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CouncilHound

Glossary

What the words on an agenda actually mean. Terms in agenda items and summaries across the site carry these definitions on hover.

Abstainalso: abstained, abstention
A member present who chooses not to vote yes or no, usually because of a conflict of interest.
Accessory dwelling unitalso: accessory dwelling units, ADU, ADUs
A second, smaller home on a single-family lot: a basement apartment, a garage conversion, or a backyard cottage.
Appropriationalso: appropriations, supplemental appropriation
Council authorization to spend a specific amount of money. Budget changes mid-year come as supplemental appropriations.
Board of Architectural Reviewalso: BAR
The appointed board that reviews building design, signs, and exterior changes in the historic and commercial districts.
Board of Zoning Appealsalso: BZA
The appointed board that hears variance requests and appeals of zoning decisions.
Capital improvement programalso: CIP, capital improvement plan
The multi-year budget for big physical projects: roads, buildings, parks, utilities.
Certificate of appropriatenessalso: certificates of appropriateness, COA
Board of Architectural Review approval that an exterior change fits the district's design standards.
Closed sessionalso: closed meeting, executive session
A portion of a meeting closed to the public under state law, typically for legal advice, personnel, or property negotiations. Votes must still happen in open session.
Comprehensive planalso: comp plan, 2035 comprehensive plan
The city's long-range vision for land use, transportation, housing, and parks. Rezonings are judged partly on whether they fit it.
Deferredalso: defer, continued, continuance, tabled
Postponed to a later meeting without a decision. Items can be deferred to a set date or indefinitely.
Densityalso: dwelling units per acre
How many homes are allowed per acre of land.
First readingalso: first readings
The introduction of an ordinance. Approval here schedules the public hearing; the binding vote is at the second reading.
Floor area ratioalso: FAR
Total building floor area divided by lot area. A FAR of 2.0 means two square feet of building per square foot of land.
General development planalso: GDP
The conceptual layout submitted with a rezoning or special use permit that shows what the applicant commits to build.
Mixed-usealso: mixed use
A building or project that combines homes with shops, offices, or other uses.
Motionalso: motions, moved and seconded
A member's formal proposal to act. It needs a second from another member before the body votes on it.
Ordinancealso: ordinances
A local law. Ordinances amend the city code and need a public hearing and two readings.
Planning Commission
The appointed body that reviews land-use applications and plans first and sends a recommendation to City Council, which makes the final decision.
Proclamationalso: proclamations
A ceremonial statement recognizing a person, group, or occasion. No legal effect.
Profferalso: proffers, proffered, proffer conditions
A written promise an applicant volunteers with a rezoning, such as a cash contribution, a road improvement, or a use limit. Once accepted it binds the land.
Public hearingalso: public hearings
The formal, legally advertised part of a meeting where anyone can speak on an item before the body votes.
Quorum
The minimum number of members who must be present for the body to conduct business.
Resolutionalso: resolutions
A formal statement of council position or a one-time action, such as approving a contract. Passes on a single vote.
Rezoningalso: rezone, rezoned, zoning map amendment
Changing which zoning district a property sits in, which changes what can be built there. Goes to the Planning Commission for a recommendation, then to City Council for the vote.
Second readingalso: second readings
The final vote on an ordinance after its public hearing. This is the vote that adopts or rejects it.
Setbackalso: setbacks
The required distance between a building and the property line.
Site planalso: site plans
The engineered drawings of a project: buildings, parking, grading, stormwater, landscaping. Reviewed by staff for code compliance after zoning is settled.
Small area planalso: small area plans
A detailed plan for one neighborhood or corridor that fills in the comprehensive plan's broad goals with block-level guidance.
Special exceptionalso: special exceptions
A council-approved departure from a specific zoning rule, such as parking counts or height, for one property.
Special use permitalso: special use permits, SUP
Permission for a use the zoning allows only case by case (a drive-through, a school, a larger building). Needs a public hearing and a council vote, and can carry conditions.
Staff reportalso: staff reports
The city staff's written analysis and recommendation on an agenda item, published with the agenda packet.
Text amendmentalso: zoning text amendment, text amendments
A change to the words of the zoning ordinance itself, citywide, rather than to one property's district.
Variancealso: variances
Relief from a zoning rule granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals when a property's shape or situation makes strict compliance a hardship.
Work sessionalso: work sessions
A meeting for discussion and briefing only. No formal votes are taken, but positions get set here.
Zoningalso: zoning ordinance, zoning district
The city rules that say what can be built where: uses, height, density, setbacks, and parking, by district.

Missing a term you hit in the record? Ask the hound and it will explain it from the meetings themselves.