Minutes - Council - 08/27/2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City Attorney Knaak shared that this letter was sent to Councilmembers and other individuals privately. He noted that they can publicly reject this letter if they so choose; however, leaving it in the record gives each Councilmember the opportunity to consider it. Councilmember Riley said he would like the letter to be included in the consideration as it will allow the whole Council to weigh the letter personally. Councilmember Musgrove shared that when she received this letter it seemed as though it came from someone on Council, Staff, or the Planning Commission as the author of the letter was very informed; however, things that were not pertinent to the case were added in. She added that the author also copied a lot of people on this email, seeming to want to get their point across to a wide audience, but they were not willing to come before the Council to address their concerns. She said the whole attitude of the letter does not belong in their consideration. She noted that if someone is willing to write a letter such as this then they should also be willing to come forward to speak on it. She said she would like to strike the whole letter and not have it as a part of the public record. Motion by Councilmember Musgrove, seconded by Councilmember Howell, to strike the letter received regarding the Forster variance, received on August 16, 2024, from the record. Further discussion: Councilmember Riley noted that it was City Attorney Knaak's recommendation that they keep the letter in the record so the Council can decide for themselves how heavily they consider it. Councilmember Howell reiterated that she has never seen any anonymous complaints attached to any cases in the past four years she has been on the Council. Councilmember Woestehoff agreed that this letter should not be included in the record. He noted that the Council has already reviewed it and can weigh it as they see fit. He added that there are also not a whole lot of details in the letter that are directly related to the case, so he does not see its purpose. He said he does not want to discourage residents to bring forth their concerns and he would highly encourage this behavior with identification. Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Kuzma, Councilmembers Musgrove, Howell, Olson, Specht, and Woestehoff. Voting No: Riley. Planning Manager Larson reviewed the Staff report in regard to the variance and encroachment agreement for a lean-to structure at 6960 148th Lane NW. Curtis Forster, 6960 148th Lane NW, the applicant, came forward and shared that some of his neighbors are in attendance this evening. He explained that he was able to find a product that meets fire standards that would help mitigate the fire hazard. He said he will be doing everything compliantly and will be working with Staff to make sure everything is done correctly. Councilmember Musgrove asked if Mr. Forster agrees with the encroachment agreement that has been written by Staff. City Council/August 27, 2024 Page 11 of 13