[ Ord. No. 1744 § 2, 1-23-1967; Ord. No. 4514 § 1, 5-13-1985]
The City Planning and Zoning Commission shall consist of seven (7) members appointed by a majority of the Council who shall be registered voters, one (1) of whom shall be a graduate architect or a graduate civil engineer and one (1) of whom shall be a graduate engineer from an accredited university and who shall hold no other office or employment in the City government.
The members of the Commission shall be appointed for terms of four (4) years except that all present members shall serve until their appointments expire.
Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission may be removed upon the affirmative vote of seven (7) members of the Council, for cause, upon notice and written charges and after opportunity for public hearing is given, no less than ten (10) days after notice to the person so charged. At such hearing the person so charged may be represented by counsel and may present evidence in his behalf.
The Director of Public Works and his staff shall advise and assist the Commission as requested and the Commission shall be furnished with such other technical advisers, personnel and consultants as may be authorized by the Council.
[1]
Editor's Note—Ord. No. 4514, adopted May 13, 1985, § 1 of which amended this section in its entirety, was approved at an election held November 5, 1985.
The Commission shall, on or before September 1, 1964, prepare and adopt a master plan for the physical development of the City. The plan may include, among other things, the general location, character and extent of streets, bridges, parks, and other public grounds, the general location of public buildings and other public facilities, and such other measures as are designed to accomplish the orderly and coordinated development of the City in accordance with its present and future needs. After the adoption of a plan, and [an] attested copy shall be certified to the Council. Amendments to the plan may be made by the Commission upon an affirmative vote of at least four (4) members thereof. Copies of all amendments shall be filed with the Council.
From and after the adoption of the master plan and its certification to the Council, no public improvement or project of a type embraced within the master plan shall be authorized by the Council until the written report of the Commission thereon has been received. Failure of the Commission to file a report with the Council within thirty (30) days after the submission of the proposal to it shall permit the Council to take such action as it deems appropriate on the proposal. The report of the Commission shall not be binding on the Council.
Within one (1) year after the adoption of the master plan, the Council shall, by ordinance, adopt comprehensive regulations for the zoning of the City. The Commission shall act as the Zoning Commission with all of the powers granted to it by law. It shall have authority to recommend to the Council changes in or a general revision of the comprehensive zoning ordinance. The Council shall act on no application or proposal for amendment of the zoning ordinance until the written report of the Commission thereon has been received. The affirmative vote of seven (7) members of the Council shall be required to adopt any amendment contrary to the recommendations of the Commission.
No zoning ordinance or amendment thereof shall be adopted until a public hearing thereon has been held by the Council in accordance with the requirements of law.
Changes or amendments to the subdivision regulations of the City shall not be adopted until after study and report thereon to the Council by the Commission.
All plats of proposed subdivisions or resubdivisions presented to the Council for approval shall be submitted to the Commission, which shall make recommendations thereon to the Council.
No subdivision plat shall be approved until adequate security is given to guarantee that the construction of streets, sewers, water mains, sidewalks, streetlights and such other improvements as may be specified by ordinance will be installed in accordance with ordinance requirements.
There shall be a board of adjustment, appointed by the Council as required by law. The board shall have such powers and duties as are provided by law and ordinance.