A plan to create a new committee to review land zoning in Carson City failed at the Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday.
The board was considering a resolution to create a subcommittee consisting of the mayor and one supervisor and three members of the Planning Commission to review city zoning and development standards.
The goal, in part, was to establish a central forum where the public could comment on the issue of zoning before members of both the commission and the board, which together make all land use decisions.
“I really think the public thinks we’re not listening to them. It’s not true, we are listening to them, but that’s what precipitated this,” said Mayor Lori Bagwell.
Bagwell said she was approached by a member of the Planning Commission to do a joint meeting of the two panels, but Daniel Yu, assistant district attorney and counsel to the board, said there were some obstacles to holding a joint meeting, although the hurdles could be overcome.
Three of the supervisors said they didn’t think the subcommittee was the best way to allow the public more input.
“I appreciate sitting with both bodies but in reality this is not it, this is three from planning and two from the board,” said Supervisor Lisa Schuette. “I’m not really seeing how it can work in the way a joint meeting would work.”
Supervisors Stacey Giomi and Stan Jones, who along with Schuette voted no on the measure, had similar comments.
Giomi said the subcommittee could create a draft that could be largely altered once it got to the board for approval. He also suggested the city can hold public workshops on the issue as it does on road projects to gather more public opinion.
“My struggle with this is this is why we have a planning department. This adds another layer. I don’t see what the committee does that hasn’t already been done,” said Jones.
Bagwell and Supervisor Maurice White both voted yes.
“I like this approach because it does create an official record folks can rely on as to what our intent really is,” said White.
The District Attorney’s Office is conducting a years-long project to overhaul Carson City municipal code, including Title 18, which covers zoning.
The board also approved on second reading an ordinance to rezone a vacant 5.27-acre parcel from single-family 1 acre to single-family 6,000 square feet. The property is located at the intersection of Clearview and Silver Sage drives, between larger residential properties to the south and a housing development to the north.
The change was largely opposed by homeowners to the east and south of the parcel who said it did not provide enough of a transition between the bigger properties and the subdivision.
It was also opposed by White who voted no and said at the first reading of the ordinance that zoning map changes should be made during master plan reviews.
During discussion of the city’s coronavirus response, Nicki Aaker, director, Carson City Health and Human Services, said vaccines are now available through Smith’s pharmacy, Walgreens and Walmart as well as some medical offices and CCHHS.
And she and Giomi encouraged people who cannot make an appointment they scheduled to cancel it beforehand so someone else may take their place.
Nancy Paulson, city manager, said the city is working on providing its final mitigation and enforcement plan to the board on April 15 and Bagwell said decisions on large-gathering capacities will be made later, after the city has an opportunity to see how those mitigation efforts are working.
The board also approved the process to replace Gayle Robertson, treasurer, who is resigning as of April 8; extended for one year a contract with Eide Bailly, LLC as the city’s internal auditor and approved a five-year contract with HintonBurdick CPAs & Advisors as the city’s external auditor; and appointed Steven Reynolds to the Culture and Tourism Authority.
