Pursuant to Chapter 35.63 RCW, there is created a city planning commission, which shall consist of seven members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council; six shall be residents of the city and one may be a nonresident of the city except the mayor and city council may, by council resolution, temporarily extend the term of a planning commissioner who, during their term, moves out of the city, to provide for continuity of specific projects or planning processes.
(Ord. 521 § 1, 1946; Ord. 704 § 1, 1962; Ord. 1129, 1980; Ord. 1566 § 1, 1992; Ord. 025-11 § 1; Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 2)
(1) 
Planning commissioner terms shall be four years in length. There shall be seven planning commissioner positions to be known as Position 1, Position 2, Position 3, Position 4, Position 5, Position 6, and Position 7, respectively. The current term expiration for each of the respective planning commission positions as of the date of the ordinance codified in this chapter is as follows:
Position
Term Expiration
Position 1
December 31, 2020
Position 2
December 31, 2020
Position 3
December 31, 2021
Position 4
December 31, 2022
Position 5
December 31, 2023
Position 6
December 31, 2023
Position 7
December 31, 2023
(2) 
Upon expiration of the terms of each position as provided in subsection (1) of this section, reappointments or successors shall be appointed by the mayor for a term of four years each. When an appointment by the mayor is to fill an open position prior to the end of the term, then the person so appointed shall serve out the term of the position into which they have been appointed.
(Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 3)
The following standards shall apply to planning commission meetings:
(1) 
Planning commission meetings will be held consistent with the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 42.30 RCW, and the Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW.
(2) 
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the planning commission in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with any special rules of order the planning commission may adopt.
(3) 
Planning commission meetings must have a physical location for the public to attend; however, members of the planning commission may attend the meeting remotely. The means of remote access shall allow real-time verbal communication.
(4) 
A planning commission quorum shall be required for passage of any matter before the planning commission.
(5) 
The minutes of the meeting shall reflect the ayes and nays cast on a particular measure as well as the vote of each member present.
(6) 
Whenever a tie vote occurs, such a vote shall be considered no decision concluded. In such a case, the chair shall call for a new motion or, hearing no new motion and determining the matter under consideration cannot be resolved during the current meeting, shall announce and direct the matter to be carried over to the next planning commission agenda, at which time it shall be scheduled for further consideration; or the chair may forward the request to the city council with no recommendation accompanied by the minutes of the request.
(Ord. 016-23 § 4)
The planning commission shall have all of the powers and perform each and all of the duties specified by Chapter 35.63 RCW, together with any other duties or authority which may hereafter be conferred upon them by laws of the state of Washington, the performance of such duties and the exercise of such authority to be subject to each and all the limitations expressed in Chapter 35.63 RCW.
(Formerly 2.20.020; Ord. 521 § 2, 1946; Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 5)
Planning commissioners shall attend planning commission meetings in the physical location where the meeting is held. Planning commissioners may attend meetings remotely if necessary. If the chair is unable to be present in the physical location where the meeting is held, the vice chair, if physically present, shall chair the meeting. If neither the chair nor vice chair is present, another commissioner who is physically present shall chair the meeting. Such selection shall be as voted on by the membership.
(Ord. 016-23 § 6)
The city council may refer to the planning commission, for its recommendation and report, any ordinance, resolution, or other proposal relating to any of the matters and subjects referred to in Chapter 35.63 RCW, and the planning commission shall promptly report to the city council thereon, making such recommendations and giving such counsel as it may deem proper.
(Formerly 2.20.030; Ord. 521 § 3, 1946; Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 7)
The planning commission shall elect its own chair and create and fill such other offices as it may determine it requires. In general, the planning commission shall hold a regular meeting once per month; however, during any month, the chair of the planning commission or the city's department of community development director may determine that there are no review items requiring the planning commission to hold a regular meeting and conduct business during that month, or that there are review items requiring the planning commission to hold a regular meeting and conduct business more often than once during that month. All meetings shall be open to the public and shall be noticed in accordance with Chapter 42.30 RCW.
(Formerly 2.20.050; Ord. 521 § 5, 1946; Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 8)
The city shall provide a recording of all planning commission meetings by electronic means. The city shall furnish a copy of a recording of any meeting upon written request of any interested party. The party requesting the copy of the recording must bear the costs of producing a copy of the recording. The planning commission will also keep a written record of its meetings, resolutions, transactions, findings, and conclusions. That record shall be a public record.
(Ord. 016-23 § 9)
(1) 
A simple majority of the planning commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any action taken by a majority of those present at any regular meeting of the planning commission shall be deemed and taken as the action of the planning commission.
(2) 
Planning commissioners attending meetings remotely will count in the quorum. In the case of a meeting being interrupted by the loss of a quorum during the taking of public comments or testimony, the planning commission may continue to accept and record all the public comments that are offered but may not take any action on that agenda item, nor continue to another agenda item, other than to adjourn.
(3) 
When a quorum does not exist at a regularly scheduled or special meeting, a member of the planning commission may announce to all present that any public hearings are continued to a time, date, and location certain, thereby avoiding the need to re-advertise such public hearings.
(Ord. 521 § 6, 1946; Ord. 704 § 1, 1962; Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 10)
The planning commission, at or before its first regular meeting in February of each year, shall make a full report in writing to the city council of its transactions and expenditures, if any, for the preceding year, with such general recommendations as to matters covered by its prescribed duties and authority as may to it seem proper.
(Ord. 521 § 7, 1946; Ord. 036-20 § 2; Ord. 016-23 § 11)