LONG MEETING, HE CAN CATCH UP WITH US.
[1. Call Meeting to Order]
[00:00:02]
IT'S 2:30 P.M.WE'LL CALL THIS PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP TO ORDER.
WE ARE HAVING A VIRTUAL MEETING TODAY.
[2. Attendance]
WE'LL START WITH TAKING ATTENDANCE, PLEASE.VICE CHAIRPERSON BOB BROWN LOOKS LIKE HE'S JUST JOINED.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER LISTOESKI HAS JOINED US, WE'LL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN HE DOES. OK, GREAT.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS DO WE HAVE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ON THIS MEETING? SEEING NONE.
[4. Discussion Items]
WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. WE HAVE ONE DISCUSSION ITEM TODAY COMMISSIONERS ON THE AGENDA.IT IS DISCUSSION OF UPDATED BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE, DUNE PROTECTION PERMIT APPLICATION AND PROCESS.
WE HAVE WITH US, MR. BRANDON HILL AND RUSSELL COLE.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHOWING UP FOR THE WORKSHOP, BEING HERE A LITTLE BIT EARLY FOR THE MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER THIS TECH DEMO AND AND UPDATE Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT OF THE WORK THAT RUSSELL AND I HAVE BEEN DOING HERE AS OF LATE.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN.
SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHEN THAT HAS APPEARED FOR EVERYONE.
SO WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU HERE IS OUR APPLICATION FORM THAT WE HAVE JUST FINALIZED.
NOW, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL WOULD NORMALLY SEE, BUT THE REASON I WANTED TO SHOW IT TO YOU IS BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF JUST SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING HERE WITHIN OUR DIVISION.
SO FILLABLE FORMATS, THAT'S NOT A NEW TECHNOLOGY, IT'S NOT EVEN NEW TO OUR PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT.
WHAT IS NEW IS THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO CONDENSE SEVERAL OTHER DOCUMENTS INTO THIS ONE.
SO PREVIOUSLY, WHEN SOMEONE WOULD COME AND APPLY FOR A BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE OR A DUNE PROTECTION PERMIT, THEY WOULD FILL OUT ONE OF TWO APPLICATION FORMS EITHER THE ONE FOR THE BEACH FRONT OR THE ONE JUST FOR STAFF LEVEL OR THE ONE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THEN THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE CONDENSED INTO A SMALLER DOCUMENT, WHICH IS THEN USED TO.
IT'S CALLED THE DESCRIPTION, WHICH IS THEN USED TO GENERATE THE AGENDAS THAT YOU ALL SEE.
AND THEN THE SAME INFORMATION THAT WAS SUBMITTED IN THIS APPLICATION FORM WOULD BE WRITTEN IN ANOTHER VERSION OF A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR THEIR REVIEW. AND THEN FINALLY, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE STAFF COMMENTS AND THE GLO'S COMMENTS, WOULD BE CONDENSED AND PUT INTO A SEPARATE STAFF REPORT PACKET, WHICH IS WHAT YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING.
AND IF YOU COUNT IT ALONG WITH ME THERE, THERE'S ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THE SAME INFORMATION, AND IT'S JUST SIMPLY NOT A VERY STREAMLINED PROCESS.
SOME OF YOU KNOW, I HAVE A BACKGROUND IN LEAN SIX SIGMA, AND I HAVE JUST HAD THE IMPORTANCE OF STREAMLINING PROCESSES AND MINIMIZING WASTED EFFORT REALLY IMPRESSED UPON ME. AND SO WE TRIED TO TAKE SOME OF THAT APPROACH HERE.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE INFORMATION THAT IS IN THIS AREA IS ACTUALLY THE INFORMATION THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE REQUIRED FOR THE DESCRIPTION, WHICH WOULD GENERATE THE ITEM ON YOUR AGENDAS. THEN WE HAVE OUR APPLICANT INFORMATION JUST LIKE YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT, ALONG WITH SOME SIGNATURES AT THE BOTTOM.
HERE'S WHERE THINGS START TO GET REALLY EXCITING IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT CHANGES TO APPLICATION FORMS AS VERY EXCITING.
WE HAVE BROKEN OUT THE TYPE OF REQUESTS AND THEN CORRELATED THAT TO A SECTION OF THE DOCUMENT. SO IF YOU ARE COMING INTO THE THE THE OFFICE OVER HERE OR IF YOU'VE DOWNLOADED THIS ONLINE, YOU WOULD SEE THAT IF YOU'RE DOING JUST A BEACH ACCESS PROJECT, YOU WOULD GO TO SECTION SEVEN.
