PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
MINUTES of NOVEMBER 19, 2020 Workshop
University of Idaho Extension Office, 6447 Kootenai Street, Bonners Ferry, ID
P&Z Members in attendance:
☒ Caleb Davis, Chair ☒ Wade Purdom, Co-Chair ☐ David Hollabaugh ☒ John Cranor ☒ Rob Woywod
☒ Scott Fuller ☐ Tim Heenan ☒ Adam Isaac ☒ Ron Self
Staff present: Clare Marley, Contract Planner
Members of public present: John Moss
Chairman Davis called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. The meeting was also conducted by telephone conference call.
Consent Agenda:
Approval of Minutes of September 17, 2020: Motion: Commissioner Isaac moved to approve the minutes as written, seconded by Commissioner Woywod. The Chair declared the motion approved on a voice vote, with Commissioner Self abstaining.
New Business:
Meeting schedule for 2021: The Commission reviewed options to change the regular meeting schedule of the third Thursdays of each month. Ms. Marley provided a calendar of available dates for the meeting room and staff. The Commission reached a consensus that the fourth Thursday of each month starting at 5:30 p.m. would work for 2021. The months of November and December would not be scheduled for regular meetings due to the holidays. John Moss, member of the public, reminded the Commission that the change in meetings would have to be properly published on the web site.
Motion: Commissioner Purdom moved to recommend the Planning & Zoning Commission meet the fourth Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the County Extension Office, seconded by Commissioner Woywod. The Chair declared the motion approved on a unanimous voice vote. The group confirmed that no regular meetings are planned for November and December.
Priorities for 2021: The Commission and staff discussed potential code amendments for 2021, which included placement permit expiration dates and private road standards. The current code does not provide an expiration date for placement permits. The Board had discussed with staff that an expiration date of 180 days with an extension to one year should be discussed eventually. At this time, Ms. Marley advised this topic is information only and needs further discussion with the Board. As a result of a recent subdivision hearing, the Board also discussed correcting a portion of Section 11 of the county subdivision standards to remove a requirement that private roads meet certain public standards. This topic also needs further Board and Commission discussion. Ms. Marley advised the topics are raised to establish potential ordinance amendments that could be considered in 2021.
Permit applications: Ms. Marley provided a summary of the permit activity for 2020 fiscal year. The county ended the year with 220 permits, which Mr. Moss estimated exceeded the average permit activity by about 70 permits. The Commission requested information on planning office staffing and the ability of the public to contact planners via email and telephone. Ms. Marley said the office should be staffed one to two days a week, with phone calls and emails available to the public every day of the work week.
Excess storage/nuisance law: Ms. Marley presented several slides summarizing the State of Idaho nuisance law, how nuisances are defined, the rights of residents to bring action for nuisances, and the authority of cities and counties to regulate and remedy nuisances. She shared other communities’ zoning codes and efforts to abate nuisances. The group reviewed Boundary County laws on junk, refuse, and nuisances and discussed options for future actions and current definitions for junk yards. No further ordinance action is suggested at this time.
December meeting: The Commission discussed postponing the December meeting to January. Ms. Marley advised that one public hearing is pending, but the applicant is willing to delay the hearing until January. The group agreed to skip meeting in December, which has been their usual practice. The Commission asked for sufficient staff reports and application information at least one week prior to hearing. Email and regular mailings of the hearing information was requested.
Other items: Ms. Marley advised that due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Board suggested that a joint meeting of the Planning & Zoning Commission and Commissioners be delayed until they can meet face-to-face again. The group briefly discussed the status of the Comprehensive Plan and any needs to update, such as consistency with the Plan and code and the 2020 census information to be released in April of 2021. Mr. Moss advised that the Plan considers a “transfer of development rights” policy but codes do not include such a development opportunity. This should be reconsidered if the Plan is evaluated. Ms. Marley also discussed with the group the Plan map and zoning maps, with the Plan map being so specific that it needs to be amended every time a zone change is proposed. The mapping issues are likely something to be considered later, when time and budget can support it. The Commission also briefly discussed enforcement challenges and adequate phone conference provisions for public hearings during the COVID restrictions.
Announcements: The terms of two members of the Commission, Wade Purdom and Adam Isaac, are up in 2021. Ms. Marley advised that the Board would welcome letters of interest from the current members. Each advised they are interested in staying on the Commission.
Adjournment: The Chairman adjourned the meeting at about 7:12 p.m.
__________________________
Caleb Davis,
Boundary County Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman
