Westmont planners debate shorter staff reports, paperless packets and accuracy of applicant materials

Senior Village Planner Leonard Williams opened a broad discussion on Jan. 8 about shortening staff reports, improving applicant attachments and shifting to paperless meeting packets as the village prepares a zoning ordinance update.

Williams told commissioners the staff report exists “first, to communicate the facts and information to the decision makers,” and outlined the current staff‑report structure: background, petitioner's request, zoning analysis (including code citations), comprehensive‑plan excerpts, entitlement analysis, summary, legal notice and attachments. He said reports have ranged from five to eight pages for standard special‑use items and that staff is reviewing other municipalities (Lisle, Elmhurst, Naperville) for formats that are more concise and focused on the issues before the commission. Williams said the village anticipates a zoning ordinance update with a public hearing likely in March and plans to hold training before adopting any new staff‑report format.

Commissioners generally backed a shorter, more focused packet but stressed two consistent priorities: keep visuals (site photos or street views) that help identify the property, and require applicants to provide accurate site plans and elevations. One commissioner said the packet should be a “cheat sheet” that directs discussion to the specific entitlement before the body; another said attachments such as legal notices and full applications could be posted online and omitted from the printed packet. Several commissioners recounted past cases where built work did not match the approved plans — for example, unshown mechanical equipment, retaining walls or fencing — and said stricter scrutiny of elevations and materials would reduce after‑the‑fact enforcement and staff workload.

On the move to paperless packets, staff said the village can now upload separate PDFs for staff reports and attachments and that commissioners will be asked by form whether they can review materials digitally and whether the village should budget for devices (e.g., Chromebooks or tablets) for commissioners who need them. Commissioners raised FOIA concerns about using personal devices; staff said the village would produce only public‑business emails and documents in FOIA responses and encouraged anyone with concerns to consult the village attorney or request a village‑issued device.

Williams also said staff is revising the application forms (currently about 16 pages for all requests) into shorter, use‑specific forms (for example, a shorter variance application). He said visuals such as up‑to‑date site photos — taken by village staff when necessary — and clearer, limited attachments would help commissioners focus on material relevant to the vote. The planner said staff will circulate a short survey to collect commissioners' preferences and then propose a streamlined staff‑report template and packet policy for future meetings.