Commission Board Meeting on Mon, November 5, 2007 - 8:30 AM


Meeting Information

-Convene
 -The Pledge of Allegiance 
 
CONSENT AGENDA 
 (1) (a) Consider approval of Commission Orders; and
(b) Consider approval of Cereal Malt Beverage license for Walter Ewert (Marni Penrod)

REGULAR AGENDA
 (2) Request from ECO2 to issue an open space RPF request for proposal (Trudy Rice)

 (3)  Discussion regarding a request from the Lawrence Home Builders Association to adopt           I-Codes (Bobbie Flory)

 (4) Discuss Issues Report (Craig Weinaug)

 (5)  Discussion of 2008 Goals & Objectives for the Budget Document (Jenny Hesseltine)

(6) Other Business
     (a) Consider approval of Accounts Payable (if necessary)
     (b) Appointments  
     (c) Miscellaneous  
     (d) Public Comment  

(7) Adjourn

 

                                                       
 
 Johnson called the meeting to order at 8:38 a.m. on Monday, November 5, 2007 with all members present.
  
CONSENT AGENDA 11-05-07
Jones moved approval of the following Consent Agenda:

►Resolution No. 07-47 granting a Cereal Malt Beverage License to Walter Ewert of Lawrence to sell cereal malt beverage for consumption of the premises located at 1845 E 1450 Road, Lawrence, Kansas; and
►Acknowledged additional fee receipt from September 2007.
   
Motion was seconded by McElhaney and carried unanimously.

PROPROSALS & ECO2 11-05-07
The Board considered an open space request for proposal developed by the ECO2 open space committee. Trudy Rice, Larry McElwain and Bill Rhotan of the ECO2 Commission were present for discussion. The ECO2 Commission will inventory land proposals to be reserved as green space. Potential projects include the outright purchase of property or the purchase of conservation easements to establish a green space program. Proposals that involve matching efforts from individuals or partnering organizations are particularly encouraged. The first consideration will be given to proposals received by January 31, 2008, and will be reviewed by the open space committee of ECO2 to be sent to the City and County Commissions for approval.

Jones asked how the EOC2 Commission proposes to advertise this program. Rice stated she plans to communicate with governing bodies, there will be information on their website and she hopes to get media coverage.

Jones moved to support the request by ECO2 to issue an open space Request for Proposal. Motion was seconded by McElhaney and carried unanimously.

ZONING & CODES 11-05-07
Bobbie Flory, Executive Director of the Lawrence Home Builders Association, spoke to the Board to request the adoption of the International Family of Codes (I-Codes). Also present for discussion were Lee Queen, Edmondson Construction;  Mark Stogsdill, HMA Architects; and Keith Dabney, Director of Zoning and Codes.  Flory stated the I-Codes are user friendly, stand-alone residential building codes for one and two family residential dwellings. The builders can take one code book and find everything he needs to build. Presently Baldwin City, Eudora, Johnson County and Lawrence (effective January 2008) use the code. Builders are required to take classes yearly and the code books are supplied with the courses. Queen stated the biggest change a builder would notice with the I-Codes would be the impact of the Energy Code. Under the Energy Code, the I-Codes ask for certain upgrades that promote energy efficient, cost-saving items added to the requirements including insulation in attics, window upgrades, and wind resistant garage doors. Many of the required upgrades are already being done for custom homes. Jones asked if the uniform code and the I-Codes are roughly equivalent. Dabney stated they are.

Flory stated the I-Codes are updated every three years. Jones asked if in three years, would the County have to adopt again. Dabney stated that would be up to the jurisdiction. Johnson stated the present I-Code is a 2006 version, and the Board would later have the option to adopt the 2009 update.

Jones asked if the City panel group came back with a recommendation. Queen stated the board studied the code for one year and came back with a 12-0 vote to adopt. Flory asked the Board to direct Keith Dabney to review the I-Codes and come back with a recommendation. Dabney stated he is already in the process of reviewing the information.

Jones asked if the Board chooses to adopt, how much time do we allow for compliance.  Dabney suggested making the I-Codes effective in January 2008. Johnson stated if a building permit has been issued the present code applies. After January, any new building permits would require the new code.

Queen stated he felt it is important for the City and County to have the same code. The City may have amendments that meet their needs. This is the code of the future. We are moving to one code internationally. The I-Code is simpler for the enforcement, the design professional and the builder.

Johnson asked if the new code would impose standards on an existing structure because of an addition, making the addition difficult to achieve. Dabney stated with the existing code or the new code, the requirements would apply to the addition only.

Johnson asked Dabney how many modifications he expects to the I-Codes. Dabney replied no more than 35. Johnson asked how many modifications the City had. Dabney replied much more than 35.

After further discussion, the Board directed Keith Dabney, Director of Zoning and Codes, to give the I-Codes to the Building Code Committee to review and to make recommendations to the Board on a Wednesday night for a public hearing.

ISSUES REPORT 11-05-07
Craig Weinaug, County Administrator, discussed updates to the Issues Report with the Board deleting projects that have been completed.

BUDGET/2008 GOALS & OBJECTIVES 11-05-07
The Board discussed the 2008 Budget Commissioners Goals and Objectives list.  Jenny Hesseltine, County Administrator Intern, prepared the presentation. No action was taken.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE 11-05-07
Johnson moved to approve accounts payable in the amount of $269,276.25 to be paid on 11/05/07; manual checks in the amount of $750.00 paid on 10/31/07; and a wire transfer in the amount of $16,972.72 paid on 10/31/07. Motion was seconded by Jones and carried unanimously.

APPOINTMENT 11-05-07
Jones moved to approve the reappointment of Janet Grant, Lawrence, Kansas, to the Douglas County Board of Zoning Appeals for a second three-year term to expire on October 31, 2010. Motion was seconded by Johnson and carried unanimously.

APPOINTMENT 11-05-07
Jones moved to approve the appointment of Jennifer Nelson, Lawrence, Kansas, to the Douglas County Board of Zoning Appeals for a three-year term to expire on October 31, 2010. Nelson replaces the expired term of Jim Bowen. Motion was seconded by Johnson and carried unanimously.

Johnson moved to adjourn the meeting; Jones seconded and the motion carried. 

 

____________________________   ____________________________
Bob Johnson, Chairman                       Jere McElhaney, Vice Chair

ATTEST:

_____________________________   ____________________________
Jamie Shew, County Clerk                     Charles Jones, Member
   

Location

County Courthouse
1100 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA