Planning dispels a wild rumor

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A surprisingly large group of citizens showed up for the Feb. 28 Planning Commission meeting, and six of them used the Public Comments forum to express concerns over what they understood was the city’s decision to impose territorial jurisdiction over areas outside the city limits. The well-prepared speakers said exercising territorial jurisdiction is the first step toward annexation, and how could the city consider expanding when it has difficulty maintaining its current responsibilities.? All six presented practical and legal concerns.

After the sixth speaker finished, commissioner Woodie Acord stated, “I don’t know where this came from other than a few comments by [commissioner] Jimmy Morris. That was all that was said about this, and I want to apologize to all you fine folks who have come here, taking your time to do this, and, believe me, this was never the intention of the Planning Commission.”

Morris added, “I’m the one who made the comments, and I’m sitting here in the dark wondering what this is about.” He said he had in the past referred to zoning issues the commission would consider as it develops the Master Plan for the city.

“I think somebody riled up somebody,” Morris commented, and stated Planning has no intention of imposing territorial jurisdiction as the speakers had contended. His concerns were about, for example, preventing a skeet shooting range from going in next to a church. He only wanted to protect the boundaries of the city, but not by annexing.

Chair Melissa Greene thanked the crowd for having such interest and apologized for the misunderstanding, and the crowd went home.

Now what?

The first item on the agenda was an application for a Conditional Use Permit for a sixth unit of tourist lodging at 12 Lookout Circle. This item and an accompanying application for a CUP for a wedding establishment at the same address had been debated at length and eventually deferred at the Jan. 10 meeting. Commissioners conducted a workshop on issues related to the two applications, however, when Greene brought it up, no one was present to represent the application.

Commissioner Doug Breitling moved to table the application until the next meeting, and commissioner Susan Harman commented Planning needed to know what the applicants intended to do. Greene’s opinion was that the applicants would have to reapply which they could not do until the moratorium on new CUPs is lifted at the end of June.

Breitling said that was not the intention of his motion, and Morris proclaimed, “It is a dead issue. They’re not here.”

Breitling modified his motion to table until the commission gets more information, but Morris insisted it was a dead issue, although the applicants could reapply.

Harman pointed out the applicants might be sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire. She also inquired if adequate notice was given of the meeting and if the applicants knew they had to attend. Acord also wanted to make sure proper notice was given.

Eventually Morris moved to dismiss the application since no one was present, unless there were a compelling reason for their absence. Otherwise the application dies on the table. Vote to approve his motion was 6-0.

Next meeting will be Tuesday, March 14, at 6 p.m.