Council agrees to delay freestanding emergency room ordinance for two weeks to allow amendments

Councilmember Wigder (speaker 10) opened a discussion about Ordinance 5,767, which would regulate freestanding emergency rooms, and moved at the Feb. 9 workshop to postpone consideration for two weeks so staff could prepare proposed amendments.

"I move that we postpone that item for 2 weeks," Wigder said, referring to the item on the agenda for the following evening. Deputy Mayor Nacklis (speaker 3) and other council members agreed that amendments were appropriate; Nacklis said she wanted the discussion set for a specific date: "I am for postponing this to a date certain to February 24," she said.

Council members discussed the substance of likely changes: Wigder and others urged limiting these facilities as conditional uses in certain areas (LERP) rather than as an as-of-right use, adding radius restrictions so similar facilities are not clustered within one mile, and avoiding placement near school zones because of safety and traffic concerns. Several council members emphasized that the ordinance's intent was to "clarify and empower the use, not to stop the use," as one council member put it.

There was no final ordinance vote at the workshop. Staff indicated multiple amendments are in progress and told council they expect to have finalized language for the next packet. The council directed staff to return with proposed amendment language to be presented at the next regular meeting for formal action.

The next step: Staff to prepare amendment language addressing LERP inclusion, radius and school-zone questions and include the package for the Feb. 24 meeting packet for council consideration.