[Vision2020] resigning before speaking

[Barbara Richardson]

Bill,

My understanding is that State Law and Moscow Ordinance prohibit a member of
the planning commission from taking an advocacy role in any case in which
he/she has been a party.  P and Z hearings are administrative hearings and
as such the committee members making a recommendation are suppose to only
consider certain legal questions and be impartial.  If you are a dissenting
vote, much like the Supreme Court, you can add you reason for dissension to
the record in written form.  I have done a little research and found out
that if a P and Z member is allowed to speak, there may be grounds for an
appeal of that decision.

I know that people wanted to hear what Mike had to say and after his
resignation from P and Z Mayor Comstock did allow him to speak.  I
personally was there and commend the Mayor and Council for putting a
citizens right to speak above the legal opinion of the City Attorney.  I
think this shows that the Council and Mayor wanted to ensure that there was
equal participation and representation of both sides.


Barbara Richardson Crouch
Latah Economic Development Council
121 Sweet Ave.
Moscow, Idaho 83843
(208) 885-2832
(208) 885-3803 (fax)
edc@moscow.com
www.moscow.com/edc
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]On
Behalf Of Bill London
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 9:59 AM
To: Mike Curley; Vision2020; gary riedner
Subject: [Vision2020] resigning before speaking


I do not understand why Mike Curley had to resign from the city Planning
and Zoning Commission to speak about a zoning issue at the last Moscow
City Council meeting.  Is that really what happened?
Why is it illegal or improper or whatever for a citizen (especially one
well informed on the issue) to speak to the council on an important and
contraversial proposal?
The P and Z commission had discussed this issue and made a
recommendation on it to the council, as I understand, and Mike Curley
wanted to speak about it.  Why was he not allowed to speak, unless he
resigned?
I do not get it.
I am sending this to City Supervisor Gary Riedner as well, asking him to
explain this to me and to the V2020 list.
BL

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