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38 <br /> DRAFT <br /> 1758 Chris Johnston: Oh, okay. I will reserve to the end with Statler. <br /> 1759 <br /> 1760 Statler Gilfillen: So, I believe that you and your staff are one of our primary sources about the specifics of the <br /> 1761 legislation that is presented before us that we rely upon. However, as I read through these <br /> 1762 documents, and it goes back to the slide you had earlier that I raised the point where the board <br /> 1763 was crossed off, and I look at Section 2.26.3,the planning board decisions,and those have been <br /> 1764 deleted. I raised the question about the access to the public. Now, my experience as a <br /> 1765 professional architect and having been on many boards and raised attending boards because my <br /> 1766 father was an architect, is that many people will make statements based upon feelings that may <br /> 1767 seem very subjective, but when you listen to what they have said,they often are a different <br /> 1768 interpretation of the law itself,and I believe one of our goals is to try to listen to the public <br /> 1769 particularly where what they are saying might differ with the conclusion your staff could have come <br /> 1770 to. I think that is vital. What I am seeing happening in these documents is that our board is being <br /> 1771 removed more and more from the access of the public itself to listen to so that we can raise those <br /> 1772 questions as professionals. I am concerned about that. Can you respond to that at all? <br /> 1773 <br /> 1774 Cy Stober: I would just say that we are not coming to conclusions. We are regulating. We are not making <br /> 1775 any qualitative analysis of a project at all.We regulate the project that is submitted to us and <br /> 1776 determine if it satisfies the requirements of the ordinance. I think there is a valuable role for the <br /> 1777 neighborhood meeting, and I think there is a valuable role that the planning board could have and <br /> 1778 then having an informal conversation that is not bound by the structures of the ordinance, but the <br /> 1779 responsibility of the planning staff is to enforce the ordinance. That is our fundamental <br /> 1780 responsibility.And that is our job here, and again, subdivisions, if they comply and the property <br /> 1781 rights of those who are applying for a subdivision whether it is two lots or whether it is 20 is that <br /> 1782 they have a right to subdivide the land if they meet these standards, and if the standards are not <br /> 1783 adequate or satisfactory to the planning board, that is a different discussion than what I am <br /> 1784 proposing, but 1,what this amendment package is proposing to do is to,again to Taylor's point, <br /> 1785 remove this appearance of a discretionary process when in fact it is a regulatory process. There <br /> 1786 is no discretion here,and Taylor and her staff do an excellent job of enforcing the ordinance and <br /> 1787 making sure that the standards that exist in here are enforced, and if they are not that we are <br /> 1788 following up on it, and we are making sure that any approved applications for subdivision in the <br /> 1789 county meet the standards that exist in the ordinance. <br /> 1790 <br /> 1791 Statler Gilfillen: Are you suggesting that it is impossible or has never happened that in your enforcing those <br /> 1792 legislations that your decision of the enforcement might not be accurate? Is it possible? <br /> 1793 <br /> 1794 Cy Stober: Of course. <br /> 1795 <br /> 1796 Statler Gilfillen: Thank you. Is therefore not having this board which has a certain review over this be more <br /> 1797 engaged with the public important to the safety and security of the public. <br /> 1798 <br /> 1799 Cy Stober: I would say, if you do not have confidence in my ability to do my job, you need to talk to the county <br /> 1800 manager. <br /> 1801 <br /> 1802 Statler Gilfillen: I am not saying that I do not have confidence in you. <br /> 1803 <br /> 1804 Cy Stober: That is just what you insinuated. <br /> 1805 <br /> 1806 Statler Gilfillen: I started with that statement very first, Cy. First thing I said,we rely upon you, but sometimes <br /> 1807 listening to the public might raise an issue because I am not perfect. I have made many mistakes <br /> 1808 as a professional in my life, but listening to the public, one of the goals of this board is to listen to <br /> 1809 them because sometimes no matter how perfect your group is, and I think they are exceptionally <br /> 1810 good, mistakes do get made, and I think part of the role of this board is to help listen, and if that <br /> 1811 has happened, deal with it. <br /> 1812 <br />