A planning commission of the city is established pursuant to
the statutes of the state of California and the ordinances of the
city.
(Ord. 6 § 1, 1970; Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
A. The
planning commission shall consist of five adult members, all to be
appointed by the city council. To be eligible for appointment or retention
on the planning commission, a citizen must be and must maintain his
or her status as a resident elector of the city.
B. Members
of the city council and city staff are ineligible for membership on
the planning commission.
C. City
council, in its discretion, may expand the planning commission to
seven members to serve for such terms as the council may designate.
(Ord. 6 § 1, 1970; Ord. 470 § 1, 1992; Ord. 519 § 1, 1995; Ord. 639 § 1, 2005)
The terms of the members of the planning commission shall be
as follows: one shall be appointed for a term of one year, two for
a term of two years, and two for a term of three years. All succeeding
terms shall be for a period of three years or until a successor is
appointed. If a vacancy occurs otherwise than by expiration of a term,
it shall be filled by appointment of the city council, for the unexpired
portion of the term.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992; Ord. 519 § 2, 1995; Ord. 639 § 2, 2005)
The city manager or his or her authorized designee shall attend
all meetings of the planning commission as an advisor to the commission,
without the right to vote.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
A. The
planning commission shall act as a consulting and advisory board to
the city council and shall make investigations and recommendations
in an advisory capacity, either upon its own initiative, or upon the
request of the city staff, or the city council, of matters pertaining
to growth, development and beautification of the city.
B. Planning
commission action shall be final or advisory to the city council based
upon the following categories of actions taken:
1. Advisory.
The following actions shall be advisory to the city council: subdivisions,
street closures and street vacations, zoning text amendments, annexation
proceedings, development agreements, specific plans and any development
project of twenty thousand square feet or greater of new building
construction.
2. Advisory
if Approved—Final if Denied. General plan amendments and zone
changes are advisory to the city council if approved and final if
denied, absent an appeal.
3. Final
Action. The following actions shall be final absent an appeal: variances,
conditional use permits, parcel maps, zoning text interpretations,
waivers, master sign plans, precise plans of design, other routine
actions as directed by the city council are final, absent an appeal,
excepting any development project of twenty thousand square feet or
greater of new building construction, which shall be advisory.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992; Ord. 486 § 1, 1992; Ord. 501 § 1, 1993)
Any member of the planning commission may be removed by at least
four affirmative votes of the city council.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
A commissioner's seat will be deemed vacant whenever such
commissioner, without excuse from the city council, misses three consecutive
meetings or misses one-third or more of all regular meetings within
any six-month period. Attendance of less than fifty percent of any
meeting will be counted as an absence.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
The planning commission shall annually meet in June and elect
a chairperson from among its appointed members to serve for a term
of one year. It shall also select a vice-chairperson who shall be
chosen from the membership of the commission. The vice-chairperson
shall serve for a term of one year.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
Three members of the planning commission shall constitute a
quorum if the planning commission is comprised of five members. Five
members shall constitute a quorum if the planning commission is comprised
of seven members.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992; Ord. 639 § 3, 2005)
The planning commission shall hold at least one regular meeting
in each month and shall hold such other meetings as shall be called
in the manner and form required by law.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
The planning commission shall adopt its own rules for transaction
of business and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions,
findings, determinations and recommendations, which records shall
be public records.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
Members of the planning commission shall receive compensation
as determined by the city council for up to two meetings per month.
It shall be the duty of the members of such commission to inform themselves
on matters affecting the functions and duties of the commission, and
to that end, when authorized by the city council, may attend planning
conferences, meetings of planning executives, hearings on planning
legislation or matters affecting their work, and their reasonable
expenses incidental to such attendances shall be charged upon the
funds allocated to the planning commission.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
Any conflicting sections of this code are superseded. Any sections
of this code referencing the city council acting as the planning commission
contrary to this chapter are null and void and the planning commission
as created, shall perform those duties consistent with state law and
the ordinance codified in this chapter.
(Ord. 470 § 1, 1992)
The city council may, by resolution adopted by a majority of
the city council, suspend the operation of the planning commission
and assume any and all powers, responsibilities and duties delegated
to the planning commission pursuant to this chapter. In the event
the operation of the planning commission is suspended, all references
to the planning commission contained in this code shall be deemed
to refer to the city council.
(Ord. 545 § 1, 1996)