AND THEN THAT WOULD DIRECT YOU DOWN TO A LIST BELOW WHICH WOULD HAVE YOUR APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
IF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WITHIN SECTION EIGHT OR NINE.
[00:05:05]
SO A DRIVEWAY SLAB OR CONSTRUCTION, INCLUDING SINGLE, MULTIFAMILY OR COMMERCIAL, ADDITIONS OR RELOCATIONS, WHICH IS 10 NINE HERE, THEN YOU ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO SUBMIT SITE INFORMATION.WE WANTED TO MAKE THIS PRETTY CLEAR BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE WOULD GET APPLICATIONS FOR, SAY, A SAND FENCE OR SOME BEACH FILL DUNE RESTORATION AND THEY'D START FILLING OUT THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE IT WAS JUST AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
AND THEN WE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE TO CALL THEM UP AND SAY, HEY, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME HERE.
ARE YOU JUST REPORTING THAT YOU HAVE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME OR DID YOU INTEND TO REBUILD ONE? AND SO TO TRY AND ELIMINATE SOME OF THAT, WE'VE WE'VE RESTRUCTURED THIS IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS. SOME OF THE MORE COMMON CONCERNS AND AND ISSUES THAT WE RUN INTO WITH FOLKS, WE'VE STILL INCLUDED THE IMPORTANT STUFF THAT EVERYBODY LIKES TO SEE, LIKE THE STRUCTURES DISTANCE FROM THE NORTH TOE, THE STRUCTURE'S DISTANCE FROM THE LINE OF VEGETATION. ALL OF THE SAME INFORMATION IS HERE IS JUST IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT.
WE'VE ALSO TAKEN THE FEES SECTION THAT WAS NORMALLY HOUSED WITHIN THE TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS, AND WE'VE COMPOSED THEM TOGETHER SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE BASE APPLICATION FEE. THE FACT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADD IN A FIBERCRETE MAINTENANCE FEE IF YOU WERE USING FIBERCREATE.
AND THEN THE FACT THAT IF IT IS A SECTION NINE PROJECT WITHIN 50 FEET OF THE DUNE PROTECTION LINE, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION, WHICH WOULD BE A 950 CHARGE.
NOW WE USE WORDS LIKE DUNE PROTECTION LINE, AND WE DID THIS IN OUR PREVIOUS APPLICATION.
HOWEVER, WE HADN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF PROVIDING FOLKS THE ABILITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT MEANT. SO I'M GOING TO SKIP DOWN TO THE BOTTOM HERE AND ACTUALLY SHOW YOU GUYS THAT IN SECTION 10, WE NOW HAVE A SHORTENED TERMINOLOGY SECTION THAT WILL ACTUALLY PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT, OK, WHAT IS THE DUNE PROTECTION LINE? IT'S A LINE 25 FEET LANDWARD OF THE NORTH TOE THE DUNE.
WELL, WHAT'S THAT NORTH TOE OF THE DUNE? THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF THE CRITICAL DUNE FEATURES WERE THE NORTH DUNE FACE SLOPE TERMINATES IN EITHER AN UPLAND PLATEAU EMERGES OR WETLAND SWALE EXISTS.
SO WE PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WAS MAYBE MISSING IN OUR PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT.
BUT I WANT TO GO OVER WITH YOU VERY QUICKLY SECTION NINE, WHICH IS THE CONSTRUCTION SECTION. SO LET'S SAY THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION.
THE WAY THAT WE HAVE WRITTEN ALL OF THE TEXT IN THESE LISTS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR ORDINANCES, AND WE'VE ALSO WRITTEN THEM IN SUCH A WAY THAT I FEEL THAT THEY'RE MORE HELPFUL FOR STAFF AND FOR THE APPLICANT WHEN THEY COME TO APPLY FOR SOMETHING.
FOR INSTANCE, PREVIOUSLY, IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT JUST A SAND FENCE OR DUNE VEGETATION, IT WOULD ASK YOU THE SAME INFORMATION THAT YOU'D NEED TO PROVIDE A MAP AND THAT YOU NEED TO TELL THEM HOW BIG YOUR DRIVEWAY IS.
AND IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT SPECIFICALLY TALKED ABOUT SAND FENCES OR DUNE VEGETATION. SO NOW WE HAVE IN HERE THE FACT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN EXHIBIT DETAILING THE PROPOSED PLANTING SPACING OR SAND FENCE ALIGNMENT ON THE SITE.
