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Commission debates moving public comment, hears guidance on ex parte contacts and political signs
Summary
Commissioners discussed whether to put public comment at the start of meetings, heard staff guidance on ex parte communications for quasi‑judicial matters, and discussed possible updates to political-sign rules in light of a court case; staff proposed drafting ordinance changes to mirror state language.
Board members debated whether to move public comment from the end of meetings to the beginning. One committee member said opening meetings to comment earlier could allow public input to inform deliberations; others warned it can derail the meeting and stressed that public hearings should be the venue for substantive exchanges. The Chair recommended clear wording that public comment is for information only and that the Commission cannot engage in back‑and‑forth on non‑agenda items.
Staff summarized guidance from a planners’ association on ex parte communications and quasi‑judicial proceedings: outside communications should be disclosed on the record before hearings and invited communications may require recusal. Commissioners also discussed political-sign rules, noting changes after a court case removed many restrictions; one commissioner suggested mirroring state law size limits in a future county ordinance and asked staff to prepare draft language for review once the pending Supreme Court matter is resolved.
