I don't have a call to order.
Welcome to the City of Warren, uh,
planning commission meeting of June 24th, 2024.
Please stand for the pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the, the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic who, for which it chance
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice.
Trial roll call. Commissioner Childry.
Present. Commissioner Robinson. Present.
Commissioner Todd Present. Commissioner Iar. Present.
Commissioner Morris Present. Commissioner Meki. Present.
Commissioner Smith.
Commissioner Smith is, is unable to make it tonight.
Do we have a motion to excuse him? Motion to excuse.
Commissioner. Support. Support. Commissioner Todd.
Motion support Commissioner Anza.
Do we have roll call on that? All in favor? All in favor. A.
I'd like to take this opportunity
to recognize our ex official, Mr. Newman.
Thank you. Um, do we have an approval of the agenda?
Approval of the agenda. Ana support to approval by,
uh, commissioner Satana.
Support by ms.
All those in favor? Aye. Aye. All those opposed?
Motion carries. Do we have a motion to, for the approval
of the minutes of June 10th, 2024.
Motion to approve Robinson Support Commissioner Childry.
Motion by Commissioner Robinson.
Supported by Commissioner Childry.
All those, um, all those for it? Aye.
Aye. Anybody against it? Motion passes.
Um, this is currently a time for public hearing,
but since there are no items on the
agenda, um, we've see none.
We will move on to the next one. Correspondence.
Seeing none. Also, we will move on to old business.
Seeing none, we will move on to bond releases.
There is none of them tonight.
Um, item number 10 is new business.
We have no new business tonight.
So we are at item number 11, which is citizen participation.
Please come up to the mic.
Um, give your name and we'll
allow yourself three minutes to speak.
Scene none. We'll go on to item number 12,
planning commission, business
Planning Director's report, please.
Okay.
Okay. Thank you. Uh, Madam Vice chair, just, uh, recapping
some of the work that, uh, I did
and the staff did over last two weeks.
Uh, so anyway, on, uh,
I'll start with the 11th.
And, uh, we had a meeting
and this, this highlighted stuff, uh, with the, uh, people
who were working on the, uh, Cole Street, uh, development.
And, uh, they've, they've come back
and, uh, seemed to think that they can,
that they can go ahead with the project.
It'll be a lot smaller than it was.
Uh, that makes it a little easier, maybe not having to go
with, uh, the zoning board.
And, uh, and that type of thing.
We had pretty good conversation with the people
and, uh, we expect to see them again.
So this is, it'll be a pretty good, uh, development.
I said that about the first one.
I'll say that about this one. So hope to see them coming up.
I attended, uh, the city council meeting, uh,
that one's back on the 11th.
And, uh, the Van D**e, uh, corridor plan was,
uh, presented with, with the, uh,
with the PowerPoint presentation
that was lacking the first time around.
And so, uh, the consultant was allowed to, uh, uh,
speak on that and go through the PowerPoint.
Uh, they asked for a public, uh, opinion.
There didn't seem to be any public opinion.
And, uh, with that, uh, the secretary indicated
that they wanted to take this to the, uh,
to a committee of the whole meeting.
Uh, I've not heard when that that's going to take place.
That's a public meeting,
but as soon as I know, I'll let all of you know when
that meeting is, just in case you care to, uh, sit in and,
and listen to, uh, their, they're talking about
the Van D**e corridor, uh, meeting.
Especially you Claudette. Right?
You were on the steering committee.
And, uh, so we'll see when that happens.
Uh, also I was there, uh, for the, uh, wireless,
uh, facilities, uh, in town.
And, uh, Mary made the, uh, presentation.
They were kind of tough on her. That did pass.
Fortunately it did pass, right? Yeah.
I get confused these days.
Things get, uh, tabled and never see him again.
First reading first, yes.
Oh, the, that was the first reading. Yes. Okay.
Well, that's right.
The consultant wasn't thanks for correcting me. Alright.
That'll come back sometime in the future here.
Did, did they, did the secretary talk about a date?
Mary? I don't remember.
We're talking about the wireless communication ordinance.
Yes. The first reading, the second reading will
probably be at the next meeting.
Not the one on Tuesday. The July meeting.
One a a month later. Yes. Okay. Okay.
Well then I'll be there for that.
Okay. And then, uh, there was discussion.
We, there's, we've tossed this
around a little bit here in planning, uh,
about, uh, food trucks.
It's, uh, city council's, uh, uh,
regulatory start of an ordinance.
Uh, that's, that's not a zoning, uh, start.
Uh, so we're, we're watching it
and, uh, taking a look at, at, uh, what's being presented,
uh, there in the staff, uh, the next day.
Then, uh, I, uh, it was, let me see,
it was a zoom meeting
with the non-motorized transportation plan.
