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Commission directs quick zoning update and STR enforcement; asks staff to study infrastructure hardening
Summary
The commission instructed staff to fast-track a zoning update to reflect the comprehensive plan (including a PD district for data centers), to strengthen short-term-rental tax enforcement, and to study citywide infrastructure hardening (drainage, lighting, backup power).
City planners and commissioners used the workshop to identify near-term policy actions tied to the comprehensive plan: revise the zoning ordinance to align with the new future land-use map, prepare rules or a PD district to manage data-center proposals, and tighten short-term-rental (STR) tax enforcement.
Staff said a zoning update is the top short-term task; city attorneys and planning staff will work with Mark (city legal/planning) to circulate draft language and a proposed PD district model for data centers. Commissioners directed staff to bring the language to an upcoming commission meeting for review and to include feedback gathered from a recent benchmarking trip.
On STRs, the commission asked staff (finance and legal) to improve compliance and collection of hotel/motel taxes from short-term rentals; staff said the city uses an online vendor but enforcement teeth are limited and that further administrative or ordinance changes may be necessary to increase compliance.
Infrastructure and utilities: commissioners asked that the city prepare a study to harden critical facilities against extreme weather (generators for key buildings, grid resilience, burying lines where feasible), and to accelerate LED/street-light modernization grants. Drainage and flood mapping updates also were highlighted: staff recommended updating the drainage master plan and flood mapping on a 10-year cadence to preserve grant eligibility and project readiness.
Next steps: staff to circulate proposed zoning/data-center language, present options to improve STR tax compliance, and scope a citywide infrastructure-hardening study and a 10-year drainage/flood-map update schedule.
