Staff Reports
The Jefferson Planning & Zoning Commission will be holding Town Hall meetings in each City Ward in the coming months.
P&Z members approved a suggestion to have the meetings based on city wards to allow more time for residents to express their wards needs and desires. The meetings will also allow the board to introduce themselves, and what the purpose and intent of the board is expected to be.
Meeting dates have not been finalized, but are expected to begin in April with one ward meeting per week. The board also indicated a postcard should be mailed to all registered voters informing them of the meetings. Costs for the mailing and production of a postcard will have to be approved by Council as P&Z was formed after the 2022-23 City budget was created, so the board does not have any funds budgeted this year.
In the workshop portion of the meeting, the board reviewed the Jefferson Historic District designation. Board President Laura Omer had located the 1971 application to the National Register of Historic Places which included a hand-drawn map. The application was approved in 1971, however board member Hugh Lewis said he’d reviewed city minutes from 1970-72 as well 1978-80 when the Texas Historical Commission added the district to the State registry, and could only find one reference to the district.
“The only reference I could find in those years was a request to TxDOT to change the sign on US59,” said Lewis. “So, it would appear that Council never formally zoned the district. That’s something we should probably get on their agenda, as there are ordinances which reference it.”
The board also began reviewing a 2017 proposed set of ordinances from the previous P&Z board to see what needed to be updated or changed. The board is continuing this review at each meeting.
The board will meet again at 5 pm. March 7.