04/13/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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III. PUBLIC HEARING: METROPOLITAN PLAN SEMI-ANNUAL AMENDMENT PROCEDURES (CA 87-4) e City Manager Micheal Gleason introduced the item. Teresa Bishow of the Planning Department gave the staff report. She said the proposed ordinance provides a process for considering citizen-initiated amendments to the Metropolitan Area General Plan. She said the Eugene Planning Commission recommended approval of the process. The Planning Commission also recommended that the City establish procedures for government-initiated Metro Plan amendments and clarify the role of the Metropolitan Policy Committee in considering Metro Plan amendments. She said procedures for government- initiated Metro Plan amendments will be presented to the council later. Ms. Bishow said Resolution 4036 includes a fee schedule for citizen-initiated Metro Plan amendments. She said the fees are not meant to discourage citizens from initiating Metro Plan amendments. Most of the amendments initiated by citizens during the Metro Plan Mid-Period Review concerned specific sites and it is appropriate to charge fees for such amendments. She said the Planning Commission will continue to develop plans and special area studies in processes that include extensive citizen involvement. Consequently, citizens will have participated in Metro Plan amendments that result from those activities. e Mayor Obie opened the public hearing. Monte Marshall, 1865 East 25th, said Statewide Planning Goal #1 encourages citizen participation in planning and the proposed fees for citizen-initiated Metro Plan amendments are more than average citizens and neighborhood associations can pay. He said the interests of citizens and neighborhood associations are not always the same as the interests of the Planning staff and, in those cases, citizens and neighborhood associations should be able to initiate Metro Plan amendments. There being no additional requests to testify, Mayor Obie closed the public hearing. Ms. Bishow said the proposed fees are similar to those that Springfield and Lane County will charge and are based on the cost of processing amendments. She said local governments can initiate Metro Plan amendments at any time and, in that way, can respond to requests for amendments that may benefit the whole community at no charge to citizens. Mr. Gleason added that the City's User Fee Study indicates that the proposed fee for citizen-initiated major amendments will cover less than half of the cost. Mr. Holmer asked if citizens can always schedule items on the Planning Commission's agenda. Ms. Bishow responded that the Planning staff advises citizens about the best procedures for having an item considered by the commission. Citizens might be told that an amendment they want to initiate is appropriate for the next Metro Plan Update. Answering a question from Ms. Schue, Ms. Bishow said Metro Plan Updates are begun four years after completion of the last update. Citizens will be able e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Apri 1 13, 1987 Page 2