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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-01-26 Minutes, City Commission MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION/AGENDA MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION BOZEMAN, MONTANA January 26, 1998 ***************************** . The Commission of the City of Bozeman met in work session and agenda meeting in the Commission Room, Municipal Building, January 26, 1998, at 3:00 p.m. Present were Mayor Stiff, Commissioner Smiley, Commissioner Frost, Commissioner Youngman, City Manager Johnson, City Attorney Luwe and Clerk of the Commission Sullivan. Commissioner Rudberg was absent. The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. Authorize absence of Commissioner Rudberg from meetina. in compliance with Section 7-3-4322(2). M.C.A. It was moved by Commissioner Smiley, seconded by Commissioner Frost, that the Commission authorize the absence of Commissioner Rudberg from this meeting in compliance . with Section 7-3-4322(2), M.C.A. The motion carried by the following Aye and No vote: those voting Aye being Commissioner Smiley, Commissioner Frost, Commissioner Youngman and Mayor Stiff; those voting No, none. Agenda Meeting - for regular meeting and public hearinas to be held on Februarv 2. 1998 Since this is an agenda meeting, only those issues requiring staff action are contained in the minutes. City Manager Johnson briefly reviewed the background information which was included in the Commissioners' packets. (4) Associate Planner Chris Saunders stated that, after this variance from the subdivision regulations was advertised, further discussions with the City Attorney revealed that . a variance is not needed, so no action will be required by the Commission. Responding to Commissioner Frost, the City Attorney stated that since the variance has been advertised, it is necessary to open the public hearing and accept testimony from anyone who may be present to speak on the issue. He suggested that once that is completed, the Commission vote to postpone indefinitely. 01-26-98 -- ---- -.---------.....- ____n..._n. _ ._. _. __.___ _. .__._.. . - 2 - (5 ) City Attorney Luwe stated he has one change to be made to the ordinance prior to next week's meeting. He stated that, rather than having information for parades submitted to the Director of Public Service and then forwarded to the Street Superintendent, it will be submitted directly to the Street Superintendent under this revision. . At Commissioner Youngman's request, City Attorney Luwe addressed the reason for prohibiting the throwing of candy from floats. He stated that, while it is not yet an officially adopted policy, parade organizers have been encouraged to discourage the throwing of candy because of concerns about the safety of children running toward floats to get that candy. City Manager Johnson noted that candy can still be given to children; it simply means that people must walk beside the floats and hand it out. (SA) The City Manager noted that in an October 13, 1997 memo, Engineering Technician Andy Kerr forwarded a proposed sidewalk repair program for 1997. In light of the Commission's interest in discussing the sidewalk program, he asked if they are also interested in considering this proposal. The Commissioners agreed to bring it back on next week's agenda. . (10f) The City Manager stated that City Attorney Luwe and Director of Public Service Forbes must complete their evaluation of the bids submitted and, if that is not completed by Thursday, this item may be removed from the agenda. ( 13) Planning Director Epple gave a brief overview of the application, which is for an $SO,OOO loan from the CDBG Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund. He indicated that the City's loan would be the only indebtedness incurred, so the City would be in the first security position. He noted that the Committee's recommendation is for approval of this application. (14) The City Manager stated that the Planning Board has continued the public hearing on this item, so the Commission is asked to open and continue its public hearing to February 17. . ( 15) Assistant Planning Director Debbie Arkell stated that the applicant has withdrawn this request for deviations and submitted plans for a sign that complies with the zone code requirements. As a result, she indicated that the Commission will be asked to acknowledge receipt of the withdrawal at next week's meeting. 01-26-98 - 3 - Work Session - (A) Discussion re DOUCV on reauests tor tee waivers; (B) Discussion re ADU; (C) Annexation policv (A) Discussion re policy on requests for fee waivers Included in the Commissioners' packets was a letter from Eagle Mount to Building Official Neil Poulsen, dated October 31, 1997, requesting that the building permit fee be . waived for their new riding arena. City Manager Clark Johnson stated that he receives requests for waivers of various fees, including building permit fees and landfill fees, on almost a weekly basis, and he is seeking Commission direction on how to handle those requests. He stated that he has been unable to find a formal policy, so his typical response to date has been that he will submit the request to the Commission for consideration. Commissioner Frost stated he is concerned about the