Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-01-26 P & Z Minutes - Approval CITY OF CENTERVILLE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, the Planning and Zoning Commission held its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. I. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Broussard-Vickers at 6:32 p.m. 1. Roll Call Present: Commissioner Ben Fehrenbacher Commissioner John Krueger Commissioner Nick Twohy Commissioner Linda Broussard-Vickers Commissioner Darrell (DJ) Olson, Jr (Arrived at 7:18 p.m.) Absent: None Staff: City Administrator Mark Statz Council Liaison, Russ Koski II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by Commissioner Fehrenbacher, seconded by Commissioner Krueger to approve the agenda as presented. A roll call vote was taken. All in favor. Motion carried. IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. None V. AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS AND APPEARANCES 1. Candidate Interviews The Commission presented the following set of six questions to each candidate, with each commissioner taking turns asking a question. Question 1: Please tell us what are your qualifications are and why you want to become a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission? City of Centerville Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes January 26, 2021 Question 2: The Planning and Zoning requires a commitment on the first Tuesday of each month plus potential other workshops. Do you foresee any problems attending these meetings on a regular basis? Have you ever attended a Planning and Zoning meeting, and if so, when? Question 3: The Planning Commission is often required to make recommendations on controversial applications. Describe the steps you will go through as a commissioner to make decisions. Who will you listen to and where will you go for advice? Question 4: How do you feel about your ability to provide objective recommendations on land use applications and other ordinance issues? Question 5: Not everyone always agrees with one another. Can you describe a time when you worked as part of a team to reach a consensus? Question 6: Do you have any questions for us? a. Pat Branch 1. Mr. Branch answered that he has been interested in the Planning and Zoning Commission since joining the Parks and Rec Committee. His qualifications are that he is a resident of Centerville and enjoys living in the city. Mr. Branch also spoke about his career in the military and as the vice president of a company. He said he has a good record of leadership and making sound judgements and takes a lot of input before making those judgements. 2. Mr. Branch said that he has not attended a Planning and Zoning meeting. He said that he lives in two different places (Minnesota and Maryland), but as long as meetings are held via Zoom, he can attend all meetings. 3. Mr. Branch stated that he makes independent decisions, and would make them based on what he feels is best for the citizens and the city. He would look to City Council and their objectives and planning doctrine, city ordinances, City Administrator Statz, and City Attorney Curt Glaser. He also stated that if there were controversial questions from residents about their property, he would look to the opinions of neighbors and how they might be affected. 4. Mr. Branch said he feels he has good judgement. During his career in the military he had experience balancing inputs and making decisions. 5. Mr. Branch said that he joined the Parks and Rec Committee in 2008 when there was not a lot of funding for the parks. The committee started the Fete des Lacs 5K/8K Runs to raise money to improve the parks. 6. Mr. Branch asked about the number of members and openings on the Planning and Zoning Commission, and meeting frequency. He also asked about the responsiveness of the commission, due to only meeting once per month. City of Centerville Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes January 26, 2021 b. David Kubat 1. Mr. Kubat answered that he moved to Centerville recently. He has a BA in History from the University of Minnesota, a law degree from Hamline School of Law, and is a practicing attorney in immigration law and criminal justice. He was in the National Guard from 2008-2020 and completed two tours in Iraq. He also served as President of a home owner’s association in Coon Rapids while living there. He was looking for a new opportunity to serve, but wanted something that did not require as much time as the National Guard 2. Mr. Kubat stated that he had not attended a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, but he has attended an EDA meeting. He has no problem with the time commitment and has read through past meeting minutes in order to learn more about the Commission. 3. Mr. Kubat answered that he would look at past history on other similar decisions and talk to people with experience. He stated that as an attorney, he is skilled at seeing things objectively. 