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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Minutes – Wednesday, January 6, 2016 Page 14 beyond statutory dictates, Chair Boguszewski assured the public that the City Council 667 reserved the right to remove any of those volunteers from the Planning Commission, or to 668 not reappointment them. Chair Boguszewski further clarified the important distinction 669 between the Planning Commission’s advisory role in determining as defined by state 670 statute whether or not a proposal or land use filled or did not fill those guidelines as 671 established. Chair Boguszewski noted that the City Council’s review and role as elected 672 officials may address community concerns or political leanings, and may therefore take a 673 different view than that the Planning Commission was able to undertake. While that may 674 seem like a subtle difference, Chair Boguszewski noted it was an important difference 675 between the roles of the City Council and Planning Commission, and offered several 676 examples of situations. While some residents may wonder the Planning Commission’s 677 rationale in making some of their decisions, Chair Boguszewski stated it may have been 678 because legally it had no factual reason to be able to deny, while the City Council could 679 make those more political decisions at their discretion. 680 With that distinction, and some citizens making the Planning Commission out as a threat, 681 Mr. Ashton suggested that needed to be published or brought to the public’s attention. 682 Member Murphy reiterated that the role of the Planning Commission is to serve at the 683 public hearing and listen to community concerns, which are then documented for benefit 684 and as part of the Planning Commission’s recommendation to the City Council’s analysis 685 and their deliberation, along with the standard public hearing notification requirements 686 and reasonable recording of those meetings. Member Murphy noted that individual 687 commissioners attempted to attend the informational meetings to further actively engage 688 with and hear concerns of residents beyond their personal perspectives. 689 Regarding any member of the public feeling somewhat powerless coming before the 690 Planning Commission, Member Cunningham stated the importance commissioners felt 691 that residents show up and express their views, opining that is where the real power lies. 692 While suggesting that commissioners should feel flattered they were perceived to have 693 that power, Member Cunningham assured residents that wasn’t true. 694 Mr. Ashton expressed his feeling that he was represented, but clarified that the word 695 outside and at Midland Grove Association meetings was that was not how the process 696 worked. 697 Jim (& Paula) Wright, 2210 Midland Grove Road 698 At the meeting he attended at Midland Grove on this issue, Mr. Wright noted everyone 699 was talking about memory care, not assisted living, and questioned if there was a 700 difference; and further noted that the maps and site plans displayed tonight all indicated 701 an assisted living facility. Mr. Wright asked that the commission identify if there was a 702 difference in the number of people who could live there with a memory care facility versus 703 an assisted living facility. 704 Chair Boguszewski stated that there was no difference, and occupancy was determined 705 by the number of units, whether for an assisted living or memory care occupant. Chair 706 Boguszewski advised that the only difference was in the number of staff required for the 707 care of those occupants based on their specific needs. 708 In referencing previous discussion tonight regarding alarms for residents and 709 technological security, Mr. Wright noted that question had also come up at their 710 informational meeting with attendees asking if there would people wandering around 711 outside, but stated he didn’t hear a clear answer at that meeting. 712 Chair Boguszewski clarified that there were safeguards in place and he would find it 713 extremely rare if not negligible that residents could get out of the building on their own. 714 Mr. Wright questioned if the terminology between an assisted living or memory care 715 facility made any difference with traffic, with Mr. Paschke responding that it would be 716 immaterial for either facility as it related to tonight’s consideration and requested action. 717