A. Established: The metropolitan area planning commission is hereby designated to perform the traffic functions as set out in subsection B of this section.
B. Functions Generally: The metropolitan area planning commission:
1. Shall coordinate traffic transportation activities, receive complaints and conduct hearings having to do with traffic and transportation matters.
2. Within the limitations of ordinances and state laws applicable to traffic control, shall exercise general supervisory direction over the planning of facilities for improvement of traffic conditions and for the safe and efficient operation of traffic movement over, across and along the streets and highways, and the marking and signalization thereof.
3. Shall make or cause to be made by or under supervision of the city engineer, surveys and engineering studies relating to traffic movement and the safe and efficient control thereof. The city engineer shall analyze these surveys and studies and make findings of fact based thereon. The city engineer shall relate such findings to the designed capacity of any traffic way so surveyed or studied or to special conditions set forth in the surveys and studies as being hazardous to traffic movement and shall reach conclusions based thereon as to the kinds of regulation, and kinds of markers, signs, or signals and the locations thereof, shown by the analysis and findings to be necessary for the adequate, efficient and safe control of traffic.
4. Shall recommend to the mayor and board of commissioners and to the city engineer, the police department, and other city officials, ways and means toward improving traffic, transportation and parking conditions, and the administration and enforcement of traffic regulations.
5. Shall carry out any and all further duties which may be imposed upon it by ordinance.
C. Traffic Hearings: For purposes of analyzing and reevaluating the data contained in any traffic engineering survey or study properly before it, the metropolitan area planning commission is authorized to conduct hearings and make such investigation as it deems advisable and necessary, but no expense for the hearing or investigation shall be a charge against any funds of the city unless incurred under specific authority of the mayor and board of commissioners.
D. Recommendations On Certain Ordinances:
1. All ordinances affecting the movement of traffic, transportation or parking, and all measures for the facilitation of traffic movement shall first be referred to the metropolitan area planning commission for recommendations. All applicants who make a request to the metropolitan area planning commission shall be given written notice of the time and place that the metropolitan area planning commission will consider the request. All applicants shall be given written notice of the decision of the metropolitan area planning commission, together with the reasons for approval or denial of the request, the time and place that the mayor and board of commissioners will consider any affirmative recommendation of the metropolitan area planning commission and the procedure for appealing any adverse decision of the metropolitan area planning commission on the request to the mayor and board of commissioners.
2. Any affirmative recommendation of the metropolitan area planning commission shall be referred to the mayor and board of commissioners for their approval; negative decisions shall not be considered, except upon timely appeal, which appeal shall be made in writing to the city manager within ten (10) days of the date of the mailing of the notice of the decision of the metropolitan area planning commission; provided, however, all requests made to the metropolitan area planning commission by any member of the mayor and board of commissioners shall be referred for commission action whether the decision of the metropolitan area planning commission was affirmative or negative.
E. Records: All surveys and studies, analyses, findings and conclusions made by the metropolitan area planning commission shall be reduced to writing by the metropolitan area planning commission and a copy shall be maintained as a record in the office of the city clerk. (1994 Code §§ 20-61, 20-62, 20-63, 20-64, 20-65)