Pursuant to Section 65100 et seq., of the California Planning and Zoning Law, the functions of the planning agency are assigned to the department, division or office of the city which carries out the responsibilities of a planning department, and to a planning commission. The planning commission shall consist of five members appointed in the manner and for the terms prescribed in Section 2.06.010 of this title. Members may receive such compensation as is prescribed by resolution of the city council. The planning commission shall have the powers, functions and duties prescribed in the Planning and Zoning Law, and in the Cathedral City Development Code, Cathedral City Municipal Code and other local ordinances.
(Ord. 714 § 1, 2012; Ord. 726 § 3, 2013; Ord. 793 § 2, 2017)
The planning commission shall be authorized to appoint and fix the membership of such number of standing and temporary committees as it may find expedient for the performance of its duties. The city manager shall appoint a person to act as secretary to the commission, and shall be responsible for providing the necessary staff support. At a minimum, the planning commission shall maintain a streets and transportation subcommittee. The subcommittee shall include three members of the planning commission and shall meet when necessary to perform the duties identified in the Cathedral City Development Code. The meetings of the subcommittee are subject to the Brown Act. The subcommittee shall review projects for compliance with the applicable provisions of the Development Code and submit a recommendation to the full planning commission.
(Ord. 714 § 1, 2012; Ord. 726 § 3, 2013; Ord. 793 § 3, 2017)
The planning commission shall meet at such time and place as shall be fixed by the commission by its standing rules. A majority of the existing appointed members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the general transaction of business; subject, however, to more restrictive requirements as to the number of votes necessary in order to take certain actions, as may be prescribed in the Planning and Zoning Law. The commission may establish such rules and regulations as it deems necessary and expedient for the conduct of its business, and shall, in compliance with Section 65804 of the Planning and Zoning Law, develop and publish procedural rules for conduct of the commission's hearings so that all interested parties shall have advance knowledge of procedures to be followed. In matters relating to the holding of regular and special meetings, the commission is bound by the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act of the state (Sections 54950 et seq., of the California Government Code).
(Ord. 714 § 1, 2012)
The planning commission has discretionary power to review any and all proposals for development submitted to it to take into consideration the effect of the proposal or the proposed development upon surrounding property and upon the residents of the city of Cathedral City, and inhabitants thereof, and to consider the overall best interest of the city of Cathedral City, in general, in discharging its function to promote the public health, safety, peace, morals, comfort, convenience, and general welfare. The commission is authorized and directed to protect the character and stability of residential, commercial and industrial areas of the city of Cathedral City, to prevent any proposed project or proposed development from detracting from the quality of life is surrounding property, and of all the residents of the city, said discretion to be exercised by the planning commission in accordance with fairness and due process. In the granting or denying of any permit, proposal, development approval, design review approval, conditional use permit, or any other matter affecting a proposed development or any other matter coming before the commission in the regular course of its business, the planning commission may take into consideration the effect of the proposal upon surrounding property, upon the residents of the city of Cathedral City, and the inhabitants thereof, and in making its determination, the planning commission may exercise its sound discretion as to whether said permit, proposal, design, development, or other matter should be granted, modified, denied or approved conditionally. The commission, in arriving at any decision shall consider all evidence presented to it, relevant to such decision and, in proceeding, may overrule the action of the department or of any subordinate body of the planning commission, and order that any approval or denial of any proposal of any development plan be granted, modified, denied, or conditioned. The planning commission shall support any such action with appropriate findings.
(Ord. 714 § 1, 2012)