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Historic Landmark Commission adopts updated policies and procedures, clarifies ex parte rules and temporary-chair process
Summary
After a line-by-line review, the commission voted unanimously to adopt edits to its policies and procedures (including adding ex parte language and clarifying temporary-chair appointment). Staff will publish the revised document; commissioners also received an authority training on state enabling statutes and how to apply standards.
The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously adopted updates to its policies and procedures after commissioners and staff discussed a series of clarifying edits, language tweaks and process details.
Mikaela Bell, who led the review, said the draft incorporated prior comments and that staff would make the agreed clarifications. Commissioners asked for two textual replacements of "must" to "shall" for stronger procedural language, requested explicit insertion of "ex parte" into the communication section for clarity, and agreed that in the absence of both chair and vice chair the next-most-senior member in attendance should serve as temporary chair if they accept the role.
A motion to approve the amended policies and procedures was made and seconded; the commission adopted the changes by roll call vote. Commissioners present recorded aye votes and the chair cast an affirmative vote. Staff said the edits will be integrated, the finalized document will be posted on the commission website, and staff will send the revised text to members.
Commissioners also debated whether ex parte communications should be mandatory prior to meetings or framed as a prompt to be aware of potential conflicts. One commissioner warned that requiring advance contact with planning management could be too restrictive because ex parte concerns may not be evident until the meeting itself. Legal staff and commissioners said the Open and Public Meetings Act and training material cover many open-meetings risks (including nonverbal side conversations and texting on the dais), and the commission agreed to use the policies to provide guidance while relying on existing code and city attorney review as needed.
After the vote on procedures, Mikaela Bell delivered a brief authority training that reviewed the state enabling statute (referred to during the training as Title 10 / LODMA), relevant city code provisions, and the commission’s roles: when acting administratively the commission may approve, approve with conditions, or deny certificates of appropriateness and demolition requests; when acting in an advisory/legislative capacity it reviews nominations, design guidelines, and makes recommendations to the planning commission and city council. Staff emphasized using the plain language of regulations and focusing deliberations on whether specific standards are met.
The commission closed the meeting after thanking staff for the work on policies and procedures and the training.
