Thursday morning there was workshop focused on code enforcement. Staff presented a well prepared report emphasizing how much 40 full time city staff dedicated to code compliance accomplish compared to the size of the city and the volume of permitted construction. I think staff also did a good job of emphasizing that compliance is the focus of code enforcement, er, neighborhood enhancement. Staff did not make any recommendations at this time for Council to consider and the issue seems settled for now.

Staff also briefly went over the proposed changes to the Land Development code for the January cycle. I touched on it in the preview, this is the initial step, there are still public outreach events planned and the final language will come before Council in the form of an ordinance to be adopted before July.

Everything else was continued except for item 6 which was removed. Existing code for “A-frame” placards stands.

The evening agenda turned out to be fairly light in that Item 3 was continued until July and will be re-noticed as requested by Council. item 4 was also continued, this until March 21st to coincide with a rezoning. Which apparently is allowed by State statute at the request of the applicant. Council has tried to keep them separate so as to not confuse what is being determined in a future land use case versus a specific zoning application. Council can’t consider what might be built now when making Future Land Use changes. That’s been difficult to convey to the public and oftentimes, the applicant.

Item 5 Was an item I highlighted in the preview that had been before Council, continued and was back. There was significant opposition from Hyde Park neighborhood associations and while the new agent for the business did admirable work to get the association the business was actually in to lift their opposition, the adjacent neighbors did not. The application failed.

Items 6-9 All passed on first reading.