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Comprehensive Plan Amendment Review Procedures <br />Although the number of plan amendments that the county may consider is not limited, the County's <br />Comprehensive Plan regulates the frequency with which the county may amend its comprehensive <br />plan. According to the county's Comprehensive Plan, plan amendments are limited to four times per <br />calendar year. For that reason, the county accepts general plan amendment applications only during <br />the "window" months of January, April, July and October. In this case, the subject application for <br />revisions to the three comprehensive plan elements/sub-elements was submitted during the January <br />2018 window. <br />The procedures for reviewing a comprehensive plan amendment involve several steps. First, the <br />Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC), as the Local Planning Agency, conducts a public hearing <br />to review the request. At the public hearing, the Commission makes a recommendation to the Board <br />of County Commissioners (Board) to approve, approve with modifications, or deny the requested <br />amendment. <br />Following PZC action, the Board conducts two public hearings. The first of those hearings is for a <br />preliminary decision on the amendment request. At that hearing, the Board determines whether or not <br />the amendment warrants transmittal to state and regional review agencies for their consideration. <br />If the amendment is transmitted, state and regional review agencies review the amendment as it <br />pertains to each agency's area of focus. Review agencies then send their comments directly to the <br />county and the State Land Planning Agency. Subsequent to staff and/or the applicant addressing any <br />issues raised in the review agency comments, a second and final Board public hearing is conducted. <br />If the Board approves the request at the final hearing, then the approved amendment is submitted to <br />the State Land Planning Agency and to the other review agencies. The amendment becomes effective <br />31 days after the State Land Planning Agency determines that the approved amendment submittal is <br />complete, unless a challenge is filed by an affected party. <br />PZC Action <br />At its regular meeting of February 8, 2018, the Planning & Zoning Commission (PZC) conducted a <br />public hearing, considered the subject amendment, and voted 5-0 to recommend that the Board of <br />County Commissioners approve the proposed amendment with a modification to policy 5.6 of the <br />Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element to add language regarding the County's commitment to pursue and <br />identify all opportunities for funding septic to sewer projects (see Attachment #3). Based on PZC <br />direction, language has since been added to policy 5.6 of the Sanitary Sewer. Sub -Element to state <br />that the County will identify and pursue funding opportunities for septic to sewer projects and sewer <br />connections. <br />Board Transmittal Public Hearing <br />The subject "transmittal" public hearing is the second step in the Comprehensive Plan amendment <br />process. At this time, the Board of County Commissioners must decide whether or not to transmit <br />the proposed amendments to the Sanitary Sewer Sub -Element, the Coastal Management Element, <br />and the Future Land Use Element to state and regional review agencies. If the Board votes to transmit <br />this amendment, it will be scheduled for a final Board hearing in June or July.' <br />203 2 <br />