Commission recommends ordinance edits on attendance and chair terms to City Council

The St. Helens Planning Commission voted to recommend a package of ordinance edits governing commission membership, vacancy and removal procedures, and chair/vice‑chair term limits to City Council at the upcoming joint meeting.

The draft presented to commissioners incorporates a recent change in Oregon law that allows up to two voting members who work in real‑estate if the planning body has more than five members, and proposes clarified language on vacancy, removal and attendance tracking. Commissioners debated whether to keep an 'inexcusable absence' standard (two in a year in the draft) or to adopt a simpler threshold—missing four regular scheduled meetings in a calendar year—that would prompt a council referral for a removal hearing. One staff member recommended dropping the inexcusable‑absence tracking and sticking with the four‑meeting threshold as clearer and easier to administer.

As one commissioner phrased it during debate, the simpler standard allows the commission to address chronic nonattendance without unduly penalizing volunteers who occasionally must miss meetings. A motion to recommend the ordinance changes as drafted, but without the inexcusable‑absence clause, was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

The recommendation will be included in the packet for the March joint meeting with City Council, where councilors will review the proposed ordinance language. Staff also said they will tidy cross‑references (gender‑neutral language, relocating historic preservation rules) before the council packet is finalized.