The Amarillo City Council is moving forward with discussions on forming a "Sunset Committee," an initiative proposed by Mayor Cole Stanley to streamline and modernize the city's code of ordinances. The idea was once again debated during the council's regular meeting on Tuesday, with officials weighing the potential structure and purpose of the committee.
Stanley first introduced the concept at the previous council meeting, suggesting that a citizen-led group could review existing city codes and recommend the removal or revision of outdated or unnecessary regulations. He emphasized that the committee would serve in an advisory role, with no authority to change ordinances directly but instead present recommendations to the council for consideration.
A Citizen-Led Effort
Stanley envisions the committee as a mix of residents and city officials, potentially pulling members from existing boards and including one or two council members. Councilmember Don Tipps clarified the committee's role, saying, “So this committee: put it together, with these guys, citizens as well. Their job would be to do exactly like I just said, to go through – they don’t have the authority to change the code. They would have to come to us, present it to us, we change the code. Yes?” Stanley agreed.
Targeting Outdated Regulations
During the discussion, Stanley highlighted the energy conservation code as an example of a regulation that could be reviewed. When asked by Councilmember Place 1 Josh Craft if he had other specific ordinances in mind, Stanley confirmed that he did, aligning his efforts with the council’s broader goal of fostering a more business-friendly environment in Amarillo.
One of the key points in the discussion was whether the committee should be a standing body or operate more as a task force. The council debated the possibility of forming temporary committees that could be activated as needed to investigate specific ordinances before disbanding after completing their research.
Balancing Efficiency and Safety
While Stanley emphasized the need to remove burdensome regulations, he reassured the council and the public that essential safety codes would remain intact. “We will not compromise on any life safety issues. However, when it comes down to a lot of preferences and things that don’t hit that, we want to scrutinize those and we want to see: are those valid standards that we’re imposing upon our community, or are those things that may be getting pushed down from other agendas that really aren’t applicable here?” he said following the meeting.
Next Steps
The council has not yet finalized the structure or scope of the Sunset Committee but appears committed to moving forward with the initiative. If established, the committee could provide valuable input on modernizing Amarillo’s regulatory framework while ensuring that unnecessary or outdated ordinances do not hinder economic growth or efficiency in local governance.
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