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Commission discusses general-plan rewrite, code mismatches and nuisance enforcement; seeks consultant quotes
Summary
Commissioners reviewed inconsistencies between the city’s general plan and current zoning code, discussed hiring outside help to rewrite the plan, and revisited nuisance enforcement and weed/abandoned-lot cleanup as HB48 and other issues prompt renewed attention.
Commissioners discussed the city’s general plan and the condition of the municipal code on April 1, concluding that the general plan contains outdated or contradictory language and that portions of the ordinance record are missing from the online code.
Commissioner Megan and others said the general plan includes references to policies (for example, encouraging granny flats or mixed-use zoning) that are not consistently reflected in the city’s codified zoning rules. Staff noted that an ordinance labeled "ordinance 2021-8" and signed on 11/11/2021 appears in internal files but is not present in the online municipal code. Commissioners suggested the city contact a planning consultant to review and update the general plan and to correct codification errors; one staff member recommended soliciting a quote from planning consultant Mike Hanson and other firms.
In the same discussion, commissioners returned to public-safety and property-maintenance concerns: overgrown lots, abandoned properties, and weeds were cited as recurring problems. Commissioners and staff discussed practical enforcement limits — the city’s lack of an independent police force, constraints on issuing citations, and the cost and process required to move from complaint to abatement and potential liens.
The group also linked the nuisance discussion to HB48: staff warned that vegetation and overgrown lots can raise wildfire risk scores and attract enforcement attention under the new wildland-interface regime. Commissioners proposed public outreach (newsletter and targeted notices) and agreed staff would draft an informational notice describing ordinance-based expectations for property maintenance and available assistance.
No formal action to change the general plan or adopt a new enforcement program was taken at this meeting; commissioners asked staff to request consultant quotes and to prepare draft outreach materials addressing yard maintenance and safety.