GIVE US THE DUNE VEGETATION OR SAND FENCE DETAILS, SOURCE, SPECIES, BRAND.
SO WE'VE WE'VE TWEAKED EACH OF THESE LISTS SO THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY PERTINENT TO THE PROJECT RATHER THAN JUST HAVE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL LIST, WHICH I HOPE WILL PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH A MORE EXPEDITED PROCESS IN TERMS OF GETTING US THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED THE FIRST TIME, RATHER THAN US HAVING TO REACH BACK OUT AND SAY, HEY, ALSO, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GETTING THESE PLANTS FROM OR ALSO WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THE SAND.
WE'RE TELLING THEM ALL OF THAT UP FRONT.
SO FOR PROJECTS THAT YOU ALL WOULD SEE, WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS SECTION NINE HERE, WHICH IS THE CONSTRUCTION SECTION.
IT STATES AS YOUR FIRST REQUIREMENT THAT YOU NEED A SURVEY BY A LICENSED SURVEYOR, IDENTIFYING. AND THEN IT HAS A THROUGH G, WHICH LISTS ALL OF THE CLASSIC ITEMS THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO SEE. YOU'VE GOT YOUR SITE, YOU'VE GOT THE LIMITS AND VARIOUS LINES AND AREAS THAT EVERYBODY CARES ABOUT WITH REGARDS TO MAKING DECISIONS.
WE'VE GOT THE LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY LINES, THE LOCATION OF THE STRUCTURE, THE FOOTPRINT OR PERIMETER OF THE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION ROADWAYS, DRIVEWAYS, PARKING, DUNE WALK OVERS, LOCATIONS OF SEAWALLS OR OTHER EROSION RESPONSE STRUCTURES.
AND THEN, IF KNOWN, DUNE MITIGATION PROJECTS, WE ALSO WOULD REQUIRE CONSTRUCTION DETAILS OF THE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
WE WOULD HAVE A CURRENT TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY IF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS WITHIN 75 FEET OF THE NORTH TOE OF THE DUNE.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO CHANGED THIS SIX MONTHS REQUIREMENT.
[00:10:02]
BRINGS US IN LINE WITH WHAT THE STATE IS REQUIRING OUT OF PEOPLE.SO WE'VE MADE THAT TWEAK PREVIOUSLY, IT SAID THREE MONTHS.
BUT WE DID ALSO ADD IN A CAVEAT THAT IT IS SIX MONTHS OLD OR FOLLOWING THE MOST RECENT TROPICAL STORM HURRICANE OR COMPARABLE METEOROLOGICAL EVENT AS DEFINED BY THE COASTAL RESOURCES DIVISION STAFF.
SO IF A PROPERTY HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY A KING TIDE OR SOME OTHER SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A NAMED STORM OR NOT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK PEOPLE FOR A MORE RECENT TOPA SURVEY.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE DATED PHOTOS.
NOW IF THE SAME CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FALLS SEAWARD OF THE DUNE PROTECTION LINE, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF REQUIREMENTS, ONE THROUGH SIX HERE THAT IS ADDED ON TO THIS ONE.
SO YOU ALSO WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE MITIGATION PLAN.
WE HAVE HERE ARE AVOID, MINIMIZE, MITIGATE AND COMPENSATE, WHICH ARE KIND OF MAGIC WORDS WHEN IT COMES TO MITIGATION.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR LANDOWNERS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THE NEED FOR MITIGATION.
THE PROOF OF FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TO MITIGATE, THE APPROXIMATE PERCENTAGE OF EXISTING AND FINISHED OPEN SPACES.
AND THEN DESCRIPTION OF THE EFFECTS ON THE BEACH DUNE SYSTEM.
THEN FINALLY, IF THAT SAME CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS CLASSIFIED AS LARGE SCALE, WHICH IS CALLED OUT, WE'VE GOT THE NUMBER OF UNITS PROPOSED, ALTERNATIVES TO PROPOSED LOCATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS, CERTIFIED COPY OF THE PLAT AND THEN THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES IMPACT ON THE NATURAL DRAINAGE PATTERN.
FINALLY, WE END WITH A JUST ALL ENCOMPASSING STATEMENT THAT DUE TO THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES AND CHALLENGES INHERENT IN CONSIDERING DEVELOPMENT OF AND IMPACTS TO THE COASTAL ZONE, THE CITY AND GENERAL LAND OFFICE RETAINS THE RIGHT TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT EXPLICITLY LISTED ABOVE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A COASTAL SURVEY BY A LICENSED SURVEYOR.
