(a) Organization. The planning commission is composed of five members who are registered voters of the city. Three members of the commission shall be appointees of the mayor, and two members shall be appointees of council. Each member of the commission shall serve until the expiration of his or her term, which shall be five years, with each term staggered so that one commission member's term expires each year. Members of the commission shall be ineligible to succeed themselves unless the member is completing a term for which he or she was appointed to fill a midterm vacancy. The appointing authority of the commission member may remove that member for cause.
(b) Engineer as Ex Officio Member. A person serving in the capacity of city engineer shall, by virtue of his or her position, be a non-voting member of the commission.
(c) Officers. The commission shall elect its own chairperson and vice chairperson. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum to do business. The city's chief planning officer or his or her designee shall be the secretary to the commission and shall be responsible for the preparation of the docket and the minutes for all commission meetings and shall perform all other duties incident to the office of secretary. The secretary shall have no vote.
(d) Administrative Staff. The secretary and his or her staff shall provide all administrative and support services to the commission.
(e) General Plan. The planning commission shall make and adopt a general plan for the development and improvement of the city, and for any area outside of the city that, in the judgment of the commission, bears relation to the planning of the city. No general plan or portions or amendments of the plan shall be adopted by the commission until after a public hearing. The general plan established or amended from time to time by ordinance shall constitute the official plan of the city. The commission shall also make plans and proposals for specific improvements and projects that it deems desirable for the city and its surrounding area and recommend them to the appropriate authority. These plans and proposals shall not become a part of the general plan until adopted by council. The commission may call upon officers and employees of other departments and divisions of the city for assistance in city planning. The commission shall take the initiative in planning for the city and surrounding area. It may make investigations, maps and studies relating to the planning of the community as it deems desirable.
(f) Development; Authority to Contract. The planning commission may recommend to the appropriate public authorities or private agencies programs for the development and improvement of the community, for the enactment of legislation pertaining to that development and improvement, for the building of public structures and improvements and for the financing of those things. Subject to the approval of council, the commission may enter into agreements with other public or private entities to carry forward any of its purposes. In addition to the powers and functions provided in this charter, the commission shall have other powers and functions provided by council. The commission may establish rules and regulations for its own procedure not inconsistent with this section or any ordinances of the city.
(g) Mandatory Referral. No public building, street, park, playground, harbor, dock, wharf, bridge, tunnel, or publicly or privately owned utility shall be authorized or constructed in the city, in whole or in part; nor shall any street be opened, widened, narrowed, relocated or vacated, or its use changed for any purpose whatsoever; nor shall ordinance referring to zoning or other regulations controlling the use or development of land in the city be adopted unless it has first been submitted to the commission for report and recommendation. The commission shall act on any matter within 60 days of its referral unless a longer time is allowed by council. Any resolution, ordinance or matter referred and disapproved by formal action of the commission shall require a two-thirds vote of all councilmembers for adoption or authorization.
(h) Review of Other Public Plans. If any plan, design or other proposal concerning the character, extent, location or use of any public improvement or public property within the city does not fall within the province of council or other office of the city, then the commission shall review the plan, design or proposal by the state, county, district, school, or other public entity having jurisdiction over the public improvement or property in accordance with general law.