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Council narrows docket items, directs staff to fold many requests into a 2026 code‑update work plan
Summary
Council reviewed roughly 15 pending docket requests and agreed to remove or defer multiple items (including those already addressed in the comp plan/CAO updates) and to prioritize a smaller set for the next code‑update work plan; staff will bring a prioritized list to the January retreat.
San Juan County’s planning staff briefed council on about 15 docket requests — proposals from 2018–2024 that ask for amendments to the comprehensive plan or county code — and council directed staff to fold many items into the upcoming 2026 code‑update work plan or remove outdated requests.
DCD Director Seth Jones and planner Amy Vera walked through requests ranging from habitat buffer and stormwater code revisions to sub‑area plan updates and land‑use table changes. Staff recommended removing items already covered in recent comprehensive‑plan or critical‑area ordinance (CAO) updates, and to consult technical departments (Public Works, Environmental Stewardship) and advisory committees (Agricultural Resources Committee, EPRC) on others.
Councilors emphasized the county’s limited long‑range planning capacity (two long‑range planners) and asked for a realistic prioritization tied to staff resources. "If these things aren't on that plan, then that's the time to take them off the docket," staff said, and council directed that only items that can be placed on a work plan within approximately 12–18 months be carried forward.
Specific docket requests to be removed or deferred included items already incorporated into CAO or comp plan updates (e.g., EPF/critical areas items, some solar siting requests), while other requests (agritourism/land‑use table questions, East Sound sub‑area plan alignment) will be evaluated as part of the broader code project. Staff will return in January with a proposed prioritization and revised docket list.
