Planning Commission Absence Rules (Ordinance 3270)

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names, numbers and details may be misheard.

What: Resolution No. 1633 (updated Planning Commission rules of procedure) and Ordinance No. 3270 (amending Redmond Municipal Code chapter 4.43) change how commissioner absences are handled.
Where it stands: moved off consent. An amendment failed, then the council voted to refer the package to the next Committee of the Whole on 2026-10-20.
Next: committee review to clarify who decides removals and fix cross-references.

The Planning Commission wrote its own absence rules instead of using the general commission standard, and asked that its version control.
As described by Councilmember Parsi: three consecutive missed meetings (excused or not) lets the mayor flag the commissioner for a council vote on removal. Four consecutive misses or more than 25% of meetings in a year lets a majority of the commission request removal, with the mayor deciding.
Interim Co-Director Allen said the commission did not want to be the decision maker on removing a colleague, so cases go to the mayor and then to council.

Councilmember Parsi said the text is unclear about whether a seat becomes vacant immediately when the mayor finds inefficiency or neglect, or only after council acts. She said not all paths lead to council.
Allen recommended changing a cross-reference on page 9 of the redline from RMC 4.10.030 (general commission rules) to RMC 4.43.080 (Planning Commission rules). She and other staff acknowledged the documents are confusing.
Parsi moved that change; a technical add-on about the 080 section was suggested during the discussion. Councilmember Forsythe and Councilmember Kritzer asked clarifying questions.

Amendment to change the reference failed on a roll call, about 3-4 (roll order is hard to follow in the captions). Council President Stewart and Councilmember Soni said they would not support it or approval that night.
Councilmember Kritzer then moved to refer the item to the next available Committee of the Whole; it was seconded and carried by voice vote.

About 16 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - City Council Business Meeting	16

2026-10-20 - City Council Business Meeting — Pulled from consent by Councilmember Parsi; amendment to the cross-reference failed; the whole package referred to Committee of the Whole.
2026-10-06 - Committee of the Whole - committee reviewed the rule changes and placed the item on the consent agenda, subject to being pulled.