And, uh, discussed a lot of different things
that they're doing.
The consultants as they work their way through, uh, things,
it's, uh, it's quite a job.
But, uh, that's why I like consultants.
They know their job and, and they're focused on it.
They just have a, that, that to do.
And not a lot of different things to do.
On the 13th, uh, we had a meeting with, uh, uh, a person
who wants to develop a site on gross spec,
and that is, I think it's north of raso
and it's a new gas station.
And, uh, it's a site that, uh, came to us, I don't know,
maybe five to seven years ago and just didn't go anywhere.
Uh, they've got some wetland area on that property,
so they're trying to deal with that.
I think that's why the first, the first, uh,
development didn't work.
And, uh, I think these people have a little more feel on
how to make it work.
And, uh, our engineering division well was there,
gave them a lot of, uh, good advice on that.
So, uh,
and then on the 14th we had a green space, uh, conversation
plan, meetings, same basic things, uh,
new things that come up and,
and, uh, how they're moving along with, uh, their plan.
And, uh, so with that, on the 17th, that was a Monday,
that's when our office got new carpeting.
Talk about a big issue.
That means everything had to be moved.
If everyone, if anybody's ever seen my office,
I had to move all that stuff.
And, uh, it's quite a task gonna reduce
what I have to move back on the 18th, um,
there was a meeting in the mayor's office, uh, I attended
on, uh, micro force, something new, maybe old,
but, but it seems new to me now
where they take a small patch of land
and then they design, uh,
basically a small forest with, uh, specific types of trees,
shrubs, perennial plants.
And, um, it all, it's all grown into a system.
And, uh, I don't know, I said I'd probably say after five
or 10 years, it's, that's what you have is a micro forest.
And, uh, so they've, they're,
they're looking at a particular location
and, uh, we're working with, uh, uh,
the person who's, who's leading the charge, so to speak.
She's a 16-year-old woman.
Uh, and, uh, she,
and, uh, she knows exactly what she's doing.
And she's, she also works with, uh, Sterling Heights,
but this seems this is her interest
and she's an extremely intelligent, uh, young woman.
So that meeting was in the mayor's office,
uh, let me see.
On the 20th, I met with, um, uh, group, uh,
who has, uh, the sheets, uh, uh, gas stations.
And they're not just gas stations, but they're restaurants
and they are, uh, drive through
restaurant pumps.
Um, they have it all, needless to say.
Uh, that's all I hear is great things about them.
And, um, we talked to them about, uh, the development
of the, um, uh, Pampa Pampa Lane site.
And, uh, they'll come to us with a site plan very soon.
And, uh, we'll move along with, with that
redevelopment of that site.
And, uh, then on Friday, met with, uh, councilman,
uh, Nunan and, uh, Mary, myself.
And, uh, uh, Michelle was there.
And, uh, uh, Mr. Has habecker.
Anyway, we talked about the bylaws.
That's what, uh, uh, the discussion was trying
to figure out, uh, better wording, better,
better thought process on the exist on the
existing, uh, bylaws.
The idea tonight was that you were given a copy
of the bylaws to look at the ex officio section of it.
And, um, if you had any thoughts, uh, uh,
to present, uh, on change to the bylaws,
because there will be change, uh, then, um, we
certainly take note, take that into consideration, add it
to the thought process, and, uh, come up with, uh, some,
uh, revised bylaws.
Okay. So with that, if anyone has any questions
they have about what anything, I'll try to answer
Any questions.
I have a quick question for, um, if I may.
Um, so the bylaws were already discussed with the council
and, uh, the planning board, like you
and, uh, Mary, like to figure out the wording.
We're working on it. Okay?
We didn't, we have not come to any agreements at this point.
So the, um, the whatever we see right now in writing has
been a discussion that already took place between you.
I think you just mentioned, uh, Councilman Nunan
and, uh, our attorney right here.
Did I just wanna make sure that's, that's
what I heard. That's
What you heard. Okay.
Just
Wanted to thank you. Well,
we, we, we need to gather information
before we choose to bring anything like this
to the planning commission.
And then we, you know, simply asked you
to take a look at those bylaws and, uh, think about them.
And if you, again, I repeat if you had any
questions, uh, about that.
Now, if you want to talk to, uh, uh, Ms.
Michaels, she's, she's working hard on trying to, uh,
have the legal la language that gets involved here,
not just plain language.
And, and that's what, uh, is that hand, uh, now,
so, okay.
And one other thing, um, just to comment, um,
I'm gonna miss you, commissioner
Todd, I want you to know that.
Thanks Ron. I'm gonna miss you guys too for sure. You're,
You're welcome. I'm getting
goosebumps now.