AND THE REASON THAT WE SAID THAT IS SIMPLY FOR THE MORE SMALL SCALE PROJECTS, THE DUNE PLANTINGS, THE VEGETATION, THE SAND FENCING.
SOME OF THOSE DO GET VERY COMPLEX AND THE PROPERTY DUE TO A UNIQUE SITUATION.
WE ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING A SURVEY, SO WE MIGHT REQUIRE THAT, AND THAT JUST LEAVES THAT DOOR OPEN FOR US.
SO NOW LET ME GET INTO WHAT YOU ALL ARE MOST INTERESTED IN, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE SEEING AS A RESULT OF THIS PROCESS.
SO I HAVE HERE A BLANK TEMPLATE.
AND BY THE WAY, ALL CREDIT FOR THE REALLY AWESOME FILLABLE TEMPLATES AND DOCUMENTS GOES TO RUSSELL. HE IS A WIZARD WITH FORMATTING AND CREATING THESE.
WHAT HE'S GENERATED HERE IS A VERSION OF OUR STAFF REPORT THAT WILL ALLOW US TO VERY QUICKLY MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN A STAFF REPORT IS AND HAS BEEN UPDATED FOR EACH OF THE MEETINGS.
SO WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT EACH OF THESE, WE HAVE LITTLE TEXT BOXES THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS.
SO WE'RE SETTING THIS UP SO THAT IT IS BEYOND JUST RUSSELL AND I.
WHOEVER TAKES ON THESE DOCUMENTS EVENTUALLY IN THE FUTURE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT GOES INTO EACH OF THESE.
WE'VE GOT A FILLABLE PICTURE SO THAT WE CAN DROP IN THE PHOTO OF EACH OF THE PROPERTIES EVERYWHERE WHERE MATERIAL NEEDS TO BE INSERTED HAS BEEN MADE FILLABLE.
WE'VE GOT IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL MATERIAL THAT WE'RE GIVING YOU GUYS.
WE HAVE MADE IT SO THAT ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IS GOING TO BE RIGHT HERE IN THESE PAGES.
THE BIG CHANGES, PER WHAT YOU ARE USED TO SEEING, IS THAT THE THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT HAD SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF BOILERPLATE LANGUAGE, WHICH WAS REPEATED IN EVERY VERSION AND THEN A SMALL SENTENCE THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION WAS CONSIDERED OR YES, YOU KNOW, THE THE PROPERTY IS SET AS FAR LANDWARD AS PRACTICABLE. WHAT WE'VE DONE INSTEAD IS ACTUALLY SET IT UP SO THAT WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION LAID OUT HERE IN THIS PARAGRAPH, INCLUDING JEFFREY.
WE ADDED IN A SECTION WHERE IF A MITIGATION PLAN IS NOT REQUIRED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO IN HERE AND ACTUALLY SAY IT IS REQUIRED OR IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS APPLICATION.
[00:15:03]
SO EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO KNOW IS GOING TO BE HOUSED RIGHT HERE WITHIN THESE PAGES. THE OTHER BIG CHANGE THAT WE HAVE MADE IS THAT FOR THE CONDITIONS, RATHER THAN TAKING, REMEMBER BACK TO THE EXPLANATION I WAS GIVING AT THE BEGINNING WHERE WE WOULD TAKE THE INFORMATION THAT THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE GAVE US AND PUT IT INTO ANOTHER YET ANOTHER VERSION OF A DOCUMENT THAT WOULD THEN GO TO YOU ALL RATHER THAN CONTINUE TO REWRITE THE SAME INFORMATION OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.WE INCLUDE THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE'S COMMENT LETTER WITH THE PERMIT WHEN IT IS AWARDED, AND WE REFERENCE IN HERE THAT THE STRUCTURE HAS TO BE CONSISTENT.
WITH FEMA MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS THAT THE APPLICANT MUST ADHERE TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 31 NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION PART ONE GENERAL LAND OFFICE CHAPTER 15 COASTAL AREA PLANNING, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THOSE OUTLINED IN THE GLO COMMENT LETTER ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE AND PROTECTION PERMIT. SO WE'VE GOT THIS LINE IN HERE RATHER THAN REWRITING ALL OF THE THE COMMENTS THAT THE GLO PROVIDES.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE A ALL ENCOMPASSING STATEMENT IN HERE THAT THEY NEED TO ADHERE TO THE ASPECTS OF CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
PLANNING, BEACH ACCESS, DUNE PROTECTION AND BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION IN THE CITY OF GALVESTON COULD HAVE ORDINANCES.
