Minutes

Attending: Matt Cossalman, Caleb Davis, Ron Self, John Moss, Marciavee Cossette, Steve Shelman, Bruce Behrman. Staff, John Cranor for Dan Studer (Absent).

At 5:30 pm Matt Cossalman, Chairman opened the regular meeting and read through the agenda.

The minutes of the May meeting were reviewed and Ron Self motioned to accept the minutes, second by John Cranor. No discussion, the motion was passed unanimously.

At 5:33 Cossalman reviewed the script for 13-037 Conditional Use application public hearing, and opened the meeting with Ken Comers comments. No conflict of interest, or ex-parte contact with members of the commission.

Comer opened with comments. Family operation. Family lives there and they don't want noise either; the building is insulated and sound proofed. Grooming business hours are 9 am to 4 pm. Cabinet water approved plan, Panhandle Health consulted and depending on the outcome here will proceed with their direction in handling sewage. Building is 24×30, built to ID code by ID licensed contractors. Four to six traffic trips per day expected. Co. road is dust abated. One close neighbor, others are across co. road and further away. Business should not affect property values.

Ken was asked about how many animals? Ken responded 6 dogs maximum boarding. Cats may be in smaller cages. Self asked about room for expansion; Ken said he wanted to stay small because of building cost. Cossalman asked about sound proofing and ventilation. Ken said they are using insulation on walls and between pens, and the room can remain closed and air conditioned during hot months. The building will remain closed. Noisy dogs will remain inside and not allowed in the outside runs. Cossette asked about cats; they will be in separate rooms from dogs. Waste will be handled by septic or buried. Caleb asked about dog run hours; Comer said they will only be used until 4:00 pm.

No further questions of the applicant, Cranor gave the staff report. Cranor read the considerations in decision process.

Moss commented that the hearing process is one step in the ability of the applicant to go ahead with the business proposition, and that Panhandle Health is a separate but necessary step in the approval process; and adequate septic is necessary for Comer to be successful in starting his business.

Cossette asked Comer about ingress/egress in case of fire and evacuation of the animals. Comer said the animals would have to go out the front entrance.

Cossalman asked for public comment, first from people in favor of the application.

Phil Allegretti came forward. He lives about a half a mile away. He received an anonymous letter against the kennel. He said he didn't have a problem with the kennel. Dogs will be in at night.

Glendi West, a neighbor. Read a letter into the record in favor of the application. Neighbors have geese, dogs, guns, etc. No problems.

Cossalman asked Comer for any closing comments. Comer said he hopes this is a good thing for the county. He lives 75 yards from the kennel and he doesn't like to hear dogs barking. Self shared and commented on letter from neighbor opposed. Comer does not know person who wrote letter.

Cossalman closed this hearing and opened discussion. Self was happy with plan design, thoroughness. Cossalman asked if there were conditions that needed consideration? The commission discussed septic needs, noisy dog plan (keep inside), ventilation/cooling.

Conditions were discussed. It was determined that the plan presented was adequate to handle conditions that would want to be mitigated – i.e. noise, ventilation, cooling. Moss motion to approve the application without conditions. Second by Davis. There was no further discussion, Cossalman called for the vote. The motion passed unanimously.

Potential applicants for the P&Z Commission vacancy (Weland) was next on the agenda. An individual who emailed an interest had been contacted by Cranor, however, was not present. Moss had contacted past applicant Gordon Newell, who now has conflict with business duties. Cossalman suggested that we encourage any applicants to come next month.

Cossalman will be gone for July meeting, Cranor will fill in as Chair. Mariacvee also said she my not be available.

Cossalman brought up the Comprehensive plan amendment. Matt fixed Chapter 13, it now has author edit and comments that can be tracked. Matt will do this for Chapter 14 also.

13.4.5 Residential was discussed; specific uses that are duplicated and spelled out in the ordinance were suggested to be removed. 13.4.7 Rural Residential was also edited to remove specifics that are spelled out in the ordinance.

Discussion ensued regarding how much to leave or remove from the Comp Plan. Misgivings were aired regarding changing the document at all. Cossalman commented that the P&Z Commission has authority outlined in the Ordinance to make changes to the document. The commission recognizes that the original authors overshot their mission and erred in over specifying zone specifics, and should have stuck to a more general description of each zones characteristics, and how zones differ from one to the other. The Commission sees their objective as replacing zone specifics with the intent and general characteristics of zones. The commission went on to discuss edits to prime agriculture.

It was determined that the members were busy this summer and would not schedule a special workshop to continue work on the Comp Plan. There are also no agenda items for the regular meeting in July.