a packed planning Commission Meeting
by lynda williams
Southern Utah Flowers by Lori Cole
This isn’t a report on the May 13 Planning Commission meeting, just a shoutout!
This meeting was significant, long, and complex, with ten important items on the agenda. The house was packed with plenty of comments from the audience.
I was particularly impressed with the professionalism of two board members, Angela Harrison and Mila Allinson. They were both well-prepared and clearly had done their homework.
Recommends all city Council have input
Angela noticed that an important item was listed at the bottom of the agenda. She believed it should be moved to the second spot due to its importance. It was a challenging task, but she presented her well-informed reasons, and the item was successfully moved to the second spot. This item would establish a process for the removal of any Planning Commission member. We all have an interest in that outcome. Ultimately, the Planning Commission voted that the entire City Council should make that decision, not just the Mayor.
Restructured agenda
The agenda was structured to discuss all ten items before allowing the public to make comments. Angela felt this was not the usual procedure and believed there should be opportunities for public input during each agenda item. They eventually agreed to allow comments after each item. Her skillful explanation of the better way saved valuable information and feedback that could have been lost. The time limit for comments is three minutes, so if someone had questions, comments, or opinions on several items, they wouldn’t have had enough time to express themselves. These two changes significantly improved the quality of the meeting.
Recommendation that Annexation Denied
Mila was also highly prepared and contributed valuable insights to many of the discussed items. I appreciate her expertise in laws and ordinances, which she brought to the discussion. Her opinion ultimately influenced the commission to recommend denial of the annexation of Solara’s 200 acres and their proposed 13% total nightly rentals in a 3-2 vote. We’ll see what the City Council decides next.
Knowledge of Development & Leadership is Required
I also want to acknowledge Dean Haymore’s exceptional leadership of the City Planning Commission. With 30 years of professional experience guiding development projects in Nevada as a County Planner, he possesses extensive knowledge and experience that Toquerville can benefit from as we grow in an organized and thoughtful manner. He understands the importance of having the necessary ordinances and infrastructures in place before embarking on development projects. He understands what should be required of developers before Toquerville agrees to these projects. We are grateful for his service and leadership.