(A) (1) The town hereby adopts the provisions of Conn. Gen. Stat. Chapter 126, being Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 8-18 to 8-30f, as amended.
(2) There is hereby created a Planning Commission, to consist of five members, who shall be electors of the town holding no salaried town office position. The First Selectman of the town and the member of the Board of Selectmen having charge of Public Works shall also be members of the Commission without voting privileges.
(3) The number of members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, their qualifications, the method of their election and their terms of office shall be the same as those established for the Planning Commission by Ordinance adopted October 24, 1959, except that:
(a) Effective on March 1, 1977, the number of members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be increased from five to seven members.
(b) At the adjourned or special town meeting convened by the Board of Selectmen and to be held in the month of March 1977, and warned for such purpose, the legislative body of the town shall choose the two additional members who shall hold office until the second Tuesday next following the day of the next town election held after March 1, 1977; and, at the next town election held after March 1, 1977, there shall be elected successors to the two additional members who shall be elected: one for a six-year term and one for a two-year term.
(c) At each town election held thereafter, members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be elected for six-year terms to fill vacancies arising by expiration of terms; and
(d) No more than five of the appointed and elected members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be members of the same political party.
(4) A special town meeting shall be called by the Selectmen within 30 days of the enactment of this section to elect five members to said Commission to serve until their successors shall be elected as hereinbefore provided. The Board of Selectmen shall present a slate of nominees to this meeting, but other nominations may be made.
(5) No more than three of the appointed or elected members of the Commission shall be members of the same political party.
(6) The said Commission shall have duties and powers provided by the state statutes.
(7) Any vacancies in the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be filled by the Commission for the unexpired portion of the term. Any vacancy in the Zoning Board of Appeals before expiration of a term shall be filled for the period until the next town election by the Board of Selectmen, and then by election for the remainder of any unexpired term.
(B) (1) The section establishing a Planning and Zoning Commission adopted at town meeting on March 5, 1960 is hereby amended in accordance with the provisions of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 8-1b to provide for the appointment or election of three alternate members of said Planning and Zoning Commission in the manner and for the terms hereinafter set forth. Said alternate members shall be electors of the town, shall not be members of the Zoning Board of Appeals, and shall not hold a salaried town office.
(2) At the next town election held after the adoption of this section, three alternate members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be elected, one to hold office for two years, one to hold office for four years, and one to hold office for six years. At each town election held thereafter, alternate members shall be elected for six-year terms to fill vacancies arising by expiration of terms.
(3) Any vacancy in the office of an alternate member of the Planning and Zoning Commission arising before expiration of a term shall be filled for the period until the next town election by appointment by the Selectmen, and then by election at said town election for the remainder of any unexpired term.
(4) No more than two of the alternate members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, whether appointed or elected, shall be members of the same political party.
(5) The Board of selectmen are hereby authorized to appoint three alternate members of the Planning and Zoning Commission to serve until their successors shall be elected at the next town election after the adoption of this section.
(Ord. passed 10-24-1959; Ord. passed 12-27-1972; Ord. passed 1-12-1977)