precedent created by waiving fees. He recognized that the Commission has approved fee waivers for Habitat for Humanity and Bozeman Interfaith Housing in conjunction with affordable housing projects. He noted, however, that the Human Resource Development Council, which is the biggest low-income . housing provider in the community, has not requested or received a fee waiver from the City. He then stated that, without very strict criteria for considering this type of request, he is not comfortable with fee waivers. He indicated that the only type of fee waiver he would consider would be for very low income housing. Commissioner Youngman stated that the waiving of fees is consistent with the housing policy and she feels it is appropriate. She then indicated that she would be willing to consider waiving building permit fees for non-profits, depending on the volume of activity involved, citing the Eagle Mount request as an example. Commissioner Smiley stated she would be willing to consider waiving the fees for some type of youth facility in the community. Commissioner Frost noted that the Humane Society is considering a new building and, . under a blanket policy for waiving of fees for non-profit organizations, it would qualify. Commissioner Youngman suggested an alternative might be to connect fee waivers to existing City policies. She noted that the affordable housing policy is one that could trigger the waiver, and other current and future policies could also trigger the waiving of fees. She suggested another alternative might be to waive fees for projects for very low income people 01 ~26-98 - 4 - including, but not limited to, housing. She stated that government is not "flush enough" to support every non~profit group seeking a fee waiver, but she feels it would be appropriate to consider those which further the City's goals and direction. Responding to Commissioner Smiley, the City Manager stated that the fees for which . Eagle Mount requested a waiver totaled $700. Mayor Stiff stated he feels the City should be establishing its charges and fees as fairly as possible, and any contribution toward those fees should not come from the City itself. He characterized the support of non-profit activities as "a personal thing, not a municipal thing". Commissioner Smiley suggested the possibility of considering a waiver for a portion of the fee instead of the entire fee. City Manager Johnson asked if there is any interest in the Commissioners reviewing each request for a fee waiver instead of developing a blanket policy. Commissioner Frost stated that, without a policy, he does not feel the Commission can act on individual requests for fee waivers, stressing the importance of making objective decisions. . Commissioner Youngman stated her preference for having staff handle the requests for waiving of fees if the Commission adopts a policy. City Manager Johnson suggested that an alternative to waiving fees might be for the Commissioners to set aside monies in their budget to cover the fees. He recognized that this alternative would require developing standards for evaluating applications, and those decisions could be very difficult. The City Manager then stated that staff has encountered difficulties in developing recommendations regarding the waiving of landfill fees because of all the variables that have been identified. He encouraged the Commissioners to carefully consider the wide variety of issues that arise when considering this type of request. As a result of the discussion, the City Manager indicated he will draft a policy that . includes a provision for waiving of fees for very low income housing and possibly include a couple of other qualifiers for Commission consideration at a future meeting. (8) Discussion re accessory dwelling units (ADUs) Included in the Commissioners' packets was a copy of Ordinance No. 1434, establishing the zoning provisions for accessory dwelling units in single family residences. 01-26-98 -- ------- -.".---- - - ---- ----- - 5 - Planning Director Andy Epple noted that in other parts of the country, accessory dwelling units are often referred to as "mother-in-law" units. He noted that in Bozeman, the concept has been expanded to allow for the creation of accessory dwelling units through the conditional use process to provide a second dwelling unit in an existing home. He stated that . only one application has been processed under this provision, and a couple of issues were identified as a result of that review. The Planning Director noted that the review fee for conditional use permits is $660. He stated that conditional use permits are typically for large commercial or residential projects that require a significant amount of staff review, and the review time for an accessory dwelling unit is much shorter and easier. He suggested that the Commission consider establishing a $330 fee for accessory dwelling units since it appears that the $660 fee is inappropriately high and could serve as a disincentive to those who might otherwise be interested in pursuing this mechanism for providing additional dwelling units. Responding to Mayor Stiff, the Planning Director stated that when the zoning application fees were revised approximately five years ago, staff based its recommendations for fees on . approximately six months of comprehensive