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that staff did not envision that it would be controversial since the Lopezes were going to <br /> be paying out $2,500 as provided in the condition. He compared it to something similar <br /> to a car insurance where, if a claim if filed and payment is made by the insurance <br /> company, there is no obligation to fix the damage, and the claimant may choose to live <br /> with the damage and keep the money. He recognized that reasonable people can <br /> disagree about the language as written and about what is the appropriate intent. <br /> Mr. Dolan stated that the question in front of the Commission now is whether the <br /> Commission agrees with staff or whether it believes as the Lopezes do that they should <br /> not have to pay any money unless the Perrys actually get a skylight installed. He <br /> indicated that this has continued to be a difficult situation between the neighbors and <br /> that he hoped the Commissioners would not hear about a lot of other issues that are not <br /> germane to this specific question. He advised the Commission to disregard these <br /> statements should they arise as the issue at hand stands on its own. He reiterated that <br /> staff needs the Commission's decision on staff's interpretation of the condition, and if <br /> the Commission interprets it differently, staff has provided some alternative language, <br /> which is included in the staff report, that varies a little bit from what the Lopezes are <br /> proposing but makes the condition crystal clear. <br /> Commissioner Blank asked staff to explain the origination of the skylight and if it came <br /> out of the mediation process. <br /> Mr. Dolan replied that it is his recollection that this became part of the discussion and <br /> was actually something the Lopezes proposed when they were trying to do things to <br /> change their project or to make their project more palatable. He indicated that it was <br /> something the Lopezes offered as the project moved forward to Council, and staff felt <br /> comfortable making that a condition and something that would offset the impact of the <br /> second-floor addition. <br /> Commissioner Blank stated that he noticed in the City Council Minutes that <br /> Councilmember Cook-Kallio asked a couple questions about it in terms of modifying that <br /> condition, but the City Council accepted it as proposed by staff. He asked if mediators <br /> typically take notes for themselves during the mediation sessions. <br /> Mr. Dolan replied that he did not think there were a lot of notes. He stated that he was <br /> at every single one of the mediation sessions and kept notes until it was over; however <br /> he no longer has those notes as the building permit had been issued, and he had no <br /> idea something like this would come up. He added that the mechanics of that issue <br /> were not discussed during mediation and that, in fact, the mediator did not have <br /> anything to do with the writing of the condition as it went to Council. He indicated that <br /> the result of the mediation was that an agreement was not reached. <br /> Commissioner Pearce stated that she also read the City Council meeting Minutes and it <br /> appeared that the City Council was satisfied with Option 3, which included this <br /> condition. She asked Mr. Dolan if he recalled whether there was any discussion at that <br /> City Council meeting regarding the skylight condition that was not reflected in the <br /> Minutes. <br /> EXCERPT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 25, 2012 Page 2 of 12 <br />