The purpose of this section is to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the people of the city as follows:
A. Comprehensive Plan Changes: The planning and zoning commission has a statutory responsibility to recommend changes in the comprehensive plan to the city council. The commission may be authorized to conduct a public hearing on changes and that a second public hearing be conducted in front of the city council.
B. Zoning Ordinance Changes: The planning and zoning commission has a statutory responsibility to recommend changes in the zoning ordinances and zoning districts to the city council. The commission may be authorized to conduct a public hearing on such changes and that a second public hearing be conducted in front of the city council.
C. Subdivision Applications: The planning and zoning commission has authority to review subdivision applications, conduct a public hearing regarding subdivisions and to make a recommendation to the city council. The city council will then conduct a second public hearing regarding approval of the preliminary plat and, later, a third public hearing regarding approval of the final plat.
D. Conditional Use Permits: The planning and zoning commission will have authority to conduct public hearings and make a recommendation regarding conditional use permits. The city council would then conduct a meeting to consider the conditional use permit and would hold a second public hearing on the conditional use permit if it deemed such a hearing was necessary. The council would be able to issue the conditional use permit without a public hearing if no opposition was shown in any prior meeting.
E. Variances: The planning and zoning commission will have the authority to conduct public hearings and make a recommendation regarding variances. The city council would conduct a meeting to consider the variance and would hold a second public hearing on the variance if it deemed such a hearing was necessary. The council would be able to issue the variance without a public hearing if no opposition was shown in any prior meeting.
F. Planned Unit Development Applications: The planning and zoning commission will have the authority to review planned unit development applications, conduct a public hearing regarding planned unit developments and to make recommendations to the city council. The city council will conduct a second public hearing regarding planned unit developments.
G. Professional Hearing Examiners: The council and/or the planning and zoning commission will have the option to use professional hearing examiners to hear applications for subdivisions, conditional use permits, zoning boundary changes and variance requests. The council or commission may appoint a hearing examiner to conduct a public hearing when it determines that it is in the public interest to do so. (Ord. 2001-03, 8-13-2001)