recordkeeping on the amount of time required for review of each project. He noted that processing of the one application for an ADU which has been received to date revealed that a reduced fee could be justified because it is much more simplified and straight forward than the typical conditional use permit application. He noted that since the fees are established by resolution, revision of the fees could be easily accommodated. Planning Director Epple stated that the individual who went through the conditional use permit process for an accessory dwelling unit raised concerns about a couple of the requirements in Ordinance No. 1434. He noted that one of those requirements is that the property owner reside on the property, either in the main unit or the accessory unit. He noted the other requirement is that the applicant sign a document stating that he or she agrees to the . conditions and will abide by them in perpetuity. He encouraged the Commissioners to be aware of these concerns, however, he suggested that no revisions be made to these requirements at this time. The Planning Director noted that the application for an accessory dwelling unit was in a single-family neighborhood that looks very critically on adding dwelling units to existing 01-26-98 - ..-..-.- .--..-----------..---- - ---- .----.------ - -- - 6 - homes. He stated that this issue was discussed during consideration of the code amendment to provide for this type of unit, and the Commission recognized at that time that such units could be controversial. He noted that in this particular instance, the neighbors also relied on the covenants for the subdivision, and questions were raised about the conflicts that could . arise from local government approving a use that is in conflict with the covenant. Commissioner Smiley noted that in the one application submitted, the applicant referred to it as a rental unit, and that upset the neighbors. Planning Director Epple stressed that accessory dwelling units are designed to house one or two people, and those units are not limited to family members but may be rented out. He noted that guest houses are allowed in single-family residential neighborhoods, although those units have no cooking facilities and may never be rented. He characterized accessory dwelling units as being different from guest houses because they do include cooking facilities and may be rented as an independent dwelling unit. Responding to Commissioner Smiley, the Planning Director stated that a family can invite another member of the family to live with them without triggering any zoning process. . Commissioner Youngman noted that the accessory dwelling unit was originally proposed in the affordable housing policy, in an effort to create more affordable housing in existing neighborhoods because it is less expensive to renovate an existing home to create another unit than it is to construct new units. She stated that the concept of the "granny flat" is the basis for the accessory dwelling unit, but it has been expanded so that a family may take in an elderly family member, or a senior citizen can rent a portion of the home in an effort to retain independence and remain in the family home. Commissioner Frost stated he still feels that the accessory dwelling unit is a good idea, and he feels that the zone code requirements should remain intact. He noted that one concern he has had from the beginning is the 1,OOO-square-foot size limitation. He stated that his four- member family resided in a house less than 1,000 square feet in size. He feels that a truly . accessory dwelling unit for one or two people should be considerably smaller, and suggested that a 600-square-foot size limitation might be more appropriate and could help to alleviate the concern that students would try to have more people in the unit. He then stressed the importance of an applicant working with the neighbors early in the process to alleviate concerns and create a viable project. 01-26-98 - 7 - Planning Director Epple reminded the Commission that under the provisions for accessory dwelling units, a lot must be a minimum of 6,000 square feet in size, to accommodate the additional dwelling unit and attendant off-street parking space. He noted the concern was raised that a 5,000-sQuare-foot lot would not be adequate for two dwelling units . and the required off-street parking. Commissioner Youngman noted that the lots in her neighborhood are 5,000 square feet in size, and many of the homes have basement apartments. She suggested that in older neighborhoods with alleys, a 5,000-sQuare-foot lot could accommodate an accessory dwelling unit because parking could be off the alley. Commissioner Youngman noted that, through the accessory dwelling unit process, it may be possible to bring currently illegal basement apartments into compliance with the zone code. Planning Director Epple noted that gaining compliance with Building Code requirements is essential for safety issues, stating that one of the biggest concerns is that basement windows are not large enough to provide egress. He then stated that staff concurs a 1,000- . square-foot unit is large, indicating that the maximum size could possibly be reduced to 600 or 800 square feet. Responding to Commissioner Smiley, City Attorney Luwe stated that in the