Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

[Music] [Music] [Music] Oh, going home. [Music] [Music] We'll call the May 8th meeting of the Parker Planning Commission to order at 7 p.m. Will you please stand and join us for the pledge of allegiance? I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Uh roll call tonight. Absent is Ruth Anne and Ilana and all other members are seated. Uh are there any additions to or deletions from the agenda? No sir, there are not. Approval of the minutes. Are there any uh additions, corrections, or deletions from the minutes of March 27th? Uh, do we have a motion to

approve? Okay. I move we approve the uh, planning commission meeting minutes from March 27th, 2025. I'll second. It's been moved by Eric, seconded by Nick that we approve the planning commission meeting minutes from March 27th, 2025. And I'll call the question. Brett, yes. Nick, I. Angela I Eric I Jane I chair's eye passes 6. Uh next item on our agenda 7A our public meetings. Uh it's a public meeting a bill for an ordinance to amend section 13.8.040 of the Parker Municipal Code concerning sensitive lands avoidance. and we will open that hearing at 7:02. Kelsey, we're all yours. All right. Uh good evening, Planning Commission. Thank you so much for taking the time to hear this presentation. Uh so tonight we are looking at an ordinance to amend title 13 um section 1308040 of the code regarding sensitive lands avoidance. Um under our flood plane regulations, camping in the flood plane is prohibited. Um that's due to a a safety concern. We get a lot of flash floods. um it's not safe. Um recently the town council has given staff direction to update our codes regarding camping within the town. Uh we also have a prohibition on camping in title 8. What we are trying to do tonight is make sure that camping is all treated the same. So what this ordinance does is it deletes out everything that happens whenever a campsite is abated and it refers back to title 8. And I'll kind of go through some of those changes with you. Um the changes are very minor in in nature. Um we still require 72 hours notice before abatement of a campsite. Um we still state that property that's been recovered must be stored by the police department for 30 days. But there

are a few changes with respect to things like um we will be taking a policy to council about what happens to property, which property should be stored, what should be thrown away, uh what should be given to the police so that everyone's property is treated um the same instead of having people sort of subjectively decide what is valuable, what should be taken back. Um there is also um a new section on when notice is not required for abatement. These would be in e situations that would be um like health, safety, welfare. There's a an imminent flash flood, there's a fire, there is um you know some some emerent reason where notice is not required. Um let's see. I'm trying to think of anything else that is big in here. It's pretty much those changes um and the policy and just making sure that everything is treated the same. Um I'm here for questions. I also have Joe Deenheart from the police department here as well in case you have any questions about um the impact to the town or policy. Um and that's um that's pretty much all I have for you this evening. Okay, I'll open it up for questions. I just had one quick question. Um not sure if you have like the number off hand, but do you have a rough idea of how many abatements occur in a year or how many were like this will potentially impact? I do not. Joe, I don't have an exact number. Um, but recently we've had this month we have we have two that need to be cleaned up. Um, so it's been roughly I think last year roughly is about six. Okay. Okay. Summer months we usually see an increase sometimes. Thank you. And this is down along Cherry Creek or not necessarily. Yeah, it's usually on the Cherry Creek corridor. Um, pick a bridge. It varies. Some up by Lincoln.

The the one that we're doing this month is Park Road. Okay. Other questions? The the items that you'll kind of make the decision on whether they're thrown away or whatever. Is there like a list or something like that or a template? Yeah. So, we have a policy. We didn't put it in front of you tonight because it's a more town council's decision ultimately. Um, it goes through and it it differentiates between what we're calling essential personal property, regular property, and then anything else that would be considered more trash or waste. Essential personal property would be things that are truly difficult to replace and very important. So, this is like government issued IDs, medication, glasses, electronics. We did need to constrain the size because the PD is bursting at the seams. Um they can't take absolutely everything that's at every campsite. Um we just do not have the space. So we did compromise and say anything I forget the cubic feet, but about the size of a backpack, whatever can fit in there that's within that essential personal property will be stored. Um and we're hoping that we can give that 72-hour notice at least at every campsite so people can take their belongings with them. Um so we don't have as as many people who are losing their stuff. Oh, perfect. Thanks. That makes sense. Other question? Um I just have a question. Um it's not in here, Kelsey. Uh I didn't see it anyway about enforcement. Is this a complaint based system? Yes, that's how we how we have been enforcing it. Um sometimes it's through our our own parks or public works department um and through the heart team. And I will say whenever um someone is being um cited under this code or is being enforced under this code, we do have to um provide them with resources or offer them resources before any enforcement action is taken that's in the code. That's like the the different county and city support programs. Is that I believe

