Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

There we go. Calling to order the planning commission for city Of Tulare, Tuesday, 02/24/2025. First on the agenda is the pledge, which will be led tonight by commissioner Henry.

Please join me excluding our flag.

I pledge allegiance 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.

Moving on to pub public comments. This time is set aside for anyone who would like to address the commission on an on an issue that is not agendized or to have something removed from the consent calendar. Please keep comments limited to three minutes or less and identify yourself when speaking. So if anyone would like to come forward and address the planning commission, feel free at this time. Seeing none, I close the public comment section and move on to commissioner's reports and items of interest.

I have one. Last night, I got the privilege to go and watch grit, the Lewis Navarro story, with the first responders. And, I know it's showing again tonight again for first responders, but, quite a testimony and a tribute to, retired chief Navarro and very well done Hollywood production. And, eventually, they will be releasing it to the public, but, it was such a privilege to go and be there with our firefighters and our police last night and other first responders. So that was probably that's the thing I wanna highlight is, the movie grit.

And I encourage you if you get the opportunity to, witness the the growth of a a young boy engaged in gangs early on and what a mentor can do and how he was pulled away from that life and became the chief of fire for our city of Tulare. It's a pretty remarkable story. So yeah.

It's awesome. Yeah. I've been going to basketball games, and season is almost over. The belly championships are at Saland Arena on Friday and Saturday, and there's two Tulare teams that are vying for the championship, Tulare Union for the girls on Friday night and to Larry Union for the boys on Saturday night. So if you wanna see some good basketball, go out. You get to see four or five games because they're all one after another. That's about it for me. Anything else? Seeing none, move on to the consent calendar. Commissioners?

I move we approve the consent calendar as presented.

I'll second.

It's been moved and seconded. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed. Consent calendar is adopted. Moving on to public hearing 6.1.

Sharon, Miguel, this item is for the Sherman Sherwood South Subdivision, and both staff and the applicant is requesting a continuance of this item, if it's the will of your commission to the 03/10/2026 regular meeting. And if it's your commission's will, we would ask that.

Can we do this on a voice motion. Can we do this on a voice voice vote vote? Okay. All in favor of Sherwood Subdivision being moved to March 10, say aye. Aye. Opposed?

We don't need a motion.

Sorry. I thought she had a voice, but I thought

it's motion.

You wouldn't need a motion.

Okay. Then let's do that. Anyone like to make a motion on this item?

I'll move that we continue Sherwood South Subdivision to the March 10 regular meeting. I second.

Please pull the commission.

Commissioner Limas? Aye. Commissioner Henard? Aye. Vice chair Miller? Chair Miguel?

Aye. Item has been moved to March 10. I should have voted no and just, like, confused everybody. So, anyway, moving on to general business. Comments related to general business items are limited to three minutes per speaker. Appointment of planning commissioners, chair, and vice chair.

Good evening, chair Miguel, vice chair Miller, and planning commission. So this item just I know we had a couple absences on last last meeting. So according to the council and commission's handbook, every January at a January meeting, is the appointment of chair and vice chair to serve for a one year term. It is at your your commission's pleasure. It has to be, approved by the majority of the commission.

This was continued from last meeting because we only had three commissioners. We which technically would be a majority, but, with the resignation of, commissioner Guerrero, we currently now have the four active, commissioners present. And if it is your council or I'm sorry, your commission's will, you're able to hold that vote to take nominations to serve as chair, vice chair. You know, it's it's really there's no other than the rules I laid out in the handbook, those are pretty much it. Some commissions, they rotate on a on a yearly basis, so they'll have the chair served and the vice chair to vice chair each year, and they rotate them each each year to cross train and provide an opportunity for each of the commissioners.

But it is, up to your, majority decision on on nomination. So with that, I will open it up and and let our chair kinda lead, this discussion.

I have a question. If it'd be the will of this group that we rotate, through, how does that have to be how would that happen? How?

And I'll defer to the city attorney, but, typically, I think you just would again, we'd still have to do it on a every January at the January meeting. We're in February, so we're a month beyond that. But, nonetheless, we'd still hold this item as a general business item. And just every year, it would be it's it's your com your commission's pleasure if if that is something you'd like to do or just leave it up to an open vote even if it doesn't necessarily go sequentially by commission position. Is that correct?

Yeah. That's correct. And and you would just nominate the vice chair, for example, for the chair position and then nominate another commissioner for the vice chair position. And that would cycle through every year.

Okay.

So if that's if that was our will now, how would how do we need to change anything in the handbook? Or

No. Simply, all you're considering now is taking, either nominations or, well, I guess if somebody wants to step forth and and throw their their, name in the ring, so to speak, they're in the hat, to serve as the as the chair and as a vice chair for the for the upcoming year. So we're in February, but it would typically should go one full calendar year, and so we'd have another vote each year.

The way you just explained it. So then the chairman would step down and just become commissioner. Vice chair would move into chair. Right? And then another commissioner would step into vice chair. So it's a constant transgression or not transgression, but

Transition.

Throughout throughout to give everybody opportunities to learn.

I think that'd be an

unwritten cycle as

far as

Like, we'd we'd might all think that that's what we're doing, but it wouldn't be on the book, so to speak, because that's the order.

Yeah. I mean, ultimately, you'd have to make the motion. There has to be a motion and a second there has to be a vote for who whoever you decide for the upcoming year to serve as chair, who's gonna serve as vice chair. If you wanted to do it that way where it's like on to to to a commissioner Lemus' point, it doesn't specify in the handbook. Have to do it that way. It's really but these are just I'm laying out some options for your consideration as you

So how is the mayor's position chosen?

