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22 <br /> Chair Bedford asked if a transcript should be provided by an independent company. She <br /> said that a transcript seems that it would not be as accurate as a recording. She asked if it is <br /> prescribed in the UDO what a transcript might look like. <br /> Cy Stober said it is not. He read from the UDO what is required in the transcript. He said <br /> staff can find that a transcript is insufficient, based on the recording. <br /> Chair Bedford asked if staff would be required to review the recording. <br /> Cy Stober said that is the intention, although it is not reflected in the text. <br /> Commissioner Greene made a motion to open the public hearing, seconded by <br /> Commissioner Fowler. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> There was no one signed up to speak for the public hearing. <br /> Vice-Chair McKee made a motion to close the public hearing, seconded by Commissioner <br /> Hamilton. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> Commissioner Hamilton thanks staff for bringing this forward. She said that it makes sense <br /> that the developer would be charged with presenting this to the community. She said that she <br /> leans toward having a staff person there. She said trust in government and developers is slim. <br /> She said having staff there means someone can observe the whole environment. She said there <br /> may be parts of the NIM that aren't captured by the recording. <br /> Vice-Chair McKee said it allows staff to serve as eyes and ears to ensure oversight of the <br /> process. <br /> Commissioner Greene said there is some benefit of not having anyone from the county <br /> there. She said either amendment would be better than the status quo, but her preference is the <br /> Planning Director's recommendation. <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if there were instances of meetings being contentious <br /> and if staff knows how to handle those situations. She asked if it would put staff in an awkward <br /> situation. <br /> Bonnie Hammersley said this issue was one of the issues she discussed with Cy Stober <br /> when he was hired. She said it has been a big problem. She said there was a public perception <br /> that the county was running the meeting and was in favor of the project. She said for people <br /> unfamiliar with county government, the role of staff, even in an observational capacity, make it <br /> confusing for the public because it is the developer that is running the meeting. She said the NIM <br /> is to inform the neighborhood about the project. She said there are many instances where staff <br /> will be available to the public to answer questions. She said that planning staff were demonized <br /> by some unpopular projects, because they were presenting projects and running the NIMs. She <br /> said negative comments were directed at certain people. She said it gets political when there's a <br /> misunderstanding. She said that her role is to insulate staff from politics and it gets political when <br /> there is a misunderstanding of the role that staff is playing. <br /> Commissioner Richards said it is interesting other municipalities don't have staff present. <br /> She said it is a responsibility for the developer to engage with neighbors. She said that it may free <br /> staff to do more value added discussions with the developer. She said it should be seen as an <br /> opportunity for the developer. She said the Bucee's proposal stands out in her mind and how <br /> staff got hammered by the community. <br />