(a) Membership. The Planning Commission shall consist of one member of Council selected by the President of Council for such a term as Council shall determine, and four electors of the Municipality appointed by the Mayor subject to the approval of a majority of the members elected to Council. Appointed members shall hold no other municipal office or appointment, except one appointed member of the Planning Commission shall be appointed to the Board of Building and Zoning Appeals. (Amended 11-2-65; 11-3-20.)
(b) Vacancy. A vacancy occurring during the term of any member shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner authorized for an original appointment.
(c) Duties. The Planning Commission shall meet at least once a month. It shall be the function and duty of the Planning Commission to act as the platting commissioner of the Municipality and as such it shall have control of planning and shall provide regulations covering the platting of all lands within the Municipality so as to secure the harmonious development and to provide for the coordination of streets with other streets and with the official Municipal Plan and to provide for open spaces for traffic, utilities, access of fire-fighting apparatus, recreation, light and air, and for the avoidance of congestion of population. It shall make such regulations as it deems necessary as to the manner in which streets and other public ways shall be graded and improved; the manner in which and the extent to which water, sewer and other utility mains, piping or other facilities shall be installed, or establish any other conditions precedent to the approval of a proposed plat. The Commission shall make plans and maps of the whole or any portion of the Municipality and of any land outside the Municipality which, in the opinion of the Commission, bears a relation to the planning of the Municipality and to make changes in, additions to, and estimates of such plans or maps when it deems the same advisable. It shall have such powers as may be conferred on it by ordinance of the Council concerning the plan, design, location, removal, relocation and alteration of any public building or structure or those located on public streets or property, the location, relocation, widening, extension and vacation of streets, parkways, playgrounds and other public places, the zoning and rezoning of the Municipality for any lawful purpose and such other powers as now or may hereafter be conferred upon it by ordinance of the Council or the general laws of Ohio. All plans and recommendations made by the Planning Commission shall be submitted to Council for approval before the same shall be considered as official, unless Council shall, by ordinance, specifically waive this requirement and grant to the Planning Commission the power to finally determine any matter properly before it.
(Amended 11-6-90.)
(d) Funds. A sufficient sum shall be appropriated by the Council each year to carry out the planning provisions of this Charter.
(e) Mandatory Referral. No public building, street, boulevard, parkway, park, playground, bridge, tunnel, publicly or privately owned utility or part thereof shall be constructed or authorized to be constructed in the Municipality, nor shall any street, avenue, parkway, boulevard or alley be opened for any purpose whatsoever, nor shall any street, avenue, parkway, boulevard or alley be widened, narrowed, relocated, vacated, or its use changed, or any ordinance referring to zoning or other regulations controlling the use or development of land, be adopted unless and until it shall have been submitted to the Planning Commission for report and recommendation. Any matter so referred to the Planning Commission shall be acted upon by it within sixty (60) days from the date of referral unless a different period of time be provided by Council. If the Planning Commission shall fail to act within the time allotted, it shall be deemed to have approved such matter. Any provision or any resolution, ordinance or order disapproved by formal action of the Planning Commission shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of all members of the Council for adoption or authorization. If any plan, design or other proposal concerning the character, extent, location, or use of any public improvement or public property or change thereof within the territorial limits of the Municipality does not, under the law or Charter provision covering same, fall within the province of the Council or other official or agency of the Municipality, then the submission to the Planning Commission shall be by the State, County, District, School, Township or other official body, board, or commission having jurisdiction over such public improvement or property in accordance with the provisions of the general law of the State of Ohio. The Planning Commission's disapproval may be overruled at any time after seven (7) days' written notice by the excepting body to the Planning Commission stating the reason for such exception. Such overruling disapproval must be adopted by at least two-thirds (2/3) of such excepting body.