Chapter 2.16
PLANNING COMMISSION
Sections:
2.16.010 Created.
2.16.020 Membership.
2.16.030 Terms of office.
2.16.040 Absence—Removal.
2.16.050 Powers and duties.
2.16.070 Records required.
2.16.080 Excess appropriations for city officials.
2.16.090 Power to organize, adopt rules.
2.16.100 City clerk’s duties.
2.16.110 Compensation of commissioners.
2.16.010 Created.
A planning commission which may be known and referred to as the “planning commission” of the city of Cerritos, California, is hereby created and established. (Ord. 175 § 1, 1966)
2.16.020 Membership.
The planning commission shall consist of five members who are residents of Cerritos. Each councilmember shall appoint one commissioner, subject to approval by the city council. In addition to the five appointed members of the commission, the director of community development who shall act as secretary, and the city engineer, or their designated representatives, shall be ex officio members of the commission but shall be nonvoting members thereof. (Ord. 752 § 1(a), 1995: Ord. 701 § 1(a), 1991: Ord. 175 § 2, 1966)
2.16.030 Terms of office.1
(a) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, all appointments shall be for a term of two years commencing on April 1st of each odd-numbered year and expiring on March 31st of the next succeeding odd-numbered year, or earlier if the councilmember making the appointment ceases to hold office as a member of the Cerritos city council. Persons appointed may be removed by action of the councilmember making the appointment, subject to approval by the city council or by a majority vote of the city council. Appointments may be extended pursuant to subsection (b) of this section;
(b) The term of any regular member of the commission is automatically extended for not more than ninety days pending the qualification of his or her successor; and
(c) If a vacancy shall occur otherwise than by expiration of term, it shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term. Such appointment shall be made by the councilmember making the original appointment, with the approval of the city council. (Ord. 752 §§ 1(b), 2, 1995; Ord. 701 § 1(b), 1991: Ord. 175 § 3, 1966)
2.16.040 Absence—Removal.
Notwithstanding any of the other provisions of this chapter, any commissioner who absents himself from any three consecutive regular meetings of the planning commission, unless excused from such attendance by consent of the commission expressed by action of record in its minutes or who is absent from a total of five regular meetings of the commission in any six-month period without such consent of the commission so expressed of record, shall thereby automatically forfeit his or her position or office as a member of the planning commission, and the name of such person shall be automatically removed from the membership of the commission immediately after the adjournment of any third consecutive meeting or of any fifth meeting in any six-month period, as the case may be, at which the commissioner has not appeared.
The chairman or the secretary of the commission shall thereupon promptly notify the city council, and any such person so ceasing to be the commissioner, of such fact; where upon the vacancy so created shall be filled by appointment as contemplated under the provisions of Section 2.16.030(c). (Ord. 175 § 4, 1966)
2.16.050 Powers and duties.
A. The planning commission and the members thereof shall respectively have and exercise each and all of the powers, duties, rights, privileges and authorities of the city planning commission and of members of such commission, all as set forth, provided for, and contemplated in this chapter and under any other ordinance of this city and in and under the provisions of the planning and zoning law of the state of California as same now exists and as same may hereafter be amended and shall perform the duties, acts and functions of the city planning commission, and members thereof, respectively, all as indicated, set forth and referred to in, and as contemplated by, the planning and zoning law and in the manner therein stated except where otherwise provided by an ordinance of this city.
B. The planning commission shall conduct such hearings as may be required by law upon receipt by the city of any application or petition filed pursuant to provisions of the development code of the city. The planning commission shall thereafter transmit such recommendations with reference to the application as may be required by the development code to the city council.
C. Upon direction or request of the city council, and only upon such direction or request, or as may be required by law or ordinance, the planning commission is further authorized and empowered to review, conduct hearings and make recommendations to the city council upon application or petition filed pursuant to provisions of the development code of the city and upon such other matters as the city council may deem appropriate. (Ord. 509 § 1, 1975: Ord. 175 § 5, 1966)
2.16.070 Records required.
The commission shall cause proper records to be kept of all its official acts and proceedings and shall make reports to the city council, all as contemplated in and by the “Planning Law.” (Ord. 175 § 7, 1966)
2.16.080 Excess appropriations for city officials.
The commission shall have no power or authority to bind or obligate the city or any officers or department thereof for any money, debt, undertaking or obligation of any kind in excess of the appropriation which the city council may have made for the purpose of the commission in any fiscal year. (Ord. 175 § 8, 1966)
2.16.090 Power to organize, adopt rules.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter or by law, the commission shall have power to and shall provide for its own organization; shall adopt rules and regulations for the transaction of business before it; and shall designate the time and place for the regular monthly meeting or meetings of the commission provided that regular meetings of the Cerritos planning commission shall be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at seven p.m. at the city hall or such other time and location as the planning commission may by resolution provide. (Ord. 526 § 1, 1976: Ord. 509 § 3, 1975: Ord. 266 § 1, 1970: Ord. 175 § 9, 1966)
2.16.100 City clerk’s duties.
The city clerk is authorized and instructed to notify the planning commission of any matters which may hereafter be pending before the city council and to forward to the planning commission, from time to time, any and all documents, proceedings and instruments which may hereafter be so pending and which documents, proceedings and instruments, according to law, are required to be submitted to the planning commission prior to final action thereon by the city council. (Ord. 175 § 10, 1966)
2.16.110 Compensation of commissioners.
Commissioners shall be paid such compensation as the city council may by resolution from time to time provide. (Ord. 335 § 1, 1971)
Editor’s Note: The term of office of all present members of the planning commission shall expire on March 31, 1997, and such members shall continue as members of the commission until such date unless terminated as provided hereinabove.