HomeMy WebLinkAboutA005 - Memo from Planning Director to Council with status of proposed ordinance Paele la -
Department of Planning&Housing
Caring People
/00 Quality Programs
Exceptional IS
TO: Mayor,Ci)19
pre �
FROM: Brian P. O
DATE: December
SUBJECT: Status of Outdoor Lighting Code
This memorandum is an update report on the Outdoor Lighting Code.
The"draft"of the Lighting Code has been prepared and has been distributed to members of the Ames Chamber of
Commerce. On Thursday, December 3, 1998, a meeting of the Local Issues Committee of the Chamber was held
in the Council Chambers of City Hall. Approximately 35 people were in attendance, including members of the
original task force that assisted staff.
The outcome of this meeting with the Local Issues Committee is listed below.
1. A request that more time be given to the businesses that are interested in the proposed code. It was
agreed by all in attendance that more time would be beneficial to the process.
2. Some business members are questioning the need for the ordinance altogether.
3. There is a concern that the ordinance needs more work in the area of allowing exceptions for unusual
circumstances.
4. The ordinance needs to be as clear and precise as possible to limit the degree to which subjective decision
making would occur.
5. The ordinance should not create significant new layers of review bureaucracy that will simply make the
building of structures in the community more time consuming.
6. The acknowledgement that many Iowa communities have at least some degree of written or unwritten
policies or guidelines on outdoor lighting, and that written guidelines will make it clearer to a prospective
builder what the requirements are,in contrast to a series of unwritten policies or practices.
Since there is a desire for more time for review of this draft ordinance before the draft comes to the City Council,
the ordinance is not on the agenda for December 8, 1998, but will be placed on the City Council agenda of
January 26, 1999.
BPO:clh
h\bpo\m\lightmemod04
��� � �
� o � � =
� s S.' 3 a
�� � � �
Mail For 11/10/98 08: 17:24
Diane Voss, City Clerk
TO User ID Address
VOSS DIANE
FROM User ID Address
KINDRED BOB
SUBJECT
REFERENCE
AUTHOR
ACTION DUE
DATE
Diane, if we haven't told you, the commercial lighting ordinance will be
backfor council consideration on first reading at the 2nd meeting in
December. Oh boy -- job security for agendinarians!