[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Schwenksville
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Subdivision and land development — See Ch.
147.
[Adopted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I)]
There is hereby created a department to be known as the "Planning Commission" consisting of five members, which is hereby created and established for Schwenksville Borough, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, pursuant to the provisions of Article
II, Section 201, of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, as established by the Act of July 31, 1968, P.L. 805, No. 247, as amended and reenacted.
The Planning Commission shall be comprised of five members who shall
be appointed for terms of office of four years, to be established on a series
of overlapping terms with one term expiring each year, except for one year
in which two terms shall expire.
The Planning Commission shall have all the powers and duties conferred
and imposed upon it as set forth in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning
Code, established by the Act of July 31, 1968, P.L. 805, No. 247, as amended
and reenacted.
[Adopted 7-12-2001 by Ord. No. 305]
Schwenksville Borough shall join with the municipalities of Upper Frederick Township, Lower Frederick Township, Perkiomen Township, Skippack Township, Collegeville Borough, and Trappe Borough to create the Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission as per the guidelines set forth under Articles
I,
II and XI of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 as amended August 2000.
The seven municipalities of the Central Perkiomen Valley have come to
recognize that the issues associated with growth and development, such as
but not limited to traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and loss of
open space, are too large for any one municipality to effectively address.
They recognized that current growth, and anticipated growth, if not properly
managed will lead to the diminution of the region's quality of life. Furthermore,
the participating municipalities are concerned that current zoning requirements
which call for each and every municipality to provide for a full range of
uses, regardless of historic development patterns, is inefficient and potentially
destructive to the region's economic and social structure. To this end, the
municipalities of the Central Perkiomen Valley hereby embark on a course of
action to implement regional planning. Schwenksville Borough empowers the
Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission to undertake the development
of a Regional Comprehensive Plan.
[Amended 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
Each participating municipality shall appoint two members. One member
from each municipality shall be from the elected governing board and the other
from the Municipal Planning Commission.
[Amended 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
Each member municipality shall have one vote to cast on all matters
that come before the Regional Planning Commission that require action. If
two members from a municipality are present at a meeting and cannot agree
as to how to cast their vote, then the vote of the member from the elected
governing board of the municipality shall control.
[Added 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
The term of each member shall be two years.
[Added 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
A. The positions of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer
shall be held by individuals representing three different municipalities.
B. Officers shall serve a one-year term and may succeed
themselves for a second one-year term provided that at the end of two years,
the position shall be filled by an individual representing a different municipality.
The Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission shall have
the responsibility to prepare a Regional Comprehensive Plan for the seven
participating municipalities. To this end, the powers and duties of the Regional
Planning Commission are as follows:
A. To prepare a Regional Comprehensive Plan pursuant to
Article III of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
B. That in the preparation of said Plan, the members of
the Commission shall represent the interests of their respective municipalities
and shall cast one vote per municipality on all matters that require action.
C. That upon completion of the Regional Comprehensive Plan,
the Regional Planning Commission shall forward said Plan on to the participating
municipalities by unanimous consent.
D. The Regional Planning Commission shall not usurp the
powers, duties and obligations of the individual municipal planning commissions
and zoning hearing boards regarding subdivisions, land developments, and zoning
matters.
E. The Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission
is an advisory body.
[Amended 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
A. The Central Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission
shall prepare an annual budget which shall be approved by each of the member
municipalities. The Regional Planning Commission shall appropriate funds for
its operation only to the limit of its approved budget. The Regional Planning
Commission may also seek federal, state and county grants to offset the cost
of operation.
B. Each member municipality shall be responsible to pay 1/7
of all budgeted expenditures.
C. All budgeted items shall be approved by the unanimous vote of
the voting members of the Regional Planning Commission.
Within the limits imposed upon it by the funds available for its use,
the Regional Planning Commission may employ such staff or personnel and enter
into contracts with consultants as it seems fit to aid in its work.
Any participating municipality may withdraw from the Regional Planning
Commission after six months written notice. Upon receiving notice that a municipality
wishes to withdraw from the Regional Planning Commission, the governing bodies
of the remaining municipalities shall promptly schedule a meeting to consider
whether the remaining municipalities wish to continue with the Regional Planning
Commission and the creation of a Regional Comprehensive Plan.
[Amended 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
Any municipality which has exercised its right to withdrawal from the
Regional Planning Organization shall be financially responsible, even after
withdrawal, for only those budgeted items which it or its representative to
the Regional Planning Commission had agreed to or voted for, for a period
of one year after the effective date of withdrawal.
[Added 11-8-2001 by Ord. No. 308]
Each of the Central Perkiomen Valley municipalities shall retain their
individual Planning Commissions. Each local Planning Commission shall continue
to review those subdivisions, land developments and zoning revisions that
are proposed within their own municipality, and then provide advisory comment
to the elected officials.