one application, there was a Question about whether an accessory dwelling unit constituted a violation of the covenants for the neighborhood. He noted that if the City does approve an application that is in violation of the covenants, it is up to the neighborhood to pursue the violation through the court system. Planning Director Epple stated that staff does not research covenants for a neighborhood when administering the zone code. He noted, however, that if covenants are brought to staff's attention, they will be considered during the processing of an application. Responding to Mayor Stiff, the Planning Director stated that, with the way the . ordinance is written, an accessory dwelling unit larger than 1,000 square feet or on a lot less than 6,000 square feet would be required to go through a variance or deviation process. He cautioned that, under the variance process, it may be difficult to find the hardships necessary to approve an application. He then stressed that an accessory dwelling unit is not allowed in new construction; rather, a structure must be five years old or older to qualify. 01-26-98 - 8 - Planning Director Epple noted that under the current regulations, which require that an accessory dwelling unit may not exceed 1/3 of the principal structure, in an 1,800-square+foot house, the accessory dwelling unit could not exceed 600 square feet. He also noted that, with the maximum size limitation, an accessory dwelling unit may not exceed 1,000 square feet in . a 4,000-square-foot home. As a result of Commission discussion, Planning Director Epple noted that no revisions to the ordinance will be processed at this time. He stated, however, that staff will bring back a resolution establishing a lower application fee for Commission consideration. Planning Director Epple then broached the related issue of conditional use permit fees for cabaret licenses. He reminded the Commission that during the last legislative session, a new category of alcoholic beverage license was created. Under this new license, restaurants may serve limited amounts of beer and wine, as long as those sales generate no more a certain percentage of gross receipts. He also noted that more restrictive hours for serving apply, and no gaming is allowed in conjunction with the cabaret license. He then reminded the Commission that under the City's zone code, any business selling alcoholic beverages must go . through a conditional use permit. He further reminded the Commission that for those existing establishments applying for a cabaret license, where no physical changes are being proposed, staff's review time will not be extensive and the hearing process should not be extensive. He suggested, therefore, that the application fee for this type of conditional use permit should also be lower than the existing $660 fee. He then proposed that a fee of $330 would be appropriate for both the accessory dwelling unit and cabaret license. Following discussion, the Commissioners concurred that the proposed fee would be appropriate, and that the fee for a conditional use permit for a cabaret should be included in the new fee resolution. Break - 4:16 to 4:21 D.m. . Mayor Stiff declared a break from 4: 16 p.m. to 4:21 p.m., in accordance with Commission policy. 01-26-98 ---....-.- - - 9 - Work Session - (A) Discussion re policv on reauests for fee waivers: (B) Discussion re ADU; (C) Annexation Dolicv (C) Annexation policy Included in the Commissioners' packets was a memo from Assistant City Manager Ron Brey, dated January 21, attached to which were a proposed annexation process and a copy . of the current annexation policy. Assistant City Manager Brey stated that the memo before the Commissioners represents a lot of work yet to be done and, at this time, he is seeking general guidance from the Commission on where he should concentrate his efforts. The Assistant City Manager noted that, when faced with the large annexations on the west side of town recently, the Commissioners discussed various elements and community impacts, and now seems to be an appropriate time to consider a revised annexation policy which assists the Commission in addressing those issues. Assistant City Manager Brey stated that when he began to consider revisions to the policy, he found that any adjustment, no matter how slight, resulted in the need for a complete . and comprehensive review and rewrite of the policy. He stated that developing a meaningful urban growth area boundary relies heavily on available infrastructure. He noted that with the water and wastewater facilities plans nearing completion, that information will soon be available. He then noted that with those plans, the new capital improvements program being implemented by City Manager Johnson and the impact fee program, and the fact that the 1990 Bozeman Area Master Plan Update is nearing the time for updating, now would be a prime opportunity to move to an infrastructure-based master plan. He suggested that the annexation policy could then be revised to an infrastructure-based document as well, and the Commission could take a more proactive role in identifying an urban growth area where infrastructure would be available and annexation would be encouraged. He further suggested that, since the transportation plan was last updated and adopted in 1993 