(A) Creation. There shall be a Village Planning Commission pursuant to the Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Public Act 3 of 2008, being MCL 125.3801 et seq., as amended, hereinafter referred to as “the Commission,” with the powers and duties as set forth below. This section shall be officially known and described as “The Village of Grass Lake Planning Commission Ordinance.”
(B) Membership.
(1) The Commission shall consist of five, seven or nine members appointed by the chief elected official, subject to approval by a majority vote of the Village Council. To be qualified to be a member and remain a member of the Commission, the individual shall meet the following qualifications:
(a) Shall be a qualified elector of the village, except one non-qualified elector may be a member of the Commission;
(b) Shall not be a declared candidate for any political office, except this condition shall not apply to the Village Council representative to the Commission;
(c) After an individual’s first appointment and before reappointment, shall have attended training for Commission members pursuant to division (D) below; and
(d) Shall meet the conditions provided for each individual member in division (B)(3) below, except the geographical location of the individual’s residency may be considered optional.
(2) 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 Commission members will expire each new 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 Commission members continue to expire each year.
(3) The membership shall be representative, to the extent practicable, of the important segments of the community, such as the economic, governmental, educational and social development of the village, and as a secondary consideration, be representative of the entire geography of the village.
(a) Ex officio members shall include the chief elected official or one member(s) of the Village Council.
(b) 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.
(c) Ex officio members shall not be a Chair of the Commission.
(d) Ex officio members shall not comprise more than one-third of the total membership of the Commission.
(C) Liaisons. The Commission, in its bylaws, may name liaisons to the Commission. The purpose of liaisons is to provide the village and quasi-village officials to have the ability to participate in discussion with the Commission, in addition to speaking in public participation, and nothing else.
(D) Training. Appointed members of the Commission shall attend educational programs designed for training members of state planning commissions if the adopted village budget for that fiscal year includes funds to pay for tuition, registration and travel expenses for the training. Nothing in this division (D) shall prohibit a member who has not had training from finishing his or her term of office unless the member resigns or is removed by action of the Village Council.
(E) Removal from office.
(1) The Village Council may remove a member of the Commission for misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in office upon written charges. Failure to disclose a potential conflict of interest shall be considered malfeasance in office. Failure to attend three consecutive Commission meetings shall be considered nonfeasance in office.
(2) The Secretary of the Planning Commission shall report any member who has missed three consecutive regular meetings to the Village Council.
(F) Membership; vacancies. The Village Council shall fill any vacancy in the membership of the Commission for the unexpired term in the same manner as the initial appointment.
(G) Membership; compensation. All members of the Planning Commission shall serve with compensation equal to, or less then, the per diem of the Village Council per meeting, plus mileage.
(H) Meetings.
(1) The Commission shall meet at least four times each year. A majority of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of the ordinary business of the Commission, and all questions which shall arise at its meetings shall be determined by a vote of the majority of the members of the Planning Commission.
(2) The affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total number of seats for members of the Commission, regardless if vacancies or absences exist or not, shall be necessary for the adoption, or recommendation for adoption, of any plan or amendment to plan.
(I) Powers and duties.
(1) The Commission shall have its powers and duties as set forth in the Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Public Act 33 of 2008, being MCL 125.3801 et seq., as amended, and the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, Public Act 110 of 2006, being MCL 125.3101 et seq., as amended.
(2) The Commission shall have authority to apply for and receive grants from any government agency, or the federal government, and to receive gifts.
(J) Meetings; records. The Commission shall adopt bylaws for the transaction of business and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings and determinations, which records shall be a public record.
(K) Approval, ratification and reconfirmation. All official actions taken by all village planning commissions preceding the Commission created by this section are hereby approved, ratified and reconfirmed. Any project, review or process taking place at the effective date of the provisions codified herein shall continue with the Commission created by this section, subject to the requirements of this section, and shall be deemed a continuation of any previous village planning commission. The provisions codified herein shall be in full force and effect from and after their adoption and publication.
(Prior Code, § 30.02) (Ord. passed 6-21-2011)