A. Authority:
1. The city council may, from time to time, on its own motion or on petition, amend by resolution the city's comprehensive plan, including any district plans or other amendments thereto. Any proposed amendment initiated by the city council shall first be submitted to the planning and zoning commission for its recommendation and report.
2. The planning and zoning commission may from time to time, on its own motion or on petition, recommend to the city council amendments to the city's comprehensive plan, including any district plans or other amendments thereto.
B. Optional Preapplication Conference: Any person intending to request an amendment to the city's comprehensive plan is encouraged to meet with staff from the department of planning and community development. The purpose of the preapplication conference is to discuss basic intentions, review the applicable comprehensive plan and district plan policies that might affect the intended request, and ensure that the applicant is familiar with the review and approval procedures for a comprehensive plan amendment.
C. Submittal Requirements: Unless the comprehensive plan amendment is initiated by the planning and zoning commission or the city council, the following application submittal procedures must be followed:
1. Applications for a comprehensive plan amendment must be filed with the city clerk on application forms provided by the department of planning and community development.
2. Supporting materials must be submitted as specified on the application form and must provide evidence that the approval criteria as set forth in subsection D of this section are met.
3. The city clerk shall forward said application to the department of planning and community development.
D. Approval Criteria: Applications for a comprehensive plan amendment must include evidence that the following approval criteria are met:
1. Circumstances have changed and/or additional information or factors have come to light such that the proposed amendment is in the public interest.
2. The proposed amendment will be compatible with other policies or provisions of the comprehensive plan, including any district plans or other amendments thereto.
E. Staff Review: After receipt of a complete application, the director of planning and community development or designee will forward a written report and recommendation to the planning and zoning commission.
F. Planning And Zoning Commission Review:
1. After receipt of a report and recommendation from city staff, the planning and zoning commission will schedule a public hearing. Notice of such hearing, and the time of place of such hearing will be published in a newspaper having a general circulation in the city at least seven (7), but not more than twenty (20), days before the public hearing.
2. Following the public hearing, the commission will consider a motion to recommend approval, modification, or denial of the proposed amendment. Not less than four (4) votes shall be required to recommend approval of an amendment to the comprehensive plan.
3. The commission will forward their report and recommendation to the city council for their review.
G. City Council Public Hearing:
1. After the recommendation and report of the planning and zoning commission have been filed, the city council shall, before enacting any amendment to the city's comprehensive plan, hold a public hearing in relation thereto. Notice of such hearing, and the time and place of such hearing must be published in a newspaper having a general circulation in the city at least seven (7), but not more than twenty (20), days before the public hearing. In no case shall the public hearing be held earlier than the next regularly scheduled city council meeting following the published notice. The city council may set such public hearing either before or after it submits the proposed amendment to the commission for its recommendation or during the period while the commission is considering such matter.
2. Following the public hearing, the city council will consider a resolution implementing the proposed comprehensive plan amendment. Any proposal for an amendment to the comprehensive plan that is counter to the recommendation of the planning and zoning commission shall not become effective except by a favorable vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the city council. (Ord. 05-4186, 12-15-2005)