HomeMy WebLinkAbout1973-0731 Joint SS MIN JOINT STUDY SESSION
CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION
July 31, 1973
A joint study session was held in Council Chambers of City Hall
on the above date at 1:00 p.m. Mayor Fries and all of the Councilmen
were present, as were McDowell, Billings, Wright, Morris, Ragland, McGraw,
Moyer, Rountree, Sours, Fortmiller, Calkins and Wade of the Planning Com-
mission and Committees.
Mayor Fries opened the discussion by expressing disappointment that
the Council had tabled discussion on hiring a consulting firm for a Compre-
hensive Plan. He pointed out that our present plan is now seven years old,
and that it will take a minimum of a year to revise the plan. He stated
there is a different concept in planning tha~ there was seven years ago,
and that the Council is responsible for formulating a workable plan, and
did not believe that the staff is able to formulate a plan.
Soderberg said a year ago the Council was unanimous in thinking the
Comprehensive Plan needed updating, and felt the present plan should be
revised only in the areas in which it is now deficient and then also arrive
at goals for the next eight to ten years, and to adopt zoning and capital
improvement plans for the next ten years.
McCannon felt we need professional help to bring our present Comprehensive
Plan up to date, and said he was impressed by the presentation made by Daniel,
Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall.
Conklin said he hoped this joint meeting would give direction in policies
of planning and annexation, and spoke against annexation because of its drain
on our water and sewer resources, and suggested that outlying areas can por-
bably form their own sewer districts. He was also in favor of hiring a con-
suiting firm for a comprehensive plan, and expressed concern that our present
zoning ordinance had allowed too much multi-family area and suggested some
rezoning within our present boundaries.
Allen and Roble felt our comprehensive plan is basically sonnd, and
felt we have local talent capable of makinR changes where necessary. They
felt the citizens of Ashland object to huge expenditures on planning.
Wright agreed and suggested that Ned Langford could probably be hired
to assist in the formulation of a plan.
Conklin asked how Planning Commission feels about annexation.
Ragland countered by asking why the Council feels the need for revision
of our plan, and said if it must be revised, he feels it necessary to get
outside help.
Conklin said we have allowed too many vioi~tf6ns of the existing plan,
but Ragland and Allen thought the plan has been followed, with Ragland stating
he recalled only one violation which was concerned with density and resulted
from an error in arithmetic.
Soderberg said we must establish if we are going to allow trailer living
within our boundaries, and if so, where? She did not think our goals have
changed in the past seven years.
Morris spoke against dropping our present plan, and suggested the need
to correct mistakes with the use of some outside help.
Mayor Fries said the new planning concept is to be more specific.
Meyer, Allen, Prickett, Roble, Ragland, Billings and Wade all agreed
tbe present plan needs updating, and suggested that additional staff help
could be acquired to give Almquist, Alsing, Fallon, Krug and Mawson more time
to work at revising the plan. Meyer felt such a method would not exceed
$15,000 in cost as compared to estimates of $24,000 to $70,000 if done by a
consulting firm.