WE WILL STILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AS IS SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANTS, AND WE ARE STILL OPEN TO SPECIFIC CONDITIONS BEING ADDED IN.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION FINDS THAT THEY WANT TO SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT, THEY WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO AS LONG AS IT IS IN ADHERENCE WITH OUR ORDINANCES. BUT WE JUST FELT LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN ALL AROUND MORE EFFICIENT MEANS OF PUTTING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED IN ONE PLACE AND ALLOWING FOR STAFF EFFORT TO BE PUT ELSEWHERE RATHER THAN CONTINUALLY HAVING TO REWRITE THE SAME INFORMATION.
SO I HOPE THAT THIS TECH DEMO WAS INTERESTING TO EVERYONE.
I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS AND THEN IF ALL THINGS WORK OUT, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE CHANCE TO GO, GET THEMSELVES A REFRESHMENT AND USE THE RESTROOM BEFORE YOUR ACTUAL MEETING.
SO YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT COMMENTS YOU KNOW WHAT DISCUSSION YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE, BUT THAT CERTAINLY THE EXTENT OF WHAT STAFF HAD FOR YOU HERE TODAY.
FIRST THING, BRANDON, I THINK WE NEED TO GET OUR LANGUAGE CONSISTENT BOTH HERE AND IN ON THE APPLICATION.
WE'VE SAID MINIMIZE, MITIGATE AND COMPENSATE.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER ONE, WE SAID AVOID, MINIMIZE, MITIGATE AND COMPENSATE.
YET ON THE CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATION STANDARDS.
WE'VE ALWAYS USED, AVOID, MINIMIZE, RECTIFY AND COMPENSATE.
I THINK WE NEED TO USE, RECTIFY RATHER THAN MITIGATE AND COMPENSATE BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS CALLED IT A MITIGATION PLAN.
SO HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT IT'S A MITIGATION PLAN? HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT USING RECTIFY RATHER THAN MITIGATE? BECAUSE RECTIFY IS WHAT WE'VE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATION STANDARDS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT GETTING OUR LANGUAGE KIND OF IN LINE? THAT DOES NOT CAUSE ME ANY HEARTBURN.
OK, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
SO COMMISSIONERS, I THINK THAT BRANDON DID A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING WHY ALL OF THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO US, TO ALL OF US AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST VERSUS WHAT HE'S PROPOSING TO DO NOW.
AND BASICALLY, IT'S WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
WE'VE SEEN HE'S SENT US OUT THESE CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS STANDARDS AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING. HE'S PROPOSING TO SHOW US IN THE STAFF REPORT OR JUST THE BOLD POINTS AND NOT THE BULLET POINTS UNDERNEATH UNDERNEATH ALL OF THEM.
AND TO BE TOTALLY UPFRONT WITH Y'ALL.
VICE CHAIR BROWN AND I HAVE MET WITH BRANDON A COUPLE OF TIMES BY ZOOM AND ONCE, ONCE BY
[00:20:04]
ZOOM AND ONCE IN PERSON TO TALK ABOUT THIS.AND BRANDON DID NOT HIT ME UNTIL TODAY WHEN I WAS SLAMMING DOWN MY TURKEY SANDWICH.
AND THEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHO USES THESE REPORTS AND SOMETHING JUST HIT ME, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE THE END USERS OF THESE REPORTS? OF COURSE, THEIR STAFF REPORTS.
SO ITS STAFF AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FOR BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION, ITS PLANNING COMMISSION, OTHER STAFF REPORTS IT WOULD BE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND AND CITY COUNCIL.
BUT ON BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST PLANNING COMMISSION. AND THEN WHAT I HAD FAILED TO THINK ABOUT.
IT'S THE PUBLIC I HAD FAILED TO THINK ABOUT THE PUBLIC AS BEING AN END USER AND THE TRANSPARENCY THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT AND WHERE.
IN THIS REPORT, IF I SEE THE SIX BULLET POINTS, I KNOW WHERE TO GO, TO SEE THE DETAILED CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATION STANDARDS, BOTH THE BOLD POINTS AND ALL THE DETAILS UNDERNEATH THEM, I CAN STICK THEM ON A BULLETIN BOARD BY MY COMPUTER AND AND LOOK AT AND PRINT IT OUT. I CAN KEEP THEM ON MY DESKTOP, ON MY COMPUTER AND LOOK AT THEM.
