Erie Planning Commission Meeting – March 17, 2022

Note: The minutes and raw transcript provided indicate the meeting took place on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, while the date specified for this summary is March 17, 2022. The content below reflects the official minutes and transcript.

The Erie Planning Commission met in person on the above date at 645 Holbrook Street, Erie, CO. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 PM by Chair Zuniga. All seven commissioners were present, establishing a quorum. The primary agenda item was an evaluation of the Comprehensive Plan, along with staff and commissioner reports.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: Motion by Commissioner Witt, seconded by Commissioner Luthi, to approve the March 16, 2022 agenda. Passed unanimously (7-0).
• Minutes Approval: Motion by Commissioner Witt, seconded by Commissioner Ames, to approve the February 16, 2022 Planning Commission meeting minutes. Passed unanimously (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made, in person or online.

Discussion Items

• Comprehensive Plan Evaluation (Item 22-122): Deborah Bachelder, Planning Manager/Deputy Director, presented the current status of the Comprehensive Plan evaluation. The original plan was to circulate a detailed survey (developed by interim director Paul Glasgow and communications director Gabi Rae) to capture commissioner input on the plan’s goals, policies, and relevance. However, Gabi Rae lost a staff member, making the survey development onerous; only through Chapter 4 of 15 chapters had been completed. Commissioners discussed whether to continue the detailed survey, streamline the process, or defer to an outside consultant.
  • Vice Chair Fraser: If the town cannot handle it internally, outsourcing is likely necessary; the survey could be part of a future consultant’s scope.
  • Commissioner Witt: Agreed with Vice Chair Fraser; staff is overburdened, and outside expertise would bring clarity. Suggested this approach be tabled for at least two months.
  • Commissioner Sawusch: Expressed mixed feelings, recalling that prior meetings concluded a consultant would be needed due to staffing/time constraints.
  • Commissioner Ames: Favored a streamlined document review over the detailed survey; suggested using a comment matrix or editable online copy to capture feedback, noting the survey approach was time-intensive to build and review.
  • Commissioner Luthi: Supported a streamlined approach to capture “brain dump” from current commissioners before their terms end; noted the detailed survey is not a good use of Gabi Rae’s time.
  • Chair Zuniga: Recommended reviewing the completed portion (four chapters) and streamlining the rest, but also emphasized the value of testing the tool.
  • Commissioner Luthi also noted that 25 of 56 board/commission seats could become vacant due to term expirations, and asked whether exit surveys are conducted (staff said they would check with the Town Clerk).
  • Sarah Nurmela, new Planning & Development Director, said the future consultant process would be inclusive of all boards and commissions and include varied engagement methods (surveys, focus groups, etc.). She supported capturing institutional knowledge now from current commissioners.
  • Commissioner Luthi described his experience with the 2015 Comp Plan update, noting the narrative and map components and the importance of aligning with the UDC.
  • Straw Poll: The Commission unanimously agreed to do a cursory review and hold off until suitable help is available, and to use a comment matrix for collecting feedback.

Staff Reports

• Planning & Development Monthly Report – February: Deborah Bachelder presented the report and provided dates for new commissioner selection: May 3, 2022 – Planning Commission interviews by the Board of Trustees during a Study Session; May 10, 2022 – Appointments made at the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting.

Commissioner Reports and Discussion Items

• Chair Zuniga welcomed Sarah Nurmela, the new Planning & Development Director. She introduced herself, sharing her background in planning and her enthusiasm for Erie’s growth and community.
• Chair Zuniga thanked outgoing commissioners (Ames, Witt, Fraser, Hoback, Sawusch) for their service and staff for their work.

Key Outcomes

• The Planning Commission unanimously (via straw poll) agreed to conduct a cursory review of the Comprehensive Plan using a streamlined comment matrix, and to defer further detailed evaluation until a consultant is hired or suitable staff help is available.
• The next steps include staff providing a comment template/format for commissioner feedback, and continuing preparations for the new commissioner appointments in May.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:22 PM.