Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 2587-2011h of KENAI, SNA Substitute C Sponsored by: Council Members Bookey and Molloy CITY OF KENAI ORDINANCE NO. 2587 -2011 AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, AMENDING THE KENAI MUNICIPAL CODE, CHAPTER 14.05, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, TO ADD A NEW SECTION 14.05.015 ENTITLED "APPOINTMENT TO PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION," REQUIRING PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT OF NOTICE OF VACANCIES AND REQUESTS FOR APPLICATIONS, AND ESTABLISHING A NEW PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION, NOMINATION AND CONFIRMATION OF COMMISSION MEMBERS, AND DEFINING THE TERM OF OFFICE. WHEREAS, Chapter 1.90 of the Kenai Municipal Code establishes standard procedures for all boards, commissions, and committees of the City of Kenai; and, WHEREAS, section 1.90.010 sets forth an appointment procedure for members of boards, commissions, and committees whereby the Mayor may nominate a person to serve as a member, which nomination must be confirmed by the City Council; and, WHEREAS, the procedures set forth in Chapter 1.90 do not provide for or require general public notice or advertisement before the Mayor nominates and the Council confirms an appointment to a vacancy on a board, commission, or committee; and, WHEREAS, the procedures set forth in Chapter 1.90 are general requirements only and are followed to the extent that they do not conflict with more specific requirements found in code sections pertaining to specific boards, commissions, and committees; and, WHEREAS, as established in KMC 14.05.010, the duties of the Planning and Zoning Commission (Commission) include both advisory and decision- making duties; and, WHEREAS, the Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the Kenai City Council and these advisory duties to the City Council include making recommendations on applications to rezone property, on proposed amendments to the Kenai Zoning Code, on proposed amendments to City of Kenai Comprehensive Plan, on City and airport land lease or sale petitions, on amendments to the Official City of Kenai Zoning Map, and on other matters under Title 14 or referred to the Commission by the City Council; and, WHEREAS, the Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Commission and these advisory duties to the Borough's Planning Commission include making recommendations regarding subdivision plat proposals, rights -of -way and easement vacation petitions, and City of Kenai Comprehensive Plan amendments; and, New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Ordinance No. 2587 -2011 Page 2 of 4 WHEREAS, with respect to its decision - making duties, the Commission acts as a quasi - judicial body, conducting public hearings and making decisions on property owners' and lessees' applications and requests for variance permits, conditional use permits, home occupation permits, planned unit residential development permits, and on other matters requiring consideration under the Kenai Zoning Code, all matters that have important consequences to owners and lessees of private property; and, WHEREAS, the importance of the work of the Commission and its members, and the dedication of time required of the members to perfoiin their duties, is recognized in the City's Code, including KMC 1.85.070(a) defining " municipal officer" to include members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, KMC 1.85.010(b) - (c) requiring Commission members to file initial and annual financial disclosure statements, and KMC 14.05.010(d) authorizing compensation of members of $100 per month for their work, all requirements and benefits not imposed or conferred upon members of other City boards, commissions, or committees except the City Council; and, WHEREAS, by creating a more public application and nomination process for selection of members of the Commission the City provides a more open process that encourages public participation in municipal government and creates a transparent process for individual residents of the City of Kenai to make their interest in public service on the Commission known; and, WHEREAS, the Kenai City Council met in a work session on May 10, 2011, to discuss possible amendments to commission /committee appointments and public notification of vacancies on commissions and committees; and, WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City of Kenai for the City Council to adopt additional processes and procedures unique to the Planning and Zoning Commission for the filling of vacancies on that Commission. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, as follows: Section 1. Form. This is a Code ordinance. Section 2. Amendment of Kenai Municipal Code: The City of Kenai Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding a new section 14.05.015, Appointment to Planning and Zoning Commission, to read as follows: 14.05.015 Appointment to Planning and Zoning Commission. (a) Public notice; application. (1) Whenever a term of a Commission member is to expire, and whenever a vacancy on the Commission occurs, the City Clerk shall notify the Council and advertise the notice of vacancy and request for applications along with New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Ordinance No. 2587 -2011 Page 3 of 4 the deadline for filing an application. The application deadline shall be the same deadline as the Council observes for timely submissions to the City Clerk for inclusion of materials in the City Council meeting packet (as set by the policies and procedures of the Council) for the meeting at which the nomination for appointment is on the Council agenda. (2) The Clerk shall advertise the notice at least two (2) times a week for one (1) week [TWICE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) WEEKS] by publication in a newspaper of general circulation, by posting on the City's website, and by posting in at least three (3) other public places in the City, one of which shall be the official bulletin board of the City at City Hall. The