BUT IF IF THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I EVER APPLIED FOR A BEACHFRONT CONSTRUCTION PERMIT TO BUILD MY HOUSE, TO BUILD MY DUNE WALK OVER, TO BUILD A DECK, WHATEVER, THE LAST THING WE NEED IS TO MAKE THESE PEOPLE HUNT FOR ONE OTHER THING, WHICH IS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE TRIED TO STREAMLINE THE WHOLE PROCESS FOR THEM IN THEIR APPLICATION PROCESS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO HUNT FOR MORE.
AND I'M AFRAID THAT IF WE DON'T SPELL ALL OF THIS OUT, THAT WE'RE LOSING A LAYER OF TRANSPARENCY WITH THE PUBLIC AND.
I'M GOING BACK TO THINKING THAT WE NEED TO GO BACK AND PUT ALL OF THESE INTO OUR STAFF REPORT EVERY TIME FOR THE PUBLIC AS OUR END USER.
SO I KNOW THAT I'M GOING BACK ON WHAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE PUBLIC, AND I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THINK ABOUT THAT.
YEAH. OK. WELL, I THINK IT'S COMMENDABLE WHAT THEY DID AND I SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BUT MY QUESTION THAT I WAS GOING TO BRING UP IS, CAN WE HYPERLINK SOME OF THESE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT USING IT FOR CIVILIAN GENERAL PUBLIC USE? CAN YOU MAKE SOME OF THESE HYPERLINKS TO THE SPECIFIC TITLE CODE AND EVERYTHING? YEAH, WE COULD ACTUALLY WE COULD ACTUALLY HYPERLINK TO ALL OF THIS INFORMATION SO THAT IT'S JUST CLICKABLE.
BRANDON, WOULD YOU GO TO THE OTHER DOCUMENT THAT YOU SHARED AND THE DEFINITIONS AT THE BOTTOM? SO THOSE HYPERLINKS THERE.
SO THIS IS WHAT THAT HYPERLINK BROUGHT ME TO IS THE.
SO WE COULD WE COULD EMBED JUST LIKE WE DID HERE WITH SOME OF THE MORE COMPLEX DEFINITIONS WE'VE EMBEDDED IT RIGHT INTO TO BRING IT UP.
THE NATURAL RESOURCE CODE SO THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT, CERTAINLY MORE THAN WILLING TO DO THE SAME THING ON STAFF REPORTS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT HELP OUT WOULD HELP ME OUT AND IT WOULD GIVE A LIKE SAY, IF IT'S IF IT'S GOING TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, THEN THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO LINK TO IT REAL QUICKLY. DO YOU THINK WE'RE DEALING WITH SOPHISTICATED USERS THAT CAN DO ALL THAT? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, Y'ALL.
I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND I WOULD BE.
IS DONNA HERE? IS DONNA ON THIS CALL? I AM ON THIS CALL.
YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN, DONNA.
THANK YOU. WHAT DO YOU HAVE A THOUGHT ABOUT HYPERLINKS VERSUS ACTUALLY,
[00:25:04]
YOU KNOW.I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WRITING EVERYTHING OUT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? OR WHAT'S OUR WHAT'S THE CITY STANCE ON THAT, DONNA? WELL, I'LL JUST TELL YOU MY STANCE ON IT AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF WHAT WE'RE IN, AND IT'S EVEN EASIER TO SAY IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE FACT THAT MORE USERS ARE MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY, I THINK I NEED TO RESPOND TO WHAT YOU CONSIDER TO BE TRANSPARENCY AND WHAT'S NOT TRANSPARENCY.
OK? ALLOWING FOLKS TO SEE WHAT'S IN THE STAFF REPORT AS IT'S BEEN PRESENTED GIVES THEM THE GENERAL CRITERIA THAT THE GENERAL PLAN OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING, HAVING A HYPERLINK SO THAT THEY CAN GET MORE INFORMATION IS ACTUALLY A BONUS.
THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE EVERY SINGLE ITEM OR EVERY SINGLE DEFINITION OR DESCRIPTION. AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LET THE FOLKS KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IF THEY WANT.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THE COMMENT ABOUT HAVING THE PUBLIC SEE THESE DOCUMENTS, BUT IN REALITY, NOT TOO MANY FOLKS OUTSIDE OF US AND THE APPLICANTS ARE REALLY GOING TO WANT TO DELVE INTO THESE, THESE APPLICATIONS AND WHAT'S GOING TO WHAT THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING AND THE REVIEW OF THIS COMMISSION.
I WILL ALSO SAY THIS IS MY THIRD COMMENT, AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WELL THIS IS GOING TO BE RECEIVED. BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS WANTING TO GET YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS PROCESS.