So the mayor, that's that's different. That's a different body. That's the council, but the mayor is appointed. Again, it there is a vote held by the by the council. And I think that one's on a two year, if I recall correctly. Yeah. But that one's two year for for the mayor and and vice mayor. But then there's specific instructions for the commission, so planning commission, the BPU. And so those regulations, govern the appointed bodies, which would be the, like, the planning commission.

There's just an unwritten custom that council cycles through where the chair the vice chair or the vice mayor becomes the mayor and Okay. Somebody else is select. It's un it's unwritten and could easily be not followed at the next appointment, but that's the custom that has been followed.

And and just to some further simplify, hopefully, it's, there's tradition, and then there's what it says in the handbook. So all the handbook says you all have to vote for a chair and vice chair. How and in which pattern and considerations, that is up to your commission's pleasure.

Well, I would like to suggest that we consider, a rotation in that way. Everyone on this panel are are very talented, very dedicated, very, have a lot of skills and abilities. And I think that that opportunity for everyone to have a chance to be or have an opportunity to be the chairman for a year is a really good idea, and it grows grows us all and makes us better commissioners, I think.

I like that idea too. I was hoping that we'd have good news that another appointment had been made before we were voting, but we can't make that happen.

And and we don't know when that's going to happen. Right?

Maybe another month off or so. And I would recommend since this is only a one year appointment, we can preferably not delay it just so someone gets most of the year, to serve. But, also, keep in mind, it is annual. So once we have that appointment made, they'd be able to participate, next year. Hopefully, we can keep them on the, commission.

And I I agree with what Sandy said. I think it gives opportunity to everybody, and, and it does grow us all. Mhmm. And, so I agree with that.

So do we need to make a motion to that effect? Or If

I get

You would just make nominations for the chair and vice chair position, and then there would be a vote on that.

Does anyone wanna throw their name in for the position of cast? I

think you would be a good question. I would I would not turn that nomination down. So what what we're talking about is you should submit to vice chair, your teacher. Okay. Vice chair. Yeah.

Okay.

We're talking among ourselves. Is that illegal?

Yes.

Oh, I'm sorry. Let me turn the mic back on.

Okay. So fourth well, we would

do it for the record, but Jocelyn said she'd be willing to throw her hat in as vice chair, and Sandy could move in as chairman this this coming year. Is that what we're Yes. Are you okay with that, Mr. McGill?

You mean? Yeah. How long have I been shared with with that? To be perfectly frank, I think that considering that I'm the only male on the planning commission

That's not

it's probably a little overdue for a female.

Not be for very long. Yeah. It might be.

But but I'd say a little overdue for a female chair. I don't think we've ever had one, actually.

I do see. To my knowledge, but,

I mean, I'm very excited that the city is investing money and sending me to that training, and I'm looking forward to, it's really gonna take me a lot out of my comfort zone, but, to go by myself. But I'm really looking forward to all that I'm gonna learn over those couple of three days down there. And and I just think it it's healthy. It's it's healthy for people to rotate and change in in their roles. It grows everybody in their role. And and then we we don't become stagnant either. I I just think it's it's healthy in any in any type of leadership anywhere, to do that. So that's my 2¢.

But you've done a good job, Sam. So

then we would open the nomination period up for chair first.

Okay. I nominate Sandy for chair.

I second that.

The chair has been moved and seconded. Home co poll commission, I would imagine.

Commissioner Limas? Aye. Commissioner Henard? Aye. Vice chair Miller? Aye. Chair Miguel?

Aye. Congratulations. You're the new chair.

So now I make a motion that we appoint Jocelyn Lemus as the vice chair of the planning commission.

I'll second.

Been moved and seconded. I guess this will be my last act this year. On You have to adjourn, but you have

to adjourn the meeting. That's true. Pull the commission.

Commissioner Henard. Aye. Vice chair Miller. Aye. Commissioner Limas. Aye. Chair Miguel.

Aye. Congratulations.

Moving on to staff updates.

Thank you, commissioners. So now with the chair and vice chair, we wanna thank outgoing chair, Chuck Miguel, who's done a fantastic job for you've been the chair, I think, the entire time I've been with the city, and I know it goes beyond that. Again, there's not this isn't like the mayor where there's other kind of official and unofficial duties. It's essentially running the meeting and representing the planning commission as a chair and vice chair. But to the comments made by the commissioners, I I think Steph would agree that on a rotational basis, it allows that cross training, that opportunity for everyone to kinda have an opportunity to run the meetings.

But you all work very well as a body. I really enjoy kinda having that the types of discussions and collaboration among the commissioners. We will continue to invest in training opportunities. So you heard commissioner Henry mentioned she's going to the Plan Commissioner's Academy. This is the first year, at least since I've been here, since we've been able to put that forward. I know we sent out an email. That is also an annual event. It's usually in the spring around the same time. So look for that for next year. For those of you that would be interested, maybe next year going, that would be an opportunity as well.

So definitely anything we can do to support you all in your continued public services community, and just thank you again for for all of you for your attendance and your participation. That's all

I have this evening. Alrighty then.

Before before can I just add one more thing? I know I'm out of order. I just forgot this. This Saturday because you're up here. This Saturday is since we voted to have the Veterans Memorial Building, a historic building this Saturday.

It's their huge celebration, And, it starts, I think, at at ten or eleven. It's in my calendar. But, I would encourage us I mean, especially because if any of you can go to that, it's a huge celebration for our commission and then council following through with deeming them a historical landmark. And I just think it's it's it's a big deal and well worth says 12:00. So maybe that that's when I'm doing the prayer to, open that whole ceremony for them, and so I'm very excited to do that.

But if any of you have that time and wanna go celebrate, because that is something our commission had done and the council followed through on, and they're very excited. So that's a Saturday. Sorry.

That's okay. Anything else?

Alrighty. At that, I adjourn tonight's meeting. Have a good evening.

Huge. It's a big joke for them.