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025 <br /> Chair Comments,October 21,19$5 Page 2 <br /> January 7-Orange County Planning Board meeting in Hilisbarough. <br /> Simultaneous Chapel Hill Planning Board meeting in Chapel Hill-Discuss Draft Joint. <br /> Planning Land Use Plan <br /> January 14-Joint Planning Public Hearing on <br /> g Joint Planning Land Use Plan <br /> I informed Don Witlhoit of this tentative schedule,and he will be asking the BOCC <br /> about the above schedule. I requested that this issue be discussed at the November 4 <br /> MOCC meeting if at alt possible. The Planning Board may also Want to formally <br /> comment on this schedule on November 4. In addition,the Planning Board Chairs, <br /> the Joint Planning Board Committee, and staff will continue their meetings. <br /> �T • <br /> Planning Beard Policies <br /> 1. Planning Board Agendas <br /> It is adopted Planning Board policy that the Secretary y(Planning Director) <br /> and the Chair shall <br /> prepare the Planning Board agenda and that the agenda shall be <br /> from by which Planning ing Board Chair. The October 21 agenda in your packets varies <br /> the Planning Director and I discussed. However,I am requesting. <br /> no changes(with one exception,if we reach that item)but rather am taking steps to <br /> insure Chair approval in the future. <br /> You also have a memorandum in your packet from the Planning Director, <br /> dated October 18,which discusses the Planning Board agenda,expresses some <br /> concerns,and makes a request that we <br /> q stay past 10:30 p.m,to take action on zoning <br /> ordinance amendments.Mr.Collins did not discuss these concerns with me before <br /> writing the memorandum,although I was available for discussion and even attended <br /> a meeting with him on October 17 in the late afternoon. <br /> My reaction is that Planning Board policy states that we will adjourn at 10:30 <br /> p.m.except on a motion to extend the meeting,and we will continue to follow that <br /> policy so that extension is at the Board's discretion. However,since we have a <br /> scheduled meeting for November 4,it would seem that it may not be necessary to stay <br /> late on October 21 for ordinance amendments. I might note that Board policy <br /> concerning adjournment is long standing and is made for several good reasons, <br /> including the following: (1) Decisions made after 10:30 are sometimes made in haste <br /> and therefore not well thought out (2)Adjournment after 10:30 tends to undermine <br /> Planning Board morale and often attendance at subsequent meetings is affected, <br /> thereby endangering the attainment of a quorum. In closing,I believe the Planning <br /> Board has been doing a good job in meeting its commitments,in view of the heavy <br /> workload. The overload on proposed ordinance amendments is due to the fact that a <br /> great many major amendments have been completed by the staff in short time, <br /> compared to relatively few completed in previous months. <br /> 2. Planning Board Committees <br /> The Planning Director has written a memorandum to staff concerning <br /> guidelines they are to follow for committee meetings,with a copy to committee chairs. <br /> In so far as they affect the staff,I assume the guidelines will be followed. In so far as <br /> they affect the Planning Board.however.they will have to be approved by the <br /> Planning Board and/or the Planning Board Chair. Therefore.I will be distributing to <br /> committeechairs a set of interim guidelines for Planning Board committees which will <br /> be followed until the Planning Board can set its own guidelines for committees. The <br /> Planning Board sets its own policies and Board policy cannot be made by the staff. <br />