BUT ULTIMATELY THE PROCESS THAT IS TO BE PROVIDED TO THE COMMISSIONERS IS BASED ON STAFF'S DETERMINATION.
STAFF DECIDES ON THE INFORMATION IN LIGHT OF OUR CODES AND ANY OTHER REGULATIONS AND LAWS ON HOW TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION TO YOU.
SO I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DISRESPECTFUL.
PLEASE DON'T COMMISSIONERS READ IT AS THAT.
BUT THIS THE PROCESS AS I'M UNDERSTANDING IT HAS BEEN NOT ONLY TIME CONSUMING FOR STAFF.
THERE'S SOME REDUNDANCY IN WHAT'S IN AND WHAT INFORMATION HAD BEEN BEING PRESENTED.
[INAUDIBLE]] BUT I DIDN'T TEXT YOU BECAUSE I GOT IN THE MEETING.
REJONE WE CAN HEAR YOU, OH SHE'S MUTED NOW.
RIGHT? YES. SO I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS STAFF'S REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ANALYSIS OF HOW TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION TO YOU ALL, AND WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THEIR STAFF HAS BEEN WANTING TO RECEIVE THE FEEDBACK AND THEY'VE MADE CHANGES IN REGARD TO SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK.
BUT ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION ON WHAT INFORMATION IS BEING PRESENTED IS IS A STAFF DECISION IN OF COURSE, IN LIGHT OF ALL OF OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS, I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF TIM HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON WHAT I JUST SAID.
AND WHAT YOU SAID THERE, DONNA DOES SUM UP MOST OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, BUT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THESE STAFF REPORTS IS, IS TO IT'S REALLY THREEFOLD.
IT'S TO PROVIDE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE IN A FORMAT THAT THAT IS AS EASY TO UNDERSTAND AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S ALSO TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, STAFF A MEANS OF RECORDING THIS INFORMATION FOR THE PERMANENT RECORD AND AND TO DOCUMENT, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED OR REQUIRED OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND AS AS THE DIRECTOR OF THIS DEPARTMENT, I'M CERTAINLY COGNIZANT OF STAFF'S TIME AND DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY GENERATE REDUNDANCIES OR REDUNDANT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF LANGUAGE, IF IT'S IF IT'S IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE NOT TO.
[00:30:03]
AND SO I REALLY COMMEND BRANDON FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER IN THIS WAY.I THINK HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH IT.
THE LINKS ARE BE A GOOD THING.
I THINK ANY TIME WE HAVE THE, ANY TIME WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE THAT SOMEONE CAN CAN TAP ON OR CLICK ON OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
THAT'S GREAT. AND BEYOND, YOU KNOW, THESE STAFF REPORTS, WE HAVE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE. WE HAVE GLOBAL FORUMS OTHERWISE FOR CERTAIN THINGS THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE STAFF AND STAFF IS THERE TO HELP THESE PEOPLE THROUGH THIS.
AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE FORGOTTEN.
WHAT WHAT THESE FOLKS COME IN AND TALK TO US.
ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF IT IS TAKEN CARE OF IN CONVERSATION.
THEY CALL US, THEY COME TO VISIT US.
WHAT HAVE YOU? IF THEY WANT TO READ THINGS FURTHER, WE OBVIOUSLY GIVE THEM ALL THE PAPERWORK AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO READ THROUGH IT.
BUT ULTIMATELY THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THIS AS EASY AND SIMPLE, AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN AND ITS STAFF CONVERSING WITH THEM.
THAT REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
IN MOST CASES. I THINK MOST OF OUR STAFF WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
THEY THEY ARE ABLE TO GET RIGHT TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER OF WHAT THE APPLICANTS ARE SEEKING. SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE WHERE THE REAL INTERACTION, THE MOST MEANINGFUL INTERACTION TAKES PLACE.
SO ANYHOW, THAT SAID, YEAH, I THINK I THINK THIS IS A REALLY WONDERFUL WAY TO TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH.
DOES IT DOES IT SORT OF CHECK THE BOXES, SO TO SPEAK AND.
AND IN OUR INITIAL CONVERSATION, COMMISSIONER HILL AND COMMISSIONER BROWN, WHEN YOU AND I AND BRANDON AND RUSSELL MET, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF WENT OVER THE THREE AUDIENCES THAT ARE THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL IN THIS AND THE PUBLIC DEFINITELY IS ONE OF THEM.
BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, STAFF STAFF TAKES THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY AND THEY INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC WHENEVER THEY REALLY NEED TO.
