(A) The Planning Commission shall consist of seven members, appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Commission. To be qualified to be a member and remain a member of the Planning Commission, the individual shall meet the following qualifications:
(1) Shall be a qualified elector of the city, except one non-qualified elector may be a member;
(2) Shall not be a declared candidate for any political office, except this condition shall not apply to the City Commission representative to the Planning Commission;
(3) After an individual’s first appointment and before reappointment shall have attended training for Planning Commission members, pursuant to § 32.04; and
(4) Shall meet the conditions provided for each individual member in divisions (B), (D), (E) and (F) below, except the geographical location of the individual’s residency may be considered optional.
(B) The membership shall be representative of the important geographic and interest segments of the city as follows.
(C) Members shall be appointed for three-year terms; however when first appointed a number of members shall be appointed to one-year, two-year or three-year terms such that, as nearly as possible, the terms of one-third of all Planning Commission members will expire each year. If a vacancy occurs, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as provided for an original appointment such that, as nearly as possible, the terms of one-third of all Planning Commission members continue to expire each year.
(D) Ex officio members shall include one member of the City Commission. The terms of office of ex officio members shall coincide with their elected terms of office on the legislative body or the term of office of the chief elected official who appointed him or her.
(E) The membership shall be representative of the important segments of the community, such as the economic, governmental, educational and social development of the city, in accordance with the major interests as they exist in the city, as follows:
(1) Government (represented by the ex officio City Commissioner);
(2) Natural resources and public health;
(3) Recreation;
(4) Education;
(5) Industry and agriculture;
(6) Transportation; and
(7) Commerce;
(F) The membership shall also be representative of the entire geography of the city to the extent practicable, and as a secondary consideration to the representation of the major interests.
(G) A member of the City Commission, Chief Administrative Officer, person designated by the chief administrative officer, and chief elected official of the city shall not be Chair of the Planning Commission.
(H) Not more than one third of the total membership of the Planning Commission shall consist of, collectively, a member of the City Commission, Chief Administrative Officer, person designated by the chief elected officer, or chief elected official of the city.
(I) If the City Commission provides for a Planning Commissioner to be ex officio on the Zoning Board of Appeals, that Planning Commissioner shall be mindful that they should declare a conflict of interest and abstain from voting in any decision of the ZBA that would ratify or overturn the position of the Planning Commission on the same matter.
(2012 amendment)