Pursuant to the provisions of Section 65100 et seq., of the California Government Code, the Planning Agency is established for the City as the City Council. The City Council may delegate related duties to the Planning Commission or the Building and Planning Departments, as needed.
(Ord. 296 § 1, 1992; Ord. 768, 2/5/2026)
The Planning Commission has the following responsibilities:
(a) 
General Plan. Periodically review and recommend to the City Council revisions of the General Plan.
(b) 
Specific Plans. Recommend to the City Council such specific plans as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the objectives of the General Plan.
(c) 
Regulations, Programs, and Legislation. Recommend to the City Council drafts of regulations, programs and legislation as the Commission deems necessary or appropriate for the systematic execution of the General Plan.
(d) 
Subdivision Map Act and CEQA. Act as the advisory agency to the City Council in connection with the administration of the Subdivision Map Act (Gov. Code § 66410 et seq.) and the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 ("CEQA") (Pub. Res. Code § 21000 et seq.).
(e) 
Zoning, Conditional Use and Variance Applications. Review all zoning (except interim zoning), conditional use, and variance applications and make recommendations with regard to the same to the City Council.
(f) 
Sign Matters. Review and approve sign matters as specified by this Code.
(g) 
City's Capital Improvement Plan. Annually review the City's Capital Improvement Program for consistency with the General Plan.
(h) 
Design Review. Review a design-review application for compliance with Chapter 21.60 when the application is referred to the Commission by the Community Development Director or the Design Review Committee.
(i) 
Other. Perform such other functions, duties and responsibilities as are specifically provided for in the Code of the State and the Code of the City, and such other duties and functions as may be specifically requested by the City Council.
(j) 
Design Review Committee Appointment. Appoint members to the Design Review Committee for review of design review applications for compliance with Chapter 21.60.
(Ord. 296 § 1, 1992; Ord. 727 § 1. 2020)
(a) 
Appointment and Term.
(1) 
Generally. The Planning Commission shall consist of five members who shall be registered voters within the City and who shall be appointed by the City Council. The term of office for members of the Commission shall be a staggered term of office with terms of two years overlapping and commencing on December 1 of the applicable year and continuing until the second December 30 that follows. The members shall serve for said term, and until their successors have been appointed. All appointments to the Commission shall be by three affirmative votes of the City Council and any appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term of the member being replaced.
(2) 
Each term of service on the Commission that was due to expire on June 30, 2024, is extended through December 31, 2024.
(b) 
Term Limits. Appointees are limited to two consecutive two-year terms of membership on the Planning Commission, including a partial term. An appointee may not be reappointed to the Planning Commission after completion of two consecutive terms, including a partial term. After serving a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms (including a partial term), an appointee shall not be reappointed to the Planning Commission unless at least one year has elapsed between the expired term limit and the effective date of commencement of the new term. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, an appointee shall not be precluded at any time following completion of service on the Planning Commission from being appointed to another commission, board or committee without the lapse of time between appointments. Term limits will be applied prospectively, commencing with appointments made on or after January 1, 2009.
(c) 
Attendance Requirements and Conditions of Removal. Any member of the Commission may be removed during the term of office by the affirmative vote of three members of the City Council. Attendance at all Commission meetings is an obligation of each member of the Commission. If a member of the Commission is absent without Commission permission from all regular Commission meetings for 95 days consecutively from the last regular meeting that the member of the Commission attended, that member's seat shall be deemed vacant, and the City Council shall appoint a new member for that seat. The Commission in its by-laws shall adopt a procedure for a member to obtain Commission permission to be absent.
(Ord. 296 § 1, 1992; Ord. 382 § 1, 1996; Ord. 624 § 1, 2009; Ord. 727 § 1, 2020; Ord. 754, 6/20/2024)
The Planning Commission shall select from its membership a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson who shall serve in that capacity commencing upon their selection until June 30th of the following year or until the term expires; whichever comes first, and until their successor is selected.
(a) 
The order of selection of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be determined by the length of the current term of incumbency, as defined by the date of appointment to the current term. When two or more Planning Commissioners have equal terms of incumbency, the order shall be determined by the highest number of votes given by City Council at the time of their appointment, and if that number is equal, then by lot.
(b) 
The outgoing Chairperson's name will rotate to the bottom of the previous year's Chairperson succession list, with all other names moving up one position, in order that the outgoing Vice-Chairperson shall become the new Chairperson.
(c) 
Newly appointed Planning Commissioners shall be added to the bottom of the Chairperson succession list. During the annual rotation of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, the next appointed Planning Commissioner will be placed ahead of the outgoing Chairperson on the succession list.
(d) 
When there are two or more newly appointed Planning Commissioners, the succession list placement order shall be determined by the person who received the highest number of votes of the City Council. If the number of votes given by the City Council for the newly appointed members is equal, the order shall be determined by lot.
(Ord. 296 1, 1992; Ord. 382 § 1, 1996; Ord. 446 § 5, 1999; Ord. 582 § 1, 2006)
The Planning Director, or his or her designee, shall represent the City before the Planning Commission and shall be a City employee and not employed by the Planning Commission. The City Council may, from time to time, authorize the hiring of a consultant to act as the Planning Director. Such an authorization shall be temporary and for a defined purpose.
(Ord. 296 § 1, 1992)
The Planning Commission shall adopt bylaws for the transaction of business, and shall keep a public record of its resolutions, transactions, findings, and determinations. The Planning Commission shall hold at least one meeting a month, except that the Planning Commission may elect not to hold a meeting in July and/or August depending on the workload present. The Planning Commission may elect not to hold and may cancel other meetings upon good and valid reason in accordance with procedures set forth in the Planning Commission's bylaws. Special meetings may be called as established in the Planning Commission's bylaws. The date, time, and place of the regular Planning Commission Meeting shall be set by the Planning Commission in its bylaws. The Planning Commission may hold additional meetings or study sessions as required.
(Ord. 296 § 1, 1992)