(a) Planning Commission Created. There is hereby created a Planning Commission of five members for the Municipality consisting of the Mayor, one member of Council and three residents of the Municipality, all to be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Ohio R.C. 713.01. The members of the Planning Commission shall annually elect one member as Chair of the Planning Commission, except that if the Chair of the Planning Commission is the Mayor or a Member of Council, that member shall receive no additional compensation therefor. The remaining members of the Planning Commission may receive such compensation as Council shall provide.
(b) Duties of Planning Commission. For the purpose of this Zoning Code, the Planning Commission shall have the following duties:
(1) Review all proposed amendments to the Subdivision Regulations and Zoning Code in accordance with Chapter 1137 and make recommendation to Council;
(2) Review all site plans;
(3) Review all plans for planned unit developments and make recommendations thereon to Council as appropriate;
(4) Hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is an error in any order, requirements, decision or determination made by the Zoning Inspector;
(5) To hear appeals regarding the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of the Exterior Property Maintenance Code, as provided by Section 1309.11;
(6) To authorize such variances from the terms of the Zoning Code as will not be contrary to the public interest, where, owing to the special conditions, a literal enforcement of the Zoning Code will result in practical difficulties or unnecessary hardship;
(8) To determine the similarity of uses pursuant to Section 1153.07;
(9) To consider applications for conditional use permits under the conditions specified in Chapter 1135 of the Zoning Code, imposing such additional conditions as necessary to uphold the intent of the Zoning Code;
(10) To authorize the issuance of zoning certificates for uses that are subject to performance standards and requirements, as specified in Section 1159.07;
(11) To review all changes in the fee schedule established in Section 1140.04 and make recommendations to Council;
(13) To conduct an annual review of the Comprehensive Plan, and evaluate the Village’s efforts to comply with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan;
(14) To exercise any and all other powers provided by the Ohio Revised Code or this Zoning Code.
(c) Proceedings of the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission shall follow the following procedures:
(1) The Planning Commission shall adopt rules necessary to the conduct of its affairs in keeping with the provisions of this Zoning Code.
(2) Meetings shall be held at the call of the Chair and at such other times as the Commission may determine.
(3) All meetings shall be open to the public, except that the Planning Commission shall be entitled to move into Executive Session for deliberations when acting in a quasi-judicial capacity or as otherwise authorized by Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.
(4) The Planning Commission shall keep minutes of its proceedings showing the vote of each member upon each question or, if absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact, and shall keep records of its examinations and other official action, all of which shall be a public record and be filed in the Village Offices.
(d) Duties of the Zoning Inspector. It is the intent of this Zoning Code that, except as specifically required otherwise by ordinance, all questions of interpretation and enforcement shall first be presented to the Zoning Inspector, and that such questions shall be presented to the Planning Commission only on appeal from a decision of the Zoning Inspector, and that recourse from the decisions of the Planning Commission shall be to the courts, as provided by law.
(e) Department Assistance. The Planning Commission may call upon the various departments of the Municipality for assistance in the performance of its duties and it shall be the duty of such departments to render assistance to the Planning Commission as may reasonably be required.
(f) Attendance at Meetings. A vacancy of the Planning Commission shall occur whenever any member misses or fails to be present at three consecutive regular meetings of the Planning Commission, or twenty-five percent (25%) of the total annual meetings in a year, unless such absences are excused by the Planning Commission or the Chair and the reason therefor entered in the Planning Commission minutes.
(Ord. 13-150. Passed 1-9-14.)