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Home My WebLink About1999-12-13 City Council (18)City of Palo Alto Manager’s Report FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: CITY MANAGER DECEMBER 13, 1999 DEPARTMENT: PLANNING CMR:437:99 ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING CHAPTER 2.20 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO REDEFINE THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS THE PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION 8 RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that Council adopt the proposed Ordinance to redefine the Planning Commission as the Planning and Transportation Commission. BACKGROUND On May 24, 1999, Council adopted a motion creating a Planning and Transportation Commission. Council’s decision supports Comprehensive Plan Policy T-l, "Make land use decisions that encourage walking, bicycling, and public transit use." Land use changes drive transportation as much as the reverse. Review of both land use and transportation by one body is intended to make more effective the public policy response to this symbiotic relationship. Existing Municipal Code text and Council’s action on May 24, authorizes the Planning Commission to review transportation plans, studies, and projects. The attached Ordinance codifies this role as that carried out by a Planning and Transportation Commission. DISCUSSION The attached Ordinance amends Chapter 2 of the Municipal Code to formally change the name of the Planning Commission to that of the Planning and Transportation Commission. In addition, the Ordinance amends the existing generalized statement of duties and powers for the Planning Commission empowering it to "provide advise on any matter pertaining to land use planning and transportation systems affecting the city." The expanded role of the Planning Commission is to facilitate integration of land use and transportation matters at a policy advisory level. Joint staffing of the Commission by land use and transportation staff would, in turn, facilitate such integration at a staff level. The Ordinance authorizes the Planning and Transportation Commission to review transportation plans, studies, and projects. A generalized, rather than itemized, statement of Duties and Powers is recommended as part of the proposed Ordinance. This ensures that the review authority of the Planning and Transportation Commission is sufficiently broad to encompass the many aspects of transportation systems. These aspects include CMR:437:99 Page 1 of 2 motorized and non-motorized modes; road, rail, water, and air travel; passenger and freight carriage; demand along witl~ supply side initiatives; a local, as well as regional, state and federal policy context; and present as well as future technologies. RESOURCE IMPACT While Council’s action on May 24, 1999 creating a Planning and Transportation Commission did have resource implications, adoption of the proposed Ordinance will not by itself create any additional resource impacts. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The proposed Ordinance strengthens the linkage between land use and transportation policy, thus carries out Council’s intent in creating a Planning and Transportation Commission. Council’s action, in turn, supports Comprehensive Plan Policy T-l: "Make land use decisions that encourage walking, bicycling, and public transit use." TIMELINE The Ordinance would become effective upon Council adoption. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This is not a project for the purposes of CEQA. ATTACHMENT Ordinance Amending Chapter 2.20 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code PREPARED BY: JOSEPH KOTT, Chief Transportation Official DEPARTMENT HEAD:~~G- ED’~W~WF Director of Planning and Community Environment CITY MANAGER APPROVAL~M1L~~R_.tHARI~O~N Assistant City Manager cc:Planning Commission CMR:437:99 Page 1 of 2 ATTACHMENT A. ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO AMENDING CHAPTER 2.20 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO REDEFINE THE PLANNING COMMISSION’S POWERS AND TO RENAME IT THE PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION The Council of the .City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as fol!ows: SECTION i. Chapter 2.20 is amended to read in its entirety as follows: Chapter 2.20 PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION Sections: 2 20.010 2 20.015 2 20.020 2 20.030 2 20.040 2 20.050 Membership. Manner of appointment. Term of office. Officers. Expiration of terms. Duties and Powers 2.20.010 M~mbership. There is created a planning and transportation commission composed of seven members who are not counci! members, officers or employees of the city, who are residents of the city, and who shall be appointed by the city council. 2.20.015 Manner of appointment. In filling vacancies on the planning and transportation commission the following procedures shall be followed by the city council: .(a) Following notification of vacancy or pending vacancy on the planning commission, the city clerk shall advertise the same in a newspaper of general circulation in the city, including the counci! agenda digest, four times within two weeks; (b) Written nominations and applications shall be submitted to the city clerk within such two-week period to be forwarded to the city counci! for its consideration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the nomination or application of an incumbent commission member is not submitted to the city clerk within the period specified above, said period shall be extended for an additional five days during which the city clerk shall accept written nominations and applications of nonincumbents; (c) The city council shall review all nominations and applications and conduct such interviews as it deems necessary prior to selection; 991207 lac 0090384 (d) Final selection and appointment shall be made by the city council at a ~egular city counci! meeting after the period for submittal of nominations and applications has expired. 2.20.020 Term of office. The term of office of each member shall be four years or until his successor is appointed and shall commence on the first day of August. 2.20.030 Officers. The commission shall elect its officers annually at the first meeting in August. 2.20.040 Expiration of terms. Beginning with terms commencing August !, 1978, two of said terms shal! expire on July 31, four years thereafter. One term shal! expire on July 31, 1979, and thereafter that term sha!l be for a period of four years. The persons appointed to the terms commencing August I, 1978, shall determine by lot which shall have the longer and which shall have the shorter terms. 2.20.050 Duties and Powers. The commission is an advisory commission. In addition to the duties set forth for the planning commission in Titles 18 and 19 of this code, it shall, as requested by the City Counci!, the City Manager, or the Director of Planning and Community Environment provide advice on any matter pertaining to land use planning and transportation systems affecting the city. The term "planning commission" used anywhere in this code or in state law shall refer to the planning and transportation commission. SECTION 2. The Council hereby finds and determines that this ordinance is exempt from environmental review because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility of any significant effect on the environment. // // // // //° // // // // 991207 lac 0090384 SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be effective on the commencement of the thirty-first day after the date of its adoption. INTRODUCED: PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSTENTIONS: ABSENT: ATTEST:APPROVED: City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Senior Asst. City Attorney Mayor City Manager Director of Planning and Community Environment 991207 lac 0090384