Adopt Ordinance #17-03  to Amend Board of Appeals and Adjustment/Official Map - An Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 - Section 2-159 (Duties, Responsibilities, and Objectives) of the Ramsey City Code

The City of Ramsey, along with the City of Anoka, Anoka County, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation recently accepted the Highway 10 Access Planning Study, which is now the comprehensive vision/plan for Highway 10 future improvements. This is the third version of said vision over the past several decades. In the 1990s, the Interregional Corridor Study was completed and included several planned improvements along Highway 10. That vision was amended in the mid 2000s through the completion of the Highway 10 Access Management Plan. That plan proved to be challenging to implement, and in response, the current Highway 10 Access Planning Study was completed. Due to the change in vision, Staff has been preparing for an update to the City's Official Map, which places certain land use controls over properties and portions of properties ultimately needed for public purposes, such as frontage roads, interchanges, and other improvements.

As part of that review, the City Attorney has recommended that the City's ordinance establishing a separate Board of Adjustment and Appeals for the Official Map Area be amended to consolidate into the Planning Commission's normal role as Board of Adjustment and Appeals. Both are powers granted under the State's Planning Enabling Law. It is the City Attorney's Legal Opinion that the Statute does not provide guidance to create two separate Board of Adjustment and Appeals. In response, the proposed ordinance is attached. This will be the first in a series of amendments related to the Official Map.

The Public Hearing for the proposed ordinance was properly published in the City's Official Newsletter.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on this hearing at their January 5, 2017 meeting.  There were no written or verbal comments received. The Ordinance has been introduced by the City Council on January 24, 2017 and is now eligible for adoption.

This case is being handled as part of normal Staff duties.

The Planning Commission recommends approval of Ordinance #17-03.

Motion to waive the City Charter requirement to read the ordinance aloud and adopt Ordinance #17-03 Amending Chapter 2 - Section 2-159 (Duties, Responsibilities, and Objectives) of the Ramsey City Code.

Roll Call Vote:
     Councilmember Riley
     Councilmember Williams
     Councilmember Johns
     Councilmember Kuzma
     Councilmember Shryock
     Councilmember LeTourneau
     Mayor Strommen