I GUESS I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND JUST SO JUST SO THAT THE COMMISSIONERS UNDERSTAND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED THAT, YOU KNOW, SECTION TWENTY NINE NINETY DOES SAY THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS MUST FIND THAT ALL OF THESE SIX ITEMS ARE MET.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH YEAH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT.
AND MAYBE THIS, MAYBE THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE MUST FIND.
THAT THEY HAVE MET ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS, SO WHETHER YOU HIT A HYPERLINK, WHETHER YOU SEE ALL OF THEM ON HERE, WHETHER YOU SEE THESE CHECKED BOXES, IT IS.
VERY IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT EACH OF THESE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MET.
IN FACT, YOU CAN'T RENDER AN OPINION UNLESS YOU KNOW THESE CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN MET.
IT IS YOUR DUTY AND IT'S ESTABLISHED AS YOUR DUTY VIA THE ORDINANCE.
SO STAFF IS AVAILABLE, OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE CHECKS THAT STAFF IS HAS MADE ON THESE BOXES.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO MAKING THAT DETERMINATION, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU EITHER BEFORE DURING THE MEETING OR IN THE PUBLIC FORUM EITHER ONE. OK.
DID ANYBODY ELSE? STAN, I SEE YOUR HAND UP AND THEN I SEE BOB'S HAND UP, STAN.
I'M SORRY THAT WAS FROM PREVIOUS.
I DO COMMEND HIM, THOUGH, THAT THIS IS A VERY MUCH MORE SIMPLIFIED METHOD.
I'VE GOT A COPY OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
I'VE GOT A COPY OF ONE OF THE STAFF REPORTS FOR PROPERTY, AND IT'S PRETTY THICK.
[00:35:02]
SO I THINK THIS IS A DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT.ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER BROWN.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT INFORMATION TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS ON AND WHETHER IT'S A HYPERLINK OR YOU PUT IT RIGHT IN THERE.
I THINK IT'S THAT THAT THIS WHERE IT SAYS THE PLANNING COMMISSION MUST FIND A PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION CONFORMS WITH THE FOLLOWING BEACH FRONT CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE.
AND ALL OF THESE POINTS RIGHT HERE ARE GOOD, BUT THERE IS SOME BACKGROUND ON THESE POINTS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT BACKGROUND BEHIND THESE POINTS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR FOCUS ON THE BASIS OF THE DECISION MAKING.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS COMING IN ALL THE TIME AND THEY MAY OR MAY NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE THE [INAUDIBLE] CHAPTER TWENTY NINE PLANNING, WHETHER IT'S WITH A HOT LINK, YOU KNOW IT COULD BE JUST ONE LINK TO THAT CHAPTER TWENTY NINE ONE THROUGH SIX ON THERE.
THAT WOULD WORK JUST FINE, I THINK.
BUT IN ANY CASE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF THEM BECAUSE IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DO TO MAINTAIN OUR FOCUS ON THE BASIS OF DECISION MAKING.
AND AND IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT HERE ON SOMETHING AS COMPLEX AS THIS DUNE PROTECTION PERMIT STANDARDS TO PUT IT RIGHT THERE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF ROOM.
IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE BUT ONE LINE OF HOT LI8NK AND IT'S GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE COMMISSIONERS GOING TO THAT LINK AND LOOKING.
IT'S A BIG ORDINANCE CUZ THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF IN IT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF IT, BUT YOU DO NEED TO LOOK AT THIS PART WHERE THESE THESE BULLET POINTS ARE.
THERE'S FOUR OF THEM THAT HAVE SOME BACKGROUND BEHIND THEM THAT ARE IMPORTANT, I THINK, FOR COMMISSIONERS TO UNDERSTAND AND IT'S GOING TO IT'S GOING TO HELP INFORM AND FOCUS OUR DISCUSSION AND DECISION MAKING.
THANK YOU, BOB. SO AGAIN, THAT'S ADDING THE TO ADD THE HYPERLINKED AT A AT A MINIMUM.
COMMISSIONERS, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD ON THAT? OK, SO I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE, SO, BRANDON, IT SOUNDS LIKE JUST TO TO ADD TO MAKE THE WORDING CONSISTENT ON THE RECTIFY AND THE MITIGATE AND THEN TO ADD THAT HOT LINK AND ANYTHING ELSE COMMISSIONERS? OK. SEEING, NOTHING ELSE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, MR. HILL? NO, MA'AM.
THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU, GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT TODAY.
OK, THEN WE'LL STAND ADJOURNED UNTIL 3:30 COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.