[CC 1970 §§2-6—2-8; CC 1947 §§9-1, 9-3, 9-5]
A. 
Established. In order to make adequate provision for and to stimulate, guide, direct, arrange and beautify the City and the future development and growth thereof, there is established a City Plan Commission.
B. 
Promulgating Rules And Regulations. The City Plan Commission may provide such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the ordinances of the City for its own organization and procedure as it may deem proper.
C. 
Recommending Legislation. It shall be the duty of the City Plan Commission to prepare and recommend such national, State and municipal legislation as may, in its opinion, be deemed necessary in carrying out the recommendations or suggestions of the Commission.
[1]
Charter References—Required, art. IV §1; membership, etc., art. IX.
State Law Reference—Authority to appoint, etc., §§89.310 et seq., RSMo.
[Ord. No. 5814 §1(6.1), 4-27-2004]
The Plan Commission is established to advise the Board of Aldermen on how best to preserve and protect the existing residential and business community, to provide for, plan, guide and direct the development, redevelopment and growth of the City and to encourage high standards of architectural, site and landscape design and to encourage public participation.
[Ord. No. 5814 §1(6.2), 4-27-2004; Ord. No. 6976, 11-11-2025]
There shall be a City Plan Commission consisting of seven (7) members appointed by the City Council, one (1) of whom shall be a member of the City Council appointed annually. The other six (6) members shall be residents of the City qualified by knowledge or experience to act on questions pertaining to the development and administration of a City Plan, who shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years, except that of the members first (1st) appointed, two (2) shall be appointed to serve for one (1) year, two (2) for two (2) years and one (1) for three (3) years. The City Council shall fill vacancies for any unexpired term. The Plan Commission shall elect its own Chairperson and other officers annually.
[Ord. No. 5814 §1(6.3), 4-27-2004]
A. 
The City Plan Commission shall have the authority and the duty to submit to the Board of Aldermen for its approval a master plan for the physical development of the City and shall have the power to employ or consult professional advisers. The plan shall include, among other things, the general location, character and extent of streets, bridges, parks, waterways and other public ways, grounds, places and spaces, together with the general location of public buildings and other public property, public utilities and terminals. The Commission shall recommend such modifications of the master plan, from time to time, as it deems in the City's interest; and not less frequently than once a year, it shall submit to the Board of Aldermen a report which shall include a summary of its activities and statements of its recommendations for improvements in the master plan. Reports of the Plan Commission shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk and be open to public inspection.
B. 
The City Plan Commission shall also act as the Zoning Commission with all of the powers granted to a Zoning Commission by law and shall have the authority and the duty to submit and recommend to the Board of Aldermen for enactment into an ordinance a comprehensive plan for the zoning of the City. The zoning plan shall include regulations as to the location, height, width and bulk of buildings and other structures and the size of the yards, courts and other open spaces, including off-street parking areas surrounding the same, as the Commission shall determine to be necessary or desirable for the promotion of the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City. The zoning plan shall also specify the use of such buildings, structures and land as the Commission shall determine to be necessary or desirable for the promotion of the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City.
C. 
The Commission shall hold a public hearing on each application for amendments, modifications or revisions of the Zoning Ordinance and shall forward such application to the Board of Aldermen with its recommendations thereon.
[Ord. No. 5814 §1(6.4), 4-27-2004]
For at least seven (7) days immediately prior to the date of the public hearing on any proposed amendment, modification or revision, the Commission shall cause public notices to be maintained in at least five (5) public places, two (2) of which shall be upon the property which would be affected by the proposed change in the Zoning Ordinance. At least ten (10) days prior to such hearing, the Commission shall mail a written notice to the last known place of abode of the owners of all property, according to current City tax records, adjacent to or lying within two hundred (200) feet of all boundaries of the property under consideration. In addition, the Commission shall cause notice of the hearing to be published at least two (2) times in a newspaper printed or published in the City or, if there be no newspaper printed or published in the City, then in any daily newspaper of general circulation in the City. The first (1st) publication shall be at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the hearing. All such notices shall describe briefly the proposed amendment, modification or revision and indicate the time and place of the hearing. In the event of a general revision of the Zoning Ordinance, such notices shall not be required.
