First Reading of an Ordinance amending Chapter 2.48 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Georgetown entitled “Planning and Zoning Commission” relating to Commission membership, meetings, compensation, rules, and procedures; making such other findings and provisions related to the subject; and declaring an effective date -- Sofia Nelson, CNU-A, Planning Director and Jim Kachelmeyer, Assistant City Attorney

Background:

House Bill 3167, enacted by the Texas Legislature on May 21, 2019 and signed into law by the Governor on June 14, 2019, requires the municipal authority responsible for approving plats to approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove a subdivision plan, subdivision construction plan, site plan, land development application, site development plan, preliminary plat, general plan, final plat, or replat within 30 days of the date the application is filed, beginning September 1, 2019. This new legislation requires the municipal authority responsible for approving plats to issue a written statement that sets forth the conditions of a conditional approval or reasons for a denial, to which the applicant may submit a response that purports to address said conditions or reasons, and the municipal authority must approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove the application within 15 days of the date the response is filed.

House Bill 3167’s requirement that the Commission must approve, conditionally approve, or deny all plats, plans, and other land development applications would have required the Commission to have acted upon over 500 additional applications in 2018. In order to bring all plats, plans, and other development applications to the Commission for final action within 30 days of the date the application is filed, as well as all resubmissions to the Commission within 15 days of the date the response is filed, the City will be required to increase the number of Alternate Members and the frequency of Commission meetings. The purpose of the Commission as set forth in Chapter 2.48 of the Code of Ordinances must be amended to reflect these additional responsibilities.