A municipal commission to be known and designated as “The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Greenville,” referred to in this code as the Planning and Zoning Commission, is hereby created for the city.

   (A)   The Planning and Zoning Commission shall consist of nine regular members and three alternate members. Seven of the regular members and two alternate members shall reside within the corporate limits of the city. They shall be appointed by the City Council. Two of the regular members and the other alternate member shall reside outside of the corporate limits of the city, but within the limits of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the city. They shall be appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Pitt County. Current membership existing on the effective date of this section shall remain in effect provided any future appointment or reappointment of members shall be in accordance with the requirements of this section.

   (B)   The extraterritorial representatives have equal rights, privileges and duties with the city members of the Commission, and are required to vote on each question, regardless of whether the matters at issue arise within the city or within the extraterritorial area.

   (C)   Each alternate member, while attending any special meeting of the Commission and serving in the absence of any regular member, shall have and may exercise all powers and duties of a regular member.

   (D)   The Director of Public Works and the General Manager of Greenville Utilities shall be ex officio advisors to the Commission. The ex officio advisors shall act as technical advisors to the Commission without the right to vote.

   (E)   The Director of Planning and Development Services shall serve as Secretary to the Commission without the right to vote.

   (F)   Appointments of members of the Planning and Zoning Commission by City Council shall be made to promote the representation of a variety of interests. This representation should include some members with environmental, neighborhood preservation, development and business interests.

(Ord. No. 1116, passed 7-9-1981; Ord. No. 03-114, §§ 1, 2, passed 11-13-2003; Ord. No. 06-75, § 1, passed 8-10-2006; Ord. No. 19-045, § 1, passed 9-12-2019)

   (A)   Seven of the regular members and two alternate members appointed by the City Council shall be appointed for a three-year term beginning June 1 of the year of their appointment to a full term.

   (B)   Two of the regular members and one alternate member appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Pitt County shall be appointed for a three-year term beginning June 1 of the year of their appointment to a full term.

   (C)   In appointing the original members of the Commission, or in filling of vacancies caused by the expiration or resignations of the terms of existing members, the City Council and the Board of Commissioners may appoint certain members for less than three years to the end that thereafter the terms of all members shall not expire at the same time.

   (D)   A regular or an alternate member, representing either the city or the extraterritorial area, shall not serve more than two consecutive three-year terms; except, that an appointed member who shall have finished an unexpired term of another member may be appointed to as many as two full, subsequent terms of three years each.

   (E)   The ex officio members and Secretary of this Commission shall serve concurrently with their respective terms of office or employment.

(Ord. No. 1116, passed 7-9-1981; Ord. No. 03-114, § 3, passed 11-13-2003)

   The Planning and Zoning Commission shall elect from its membership a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and such other officers as it may determine to be necessary, who shall serve for one-year terms, with eligibility for reelection.

   A quorum shall be a majority of the members of the Commission.

   The Planning and Zoning Commission shall adopt rules, not inconsistent with state law or this Code, for the transaction of business.

   The Secretary of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall keep a record of the attendance of its members and of its proceedings, resolutions, discussions, findings and recommendations, which shall be a public record.

   The Planning and Zoning Commission shall have such rights, privileges, duties and authority and shall exercise such functions as are conferred or authorized by state law. Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be subject to provisions of G.S. 160D-109 relating to conflicts of interest.

(Ord. No. 21-032, § 1, passed 6-21-2021)

   The recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be advisory to the City Council and shall be without legal efficacy until approved by the City Council.