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r x CITY OF 1oTORTH OLMSTED "TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!" PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES - NOVEMBER 11, 2003 I1V COUNCIL CHAMBEIZS 7:30 P.M. 1. ROLL CALL: Acting Chairman S. Hoff-Smith called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. PRESENT: M. Yager, S. Hoff-Smith, T. Hreha, and C. Allan ALSO PRESENT: Planning Director K. Wenger, Assistant Law Director B. O'Malley, Assistant Building Commissioner T. Rymarczyk, and Assistant Clerk of Commissions A. Kilbane ABSENT: R. Koeth, J. Lasko, and W. Spalding II. REVEEW AND CORRECTION OF MINUTES: The Planning Commission minutes dated October 28, 2003 have been submitted for approval. M. Yager made a motion to approve the rninutes as presented. The motion was seconded by T. Hreha and unanimously approved. MOTION CAR12IED. III. BUII,DING DEPARTMENT REQUESTS: IV. NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND SUBDIVISIONS: V. COMMUNICATIONS: VI. CONIlVIITTEE REPORTS: VIL MINOR CHANGES: VIII. NEW BUSINESS: Introduction of new Citv Planner Mrs. Hoff-Smith welcomed and introduced the City Planner, Ms. Kim Wenger. Ms. Wenger gave a brief summary of her background. She indicated she is from North Olmsted originally and attended Noi-th Olmsted schools. She completed her undergraduate studies at Ohio Wesleyan with majors in urban studies, sociology, anthropology, and about 5 different minors. She said she was uncertain the direction she wanted to take until she found city planning and discovered that is what she is passionate about. She likes the combination of geography, economics, variety of land use, and social issues. She went to Ohio State and found a graduate program in city and regional planning that was fascinating. It provided internship experience along the way. She said after receiving her degree, she continued on full time with a consulting firm in Columbus. They did a wide variety of projects for cities around Columbus such as Dublin, Westerville, Hillard, as well as townships and counties around the state. She had a lot of diverse experiences in consulting and worked with master plans, zoning, strategic planning, and facilitation of different public participation methods. She enjoyed the consulting but found there was something lost when she left the plan at the doorstep of the community, and walked away to the next project. She did not get to see what her efforts produced. In some cases, a community would be very committed to planning and implementation and in other instances, that was not the case. She wanted to put herself in a position to see, over a longer period of time, the results of good planning in a community. Ms. Wenger added that she also had a desire to relocate to her hometown area. She was brought on board and told the city is 20 years too late, but it is better late than never to have a professional planner in the city. Her major duties are to coordinate the preparation of the master plan update, work with the Planning Commission reviewing development proposals, economic development, and grant writing including community development block grants. She has been in the job just over a week and has had some opportunity to review the status of the master plan. She has worked with Don Copeland on the community developinent block grant application. They are trying to secure funds so they would actually