and since many of the projects in . that plan have now been completed, it may be appropriate to update that plan at this time as well. He noted that in the past, federal and state monies have been available to fund at least a portion of the update, and that funding assistance may still be available. Assistant City Manager Brey stated that other issues raised in conjunction with the annexations on the west side of town pertained to community balance and identifying a method 01-26-98 - 10 - of analyzing the cost/benefit of an annexation. He suggested that, with an infrastructure based annexation policy, the costs would already be identified, and this issue could be more easily addressed. The Assistant City Manager cautioned that, clearly, a significant commitment, both in . terms of staff time and financial resources, will be required if the Commission chooses to pursue infrastructure-based planning and annexation documents. He further stressed that once these steps have been taken, it will be essential to revise the development documents to correspond to the new planning documents. Planning Director Andy Epple confirmed many of the Assistant City Manager's comments. He noted that the master plan was revised in 1989 and 1990 and, at that time, it was anticipated the document would be reviewed and updated in five to seven years. He further noted that, with the new facilities plans just being completed, they will provide a solid foundation for a comprehensive planning document "with which to go into the next century". He stated that the Planning Board appears to be very interested in working on updating the master plan. . Commissioner Smiley stated that she attended the morning session of the day~long County task force meeting on open space, at which they were attempting to distill 25 points down to four or five. She noted that at that meeting, one of the recurring themes was how to get denser housing around Bozeman and institute ways to preserve and protect the farmland in the valley. Commissioner Frost noted that the City has a current critical lands study and parks, open space and trails plan. He further noted that with the updated water and wastewater facilities plans and possibly an updated transportation plan, the City will have good base information from which to work. He then asked if it would be possible to add commercial and neighborhood commercial nodes to the master plan. He also suggested that public transportation options be included in the plans, stating that as the community becomes bigger, . the need for a public transportation system will increase. He noted that if the public transportation grid system and needs are identified at this time, adequate accommodation for that system can be identified and provided as the community grows. Planning Director Epple reminded the Commission that the comprehensive plan should be designed to accommodate and guide the growth and development of Bozeman for the next 01-26-98 ---- .-..--- - 11 ~ twenty to thirty years. He noted that as the comprehensive plan is developed, it will be important to look at the existing conditions and existing inventory of areas as well as future growth, and then link those items to the infrastructure plans. He then characterized the current situation as an opportunity to plan on a level that is appropriate for the future needs of a . growing community. The Planning Director noted that the newer transportation plans include components that are not included in Bozeman's plan. He further noted that Bozeman's plan, which was developed in 1992, was based on a growth projection of 1.8 percent per year and, since 1990, the growth rate has actually averaged 4.6 percent. As a result, modification of the plan will be needed sooner than originally anticipated, and the new elements can be included in the updated document. Commissioner Frost asked if it would be possible to identify the exterior avenues for growth and identify existing agricultural lands to be protected. He expressed concern that development of Valley West Annexation right up to the edge of the annexation, for example, could negatively impact crop dusting on the agricultural land immediately adjacent. . The Planning Director stated it is important to identify a legitimate urban services area for the next thirty years. The Assistant City Manager stated it is important to identify an urban services area boundary that is project related, rather than a general line that does not follow property lines. He then stressed that circumstances change, and it is important to revise plans to reflect those changes. Assistant City Manager Brey stated that another key issue is what the County opts to do with regulation in the donut area. He stressed the importance of cooperation between the City and the County in identifying the regulations that will apply in the donut area, particularly since that area will likely be annexed at some time in the future. Responding to Commissioner Youngman, the Assistant City Manager stated that he . wants to see a single line which identifies the urban service area and the area in which annexation will be encouraged. He recognized that, while this line does not preclude annexation and provision of services to a property not within the line, it puts the developer on notice that he will be required