Title
Amending Planning Board Rules and Procedures. Adopt a Resolution amending the Rules and Procedures of the City Planning Board to implement a new, standardized agenda format recommended by the City Clerk and make other revisions as needed. CEQA Determination: Not a Project.
Body
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
BACKGROUND
The Rules and Procedures of the City Planning Board (“bylaws”) are periodically amended by the Planning Board to improve the Planning Board’s ability to carry out its role and responsibilities under the City of Alameda Charter and City of Alameda Municipal Code. The Planning Board last updated its bylaws in 2015.
As the City of Alameda plans to transition out of COVID-19 public meeting protocols, the City Clerk is asking all boards and commissions to standardize its meeting agenda format.
DISCUSSION
As the statewide COVID-19 emergency is set to conclude in March 2023, the City Council has directed the City Clerk to implement a hybrid public meeting format where the public may participate at meetings in person or via Zoom. As part of implementing a new meeting format, the City Clerk has identified the need to standardize the wording and format for meeting agendas across all boards and commissions.
Exhibit 1 shows the proposed amendments to the bylaws in tracked changes. The following compares the current Planning Board agenda, as adopted by the Planning Board in its bylaws, with the new agenda requested by the City Clerk:
Current Planning Board Agenda:
1. Convene
2. Flag Salute
3. Roll Call
4. Agenda Changes and Discussion
5. Oral Communications
6. Consent Calendar
7. Regular Agenda Items
8. Minutes
9. Staff Communications
a. Future Agendas
10. Written Communications
11. Board Communications
12. Oral Communications
13. Adjournment
New Agenda Requested by the City Clerk:
1. Roll Call (note: Board members will not be listed on agendas)
2. Agenda Changes
3. Non-Agenda Public Comment
4. Consent Calendar
5. Regular Agenda Items
6. Staff Communications
7. Board Communications
8. Adjournment
Notable changes to the agenda include removing “Convene”, “Flag Salute”, “Minutes” “Future Agendas”, and “Written Communications.” “Oral Communications” is to be renamed “Non-Agenda Public Comment” and occurring once near the beginning of the agenda. The current separate listing of “Minutes” has been removed with the intent that minutes will be part of the Consent Calendar consistent with the practice of other boards and commissions. Staff will continue to give the Planning Board a preview of upcoming agenda items and comment on any notable written communication as part of Staff Communications. Otherwise, the overall order of the agenda remains the same.
Staff is also recommending the Planning Board approve several clean-up revisions in its bylaws. For example, under Section G. Evidence there is a reference to allowing Applicants to ask questions during public testimony, which is not currently practiced and should be deleted. Other proposed clean-up edits include replacing references to the former “Community Development Department” and “Community Development Director” with the “Planning Department” and “Planning Director.” In addition, the reference to “tape recordings” should instead reference “recordings” since video/audio tapes are no longer used. Other technical clean ups, some recommended by the City Attorney’s Office, are noted in Exhibit 1.
The Planning Board may also amend any other provision of its bylaws as it deems necessary.
CLIMATE ACTION
There are no climate impacts associated with this agenda item.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Revising the Planning Board’s Rules and Procedures is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution Amending the Planning Board Rules and Procedures (Exhibit 2).
Respectfully Submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Prepared By,
Allen Tai, City Planner
Exhibits:
1. Rules and Procedures of the City Planning Board dated November 23, 2015 in Tracked Changes
2. Draft Resolution and Revised Rules and Procedures of the City Planning Board