4. Mr. Kubat stated that he is used to being objective and giving opinions based on what is best. 5. Mr. Kubat stated that at the law firm he works for, the owner takes a round-table approach to build consensus amongst the team. The different backgrounds within the firm help to contribute to discussion of different points of view. He is not invested in getting things his own way; he is interested in making sure that the decisions made are the right decisions. 6. Mr. Kubat asked when the Commission might go back to in-person meetings, versus Zoom meetings. City Administrator Statz explained that he recommends meetings still be held via Zoom until everyone has the opportunity to be vaccinated from Covid-19. He feels that June 1, 2021 is a good target date. c. Les Kuiper 1. Mr. Kuiper responded that he has earned a reputation as a fair and capable leader. He was elected as president of his denomination’s annual meeting, which serves 1,000 churches throughout North America. He comes with no agenda, and is a good listener. He has lived in Centerville since 2012 and is eager to serve on a local level. 2. Mr. Kuiper stated that his schedule is flexible and he would be able to attend meetings without any problems. He has not attended any Planning and Zoning meetings, and has recently retired and is now living full-time in Centerville. 3. Mr. Kuiper responded that he would read the documents that were submitted, visit the site being considered, talk with people who are impacted by the decision and talk with other members of the commission. City of Centerville Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes January 26, 2021 4. Mr. Kuiper stated that he has not worked with people on those kinds of issues, but he has worked with people on issues that are divisive and he looks for ways to be fair. He would approach the issues with a desire to be fair to all parties. 5. Mr. Kuiper explained that he had served on the board of a local Christian high school, and was asked by the Board to Chair a committee to address combining the high school and two elementary schools into one legal entity. He said that one elementary school was in a community of approximately 50,000 people and the other was in a community of approximately 3,000 people and the smaller community was afraid it would be swallowed up by the larger. He said that some came to the meeting determined to make it happen, and others were very resistant. He arrived at one particular meeting with a feeling that they would come to an impasse they would not be able to move beyond. They got through it and decided to become a federation instead of a corporation, with the possibility of becoming a single entity in the future. He felt that the communities were committed to working together, and put things in place that would draw the schools together. The consensus to become a federation was recommended to the boards and approved by all. As chairman, he was able to see the communities through the impasse and arrive at the recommendation. Another example happened in 2012 when he worked with four congregations for approximately 12-18 months. Each congregation had difficult separations with their pastors and there were a lot of hurt and angry feelings. In the end, all four churches have been able to move forward in a positive way and he felt good about the work he had done and has stayed in touch with them. 6. Mr. Kuiper asked what are one or two of the more challenging decisions the board has had to make over the last five years. Chairperson Broussard-Vickers responded that variance requests are challenging because they do not always meet the requirements of the law and you have to say no, making the applicant unhappy. Commissioner Twohy stated that there have been times when they are trying to change ordinances to make the city better or tighten up the city code, and it is challenging to do without being disruptive to the residents that are utilizing their land the way that is allowed, such as on-street parking, outdoor storage and conditional use permits. Questions were finished and each commissioner talked about their impressions of each candidate. The commissioners felt that all candidates would work well on the commission, but had concerns about Mr. Branch’s availability. Mr. Kubat stood out to all due to his background, and Chairperson Broussard-Vickers stated that a newer resident could bring a different perspective. After more discussion, it was decided to recommend that Council to appoint Mr. Kubat and Mr. Kuiper to the Commission. Motion by Commissioner Fehrenbacher, seconded by Commissioner Krueger to recommend to the Council to appoint Mr. David Kubat and Mr. Les Kuiper to the Planning and Zoning Commission. A roll call vote was taken. All in favor. Motion carried. VI. OLD BUSINESS City of Centerville Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting Minutes January 26, 2021 1. None VII. NEW BUSINESS 1. Recommendation for Appointment This was handled directly following Candidate Interviews. VIII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. None IX. ANNOUNCEMENTS/UPDATES 1. Council Member Liaison 2. Administrator’s Report X. ADJOURNMENT Motion by Commissioner Fehrenbacher, seconded by Commissioner Krueger to adjourn the January meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission at 7:58 p.m. A roll call vote was taken. All in favor. Motion carried.