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Draft rules would tighten commission–council communications, expand public-participation guidance
Summary
Staff presented draft Planning Commission rules focused on preserving independence, discouraging serial meetings and off‑record contacts with council, clarifying lobbying and public‑participation expectations, and adding records and attendance guidance; commissioners asked for clearer language on excused absences and event participation.
Jeff Churchill, Long Range Planning Manager, presented draft updates to the Planning Commission’s rules of procedure on July 22, centering on four areas: the commission–council relationship, lobbying, public participation, and recordkeeping.
Churchill emphasized that keeping official business on the record helps avoid violations of the Open Public Meetings Act and preserves public confidence in the commission's independence. The draft advises commissioners not to contact individual council members to seek direction on commission business and recommends routing such communications through staff and department directors. “Keeping official business on the record helps ensure that commission proceedings are fair in both fact and appearance,” Churchill said.
The draft also expands public-participation guidance to require that items from the audience pertain to subjects within the commission’s purview, clarifies enforcement authority for disruptive or unprotected speech, and recommends that commissioners use official Citi accounts for commission business to preserve public records. Commissioners asked staff to clarify the attendance standard (what counts as excused vs. absent for the 25% threshold) and requested a short guidance sheet about attending civic and private events to avoid perceived conflicts or loss of independence. Staff plans to return the draft on Aug. 12 for additional review and a potential recommendation to council.
