Chapter 2.15
PLANNING COMMISSION

Sections:

2.15.010    Re-establishment.

2.15.020    Membership.

2.15.030    Term of office.

2.15.040    Vacancies and removal.

2.15.050    Presiding members.

2.15.060    Compensation.

2.15.070    Meetings.

2.15.080    Powers and duties.

2.15.010 Re-establishment.

There is hereby re-established a city planning commission for the city of Veneta. (Ord. 98 § 1, 1974)

2.15.020 Membership.

(1) The commission shall consist of five members who are not officials or employees of the city. Not more than one member shall be a nonresident of the city. The mayor, city attorney, city engineer and one councilman shall be entitled to sit with the commission and take part in its discussions, but shall not have the right to vote.

(2) No more than two voting members shall be engaged principally in the buying, selling or developing of real estate for profit as individuals, or be members of any partnership, or officers or employees or any corporation that is engaged principally in the buying, selling or developing of real estate for profit. No more than two voting members shall be engaged in the same kind of business, trade, profession, or occupation.

(3) A member of the planning commission shall not participate in any commission proceeding or action in which any of the following has a direct or substantial financial interest: the member or his spouse, brother, sister, child, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, any business in which the member is then serving or has served within the previous two years or any business with which the member is negotiating for or has an arrangement or understanding concerning prospective partnership or employment. Any actual or potential interest shall be disclosed at the meeting of the commission where the action is being taken. (Ord. 387 § 4, 1998; Ord. 98 § 2, 1974)

2.15.030 Term of office.

Members of the planning commission shall be appointed by the mayor for terms of approximately four years, which terms shall expire on the day of the second city council meeting after January 1st of the year in which the term expires. The mayor may extend the term of incumbent planning commission members by a period not to exceed 60 days. Terms of planning commission members shall be staggered in order to establish an approximately equal number of expiring terms each year. (Ord. 363 § 1, 1997; Ord. 98 § 3, 1974)

2.15.040 Vacancies and removal.

Appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term. A member may be removed by the city council, after hearing, for misconduct or nonperformance of duty. A member who is absent from three consecutive meetings without an excuse as approved by the planning commission is presumed to be in nonperformance of duty and the city council shall declare the position vacant unless finding otherwise following the hearing. (Ord. 98 § 4, 1974)

2.15.050 Presiding members.

(1) The commission, at its first meeting, shall elect a president and vice president, who shall be voting members and who shall hold office during the pleasure of the commission.

(2) The commission shall elect a secretary who need not be a member of the commission. The secretary shall keep an accurate record of all commission proceedings. The commission shall, on the first day of October of each year, make and file a report of all its transactions with the city council. (Ord. 98 § 5, 1974)

2.15.060 Compensation.

Members of the planning commission shall receive no compensation other than authorized expenses. (Ord. 98 § 6, 1974)

2.15.070 Meetings.

The commission shall have its headquarters in the City Hall. A majority of the members of the planning commission shall constitute a quorum. The commission shall meet at least once a month. Meetings of the commission shall be open to the public. Meetings other than at regularly scheduled times may be announced at a prior meeting and thereby be made a part of the meeting records. The chairman upon his own motion may, or at the request of three members of the commission shall, by giving notice to members of the commission, call a previously unannounced special meeting of the commission for a time not earlier than 24 hours after the notice is given. Notice of a previously unannounced meeting shall be telephoned to the newspaper, posted at the City Hall and, to the extent feasible, provided to interested persons at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. (Ord. 98 § 7, 1974)

2.15.080 Powers and duties.

The commission shall have the powers and duties which are now or may hereafter be assigned to it by Charter, ordinances, or resolutions of this city and general laws of this state. The duties of the commission shall include the following:

(1) Conduct studies appropriate to an understanding of area development and its significance to the public interest;

(2) Develop and maintain comprehensive plan proposals for recommendation to the city council;

(3) Develop specific plans for selected areas or functions as indicated by studies and other evidence of community need and recommend plan adoption if appropriate;

(4) Periodically review the city's capital improvement program and make recommendations to the city administration;

(5) Prepare and periodically review land development regulations including but not limited to zoning, subdivision, and land partitioning and make recommendations to the city council;

(6) Consult and advise with public agencies and private citizens on ways to carry out the comprehensive plan including matters concerning the area within six miles of the city limits;

(7) Submit an annual report to the city council on the activities of the planning commission and on the status of the comprehensive plan and its implementation;

(8) Review public programs that are referred to it for recommendation, such as property acquisition or disposition, public building or other public facility proposals and transportation or right-of-way plans. Report as to the program's conformity with the comprehensive plan;

(9) Shall review subdivisions and partitioning proposals and approve those meeting state and city requirements with such conditions or restrictions as are found appropriate under such requirement;

(10) Shall review and act on zone change proposals, contested cases, variances, conditional uses, planned unit developments, design reviews and other discretionary permits as provided by the land use control ordinances;

(11) Perform other functions as the city council may request. (Ord. 98 § 8, 1974)