Erie Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2022
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Erie Planning Commission Meeting - June 15, 2022
The Erie Planning Commission met on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 6:30 PM at 645 Holbrook Street, Erie, CO. The meeting included officer elections, approval of prior minutes, public comments, a comprehensive plan update, training for new commissioners, staff reports, and commissioner discussion. All votes were unanimous unless noted.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Agenda: Vice Chair Luthi moved to approve the June 15, 2022 agenda; seconded by Commissioner Booth. Motion carried unanimously (6-0).
- Approval of Minutes: Vice Chair Luthi moved to approve the April 20, 2022 Planning Commission meeting minutes; seconded by Commissioner Swikoski. Motion carried unanimously (6-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ken Iverson, 336 Highlands Circle, Erie – Expressed support for a proposed project to install festive lighting along Briggs Street from Moffat to Cheesman, similar to what is seen at Larimer. He stated that additional lighting would make downtown feel safer and encourage people to stay longer, benefiting local businesses. He noted collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and the Farmers Market and provided a flyer to commissioners.
Discussion Items
- Election of Chair and Vice Chair – Commissioner Luthi nominated Kelly Zuniga for Chair; seconded by Commissioner Burns. Roll call vote: all yes (6-0). Chair Zuniga then nominated Commissioner Luthi for Vice Chair; seconded by Commissioner Booth. Roll call vote: all yes (6-0).
- Comprehensive Plan Update (22-215) – Sarah Nurmela, Director of Planning & Development, provided an update. She outlined an 18-month process to rewrite the 17-year-old plan, integrating a transportation master plan, and leveraging a $100,000 DOLA grant. A request for proposals (RFP) will be issued in July, with a consultant team expected by September. The scope includes land use, economy, mobility, parks, sustainability, equity, and housing. Commissioners asked about the grant status, consultant selection, phasing (comprehensive, not phased), and post-adoption updates (every 5-7 years with periodic minor updates). Chair Zuniga emphasized making the plan more user-friendly and engaging for the public. Andrew Spurgin, new Long Range Principal Planner, noted plans for regular reporting and possibly a dashboard to track implementation. No vote was taken.
- Planning Commission Training (22-222) – Deborah Bachelder, Planning Manager/Deputy Director, led a training covering: roles (advisory to Board of Trustees, final decisions on large site plans), staff support, meeting facilitation, quorum (4 members required), public hearing process, conflict of interest (recusal if conflict; abstentions not allowed per town code), use of town email, open records laws, and prohibitions on ex parte communications. Austin Flanagan, Town Attorney, addressed legal questions. Commissioners discussed attending other boards’ meetings: allowed as unofficial capacity, no more than 2 commissioners per meeting, and cannot attend if the item will later come before Planning Commission.
- Commissioner Reports & Discussion Items – Chair Zuniga relayed concerns heard about parking for the Farmers Market on Thursday evenings affecting some downtown businesses. She also noted concerns from airport-area residents about new developments close to the air park and potential noise complaints from unaware buyers. Vice Chair Luthi reminded residents to drive carefully in neighborhoods during summer.
Key Outcomes
- Re-election of Chair and Vice Chair: Kelly Zuniga (Chair) and Jim Luthi (Vice Chair) re-elected unanimously for the coming term.
- Comprehensive Plan Process: Staff to issue RFP in July; consultant selection by September; regular check-ins with Planning Commission; public engagement expected to reach thousands.
- Training Completion: Commissioners received guidance on ethics, procedures, and legal requirements.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for a future date (not specified) with two public hearings: Westerly Preliminary Plat No. 2 and Colliers Hill Filing 4H. Staff also noted that the Planning Commission’s bi-annual report to the Board of Trustees is due August 23, 2022, with discussion set for the next two meetings.
- Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 8:06 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the June fifteenth meeting of the Planning Commission. Please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. Commissioner Burns. Present. Commissioner Swaikoski. Present. Commissioner Luthy. Here. Commissioner Booth. Here. Commissioner Baham. Here. Chair Zoonica. Here. So tonight is the first night um that we've met as as a new group of planning commissioners. And so I want to welcome you all and thank you for serving the town of Erie. Um this is a great place to be. This is the best place to see what's happening in the town. Um you all know that things are are growing quickly, um, but we get to have an inside scoop and it's really fun to be here. So thank you for joining us and um take a deep breath. It's a long ride. Um but we are gonna start with elections, which is sort of a crazy thing to do on the first day, but it is it is necessary for us each year to decide who's going to be the chair and the vice chair of the group. Um so uh and we are gonna do this before we do the rest of the meeting so that whoever ends up being in those positions will be running the meeting for the remainder. So to start off with, do we have a motion for the chair of the planning commission? I I'd like to make a motion for Kelly Zunago for chair. Second oh, I'm sorry. You know what? We should I should back up just a second and say for m for Melinda's benefit because she's taking minutes, it is helpful to state your name with any motion or any second. We used to do that with the Zoom meetings and it was really helpful, but I think even just be until we get to know voices well. Thank you. So please repeat yourselves. Commissioner Luthy, I would like to nominate Kelly Zunaga as chair. Commissioner Burns second. We have a motion and a second. Um can we have do we need to have a roll call vote or is it just a regular vote? I prefer to do roll call just so we have it on the record and those out in the audience can okay. Commissioner Burns. Hi. Commissioner Swaikowski. I Commissioner Luthy. Yes. Commissioner Booth. Yes. Commissioner Baham. Aye. Chair Zunika. Yes. Okay. That is unanimous for Chair Zoonika is our remaining chair. I guess I will not have to log out of my computer, so I guess that's good.
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