to provide the necessary service extensions, at his own cost. 01-26~98 - 12 - Commissioner Frost asked if the City will have a mechanism for reviewing properties which have been developed in the county to ensure that building codes and fire safety issues have been adequately addressed prior to annexation of those properties. Assistant City Manager Ron Brey stated that the annexation of developed county land . is inevitable. He cautioned that, in addition to issues surrounding construction of buildings, the Commission must be prepared to address the issue of infrastructure that has been constructed to a standard different from the City's. He cited roads as an example, noting that County roads are constructed with barrow pits and are often raised to preclude drifting. He noted that just filling in the barrow pits and adding curbs, gutters and sidewalks will not work because that would then result in ponding on the adjacent lots. Commissioner Frost noted that, the smaller the lots, the denser development can be and the less costly the infrastructure extensions will be. He further noted that with smaller lots and various sized lots, a more attractive area can result. He cited the south side of town as a pattern that could be repeated in new areas. The Planning Director noted that the comprehensive master plan is implemented through . zoning regulations, and the capital improvements program can also be used as one of the tools for accomplishing the implementation. The Assistant City Manager stated that many of the land uses in the master plan have changed over time, and he feels that an updated transportation plan will show that the traffic impacts are significantly different than originally projected. Assistant Planning Director Arkell cautioned that updating the master plan will take an extensive amount of time, suggesting that it should be completed in 18 to 24 months. She then asked how staff is to respond to proposals for development in the meantime, particularly if a development is identified as being incompatible with the proposed new plan. Responding to questions from the Commission, the Assistant City Manager characterized this as an evolutionary process, noting that the picture will come into focus as . the process continues. He then stated that, since Montana's annexation statutes are significantly different from those in other states, he has used the policy statements from Billings and Great Falls as the basis for his work to date. He stressed the importance of being able to determine that a proposed annexation is of benefit to both the City and the property owner. He then stated that when he began the process of reviewing the current annexation 01-26-98 --- ..-.-...--..- ~ 13 - policy, it was with the idea of developing a method of cost/benefit analysis that could be used consistently in evaluating annexation requests. He stated that when that effort failed, he tried to identify other options and found that preplanning infrastructure seemed to be a preferable alternative, and one that is uniformly defensible. . The Assistant City Manager noted that, generally speaking, residential developments are viewed as not paying their own way while commercial and industrial developments are viewed as paying for themselves. He suggested that these different types of development should be viewed on a balanced basis over five or ten years, rather than trying to evaluate each development individually. He then raised the issue of determining a method of identifying the impacts that an annexation might have on police services, noting there many different ways of doing so. Commissioner Youngman stated she feels preplanning facilities is a great way to proceed, noting that it also addresses the cost/benefit issues on a larger scale than is typically done with individual annexations. She noted that the delivery of services must also be a component of the review. . Assistant City Manager Brey cautioned that it is very easy to prepare a policy plan in comparison to the type of plan he is proposing. He characterized the type of plan he is proposing as a "nuts and bolts" plan that will take a significant amount of time, effort and money to develop. He noted that enterprise fund programs are quite easily identified and addressed; the general fund programs are the ones that become the key issues during annexation. Responding to Mayor Stiff, the Assistant City Manager stated that staff's intent is to draft a policy for the three types of annexation processes under which annexations are anticipated to occur, which are contiguous land, wholly surrounded land and petition. He noted that information would then be given to anyone expressing an interest in annexation to help identify the process to be followed. . Assistant City Manager Brey stated he is hearing support from the Commission for an infrastructure based annexation policy and master plan. He indicated that staff will now come back with a listing of the steps to be followed in completing that process. Further responding to Mayor Stiff, the Assistant City Manager stated that once staff has done some additional work on the annexation policy, they will request a half-day or day-long 01-26-98 - 14 - workshop with the Commission to review the basis and direction of the policy, to make sure that it is acceptable