that's the heart team. It's for the Douglas County heart team. We partner with them. Um so yeah, we contact them. They'll come out offer resources. We also if there's mental health concerns, we'll connect them with our CRT unit. Um, so number of different resources to try to help them move on and get resources that they may need. Thank you. Anything else? I do have one other question and this is just for my edification more than um a policy question or a a question about what's in front of us. I live fairly close to Sulfor Gulch and so a couple of years ago um maybe during the end of the pandemic I had someone come out um and seemed to do a bridge inspection along Sulfur Gulch that said um they were doing an inspection because they were maybe part of Cedot or something and didn't the town of Parker didn't have jurisdiction. Have you had that experience? Not that I'm aware of. I'll I'll take that one. Thanks, Bryce. So, I I know that the state tracks the condition of bridges throughout the state. That was probably that bridge inspector just checking and um tracking bridge status statewide and they happen to be in Parker. Okay. So, it just happened to be at the same time that there were homeless looking people underneath that bridge probably. Okay. Thank you. Anything else? Thank you officer. Uh since this is a public hearing, we always open it up for the public to come forward and speak on the matter before us. Seeing no public, we will close the public comment portion. Uh any further dis any further questions, then we will close the public

hearing at 7:08. uh commissioner discussion. I really like the idea of having one comprehensive way to treat this situation. Um and I know flood zones are particularly a hazard and it also seems to me like that's where people like to sort of make their um temporary homes um because it's out of sight. it's, you know, close to something that's maybe going to keep them occupied. So, I really appreciate the town taking the effort to make it consistent. Yeah, I agree. I think uniform policies are definitely better than having a mismatch. So, um certainly in favor of this. Yeah, I I agree with uh both of you guys. You know, it's it's nice to have this cleaned up and have it more specific cuz I feel like you guys added a lot of that really good stuff like this is how big it can be. This is how much it's worth, you know. Um I think that's really good for people to know going forward. Um just to have this all cleaned up and and all going together, I think it's perfect. I support it. I also agree. Yeah, it's nice to you'll have a kind of a template to follow so that you don't have to make a judgment call on the field and have inconsistency. So, I definitely support this. Thanks. Um, yeah, I'm in agreement as well. I mean, having officer I'm sorry, what was your last name? Denart. Denhart here. Um, I I assume that means the police department is behind this and that's enough for me. They're the ones that have to deal with it. So, if they're the ones that that like this, let's let's do it. I would agree with my fellow commissioners and thanks Kelsey to your office and officer to the police department for what you're doing here. And uh so do we have a motion? I move planning commission recommend town council approve an ordinance to amend the Parker Municipal Code regarding

camping in the flood plane. I'll second the motion. It's been moved by Brett, seconded by Angela that planning commission recommend town council approve an ordinance to amend the park municipal code regarding camping in the flood plane. I'll call the question. Brett yes. Nick I. Angela I. Eric I. Jane I. Chair's eye passes 6. Okay. Uh, next Bryce, any items for us? No, sir. I don't have any. Okay. Uh, then we need a motion to adjourn. I motion we adjourn the meeting. I'll second. It's been moved by Angela, second by Nick that we adjourn the meeting. Brett. Yes. Nick. Hi. Angela. I. Eric. Hi. Jane. I chairs I good night. [Music]