Alright, is anybody, anybody else?
Thank you Mr. Wir. Thank you.
Item number 12 B, um, discussion regarding the review
of the bylaws, Ms. Michaels.
Okay, thank you, Madam Chair.
This is just really a status update
because I know City Council raised the issue about
ex officios addressing the commission on, on its items.
And in the past, we've always asked the, the ex officios
to not address the commission on items
that are going forward to city council.
And in fact, ex officios, there's a rule
that they could only speak one string audience.
Anyway, spoke to, um, council's,
city council's special council, Jeff Schroeder.
And we haven't reached full resolution
or meeting of the minds on all issues,
but we agreed that they agreed on certain changes
that we take out the part that
the council members cannot interact with the audience
or can't leave during the meeting, obviously.
But the issue remains about addressing this commission.
And as a matter of law, based on the research I've done
as a matter of law, an ex-official council member,
any public official can address the commission, even if,
even if they have power of appointment
or if they are ultimately deciding the issue.
But that's, then it becomes an issue of fact, did
that exofficio, did the official
exert any influence over the decision?
And that's where we have to come to some type of resolution.
Mr. Schroeder and I discussed, you know,
some po a possible resolution
where the ex-officio may address the commission on all
items, but not as a council member, as an ex-officio.
And that there would be parameters to make sure that they,
they commented only within the confine
of the zoning ordinance, just to make sure that there's,
this body is acting in an impartial manner
and not under any influence or pressure
because duress is a procedural defect.
And Mr. Schroeder understood that we just need to,
could I put this, tailor that information in a pack,
package it in a way that's legally co civil
and acceptable to the commission.
Whenever we review legal issues,
it all spirals off into something else.
And in this case, when Mr. Schroeder raised the issue about
council members not interacting with the audience, obviously
that's something that should go,
but that raised the secondary issue about ex parte
communication As commissioners, you know,
the commissioners cannot interact
with the petitioners or audience members.
And if you do, you discuss it at the meeting.
So I include it in there.
And proposal
where the ex officios would not engage in ex parte
communication similar to the commissioners.
That raises a little bit of a concern
because council members have more opportunity
and there's more of an expectation
that the public reach out to them.
So that is an issue.
It's raised when it's not settled,
but it will be addressed in the draft next draft
that this commission views.
'cause obviously if there's something about ex parte
communications commissioners, you're bound to certain rules,
but it's not in the bylaws and it should be.
And the issue then become next step issue is council
members, what are their expectations
when they're addressing land news questions?
Are they held to the same standard as the commission,
as the planning board?
I believe that they are, but
that's still unsettled at this, at this point.
So at this, this juncture, just ask that the commission
receive and file.
I'm not, I don't recommend a vote on any,
on any matter before you tonight.
Maybe just discuss your thoughts on it
and it'll be considered
and then we'll memorialize your concerns
into the final document that it would be voted on.
Do we have a motion to receive a file
or do we have discussion on it?
I like to bring up a discussion. Okay.
If, uh, no one else has any, um, uh, so maybe just, um,
clarifying some items on my side.
So the ex official would be able to speak on any items
that is being voted, even though
it's being voted by the council.
Um, so before it was a no, now we're changing that to a yes.
Right. So they will be able to come up
and talk to talk regarding any items that is,
that's gonna come up in front of council in future,
It's likely to be the recommendation with,
with obviously some parameters.
Okay. That, but that's the recommendation.
I mean, ultimately this commission adopted its own bylaws.
Okay. Um, with that, when we say speak,
when would they have the opportunity to speak?
Is that during a citizen participation or,
and then this is, this is a discussion that I'm trying
to have with the rest of the members in here.
So do they, are they gonna be allowed to talk when,
when would they be allowed to talk like citizen
participation or what would be the
parameters like that you were mentioning
During the public hearing portion of the hearing?
During the public hearing. So are they speaking
as a public at that time
or they're considering the role of an exofficio
and speaking at that point,
The role of the exofficio,
but not identifying they're gonna themselves
as a council member, which has been done in the past. Yes.
So, I'm sorry, say that Again. But not
identifying themselves as a council member
representing a certain dis representing a certain district
that has been done in the past.
Okay. And that's where I see that the little
blurring the line.
Mm-Hmm. For duress.
Okay. I see. That was one question that I had.
Um, okay.
The, the number five interact
with the audience member in the auditorium
while the meeting is take place.
So since we're canceling that one out, um, does
that mean the member, like the ex-official, is gonna be able
to talk as the meeting's going on?
Like just kind of get up and talk to anyone that they want?
Is that what we're kind of saying
As a member of, well,
strict reading, yes.
But there's also a counter proposal in here about engaging
in ex parte communication.
So that would negate the,
the restriction against speaking to the audience.
