City Council Clarifies Planning & Zoning Commission Seats, Drainage News

The City Council passed an ordinance on January 24, 2017, correcting and clarifying terms of Planning Commissioners and providing for the appointment of successors. The City Council also passed an amendment to the aforementioned ordinance requiring a minimum 30-day public notice of a vacant planning and zoning commission seat.

Because state statue does not require public notice, the planning and zoning attorney did not originally include a public notice in the ordinance. However, prior to the City Council meeting, the Mayor spoke with the attorney about adding the 30-day public notice in the ordinance at the request of council members. As such, the attorney advised the council to make a motion during the meeting to amend the ordinance to include a 30-day public notice.

When the head of the Planning and Zoning Commission recently resigned, Mayor Jr. Shelton requested term expiration information for each member from the former Planning and Zoning Director who was unable to provide such information. “We were trying to correct a situation in which we received no direction from P&Z,” Mayor Shelton said.

Since 2005, the city has not been in compliance with state statute regarding the Planning and Zoning Commission. Ambiguity continued despite an attempt at clarification and correction by the previous council in 2013, an ordinance which attempted to set expiration dates.

With the ordinance passed on January 24, 2017, the 2013 ordinance has been clarified and corrected.

Mayor Jr. Shelton, Councilman Jason Ellis and IBTS Program Director David Ratcliff discussed drainage problems throughout the city, including a plethora of beaver dams. During the rain event on January 19-20, additional staff joined IBTS crews to clear blockages and debris. Ratcliff reported that crews will conduct ongoing inspections and clearing of debris within Central.