TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY OF CHINO
FROM: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT
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City of Chino Planning Commission Sphere of Influence Commissioner.
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Discuss and consider the presentation of a draft Ordinance regarding the City’s Sphere of Influence Planning Commission participation and provide direction to staff.
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above will further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Superior Customer Service
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
BACKGROUND
In response to a request by the City Council at its July 5, 2023 meeting, the Planning Commission provided feedback on the Planning Commission appointment process and terms. Specifically, to address one of the main questions, the Planning Commission voted 6-0 against appointing future SOI Commission members to serve on the Planning Commission in a voting capacity but voted 4-2 in favor of having the SOI members serve in an advisory, non-voting capacity.
Following the Planning Commission’s feedback, at a workshop held on April 9, 2024, the City Council considered the following questions:
1. Whether to add one or more members to the Planning Commission to represent areas within the City’s Sphere of Influence (“SOI”)? If so, should the SOI member(s) be appointed to serve in a voting or advisory capacity?
2. Whether the Planning Commission meetings should be broadcast?
Ultimately, the City Council considered all the information provided at the workshop and directed staff to return with a proposed ordinance implementing the following directives:
1. One SOI member is to be appointed from each SOI area - North SOI and South SOI.
2. The SOI members serve for a term of two years, allowing the SOI members to remain in the position until the conclusion of their term if their SOI area is annexed by the City during their term.
3. The SOI members serve in a voting capacity.
4. The SOI members should have the ability to vote on matters or items that apply city-wide, or which involve land within or in close proximity to the Sphere of Influence area in which the ex-officio member resides. On matters or items that apply city-wide, each ex-officio member will also serve as an alternate to the other ex-officio member, so that if one member is absent, unavailable, or otherwise unable to participate in a matter or item, the other member may participate in his or her place.
The Council also considered staff’s recommendation not to have the meetings broadcast considering the cost involved in having to hire additional staffing to broadcast the meetings. Additionally, the Council considered the relatively low number of viewers that log in to watch Council meetings live, which would likely trend lower for Planning Commission meetings. The Council directed that the meetings are not broadcast at this time, but wished to revisit this issue in the future.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
The attached draft ordinance implements the City Council’s direction from its April 9, 2024 workshop. The ordinance is provided to the Council for informational purposes and staff seeks direction on whether to bring the ordinance back in its current form for formal action or make any changes.
As discussed at the Council workshop, all State and City rules pertaining to conflicts of interests would apply to the SOI members. As such, if a matter has a material financial impact on an SOI member’s finances or real property, that member would be required to recuse him/herself. Additionally, Brown Act quorum rules would apply to the SOI Members prohibiting the majority of the members from discussing matters within the Planning Commission’s jurisdiction outside of a publicly noticed meeting.