "muddying the
waters", pun intended.
In the regulations we approved to forward to the BOCC most of these issues are
already addressed. For instance, the language states that the kettles must be
preserved, that the building density should be determined through the
intergovernmental agreement between the Tribes and County, etc. I am afraid
that your letter makes it sound that many of these issues were left up in the
air? Also, I think that Cynthia, as Chair of the PC is working on a different
transmittal letter?
I am proud of all the work the Planning Commission has done on this issue to
date. The effort we are about to complete is far more than developing
"suggestions". Out transmittal to the BOCC is an fficial recommendation that
carries weight, and it is normally expected that if the BOCC decides issues
counter to the Planning Commission recommendation, that a written explanation
be provided. Please read an informative article via this link:
http://mrsc.ors/Home/Stay-Informed/MRSC-lnsieht/Januarv-2013/Land-Use-
Plannin g-and-the-Art-of-Plannin g-Commissi. aspx
As experienced volunteer citizens, our work is informed and invaluable to the
County. We need to remember that!
Best,
Lorna
1
On Jun 24,2076, at 11:33 AM, David W. Johnson
<djohnson@cojefferson wrote:
Here you go!
-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Sircely [mailto:mattsircely@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, June 17,2016 3:19 PM
To: David W. Johnson <djohnson@cojefferson
Subject: Re: Draft Letter
If you or anyone wants to make suggestions before sending it
along that's ok too.
On Jun 77 ,2016, at 2:54 PM, Matt Sircely
<mattsircely@smail.com> wrote :
Hey David,
At the end of the meeting, I promised to compose a
draft letter from the pC to the BOCC.
If the commission likes it, I look forward to having
it vetted and adapted by others. I have faith in the
process, and hopefully it's a place to start. Please
feel free to forward it to folks who need to see it.
Matt
Dear BOCC,
After extensive review and deliberation, the
Jefferson County Planning Commission submits
recommendations for approval of the Regulations
for the Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort
(MPR) with certain modifications which are
included in our recommendation. We appreciate the
opportunity to review the issues surrounding the
proposed MPR, and we appreciate the large volume
of public comment that has been received both
recently and throughout the project's history.
In submitting our recommendation, please accept
these additional suggestions from the commission.
These informal suggestions address matters that
either appear settled, or remain in an active state of
discussion/negotiation. Therefore, the commission
has chosen to highlight certain details and
considerations which do not necessarily appear in
the formal recommended modifications to the
2
regulations
The proposed scale of the resort, with an established
limit of 890 units, has raised concem among a
majority of commissioners, primarily due to the
potential for strain on resource demand, as well as
waste management and traffic considerations.
Several commissioners recommended adherence to
a principle that density should not exceed the norms
currently experienced in regions that are already
highly developed (located within existing urban
growth areas as identified in the comprehensive
plan).
The commission suggests that kettles should remain
a terrestrial feature for many reasons, including
several issues raised by recent correspondence and
testimony from representatives of the S'Klallam
Tribe.
We support the continued engagement between the
BOCC, staff, the tribe, and the applicant. As the
dialog progresses, we recommend that the issue of
kettles be included in the larger discussion. We
suggest the development of detailed guidelines for
buffers around kettle areas that are deemed
significant for ecological and/or cultural reasons,
including the presence of plants traditionally
considered to be of medicinal value to local tribes.
We also encourage the BOCC to consider testimony
received by the commission from a representative
of the S'Klallam Tribe that sealing kettles for
wastewater retention would likely alter the flow of
fresh water to tidelands, where a delicate balance of
salinity is required for optimal shellfish harvest.
We thank the BOCC for the opportunity to offer our
recommendation for approval with modifications of
the Regulations for the Pleasant Harbor MPR, and
we are encouraged that continued dialog between
the county, applicant and tribe, will yield beneficial
outcomes which will continue to reflect the values
and priorities of the citizens of Jefferson County
into the future.
