The Council shall appoint a City Planning Commission consisting
of not less than five (5) nor more than seven (7) members who shall
be residents of and/or own real property in the City, and shall serve
without compensation.
Members shall be appointed by the City Council for a three (3)
year term with one-third (1/3) to be appointed each year on a continuing
basis.
Vacancies occurring in the commission shall be filled within
thirty (30) days by the Council for the remainder of the unexpired
term. Membership shall be accompanied by active participation in the
activities of the commission, and any member, who is absent three
(3) consecutive regular meetings, shall automatically be dropped from
membership and the commission shall immediately notify the Council
that a vacancy exists.
The commission shall elect a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary
from its membership annually, and shall establish rules of procedure
which shall include the following:
A. A quorum
shall consist of a majority of the membership and an affirmative vote
of a majority of the membership shall be necessary to pass upon pending
questions.
B. The chairman
shall be entitled to vote upon any question unless a conflict of interest
is involved.
C. Minutes
shall be kept of the proceedings of the commission and shall be a
public record.
D. All meetings
shall be open to the public. Upon any matter being submitted to the
Commission for consideration, said Commission shall hold a meeting
within 30 days to consider same unless otherwise provided by law.
The commission shall have the power and be required to:
A. Be responsible
to and act as an advisory body to the Council;
B. Recommend
to the City Council, amendments, extensions, and additions to a master
plan for physical development of the City;
C. Recommend
to the Council approval or disapproval of proposed changes in the
zoning plan;
D. Review all
plans for platting or sub-dividing of land within the City and within
adjacent areas as permitted by law and submit findings and recommendations
to the Council;
E. Require
information from the other departments of the City government in relation
to its work;
F. Perform
such other duties and be vested with such other powers as the Council
may prescribe in accordance with the Laws of the State of Texas.
Any member of the Planning & Zoning Commission having a
conflict of interest, pursuant to any State Laws or City Ordinance
regulating conflict of interest of appointed city boards with an agenda
item then before the Planning & Zoning Commission shall openly
declare same before discussion proceeds, and is thereby prohibited
from participating in the discussion of the item or voting on the
item.