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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 3102-2020Sponsored by: Council Member Knackstedt CITY OF KENAI ORDINANCE NO. 3102-2020 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, AMENDING KENAI MUNICIPAL CODE 14.20.280 PUBLIC HEARINGS AND NOTIFICATIONS, TO REDUCE THE NEWSPAPER POSTING REQUIREMENT. WHEREAS, identification and execution of strategies that result in efficiencies and cost savings within the departments of the City has been a focus of the administration; and, WHEREAS, AS 44.62.310, also known as the Alaska Open Meetings Act, states that reasonable public noticing must include the date, time, and place of the meeting; and, WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City to exceed minimum statutory standards for notice of meetings; and, WHEREAS, Policy 2016-01 Procedures for Commission, Committees and Council on Aging requires publication 5 days prior to the meeting on the City's website and on the City's bulletin board; and, WHEREAS, the Kenai City Council enacted Ordinance 3089-2019 on October 16, 2019 to make similar changes to notification requirements for City Council meetings; and, WHEREAS, amending notification requirements by reducing what is provided in the newspaper notifications and providing alternative resources where additional information can be located is fiscally responsible and will continue to exceed minimum statutory standards; and, WHEREAS, the City of Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission recommended enaction of Ordinance 3102-2020 at their meeting on January 22, 2020. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, as follows: Section 1. Amendment of Section of the Kenai Municipal Code: That Kenai Municipal Code, Section 14.20.280 — Public hearings and notifications, is hereby amended as follows: 14.20.280 Public hearings and notifications. (a) Intent. This section governs all public hearings held by the Commission as required by this chapter. (b) Public Hearing Notice. Notice of the public hearing shall be published [TWICE] in a paper of general circulation within the City[. THE FIRST NOTICE SHALL BE PUBLISHED] New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Ordinance No. 3102-2020 Page 2 of 3 not less than seven (7) days prior to the date of hearing. The notice shall contain at least the following information: (1) A brief description of the proposal on which the public body is to act; (2) A legal and common description of the property involved; (3) Date, time, and place of the public hearing; (4) Person and place to contact for more detailed information. (c) Property Owner Notification. Notification shall be mailed to real property owners on record on the borough assessor's records within a three hundred -foot (300') periphery of the parcel affected by the proposed action. This notice shall be mailed not less than ten (10) days prior to the date of hearing. When a public hearing is to be held about a proposed zoning ordinance amendment involving a change in the text or major district boundary changes, no notification of neighboring property owners shall be required, but notices shall be displayed in at least three (3) public places. (d) Public Posting. The applicant shall post the property subject to the application with public notices as provided by the City at least ten (10) days before the date of the required public hearing. Such notices shall be placed so as to be visible from each improved street adjacent to the property. The applicant is responsible for removing the posted notices within five (5) days after the hearing is completed. Failure to properly post notices shall be grounds for deferral or denial of the application. No one except the applicant, an agent of the applicant, or the City shall remove or tamper with any such required posted notice during the period it is required to be maintained under this subsection. (e) Proof of Posting. Before the public hearing, the applicant shall submit to the City an affidavit signed by the person who posted the notice stating that the notice was posted as required by this section. Section 2. Severability: That if any part or provision of this ordinance or application thereof to any person or circumstances is adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part, provision, or application directly involved in all controversy in which this judgment shall have been rendered, and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this title or application thereof to other persons or circumstances. The City Council hereby declares that it would have enacted the remainder of this ordinance even without such part, provision, or application. Section 3. Effective Date: That pursuant to KMC 1.15.070(f), this ordinance shall take effect 30 days after enactment. New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Ordinance No. 3102-2020 Page 2 of 3 ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this 5" day of February, 2020. ATTEST: CMC, City Clerk ti U BRIAN GABRIEL SR., MAYOR EO r�i Introduced: January 15, 2020 Enacted: February 5, 2020 Effective: March 6, 2020 New Text Undedined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] - 210 Fidalgo Ave, Kenai, Alaska 99611-7794 Telephone: (907) 283-7535 1 Fax: (907) 283-3014 Ike criyof� www.kenai.city KENAI, ALASKA \V MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Brian Gabriel and Kenai City Council FROM: Henry Knackstedt, Council Member DATE: January 7, 2020 SUBJECT: Ordinance 3102-2020 - Amending Kenai Municipal Code 14.20.280, Public Hearings and