<Draftl PC Letter to BOCC - ms.rtf)
3
MRSC - Land Use Planning and the Art of Planning Commission Maintenance
ANlRSC
Page 1 of5
local Cowmnrent Success
Land Use Planning and the Art of Planning Commission
Maintenance
lanuarv 1,2013 fv loseoh W. Tovar
catesorv: Plannins Advisor. Plannins Commission
By loseph W. Tovar, FAICP
Perhaps the most instructive tetevision ad ever was a memorable pitch by the FRAM auto
parts company. The setting was a dimty lit auto garage, where two exasperated
mechanics labored over a btown engine. One mechanic hetd up an oitfilter, smiled at the
camera and said "pay me now," then shrugged and nodded at the blown engine "or pay
me [ater."
Successfulcities and counties know the importance of proper maintenance of the
essentialcomponents of their organizations, including not only the counciland professionalstaff, but also the
volunteer citizen planning commission. A modest expenditure of time, attention and funds to maintain a planning
commission is a wise investment, especialty when you consider that a city or a county has a lot more at stake than a
blown engine. Procedural errors, at the very [east, resutt in embarrassing "do overs" and can at the worst result in
multi-mi[[ion dollar judgments against the localtreasury. A well-trained, informed and competent planning
commission can minimize the likelihood of such problems,
But there's more at risk than procedural errors and fisca[ hits. Also at stake is your public's perception of the
openness, fairness and competence of the localplanning process as wettas the ability of locatetected officials to rety
on the ptanning commission for sound recommendations on plans, codes and, in some cases, devetopment permits.
A planning commission that functions we[[ is not an accident - it takes proactive and ongoing maintenance. During
two decades as a planning director for three cities, I worked with dozens of planning commissioners and staffed
hundreds of planning commission and city counciI meetings. As a member of the State Growth Management Board,
I reviewed the record of many appeals alleging city or county noncomptiance with the public participation
requirements of the GMA. From those experiences, I have gleaned some insights about how to build a high
performing ptanning program. Fottowing are five Best Practices designed to keep your planning commission, a key
component of your ptanning process, firing on allcytinders.
1. Select the right people
When advertising for volunteers for appointment to the ptanning commission, and during the interuiew process, the
council shoutd look for the "right" people. Some councils look for batanced geographic representation on the
commission, a diversity of work experience, or other criteria to achieve a broad representation of the community.
Some look for technicalexperience in urban planning, real estate, or architecture, while others look to length of
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MRSC - Land Use Planning and the Art of Planning Commission Maintenance Page 2 of 5
residence in the community, invotvement in community affairs, or experience in working we[[ in a group setting.
There is no one right set of criteria - these are attvatid factors that can be useful in evaluating candidates for
appointment.
Equatly important criteria may be less obvious. Ptanning commissions typicatty meet two or three times a month,
each meeting takes from two to three hours, and a good rule of thumb for meeting preparation time is to count on at
least an hour or two reading the packet materials before each meeting. So, it is important at the interview for the
Councitto ask direct questions to be certain that a candidate can live up to this considerabte time commitment for
the duration of a multi-year term.
Bringing life experience and personalopinions to the commission adds value, but it is just as important to find
people who also bring an open mind. Commissioners must be abte to weigh all the input presented and to
participate in a collaborative dialogue with their feltow commissioners before reaching final conclusions and voting
on issues. A well-functioning commission is one in which members openty exchange and respectfu[[y question each
others' opinions and pretiminary conclusions before reaching final positions.
One sign of a healthy detiberative body is when one of its members says something [ike "you know, after reading the
packet materiats and hearing tonight's testimony, I had formed some preliminary conclusions about this proposa[,
but on some of these points my feltow commissioners have persuaded me otherwise." The planning commission is a
deliberative body, not simpty a straw poltamong predetermined, inflexible opinions. lt is important to find people
who are not only willing to listen but also to speak up, to persuade and be persuaded.
2. Be clear about roles and expectations
Aspiring and serving ptanning commission members should be clear on the commission's role as we[[as the roles of
the counci[ and the staff. Planning commissioners are policy advisors, city and county elected officials are policy
makers, and planning staff are policy administrators and enforcers of the plans and codes adopted by the councils.
