The five-person Planning Commission shall be appointed by the Council to deliberate and act on planning matters under the operational identity and regulation of law, code, ordinance, resolution, professional planning standards and planning procedures. Members of the Commission serve at the pleasure of the Council under the administrative guidance of the City Manager. In the future, Planning Commissioners must live within the corporate boundaries of the City of Rio Dell. Only one member of a family group may serve at any time as a Planning Commissioner. For the purposes of this chapter, a "family group" is defined as husband and wife and adult children living at home. Terms of current Planning Commissioners are extended to the last day of December of the appropriate year of transition when their present term ends. A Councilperson shall be assigned as non-member liaison to the Commission and shall report to the Council on Planning Commission activity on a regular basis. In addition to regular monthly meetings, the Commission chairman may call special meetings from time to time.
(Ord. 213A § 2.20.001, 1992)
(1) 
Membership. The Rio Dell Planning Commission, appointed by the City Council, consists of five members and one alternate member who are residents of the City, who are not City officials or employees, and who shall be voting members. The alternate has all of the powers and duties of a regular Commissioner except his/her right to vote is limited to when they are seated as an acting Commissioner in the absence of one of the regular Commissioners. The alternate attends the regular and special meetings of the Commission and reviews the staff reports and documents and otherwise prepares for meetings like regular members. When a permanent vacancy is created on the Commission, the alternate then fills that vacancy as a regular member for the remainder of that Commissioner's term of office and the City Council appoints a new alternate. In addition, the City Council may appoint one ex officio member of the City Council and one ex officio member who is a City official or employee. Both ex officio members shall be nonvoting members. Ex officio members shall serve as the liaison(s) to the City Council and City staff. Ex officio member terms shall correspond to their official tenure, unless otherwise appointed by the City Council.
(2) 
Term of Office. New Planning Commission members are now appointed by a majority vote of the City Council to three-year terms. Should three or more new members be appointed to the Commission in the same year, terms shall be staggered in such a way that no more than two members' terms end at the same time. By a majority of the City Council any member may be terminated from the Commission at any time.
(3) 
If a member of the Planning Commission is absent without permission from regular Planning Commission meetings, for 60 days consecutively, his/her position on the Commission becomes vacant and shall be filled by appointment of the City Council, as set forth in subsections (2) and (4) of this section.
(4) 
Advertising for Members. Recruitment for new Planning Commission members shall be done by posting and publishing a public notice.
(Ord. 238 § 2, 2000; Ord. 344 § 1, 2016)
(1) 
The Commission shall exercise all the powers and duties provided for a city planning commission under the laws of the State of California, and such additional duties as may be assigned it by the City Council.
(2) 
The provisions of this section shall not be construed as affecting or limiting, or as a prerequisite to, the powers of the City Council or electors of the City to legislate, or in any way to conflict with the powers and duties of the City Council and the departments or boards of the City.
(3) 
The Commission shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson from among the appointed voting members every other year (biannually) at their first meeting in January or soon thereafter.
(4) 
The Commission shall hold at least one regular meeting each month. The regular meeting of the Planning Commission shall be held at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month and, in the event that the fourth Tuesday falls on a legal holiday, the meeting shall be held the following day at the same hour. Location shall be in the Rio Dell City Hall Council Chambers at 675 Wildwood Avenue.
(5) 
The Commission shall operate under the rules as adopted by the City Council, and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings and determinations, which record shall be a public record.
(Ord. 238 § 3, 2000; Ord. 317 § 1, 2014; Ord. 339 § 1, 2015; Ord. 344 § 2, 2016; Ord. 387 § 1, 2021; Ord. 405 § 2, 2024)