2020-09-08 Moab City Council Meeting Preview

[Editor’s note: Both Mike Duncan and Rani Derasary have graciously agreed to let MADAR reuse their regular email updates to constituents. Despite the overlap, we are running both versions of the MCC previews. Readers can choose to read both, either or neither of the previews.]

Council packet can be viewed here.

To watch the meeting, which starts at 7 PM: This meeting will be conducted using a video conferencing tool named Zoom. Staff, Mayor and Councilmembers talk to and see an image of each other sitting at a computer at remote sites. You can see and hear (but not talk to) them using the City’s YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl00z0Zgdmz4y1FoI0l7CJA.

When will in-person meetings resume?

We have been debating when to resume in-person meetings at City Hall. As you might guess, opinions range from “soon” to “when everybody is vaccinated.” At the moment, it’s still Zoom.

Citizens To Be Heard has been changed

• CTBH now happens live, soon after the start of the meeting. No more “letters by 7 PM” sort of thing, although you can always email Mayor/Council on any subject anytime – see moabcity.org for email addresses.
• CTBH is the second item on the agenda, just after the minutes are approved (which usually just takes a couple of minutes), and before Mayor and Council Reports (which have been taking a long time, but at the Mayor’s request is now limited to three minutes per Councilmember). 

To participate in CTBH: 

• First, use the city’s YouTube channel as described above to watch the meeting.
• Call in: Dial: (669) 900-9128 ; Meeting ID: 897 1342 8009 ; Password (if needed): 394235.
• When you join the meeting, you will be placed in a waiting room and will be added to the meeting by the moderator. Once you are added to the meeting, please state your name for the record. Your comments will be limited to three (3) minutes and recorded on YouTube.

Action Items

Approval of two minor subdivisions. There are two routine “minor” (from one to two lots) subdivisions located at: 1040 Pear Tree Lane and 241 East 100 North. You can review details of the two subdivisions in the council’s packet.

Amending the Zoning for Property Located at 778 W. Kane Creek Boulevard in the RA-1, Residential-Agricultural Zone, to C-1, Commercial-Residential.  As far as I can tell, nothing has changed since this property came up last year with the same request, resulting in no action taken. It’s an unfortunate story, as the owner operated his residence with Council approval as a B&B “home occupation” for 16 years beginning in 2001, even though B&B’s aren’t legal in RA1. For that reason his business license was revoked in 2017. C1 is a big change in a sea of RA1 in that neighborhood, and a rezone would set a precedent. Not clear what we’ll do.

Approving the Every Minor Subdivision Located at 165 E 200 N.This “minor” subdivision (meaning 5 lots or less) in the R3 zone from one to two lots is routine except for the question of whether sidewalks are required on the 200N frontage. Sidewalks are in general required by ordinance everywhere in the city, to be installed when property upgrades are made. However, the ordinance has historically been inconsistently applied. Clearly, sidewalks should be required in many and perhaps most places, but (in my opinion) not necessarily all places in the city. Planning Commission’s recommendation to Council was not to require them here.

Hope this helps, 

Mike Duncan, Moab City Councilmember