TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, Interim City Manager
TITLE: Discussion and possible action regarding the potential addition of 2 alternate positions on the Planning and Zoning Advisory Board (PZAB).
Recommended Action
Recommend adding 2 alternate positions to PZAB, to assist with ensuring a quorum can be established for meetings.
Background Information
A recent PZAB meeting had to be cancelled because a quorum was not achieved. This meeting, as are most PZAB meetings, was to handle a very important quasi-judicial subject. As is customary, the meeting was advertised and notices sent to the applicants. Often, as with this meeting, applicants arrive from outside the City, and often council is hired to represent them. Citizens had taken the time to come to the meeting. Each of these occurrences cost the city and the applicants money, as the entire process must be redone. The topic for the recently cancelled PZAB meeting was ordered to be reheard by a judge for lack of due process, and the City could not hold the initial meeting for this topic. This board is a Hearing Board and vitally important. The initial meeting could not be held due to the lack of a quorum. In addition to assisting to ensure a quorum is available for meetings, having alternates, also, helps to prepare future members of this important Board in the learning process, as they fulfill the State Statute of a Local Planning Agency and participate in the process of the development of the Comprehensive Plan and Master Plan.
This Advisory Board previously had alternates to avoid such situations, but were removed by the Commission when the Boards promulgating ordinance was restructured a couple of years ago.
Strategic Plan
N/A
Financial Impact
N/A
Procurement
N/A
Attachments:
1. E-mail from Commissioner Luke
2. Ordinance No. 2015-39
Prepared by: Patsy Adkins for Commissioner Luke
Department Director: Patsy Adkins