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South Jordan council updates planning-commission rules to align with new state law
Summary
The council unanimously adopted Ordinance 20-26-11 to conform the city code with state legislation SSB 284, moving determinations of some new land uses to the council, adding required ethics training and recusal standards for planning commissioners, and adding "unprofessional behavior" as a cause for removal.
South Jordan’s City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 20-26-11 on May 19 to update local planning-commission rules in response to recent state legislation, SSB 284.
Staff attorney Moss told the council the ordinance is limited to provisions already in effect under the state bill, noting that SSB 284 "was enacted on May 6" and that the city must adjust its procedures. "We're limiting this particular ordinance to only things that are currently in effect," Moss said, and highlighted two primary changes: certain determinations for new and unlisted uses can now bypass the planning commission and go directly to the council, and the city must adopt ethics training and clearer recusal criteria for planning commissioners.
The change means that when the planning department identifies a use not currently listed in the city code, that determination may come directly to the City Council rather than first to the planning commission. Moss explained the state language "prohibits" sending those new and unlisted uses to the planning commission before they reach the council. Council members expressed differing views about the practical effect: Council member Johnson said, "Because personally, I find it useful to listen to the planning commission, listen to the arguments that come up, and then stew on it for a while," indicating concern that council members would lose a step of local review.
Council member Shelton moved adoption and added a change to the ordinance’s removal criteria for planning commissioners. The amendment added "unprofessional behavior" to the list of removable causes; Shelton argued that the language would give the commission clear expectations while preserving council flexibility. The council approved the ordinance with that amendment by a unanimous roll-call vote.
The ordinance also narrows one former cause for removal: the council cannot remove a planning commissioner for participating in land-use discussions with an applicant or staff, as the state law restricts that as grounds for removal. Staff said other causes for removal currently in the code (for example, relocating out of the appointing council member’s district) remain and staff will clean up draft language to make the city’s expectations clear.
Mayor Pro Tem Tamara Zander and several council members praised the planning commission’s service during discussion, while also acknowledging the need to comply with the state statute. The ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff and the city attorney will finalize drafting details before the code change is published.
