(A) Pursuant to the powers of the city, the Mayor and City Council hereby find and determine that it is necessary and desirable that a Planning Commission for the city be created in accordance with Neb. RS 19-925 et seq. and the initial members be appointed.
(B) The Planning Commission shall consist of seven regular members who shall represent, insofar as is possible, the different professions or occupations in the city and shall be appointed by the Mayor, by and with the approval of a majority vote of the members elected to the City Council. Two of the regular members may be residents of the area over which the city is authorized to exercise extraterritorial zoning and subdivision regulation. When there is a sufficient number of residents in the area over which the city exercises extraterritorial zoning and subdivision regulation, one regular member of the Planning Commission shall be a resident from such area. If it is determined by the City Council that a sufficient number of residents reside in the area subject to extraterritorial zoning and subdivision regulation, and no such resident is a regular member of the Commission, the first available vacancy on the Commission shall be filled by the appointment of such an individual. For purposes of this section, a sufficient number of residents shall mean 500 residents.
(C) The term of each regular member shall be three years, except that approximately one-third of the regular members of the first Planning Commission shall serve for terms of one year, one-third for terms of two years, and one-third for terms of three years. All regular members shall hold office until their successors are appointed. Any member may, after a public hearing before the City Council, be removed by the Mayor, with the consent of a majority vote of the members elected to the City Council, for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office, or other good and sufficient cause. Vacancies occurring otherwise than through the expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the Mayor.
(D) All regular members of the Planning Commission shall serve without compensation and shall hold no other municipal office except when appointed to serve on the Board of Adjustment, as provided in Neb. RS 19-908. All members of the Planning Commission may be required, in the discretion of the Mayor and City Council, to give bond in a sum set by resolution of the City Council, and conditioned upon the faithful performance of their duties.
(E) The Mayor, with the approval of a majority vote of the elected members of the City Council, shall appoint one alternate member to the Planning Commission. The alternate member shall serve without compensation and shall hold no other municipal office. The term of the alternate member shall be three years, and he or she shall hold office until his or her successor is appointed and approved. The alternate member may be removed from office in the same manner as a regular member. If the alternate member position becomes vacant other than through the expiration of the term, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the Mayor with the approval of a majority vote of the elected members of the City Council. The alternate member may attend any meeting and may serve as a voting and participating member of the Planning Commission at any time when less than the full number of regular Planning Commission members is present and capable of voting.
(F) The Planning Commission shall elect its chairperson and a secretary from its members, and create and fill such other of its officers as it may determine. The term of the chairperson and the secretary shall be one year, and they shall be eligible for reelection. No member of the Planning Commission shall serve in the capacity of both the chairperson and secretary of the Commission. It shall be the duty of the secretary to keep the full and correct minutes and records of all meetings and to file them with the City Clerk where they shall be available for public inspection during office hours.
(G) The Commission shall be funded by the City Council from time to time out of the General Fund. The expenditures of the Planning Commission, exclusive of gifts, shall be within the amounts appropriated for that purpose by the City Council; and no expenditures nor agreements for expenditures shall be valid in excess of such amounts.
(H) A number of Planner Commissioners equal to a majority of the number of regular members appointed to the Planning Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business. The Planning Commission shall hold at least one regular meeting in each calendar quarter, except the City Council may require the Planning Commission to meet more frequently and the chairperson of the Planning Commission may call for a meeting when necessary to deal with business pending before the Planning Commission. Special meetings may also be held upon the call of any three members of the Planning Commission.
(I) The Planning Commission shall adopt rules and regulations for the transaction of business and shall keep a record of its resolutions, transactions, findings and determinations, which shall be a public record. The Planning Commission shall make and adopt plans for the physical development of the municipality, including any areas outside its boundaries which, in the Planning Commission’s judgment, bear relation to the planning of the city, and shall carry out the other duties and exercise the powers specified in Neb. RS 19-929.
(J) All actions by the Planning Commission shall be subject to the review and supervision of the Mayor and City Council. The Planning Commission shall make its recommendations to the City Council so that they are received by the City Council within 45 days after the Planning Commission begins consideration of a matter relating to the comprehensive development plan, capital improvements, building codes, subdivision development, the annexation of territory, or zoning. The Planning Commission shall be responsible for making such reports and performing such other duties as the Mayor and City Council may, from time to time, designate.
(Ord. 680, passed 6-7-2017)