The council first addressed the deferral of item 6B to April 24th at the request of the applicant. Simultaneously, an updated backup for item 6C was circulated due to a revised letter of intent aiming for consistency with the newly adopted code. At the meeting, the Planning and Zoning department recommended approval of an ordinance amending the time frame of zoning workshops, a topic that had been subjected to public scrutiny.

Public comments, particularly from Mr. Pierre Christ, brought to light concerns regarding the requirement for city council members to attend 75% of zoning workshops. Emphasized was the necessity of a robust procedure for delivering workshop information to council members. This item was motioned for approval and received a second motion from a council member.

An additional focus was the resolution for granting Dalal Court Retail Investments LLC a special exception to allow two media and public service board wall signs. This item proceeded without public commentary and was recommended for approval by the Planning and Zoning department. The motion to approve was made and seconded by council members, both of whom disclosed their communications with the applicant.

The meeting also tackled the matter of integrating public comments into development projects. A suggestion was made to potentially schedule zoning workshops earlier in the project timeline, providing residents with the opportunity to engage during the initial phases of development. This spurred debate over the timing and availability of project information. Questions were raised concerning the transparency of past developments and the importance of making comprehensive information accessible to residents to facilitate informed opinions and feedback on upcoming projects.

Ordinance number 20247, which pertained to text amendment tobacco and vape dealers, was thoroughly discussed and passed on a second reading. This ordinance aimed to amend city code sections to include hemp and CBD dealers within the location and distance restrictions, aligning with the regulation of movable places of business. The Planning and Zoning department had recommended approval of this ordinance.

Another item discussed was ordinance number 20248, involving text amendment hotel and motel uses. After public comments, the ordinance was approved on the first reading. However, a motion was put forth to deny the ordinance, which ultimately passed. This decision marked a notable deviation from the Planning and Zoning department’s recommendation.