Don't take it for granted that applicants for ptanning commission understand this. Even sitting planning
commissioners and counci[ members occasionatty need to be reminded of this. Following are some council
behaviors that can strengthen or undermine the rote clarity that is important to the effectiveness of a jurisdiction's
ptanning efforts.
The ptanning commission is the first and primary body responsible for soticiting, hearing and weighing pubtic input
on land use matters. While the council may choose to have a hearing on an item already heard by the planning
commission, that should be a rare occurrence and for good cause. Blurring the distinct roles of potiry advisors and
poticy makers does worse than simply undermine the morale of the ptanning commission. The practice of
dupticative counci[ hearings as a defautt protocolerodes the commission's effectiveness. lt rewards people for
ignoring the commission, deprives the commissioners from hearing allthe facts/opinions, and needlessty consumes
councitagenda time.
ln my experience, the councitand the planning commission are most effective and productive when they support
one another in their respective roles, which helps to buitd mutual trust and respect. This includes an understanding
by the commission that the councilis not obtigated to agree with every recommendation that the commission
forwards. lt atso means that the council is expected to look closety and critica[ty at the commission's
recommendation, agree when it can, but disagree when it must.
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MRSC - Land Use Planning and the Art of Planning Commission Maintenance Page 3 of5
Equa[[y important, though, is that when the councildisagrees with a planning commission conctusion or
recommendation, it takes the time to exptain why it has conctuded or decided differentty. What is needed isn't an
argument or a point-by-point rebuttat, but rather clear direction regarding the counci['s thinking. As with any
successf u[ team, performance-improving feedback is a two-way street.
Simpty invoking the council's decision-making authority may be [ega[[y sufficient (although in some cases, it may
not!), but does nothing to convey usefutdirection or to maintain a healthy relationship with the ptanning
commission. ln land use, as with many other decisions that councits make, just because something is legatty
supportabte does not necessarity mean that it is constructive, prudent, or politic.
3. Make planning commission-city council communication a regular
occurrence
The staff frequently ptays the rote of messenger between the planning commission and city or county counci[, for
exampte, in forwarding the commission's recommendations and presenting them to the council. Even if planning
commission participation at the counciI meeting is not the routine, it is helpfutsometimes to have the chair, or other
commission representative, participate in the presentation of the commission's recommendation. Even if the
planning commissioner is only present to answer questions, and reties on the staff to make the detailed
presentation, much good can come from this occasionatappearance. lt provides an opportunity to buitd
understanding, accountabitity and trust among and between the commission, the council and the staff.
Another key opportunity for communication is an annual or semi-annualjoint meeting of the planning commission
and the elected officiats. ln some cities these joint meetings happen twice yearly, once before the Councit's annual
goal-setting retreat in the spring, and once in the fatl before the annua[ budget process. Such joint meetings provide
an opportunity to review progress on the planning commission work program, facilitate candid two-way feedback,
and build the understanding, trust and mutualsupport that each needs to play its important role in the city's
planning process.
4. Require planning commission training and support it with a modest
budget
There are resources avaitable at little or no cost to equip planning commissions with the knowledge, skitts and
methods they need to be effective. The "Ptanning Short Course," coordinated through the Washington State
Department of Commerce, is availabte at no charge to planning commissioners, elected officials, and interested
citizens. Usua[[y taught as a three hour evening session, the Short Course provides an overview of the legal
framework for planning, including such subjects as the Growth Management Act, the Appearance of Fairness
Doctrine, the fundamentats of constitutional due process and takings, and how to create legatty sufficient findings of
fact and conclusions. Contact Short Course Coordinator Janet Rogerson at irogerson@commer .
Some jurisdictions pay for their planning commissioners to be members of the Washington Chapter of the American
Ptanning Association (APA Washington), which sponsors an annual conference in the fa[[, or the Planning Association
of Washington (PAW), which sponsors an annual conference in the spring. Membership in either organization
inctudes a subscription to periodicats focused on planning issues and workshops open to planning commissioners.