[Ord. No. 5814 §1(6.5), 4-27-2004]
A. 
The Commission shall have authority to recommend regulations as to size, value and type of construction of buildings proposed to be erected within the City. Such regulations shall be made giving consideration to the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses and with a view of conserving the values of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout the City.
B. 
The recommendations of the Commission shall not be binding on the Board of Aldermen, which may approve or disapprove the Commission's findings. However, the affirmative vote of five (5) members shall be required to adopt any amendment, modification or revision contrary to the recommendations of the Commission and the Board of Aldermen may prescribe by ordinance a period of time which must elapse before any proposal for amendment, modification or revision which has been rejected can be resubmitted. No zoning ordinance or any modification, amendment or revision thereof shall become effective unless a public hearing has been held by the Board of Aldermen in relation thereto. Notice of such hearing shall be given in the manner prescribed by law.
[Ord. No. 5814 §1(6.6), 4-27-2004]
Meetings to consider applications may be held on the regularly scheduled meeting dates or at any other time deemed necessary by the Chairperson. All meetings shall be open to the public, unless closed pursuant to State law. The Plan Commission shall keep a written record in the form of minutes of each meeting, depicting the discussion of the Commission and the vote of each member present upon each agenda item. Absences and failure to vote shall also be noted for the record. Copies of minutes and materials used by the Plan Commission shall be kept on file in the office of the Department of Planning and Development Services. All notification requirements, public meetings and/or hearings and availability for examination of records related to actions by the Plan Commission shall conform with existing Federal, State and local laws.
[Ord. No. 6962, 10-28-2025]
A. 
Public Hearings. Prior to receipt of public comments at a public hearing before the Plan Commission, the applicant who initiated the matter which is the subject of the hearing, and who, therefore, bears the burden to show that the application should be granted, shall be afforded up to ten (10) minutes to make a presentation and submit any additional relevant documentary evidence not already made a part of the record pertaining to the matter. Any person may thereafter address the City Plan Commission during a scheduled public hearing, provided such statements are limited to the subject of the public hearing. Each person desiring to address the City Plan Commission during a public hearing must complete and submit to the City staff a speaker card containing the speaker's name, residential address and the subject upon which the speaker desires to speak. Other than the applicant, each person speaking at a public hearing must limit their comments to no more than three (3) minutes. An applicant shall be afforded a maximum of five (5) minutes to respond to statements made by speakers and provide any relevant additional information at the conclusion of presentations by those who chose to address the Commission in the public hearing. Speakers may reply to the applicant's response after securing the permission of the officer presiding to do so. All speakers following the initial applicant response will be limited to three (3) minutes to speak.
B. 
Business Matters Before The City Plan Commission. An applicant or designated representative for a particular business matter on the Commission's agenda which is not the subject of a public hearing may address the City Plan Commission while the Commission is considering such business matters for a maximum of ten (10) minutes. Any other persons may not speak on such business matters without first securing the permission of the officer presiding to do so. Speakers will be limited to three (3) minutes. Each person addressing the City Plan Commission must complete and submit to the City staff a speaker card containing the speaker's name, residential address and the subject upon which the speaker desires to speak.
C. 
Written Communications. Interested parties or their authorized representatives are free to submit written communications to the members of City Plan Commission at any time. If such communications pertain to a matter then pending before the Commission, and if such communications are sent to all members of the Commission and the Director of Planning and Development Services and received before the Commission has concluded its consideration of the matter, they will be included in the record of the proceedings.
D. 
Reading Of Protests, Etc. Interested persons or their authorized representatives may be recognized by the presiding officer during a City Plan Commission meeting and allowed to present protests, petitions or communications regarding matters then under consideration.