A. Appointment and Terms of Planning Board Members.
1. Generally. The Planning Board (PB) shall consist of seven (7) regular members.
a. Six (6) members shall be residents of the City of Monroe and shall be appointed by City Council; one member shall be a resident of the extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction (ETJ). En members shall be appointed in accordance with G.S. § 160D-307. Planning Board members representing the extraterritorial area shall have equal rights, privileges, and duties in all matters coming under the Board’s purview.
b. In addition to the forgoing regular members, one member of the Monroe Youth Council shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting, uncompensated member. The Monroe Youth Council shall select the Youth Council ex officio member at the time it elects officers annually.
2. Member Terms. PB members shall be appointed for four-year staggered terms expiring on December 31st.
a. Members may serve two consecutive terms.
b. Any vacancy in the membership shall be filled for the unexpired term.
c. Members may continue to serve until their successors have been appointed.
B. Rules of Procedure.
1. Generally. The PB shall adopt rules for transaction of its business and shall keep a record of its members’ attendance and of its resolutions, discussions, findings, and recommendations, which shall be a public record.
2. Meetings of the Planning Board. The PB shall adopt a regular meeting schedule.
a. The PB may hold such special meetings as conduct of its business may require.
b. All meetings shall be open to the public.
c. The PB shall keep minutes of its proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon every action or, if absent or failing to vote, indicate such fact.
d. Unless otherwise provided by law, all records and minutes shall be public record.
3. Quorum. No official business of the PB may be conducted without a quorum present.
4. Participating and Voting. The concurring vote of a majority of the board shall be required on all matters. A majority of the members shall be required to decide any other matter or to determine an appeal made in the nature of certiorari.
a. For the purposes of this subsection, vacant positions on the board and members who are disqualified from voting on a matter shall not be considered members of the board for calculation of the requisite majority if there are no qualified alternates available to take the place of such members. Once a member is physically present at a PB meeting, any subsequent failure to vote will be recorded as an affirmative vote unless the member has recused himself or herself, or been excused in accordance with the paragraph below.
b. Members shall not vote on any advisory or legislative decision regarding a development regulation where the outcome of the matter being considered is reasonably likely to have a direct, substantial, and readily identifiable financial impact on the member. An appointed board member shall not vote on any zoning amendment if the landowner of the property subject to a rezoning petition or the applicant for a text amendment is a person with whom the member has a close familial, business, or other associational relationship. For purposes of this section, a “close familial relationship” means a spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, or grandchild. The term includes the step, half, and in-law relationships. In addition, a member who was not present at the hearing at which evidence relevant to the matter at issue was taken shall not vote on the matter.
5. Attendance. Any member of the PB who misses more than three (3) consecutive regular meetings or more than half the regular meetings in a calendar year shall be subject to removal and replacement by the CC.
C. Powers and Duties. The following shall be the responsibility of the PB:
1. Generally. The PB shall provide an advisory function, except where otherwise noted, to assist in making decisions pertaining to amendments to the comprehensive plan and this UDO, and applications for development approval.
2. Prepare Plans. The PB shall prepare and recommend to the CC, and from time to time amend and revise a recommended comprehensive and coordinated plan for the physical, social, and economic development of the area. It shall prepare and recommend to the CC policies, ordinances, administrative procedures and other means for promotion of the orderly development along lines indicated in the comprehensive plan and advise it concerning proposed amendments of such ordinances.
3. Zoning Map Amendment. The PB shall review and recommend to CC general and conditional district rezoning requests.
4. UDO Text Amendment. The PB shall review and recommend to CC proposed UDO text amendments.
5. Land Use Plans. The PB shall review and recommend to CC proposed land use plans and amendments.
6. Planned Development. The PB shall review and recommend to CC proposed planned developments.
7. Other Duties. The PB may perform any other duties that may lawfully be assigned to it.
(Am. Ord. O-2022-70, passed 11-8-22)