to the Commission. Planning Director Epple asked that, if this is the direction the Commission wishes to proceed, it formally forward that information to the City-County Planning Board so that it can . be included in the work plan for next fiscal year. He then forwarded an interest in moving forward with a GIS program, noting that his office has applied for a grant to develop a program that can be used throughout the State. He also reminded the Commission that the Building Inspection division's monthly reports show that 306 new housing units were permitted last year, 82 percent of which were inside city limits. He noted this corresponds to the trend of the last six years, in which over 80 percent of all new housing units have been inside city limits. He also noted that over half of the new housing units are in a multi-family configuration, which he views as a positive trend. Assistant City Manager Brey reminded the Commissioners that the master plan update completed in the early 1980s was done in-house, and a consultant was retained for the update completed in 1989 and 1990. He suggested that, rather than using a consultant for this . update because the resulting infrastructure-based document will be unique and peculiar to Bozeman, it might be appropriate to complete the task in-house, recognizing that it might result in the need to hire one or two additional staff members for a couple of years. The Assistant City Manager stated he intends to pursue the possibility of City-initiated annexations during the upcoming year, to bring those properties for which waivers have been executed and City services provided into the city limits. He recognized that this has not been done in the past several years, and the issues of development outside the city limits to less than City standards will need to be addressed during that process. Responding to Mayor Stiff, the Planning Director confirmed that, until the County makes its decision about the donut area, he does not know what his staffing requirements might be. He then noted that this might be a good time to make those determinations, so that both . governing bodies can prepare to enter the next century. The Commissioners thanked the Assistant City Manager for his presentation. Discussion - FYI Items City Manager Johnson presented to the Commission the following "For Your 01-26-98 - 15 - Information" items. ( 1 ) Letter from Myles S. Eaton, dated January 23, 1998, suggesting that a board be formed to ensure building occupancy requirements are met. The City Manager stated that he appreciates Mr. Eaton's advocacy for handicapped . parking spaces and the intensity with which he monitors the signage and the usage of those spaces. He noted, however, that he is not certain the Commission is prepared to create a board to assist in the process and, unless the Commission directs him otherwise, he intends to send that type of response back to Mr. Eaton. (2) Meeting notes from the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board meetings held on November 19 and December 17, 1997 and January 13, 1998. (3) Draft of the body of the parade and public assembly ordinance to be considered at next week's meeting. (4) Agenda for the Development Review Committee meeting, to be held at 10:00 a.m. on January 27, 1998 in the Commission Room. (5) Agenda for the Design Review Board meeting, to be held at 3:30 p.m. on . January 27, 1998 in the Commission Room. (6) Agenda for the County Commission meeting, to be held at 1 :30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 27, 1998, at the Courthouse. (7) Responding to questions from the Commissioners, the City Manager stated that the punch list and tickler files for the Certificate of Occupancy may need some fine tuning to make sure that all accessibility issues are adequately addressed. Commissioner Frost asked if it would be possible to develop a fee structure for difficult development projects where a full-time building inspector is needed to ensure that code requirements are met. City Manager Johnson stated that, for the new building on campus, MSU has indicated a willingness to consider funding a full-time inspector position so that the inspector is readily . available to review the construction. He then indicated that a review of the fees for plan reviews by the Engineering Department and the Planning Department might be appropriate. (8) The City Manager stated that later this week, some of the staff members will be attending training on negotiation skills. Also, on February 4 and 5, many of the senior staff members will be attending a budgeting kick-off session, to assist them in preparing budgets 01-26~98 - 16 - under the new format. He then indicated that on February 6, he and Assistant City Manager Brey will be attending a meeting of City Managers. Adiournment - 5:35 D.m. . There being no further business to come before the Commission at this time, it was moved by Commissioner Frost, seconded by Commissioner Youngman, that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried by the following Aye and No vote: those voting Aye being Commissioner Frost, Commissioner Youngman, Commissioner Smiley and Mayor Stiff; those voting No, none. ~/~~ ALF . M. ~IFF,"'MaYOr ATTEST: at:$~ ROBIN L. SULUV AN ' . Clerk of the Commission . 01-26-98 -- -..---. ----.-... .-