Notifications On October 16, 2019, the Kenai City Council enacted Ordinance 3089-2019 amending advertising requirements for Council meetings. Ordinance 3102-2020 would enact applicable changes to follow this pattern for the Planning and Zoning Commission meetings. Ordinance 3102-2020 would reduce the newspaper posting requirement from twice to once for Planning and Zoning Commission public hearings. This would provide a cost savings to the City and would still exceed minimum notification requirements of the State of Alaska. The requirements for posting on public bulletin boards, placing a sign on the subject property, and mailing postcards to neighboring property owners would not change. Posting on the City's website is also required pursuant to Policy 2016-01. Below shows actual expenditures to the newspaper on Planning and Zoning Commission meeting notifications for the past three fiscal years. If this ordinance is adopted, it is anticipated cost savings will be 50%. Year Cost FY19 $2,543.98 FY18 $4,826.39 FY17 $4,321.72 Totals: $11,692.09 I recommend the City Council request a recommendation for Ordinance 3102-2020 from the Planning and Zoning Commission at their January 22, 2020 meeting before Ordinance 3102-2020 is on the agenda for enactment at the February 5, 2020 City Council meeting. Thank you for your consideration. 711f1aYe 4114 a Past, etit wid a f tape 210 Fidalgo Ave, Kenai, Alaska 99611-7794 Telephone: (907) 283-7535 1 Fax: (907) 283-3014 \the a[y o f1/ www. kenai.city V MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Brian Gabriel and Kenai City Council THROUGH: Paul Ostrander, City Manager FROM: Elizabeth Appleby, City Planner DATE: January 28, 2020 SUBJECT: Ordinance 3102-2020 — Amending Kenai Municipal Code 14.20.280, Public Hearings and Notifications. Attached to this memorandum is a copy of Resolution No. PZ2020-01. The Planning and Zoning Commission passed Resolution No. PZ2020-01 at their meeting on January 22, 2020 recommending the Kenai City Council enact Ordinance 3102-2020, Amending Kenai Municipal Code 14.20.280 Public Hearings and Notifications, to Reduce the Newspaper Posting Requirement. The State of Alaska Open Meetings Act (AS 44.62.310) requires that a public entity's governing body be open to the public and that the body provide reasonable notice of its meetings. The Act requires that the public entity must provide "reasonable" notice that includes the date, time, and place of the meeting; is provided within a reasonable amount of time prior to the meeting; is posted at the principal office of the public entity, in addition to any other methods and locations stated in local ordinance; and is done in the same way each time (consistent). The City's requirements of public notice by local ordinance still far exceed the minimum State requirement to post notice of the public meeting at the principal office of the public entity. I am including this information for the Kenai City Council as the Planning and Zoning Commissioners asked for additional clarification on State minimum requirements and if a printed newspaper posting was required by them. Please amend the last Whereas clause in Ordinance No. 3102-2020 as follows: WHEREAS, the City of Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission recommended enaction of Ordinance 3102-2020 at their meeting on January 22, 2020. Thank you for your consideration. v� CITY OF KENAI PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. PZ2020 — 01 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF KENAI RECOMMENDING THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI ADOPT ORDINANCE 3102-2020, AMENDING KENAI MUNICIPAL CODE 14.20.280 PUBLIC HEARINGS AND NOTIFICATIONS, TO REDUCE THE NEWSPAPER POSTING REQUIREMENT WHEREAS, the Kenai City Council requested a recommendation from the City of Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission on Ordinance 14.20.280; and, WHEREAS, AS 44.62.310, also known as the Alaska Open Meetings Act, states that reasonable public noticing must include the date, time, and place of the meeting; and, WHEREAS, Policy 2016-01 Procedures for Commission, Committees and Council on Aging requires publication 5 days prior to the meeting on the City's website and on the City's bulletin board; and, WHEREAS, the Kenai City Council enacted Ordinance 3089-2019 on October 16, 2019 to make similar changes to notification requirements for City Council meetings; and, WHEREAS, amending notification requirements by reducing what is provided in the newspaper notifications and providing alternative resources where additional information can be located is fiscally responsible and will continue to exceed minimum statutory standards; and, WHEREAS, alternate sources of information on the Planning and Zoning Commission include postcards to neighbors, web postings, signs on subject property, and posting of the agenda to at least three public places; and, WHEREAS, the change from seven (7) to six (6) days prior to the date of the public hearing for the newspaper posting will not change the current posting date and procedures of City staff, but is a housekeeping change to match City Council's timing; and, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA' Section 1. That the Kenai City Council enact Ordinance 3102-2020. Section 2. That a copy of Resolution PZ2020-01 be forwarded to the Kenai City Council. PASSED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this 22nd day of January 22, 2020. Resolution No. PZ2020-01 Page 2 of 2 -� JEFF TWAIT, CHAIRPERSON ATTEST: J IE HEINZ, CMC, CITY CLERK '6 t= ti :JSP S ��EO