INSIDE CITY HALL
Here are some of the issues the City Council considered on Monday:
APPEAL OF MINOR DESIGN REVIEW
On Jan. 16, the zoning administrator gave a permit to John Grey to
store vehicles outside Pacific Coast Auto in the 800 block of West
18th Street. Councilman Allan Mansoor appealed the decision because
he wanted Grey to improve the appearance of the location with a
10-foot landscape setback.
The Planning Commission upheld the zoning administrator's approval
without requiring the additional landscaping, so Mansoor appealed
again. The City Council continued the item, upon Grey's request, on
March 3.
WHAT HAPPENED
The council reversed the Planning Commission's decision with a 3-1
vote, with Chris Steel dissenting and Gary Monahan absent, and
required Grey to add the 10-foot landscape setback within a year's
time.
WHAT IT MEANS
As a condition of receiving the permit, Grey must add the
landscaping within a year.
WHAT WAS SAID
Grey claimed he couldn't afford any more landscaping after he had
already invested $40,000 in the property he leases from John Crowe.
But Mayor Karen Robinson encouraged Grey to see the landscaping
addition as a quid pro quo for getting the permit.
"If we're giving you something, then you should give something
back," Robinson said.
ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS
A consent calendar item asked the council to spend no more than
$5,000 to conduct the "Every 15 Minutes Program," an anti-drunk
driving program for high school students. The city is supposed to be
reimbursed for the funds. Consent calendar items are usually approved
all together, without discussion. Councilman Allan Mansoor pulled
this one off for discussion.
Mansoor expressed concerns about if and when the city would be
reimbursed by the state and pointed out that there are other areas in
the city that need funding.
WHAT HAPPENED
The council voted 4-0, with Gary Monahan absent, to continue the
item to its April 7 meeting to give Mansoor a chance to view the
video used in the program.
WHAT IT MEANS
The council will reconsider accepting the funds at its April 7
meeting.
WHAT WAS SAID
"The state received that money from the [federal government],"
Mansoor said. "They give it to the state, then [the state] gives it
to us with strings attached, and they want us to spend our money
first. I was simply pointing to the circus atmosphere of how our
government does business, not that it's not a worthwhile program. I
just wanted some questions answered and I was happy with how things
turned out last night."
