20211117-C-1: Request to Office of the City Clerk Reserve Austin City Hall - Planning Commission 2022 Meeting Schedule.pdf — original pdf

Recommendation

PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20211117-C-1 Subject: Request Office of City Clerk Reserve Austin City Hall per Adopted 2022 Meeting Schedule Motioned By: Commissioner Shieh Seconded By: Commissioner Schneider Date: November 17, 2021 Recommendation Planning Commission request Office of the City Clerk accept the adopted 2022 meeting schedule, per City Code, and reserve Austin City Hall meeting space accordingly. Description of Recommendation to Council 1. Austin City Code mandates the following, § 2-1-43 - MEETING REQUIREMENTS A board shall annually approve a regular meeting schedule and file the schedule with the Office of the City Clerk. 2. October 6, 2021 the Office of the City Clerk distributed the reminder for Boards and Commissions to adopt their annual meeting schedule and provided the reservation form to reserve Austin City Hall. The email in part reads, “City Hall is at capacity – priority is given to meetings that have historically met in a specific room during a specific date/time”. 3. November 9, 2021, acting on the authority and requirement of City Code, by affirmative vote, the Planning Commission in acknowledging meeting notice requirements per Government Code Chapter 551 (Open Meetings Act), adopted their 2022 meeting schedule to include date, hour and place. The adopted schedule was submitted to the Office of the City Clerk. 4. November 10, 2021, the Office of the City Clerk failed to administratively recognize the Planning Commission adopted meeting schedule by informing the commission Austin City Hall will not be reserved according to the adopted meeting schedule, only citing a City management dicision. 5. November 17, 2021, in response to the Office of the City Clerk’s failure to reserve Austin City Hall and for the reasons provided in the recommendation, the Planning Commission again requests the Office of the City Clerk reserve Austin City Hall per the adopted the 2022 meeting schedule. Vote : 8-0 For: Chair Shaw, Vice-Chair Hempel and Commissioners Azhar, Cox, Flores, Schneider, Shieh and Thompson. Absent: Commissioners Connolly, Howards, Mushtaler, Praxis and Llanes Pulido Against: None Abstain: None Attest: Andrew D. Rivera Liaison to Planning Commission THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN Resolution to Schedule Planning Commission Meetings at Austin City Hall WHEREAS, the Planning Commission is established by Charter. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission receives authority and direction from State Law, City Charter, City Code and Planning Commission Rules of Procedure. WHEREAS, the City Charter establishes the membership of the commission to include the City Manager, the Chair of the Board of Adjustment, the Director of Public Works and the President of the Board of Trustees of the Austin Independent School District all serving as ex officio members. WHEREAS, in a memorandum dated October 19, 2021, the City of Austin Department Directors of Development Services and Housing and Planning notified chairs of land use boards and commissions that board and commission meetings would be relocated to the Permitting and Development Center (PDC) in February 2022. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, upon hearing concerns from the public and the other sovereign commissions of the City staff’s decision to move meetings from City Hall, took action by affirmative vote as provided by City code. WHEREAS, Planning Commission concurs with the concerns of Zoning and Platting Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustment as documented in their resolutions on this matter. WHEREAS, on November 9, 2021, Planning Commission unanimously adopted amended Rules of Procedure to include the meeting place of Austin City Hall for all its regular meetings. WHEREAS, per City Code, adoption of the Planning Commission’s meeting schedule rests solely with the Planning Commission. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission unanimously approved its 2022 schedule identifying Austin City Hall as its meeting location, which was subsequently posted to the public on-line. WHEREAS, in accordance with City Code, on November 10, 2021, the approved 2022 meeting schedule was provided to the Office of the City Clerk. WHEREAS, on November 10, 2021, the Planning Commission Chair received an email from the City Clerk in response to the Planning Commission’s approved 2022 schedule that they would only book Planning Commission meetings at Austin City Hall through February 2022 and declining to book meetings for the remainder of 2022. WHEREAS, City code does not provide the Office of the City Clerk the right to deny the Planning Commission’s schedule submittal. WHEREAS, on November 9, 2021, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation to Council to change Planning Commission Bylaws to include Austin City Hall as the Planning Commission’s meeting location. WHEREAS, the change to the Bylaws would be first heard by the City Council Audit and Finance Committee followed by a final vote by City Council expected sometime first quarter of the 2022 calendar year, if not sooner. WHEREAS, the Planning Commission risks losing its the historical meeting time and place at Austin City Hall if the City Clerk does not promptly book the meetings for all of calendar year 2022 in accordance with the Planning Commission’s approved rule changes and 2022 schedule. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: The Office of the City Clerk should accept the Planning Commission’s adopted Meeting Schedule and reserve Austin Hall for all of its scheduled meetings accordingly. ADOPTED ____________________,2021 ATTEST___________________ Andrew D. Rivera Liaison to the Planning Commission