If there's a restriction against ex parte communication
that would, that would be the same,
that would serve the same purpose.
They wouldn't be able to speak
to a neighbor if on items going
before city council, if that's going
to be in the final recommendation.
If there's an item not going to city council only decided
by this commission, then yes, the exofficio can speak
to the public, speak to the petitioner, petitioner,
they're free to do that.
But if it's an item that advances to city council
and they're bound, if they are bound to the same standards
as this commission, then they would not be able to speak
to the petitioner or the audience or the neighbors.
But they will be able to come
up and make a public comment. Correct.
Yes. Okay.
That's all.
Is there any other discussion or,
So when they're speaking, they're acting as just a member
of the public, not a council member,
Not as a council member, but as an ex-officio.
So we have had people identify themselves in the past,
let's say they, that happens, do they lose
that time to speak?
What is, what is that situation, I guess end up as
they, let's say they come to the podium
and they announce I'm so and so from district, whatever.
Does that change things immediately during that meeting?
Well, that's what we'd like to avoid.
I'd like to avoid having them identify themselves
as a council member from a certain council member at large
or from a certain district.
But they would be speaking as an ex-officio,
which ex officios are members of this commission? Mm-Hmm.
So we don't have a plan, identify themselves as a ex,
As an exofficio.
Okay. They're gonna speak. Oh, I see.
Okay. Um, one other thing
that I wanna clarify on my side.
So if they're, so is the council member gonna be allowed
to speak during an audience participation?
Not audience, I'm sorry, citizen participation.
So they're talking as a, since they, they, they can make
that three minute comment if they want.
They all, I believe they've always
had that, right? Yeah. Yeah.
Yes. That's, I I wanna make sure,
because I think one of the last meeting that we had, um,
during another items, one of the ex official came up
and he was, uh, making a comment, you know, not to say
that was wrong or right, but I just wanna make sure
that in future we're not put in a spot
where we're reviewing the laws
or, you know, we're,
we're put back in the same spot as we're right now.
So if, uh, let's say during when the item is going on,
they'll be able to come up
and talk as a ex-official, whatever rules they have.
And then even in citizen participation, they'll talk.
But during another item, during any other items
that we have going on, they will not be able, allowed
to come up and speak.
That's not addressed here. Okay.
Um, That's never been addressed.
That's something we could consider in the future.
But they would speak under this scenario, they would speak
under the public portion of each agenda item.
They're not voting members that's in City Charter,
so they can't deliberate like this commission would.
Okay. I do wanna, um, I, I would highly recommend
that we consider couple different scenarios
so we don't come back to this in, um, in a year again.
So yeah, that would just be my recommendation. Thank you.
Is There other comments? Discussions?
Do we have a motion to receive and file?
Motion To receive
and file Robinson support Childry.
Motion by Commissioner Robinson.
Support by Commissioner Childry. Roll call
Commissioner Robinson.
Yes. Commissioner Childry. Yes. Commissioner Anza. Yes.
Commissioner Todd? Yes. Commissioner Berki?
Yes. Yep. Received. And file
Item number 12 C is a resolution for, um, one
of our members that is unfortunately having to leave our,
our, Our board.
Um, Michelle,
I think I should say it on the mic and then come over.
Is that okay? Is that okay with you?
I don't want to, I don't wanna cry either.
I just wanted to say, whereas Michelle,
Todd has served the planning commission in an expl
explanatory manner as a
planning commissioner from October 26th, 2021
to June 24th, 2024.
And whereas Michelle Tutt Pro
provided leadership knowledge, scholarship, wisdom,
common sense, and considerable experience
to help the Planning Commission improve its decision studies
and plans over her tenure.
And whereas it is with sincere appreciation
for her almost three years of service that the members
of the Warren and Planning Commission
and the planning department commend Michelle taught
for her expl, exceptional committed commitment
to the planning commission.
Now therefore be it resolved that we, the, we, the city of,
of Warren Planning Commission
and the planning department do hereby express
to Michelle Tut our sincere appreciation for her unselfish,
dedicated, and outstanding efforts,
which we have greatly assist assist, which we,
which has greatly assisted the work
of the planning Commission and promoted the health
and safety and welfare of the city of Warren.
Um, this is a plaque for you
and this was signed by all of us,
and we will sincerely miss you
and we get, wish you luck on everything you do.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate it.
Thanks guys.
Okay. Do we have, um, where is the, I'm messed up.
We have, next is a calendar of Pending matters scene. None.
Do we have a motion to adjourn?
Motion to AUR
Robinson? Robinson,
who's, who's second support to, to, to use TUTT.
Motion by Commissioner Robinson.
Motion supported by Commissioner Tut. Thank you.