The City Planning and Zoning Commission shall consist of seven (7) members appointed by the Mayor with approval of the Council.

The term of each member shall be for three (3) years, and each member shall serve until his/her successor is appointed and qualified. Any vacancy in office during the term shall be filled by the Mayor with approval of the Council for the unexpired term.

The City Attorney shall serve as an advisory member of the Commission. The Mayor, with approval of the City Council, may appoint additional advisory members to the Commission as may in his/her discretion be necessary. No advisory member shall have the right to vote although they may participate in all discussions which come before the Commission.

(Ord. No. 3063, § 3, 11-18-99)

The regular Commission members shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among their number. All meetings of the Commission shall be public and shall be regularly held, and special meetings may be held at the call of the chair, and at such other times as the Commission may determine. The Commission shall establish the time and date of its meetings through rules and regulations as hereinafter permitted. The chair or, in the absence of the chair, the vice-chair, may administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses. The Planning Director shall be secretary to the Commission, and a recording secretary to the Commission shall be appointed by the City Manager. A majority of the regular Commission members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

(Ord. No. 3063, § 3, 11-18-99)

Editor's note— The original ordinance contained no § 2402.

(Ord. No. 3063, § 3, 11-18-99)

The powers and duties of the Commission shall be as follows:

(1) To recommend the establishment of zones or districts limiting the use, height, area and bulk of buildings and structures; to perform all functions assigned to it under this chapter relating to amendment; and to hear and to make recommendations to the City Council on any and all matters and things which may come before it relating to the zoning or rezoning of property.

(2) To recommend and make suggestions to the Council and all other public authorities, plans for the regulations of the future growth, development and beautification of the City and its immediate environs in respect to its public and private streets, parks, playgrounds and vacant lots, and make plans consistent with future growth and development in order to secure to the City and its inhabitants sanitation, proper service of utilities and transportation facilities, and the betterment of housing conditions, the improvement of traffic conditions and any and all other things necessary and proper to carry out the intent of this chapter.

(3) To do, exercise and perform any and all such other powers and duties as may be assigned to it by the City Council or given to it under any law of the State or Code of this City.

(4) Design Committee (a Committee of the Chandler Planning Commission):

(a) Purpose: The purpose of this Committee is to assemble professional expertise in project design and to make this expertise available to the Commission and Planning and Development Staff.

(b) Function: The Committee may perform functions as follows:

1. Any of the project approving bodies or officials may refer a project to the Commission for Committee study. The Committee shall study the project and make its findings to the Commission, together with such recommendations for changes or alternatives that the Committee may feel appropriate under the circumstances.

2. In reviewing projects, the Planning and Development Staff may request Committee input providing that the Director had first made the finding that there are special circumstances existing or created by the project or the project design, internally or in reference to the surrounding area, which would require special consideration.

3. Whenever an applicant does not accept the staff's position on a design related objective as provided for in the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, or the General Plan, the issue may be taken to the Committee at the request of either the Director or the applicant. In such case, the Committee shall first determine whether in their opinion the staff position is relevant to the stated goal or design objective. The Committee can further concur or disagree with the staff position and can offer alternatives for the consideration of staff and the applicant.

(c) Standards and objectives: In their deliberation, the Committee shall be guided by the general plan as well as standards and objectives prescribed in the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.

(d) Composition: The Committee shall consist of professional members of the Commission representing design and construction fields. In addition, there shall be one (1) other member of the Commission serving as Committee chairman.

(e) Appointments and tenure: The design and construction members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Commission chairman for terms not exceeding their tenure on the Commission. The chair position shall be filled by all other members of the Commission on a rotating basis in an order determined by the chairman and not exceeding one (1) year at any one (1) time.

(Ord. No. 1355, § 1, 6-25-84; Ord. No. 3063, § 3, 11-18-99)

The Commission shall have power to make and publish rules and regulations with the approval of the Council to govern its proceedings and to carry into effect the provisions of this Code. The recording secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings showing the vote upon every question, or if a member is absent or fails to vote, indicating that fact, and shall keep records of the Commission's examinations and other official actions. Minutes of the Commission shall be filed forthwith in the office of the Planning Director, and in the office of the City Clerk; and the same shall be a public record.

(Ord. No. 3063, § 3, 11-18-99)