A. Establishment And Purpose:
1. Establishment: In accordance with Idaho Code 67-6504, the Pocatello city council hereby establishes the planning and zoning commission (hereafter referred to as the commission). This commission is authorized to exercise those powers identified in title 67, chapter 65 of Idaho Code and those conferred directly by the city council.
2. Purpose: The commission is to serve as a citizen planning group for the city council. Their role is to make recommendations and decisions regarding land use, land use plans, planning processes, and matters of plan implementation.
B. Membership, Selection, Term And Rules, Records And Meetings:
1. Membership: The commission shall consist of seven (7) members, all of whom shall be residents of the city.
2. Selection: Commission members shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by majority vote of the city council. A member of the commission shall have resided in the city for at least two (2) years prior to appointment and shall remain a resident of the city during the term(s) of appointment. All commission members shall serve without compensation. The city council may authorize the reimbursement of costs for expenses incurred in the course of carrying out legitimate commission duties.
3. Term Of Office: The term of office for commission members shall be four (4) years. Terms shall be staggered to provide biannual turnover of no more than four (4) members at a time. No commission members shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms without specific appointment by the mayor and ratification by the city council. Partial terms served due to vacancies shall not be counted as a complete term.
4. Rules, Records And Meetings: The commission shall, on a biannual basis, elect a chair and a vice chair. The chair, or in the chair’s absence the vice chair, shall be responsible for the conduct of the commission’s meetings. A majority of commission members shall constitute a quorum. The commission may adopt rules of procedure for the orderly transaction of business. A record of the commission shall be maintained of all business transacted at regular or special meetings. Meetings will be held as applications are received and according to the schedule maintained by the planning and development services department, and as required by the provisions of Idaho Code section 67-6504(c). Additional meetings may be convened if deemed necessary and when in compliance with all public notice requirements. Members of the commission with three (3) or more unexcused absences from scheduled meetings in any twelve (12) month period may be removed from the commission at the discretion of the mayor. An “unexcused absence” is defined as one for which the member has not notified the planning and development services department at least twenty four (24) hours in advance of the meeting.
C. Duties: It shall be the duty of the commission to:
1. Conduct a comprehensive planning process, as needed and in accordance with Idaho Code section 67-6508.
2. Provide for citizen meetings, hearings, surveys, or other methods to obtain advice on issues of land use, land use plans, or land use ordinances/processes as necessary or when required by this title or state law. For purposes of this title, land use issues on which the commission may offer advice and make recommendations to the city council include, but are not limited to, rezoning requests, comprehensive plan or map amendments, and annexations. The commission is empowered to render final decisions on preliminary plats for subdivisions, with appeal to the city council as outlined in section 17.02.400, “Appeals”, of this chapter.
3. Advise and make recommendations to the city council regarding issues of land use, land use plans, and land use ordinances/processes.
4. Perform additional duties as may be assigned by the city council.
D. Staff Assistance: The planning and development services department shall provide staff assistance to the commission.
E. Conflict Of Interest Prohibited: In their appointments to the commission, the mayor and city council shall attempt to provide broad representation of areas of the city and a variety of interests. Commission members shall not participate in any proceeding or action when the member or member’s employee, employer, business partner, business, associate, or any person related by affinity or consanguinity within the second degree has an economic interest in the procedure or action. Any actual or potential conflict of interest in any proceeding shall be disclosed at or before any regular meeting at which the action is being heard or considered. (Ord. 3115 § 2, 2023: Ord. 3044, 2020: Ord. 2846 § 1, 2008)