last date of newspaper publication shall be no later than seven (7) days before nomination for appointment by the Mayor at a Council meeting. (3)An applicant shall file with the City Clerk a completed application for appointment to the Commission on a form provided by the Clerk. All applications filed by the advertised deadline, including those previously on file [ALONG WITH ANY APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY FILED IN THE 90 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE], shall be placed in the Council packet for the meeting where the nomination is made. (b) Nomination Procedure. Consideration shall be given to the qualifications and merits of each applicant. The Mayor shall make nominations only from the list of persons who timely submitted an application as provided in subsection (a)(3). The Council may re -open the application period. (c) Confirmation by Council. The Kenai City Council shall review the Mayor's nomination no later than [AT] the next regular Council meeting following the meeting in which the Mayor made the nomination, at which time the Council shall consider whether to confirm the nomination. (d) Term of Office. Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be appointed for a term of three years. Terms shall end on December 31 of the third year. In the event a seat has six (6) months or less remaining to the unexpired term the Mayor [COUNCIL, AT ITS DISCRETION] may choose to nominate an applicant [APPOINT THE MEMBER] for appointment to the remainder of the current term as well as to the full term immediately following the expiration date of the unexpired term, and the Council may confirm the appointment of the applicant to the remainder of the current term as well as to the full term. Section 3. Severability: If any part or provision of this ordinance or application thereof to any person or circumstances is adjudged invalid by any court of competent New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Ordinance No. 2587 -2011 Page 4 of 4 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 4. Effective Date: Pursuant to KMC 1.15.070(f), this ordinance shall take effect one month after adoption. PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this seventh day of December, 2011. ATTEST: Corene Hall, Deputy City Clerk PAT PORTER, MAYOR Introduced: October 19, 2011 Adopted: December 7, 2011 Effective: January 7, 2012 New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] MEMO "!/cllaye with a Past, Ci y with a Future trail 'III►.' 210 Fidalgo Avenue, Kenai, Alaska 99611 -7794 Telephone: 907 - 283 -7535 / FAX: 907- 283 -3014 NDUM TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Mayor Pat Porter, Vice Mayor Ryan Marquis Council Members Mike Boyle, Brian Gabriel, Tim Navarre Council Members Terry Bookey and Bob Molloy November 28, 2011 Ordinance No. 2587 -2011 and Proposed Substitute C 1992 The purpose of this memo is to highlight the changes we propose to Ordinance 2587 -2011. Attached with this memo is a proposed substitute referred to as Substitute C. The language below is in legislative format and references the changes from Ord. 2587 -2011 as originally proposed. The changes we propose are as follows: 1. Subsection (a)(2) amended to remove the words "twice a week for two weeks" and replace them with the words "two times a week for one week" It is now proposed to read as follows: (2) The Clerk shall advertise the notice at least two (2) times a week for one (1) week [TWICE A WEEK FOR TWO (2) WEEKS' by publication in a newspaper of general circulation, by posting on the City's website, and by posting in at least three (3) other public places in the City, one of which shall be the official bulletin board of the City at City Hall. 1- 2. Subsection (a)(3) amended to remove the line "along with any applications previously filed in the 90 days prior to the advertised deadline" replacing it with "including those previously on file ". It is now proposed to read as follows: (3) An applicant shall file with the City Clerk a completed application for appointment to the Commission on a form provided by the Clerk. All applications filed by the advertised deadline, including those previously on file [ALONG WITH ANY APPLICATIONS PREVIOUSLY FILED IN THE 90 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ADVERTISED DEADLINE], shall be placed in the Council packet for the meetings where the nomination is made and where the confirmation of appointment for any vacancy is considered. 3. Section (c) amended by adding the words "no later" between the words "nomination" and "than", also removing the word "at" that is between the words "than" and "the" It is now proposed to read as follows: Confirmation by Council. The Kenai City Council shall review the Mayor's nomination no later than [AT] the next regular Council meeting following the meeting in which the Mayor made the nomination, at which time the Council shall consider whether to confirm the nomination. 4. Section (d) amended by replacing the words "the Council, at its discretion" with the words "the Mayor ", also by replacing the words "appoint the member" with the words "nominate an applicant for appointment ", and also adding the words "and the Council may confirm the appointment of the applicant to the remainder of the current term as well as to the full term" at the end of the section following the word "term" and replacing the period following "term" with a comma. It is now proposed to read as follows: Term of office. Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be appointed for a term of three years. Terms shall end on December 31 of the third year. In the event a seat has six (6) months or less remaining to the unexpired term, the Mayor [THE COUNCIL, AT ITS DISCRETION], may choose to nominate an applicant [APPOINT THE MEMBER] for appointment to the remainder of the current term as well as to the full term immediately following the expiration date of the unexpired term,. [.] and the Council may confirm the appointment of the applicant to the remainder of the current term as well as to the full to w. 2-