Meetings

Position	Name	Appointment Expires
Chair	Tim Grimsby	05/15/10
Council Member/ Co-Chair	Mel Mulder	04/01/12
Member	Dave Karisny	06/06/09
Member	Jeff Pace	10/01/08
Member	Linda Deaton	05/01/11
Member	Paul Johnson	05/01/11
Member	Bob Fuller	05/15/10

The Fruita Planning Commission holds a public hearing on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Fruita Civic Center, 2nd Floor Council Chambers, 325 E. Aspen Avenue, Fruita, Colorado. The Planning Commission will formulate a recommendation, which will be forwarded to the Fruita City Council. If the items are acted on by the Planning Commission, the Fruita City Council will hold a public hearing on these same items on the 1st Tuesday of the following month, at the same location. If you have an interest in an item on the agenda, you may call City Hall at 858-0786 to inquire as to the date and time of the Planning Commission or City Council hearings. Your appearance at both Planning Commission and City Council hearings is necessary to assure a satisfactory process in the interest of all.

General Rules
Land use public hearings are similar to a court proceeding. Proper procedures will insure a fair hearing for all and allow the land use items to be acted on in a timely manner. In the interests of time and to assure a fair hearing for everyone, the following rules will be followed:

1. There will be no more than 4 land use items heard on any one month agenda.
2. There will generaly be a15 minute presentation (maximum) by the petitioner.
3. Individual speakers will normally be limited to 3 minutes each. (Additional comments may be submitted in writing.)
4. The petitioner will have a rebuttal time of approximately 5 minutes.

Each person wishing to speak will raise their hand and be recognized by the Chair and asked to come forward and speak into the microphone stating their name and address. The purpose of a land use hearing is to have the facts of a case presented in a manner that will assist the decision-makers in making a fair, legal, and complete decision. The hearing is a fact-finding forum by unbiased decision-makers, not a popularity contest. Unruly behavior, such as booing, hissing, cheering, applause, verbal outbursts, or other inappropriate behavior, detract from the hearing and will not be permitted. All meetings will be adjourned by 11:00 p.m.

1. The Hearing is opened by the Chair of the Planning Commission or the Co-Chair.
The Chair then reads the first item on the agenda.

2. The Petitioner summarizes the project
The petitioner or his/her representative is asked to present the proposal. Presentations should be brief and to the point, but covering all of the main aspects of the project including the size of the project (land area, number of housing units, or square footage of buildings), infrastructure (water, sewer, drainage, irrigation, etc.), parks and open space, roads, parking, pedestrian/ bicycle facilities and other special features of the site, and impacts on the surrounding area.

3. The Staff presents the Staff Report
The Community Development Director and the City Engineer present their reports. Other review agency comments are entered into the record and the entire file is entered into the record.

4. Public Comments
People speaking should step up to microphone and speak clearly, stating their name and address. They should be brief and to the point and try not to repeat, what others have said, either for or against the project

4a) Those In Favor speak
The Chair asks for those in favor of the project to speak.

4b) Those Opposed speak
The Chair asks for those opposed to the project to speak.

4c) Any others wishing to speak do so
The Chair asks for any others who wish to speak to do so.

5. Rebuttal
The Chair asks for the petitioner's rebuttal. During this brief time the petitioner should address the major questions raised by the public and the board.

6. The Hearing is Closed and the Item is discussed
The Chair closes the public hearing. No further comments from the public are allowed at this time. The Commission discusses the project, its pros and cons and how it fits or does not fit the Fruita Community Plan 2020, other adopted City of Fruita Plans and the Fruita Land Use Code.

7. Vote
The Chair asks the Commission for a motion. After the motion is seconded, the Chair asks for a discussion on the motion. The motion may be amended and if so the Commission votes on whether to accept the amendment, after discussion and consideration of any amendments, the Commission votes on the motion. If the motion fails, or if there is a tie vote, another alternative motion may be proposed and voted on using the same procedure.

8. Follow-up
After the Planning Commission decision, a recommendation is forwarded to the City Council. The Planning Commission may also table a project, continue a project, or deny a project at the sketch plan phase and ask that it not be forwarded to the City Council until the Planning Commission has approved the plan. If the project is approved with conditions by the Planning Commission, those conditions are forwarded to the City Council and may be incorporated into their final approval. Once the project is approved by the City Council, it must be revised to reflect all of the conditions placed on it by the council, the staff and the review agencies before it is finalized. If the project is a sketch plan it must be resubmitted as a preliminary plan and another set of hearings are held. If it is a minor subdivision or a conditional use permit it must be finalized or a final plat prepared and recorded before planning clearances for a building permit can be issued. If the project fails to meet the time limits contained in the Fruita Land Use Code, the project loses its approval and must be resubmitted.