For example, the Puget Sound Section of APA Washington sponsors a one-day Planning Law workshop, which this
year wi[[ be held in Be[levue on May 15. The cost for planning commission members to betong to either APA
Washington or PAW is modest and provides access to many learning opportunities.
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MRSC - Land Use Planning and the Art of Planning Commission Maintenance Page 4 of 5
For those jurisdictions interested, more focused or locatized training is avaitable from private firms speciatizing in
group dynamics, partiamentary procedure, how to manage an effective meeting, how to constructivety disagree, and
other topics. Others can provide a more in-depth understanding of the Growth Management Act and the
comprehensive planning process as it may appty to your jurisdiction. Such individualized training sessions can be
taught as part of the agenda for a ptanning commission retreat or evening study sessions(s). Depending on the type
of training, it may be avaitabte as a pro bono or for fee service. For more information and referrals, ptease contact the
author atioseph.w.tovar@9 .
5. Recognize and thank your citizen planners
Fina[ty, it's good government as wettas good manners to recognize and thank the citizens who votunteer their time
to serve on the ptanning commission. There are many ways to do this.
ln Kirktand, the city counciI hosts an annua[ dinner meeting to recognize the contributions of atlthe citizen members
of the city's boards and commissions. The chair of each board or commission presents a brief report about the major
accomplishments of the year and the challenges of the upcoming year. This is a major opportunity for the elected
officiats to personally thank their votunteers and strengthen the respect, trust, and teamwork essentiatto a
successf u I city organ ization.
Another opportunity to recognize and thank the planning commission members occurs every October. This past
year, thirty-seven Washington cities issued proclamations recognizing the month of October as "National
Community Planning Month," acknowledging the importance of planning in their communities, and thanking the
votunteer members of their planning commissions for their valued contributions. Many cities have the chair of the
planning commission attend the counciI meeting to have the mayor present him/her with the proclamation on
behalf of the entire commission. The cost to the city organization to adopt such a proclamation is negtigibte and I can
attest that even a smatldose of well-deserved thanks and recognition goes a long way.
Proactive maintenance and support of planning commissions is more important now than ever, particularty for the
one hundred cities and counties who must update their GMA comprehensive plans, and implementing development
regulations, by 2015. These citizen volunteers wit[ be taking on important, time-consuming and cha[lenging work -
reading, interpreting, weighing, debating and detiberating on a great volume of data, and public comment, before
fashioning recommendations for consideration by their respective elected officiats. Be sure they are well-equipped
and supported to play this important role.
Anyone planning a long road trip knows that the best hedge against unexpected and expensive breakdowns is
preventive maintenance before setting out. By fottowing the five best practices for ptanning commissions described
above, cities and counties can help keep their ptanning process humming along and their GMA ptan updates out of
the shop.
About loseph W. Tovar
Joseph W. Tovar writes for MRSC as a Ptanning Advisor.
Joseph W. Tovar, FAICP, helps communities create visions of their preferred futures, and how to implement
them through plans, codes, projects, strategies and organizationaltraining. He has served as planning director
for the cities of Shoretine, Kirkland and Covington and as Chair of the Growth Management Hearings Board.
Now in private practice, Mr. Tovar has provided consuttant services to private clients as we[tas Snohomish and
Kitsap counties, the cities of Everett, Lacey, Kirkland, and SeaTac, as wettas the Association of Washington
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MRSC - Land Use Planning and the Art of Planning Commission Maintenance Page 5 of5
Cities. He is a Fellow of the American lnstitute of Certified Planners and an Affitiate Associate Professor at the
University of Washin6on. He has taught land use decision-making and city planning best practices to audiences
of planning commissioners, elected officials, planning directors and graduate students. More information is
posted online at www.tovarplanning.com. He can be reached at ioe@tovarptanning .
The views expressed in Advisor columns represent the opinions of the author and do not necessaily reflect
those of NRSC.
VIEWALL POSTS BYJOSEPH W. TOVAR )
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