The following boards are created to administer the provisions of these regulations under the authority prescribed by these regulations and Florida Law.

The Mayor of the City Council may establish and determine standing committees in addition to those committees or boards created by ordinance, and the Mayor shall determine the number of members of each such committee and the characters and duties of each. The Mayor shall appoint the members of all committees, subject to the approval of a majority of the City Council.

1.

The Tavares City Council does hereby declare and set forth its intent to exercise the authority set forth in the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act (F.S. Section 163-3161 [163.3161] et seq.).

2.

The City of Tavares Local Planning Agency is hereby designated and established, and shall consist of eight (8) members, seven (7) of whom shall be the appointed members of the City Planning and Zoning Board, who shall be voting members, and whose terms shall run concurrently with their terms as Planning and Zoning Board members. The eight[h] member of the Local Planning Agency shall be a representative of the Lake County School Board, who shall be appointed by the School Board and who shall be a non-voting member.

3.

The officers of the Local Planning Agency shall be the same officers as the Planning and Zoning Board.

4.

The Local Planning Agency shall follow the same rules of procedure as the Planning and Zoning Board and may adopt in addition any additional rules or procedures as it may deem necessary and expedient when sitting as a Local Planning Agency.

5.

The City Council is hereby authorized to provide for financial support for the staffing and work of the agency and may provide for the financial support and staffing a they may deem necessary and expedient.

6.

All meetings of the Local Planning Agency shall be deemed public meetings and the records of the Local Planning Agency shall be public records.

7.

Members of the Local Planning Agency shall serve without compensation.

1.

The duties and responsibilities o[f] the Local Planning Agency are to accomplish the purposes and activities authorized by the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act.

2.

The Local Planning Agency with the approval of the City Council and in accord with the fiscal practices thereof, has the authority to expend all sums so appropriated and other sums made available for the use from fees, gifts, state or federal grants, state or federal loans, and other sources; provided however, acceptance of loans must be approved by the City Council.

3.

The Local Planning Agency may designate any agency, committee, department or person to prepare the comprehensive plan or any element thereof, but the final responsibility for the recommendation of the adoption of such plan shall be the responsibility of the Local Planning Agency. The Local Planning Agency shall monitor and oversee the effectiveness and status of the comprehensive plan.

4.

Nothing in this section shall prevent the Local Planning Agency or the City Council from participating in any cooperative effort with any other governing bodies and efforts to fulfill the requirements and procedures of the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act.

The Planning and Zoning Board shall be composed of seven (7) regular members who shall be appointed pursuant to the procedure set forth in the City code.

Members of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be residents of the City and shall be appointed on the basis of experience or interest in the fields of planning and zoning matters.

All appointments shall be made for a term of three (3) years.

A member of the Planning and Zoning Board may be reappointed by the City Council. Appointments to fill any vacancy in the membership of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of office.

If any Planning and Zoning Board member shall fail to attend two (2) out of three (3) successive meetings, without the permission or consent of the chairman of the Board, the Board shall declare the member's office vacant, and that vacancy shall promptly be filled according to law. Any member may be suspended or removed for cause as provided by law.

(A)

The Planning and Zoning Board officers shall consist of a chairman, vice chairman and such officers as the Board shall deem necessary.

(B)

Officers of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be elected by a majority vote of the membership at the Board's second regularly scheduled monthly meeting following the city-wide officers election.

(C)

A member of the Planning and Zoning Board may be elected to serve as an officer without restriction as to the number of terms served.

The Planning and Zoning Board may adopt such rules and regulations as are not inconsistent with law which the Planning and Zoning Board finds necessary to carry out the provision of this chapter, subject to the approval of the City Council.

Four (4) members of the Planning and Zoning Board shall constitute a quorum.

All meetings of the Planning and Zoning Board and all hearings shall be open to the public and noticed as required by law. Meetings shall be at the call of the chairman. The City Administrator shall provide a secretary to keep minutes and maintain the records of the Board as required by law. A statement of the facts of each case considered by the Board shall be included in the minutes. The reason for recommending or denying an exception shall also appear in the minutes.

The Planning and Zoning Board shall review and consider all of the following matters prior to their submission to the City Council:

(A)

All applications for the rezoning of property, including rezoning petitions initiated by the City Council or City staff.

(B)

All applications for zoning variances.

(C)

All applications for special use permit.

(D)

All proposed amendments to the Land Development Regulations or Comprehensive Plan.

(E)

All applications for determinations by the Historic Preservation Board (Chapter 9).

(A)

The Planning and Zoning Board shall review and consider all matters set forth in section 2-14 prior to the time the City Council considers those items. The Planning and Zoning Board shall make specific recommendations on the particular matters brought before it and, in the case applications for specific relief, shall recommend for or against that relief as evidenced by majority vote.

(B)

The Planning and Zoning Board, at the request of an applicant, may continue its review and consideration of any matter brought before it for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. Notice of the continued public hearing shall be reissued as if the continued public hearing were the initial consideration of the matter by the Planning and Zoning Board. Should subsequent notices require revision, the applicant shall pay the full cost of reissuing the notice.

No Planning and Zoning Board member shall act in any case in which that member has a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is determined when the issue meets the provisions of F.S. 112.311, .313 or .3143. In such cases, said members shall comply with the disclosure requirements of F.S. 112.3143.

The recommendations and findings of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be reported to the City Council at its next regular meeting by the City Administrator.

The recommendations and findings of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be reviewed and considered by the City Council prior to any Council action on any matter required to be reviewed by that Board. However, the recommendations and findings of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be advisory only and the City Council shall not be bound by those recommendations and findings.

All meetings and hearings of the Planning and Zoning Board shall be open to the public. The applicant for any specific relief to be considered by the Planning and Zoning Board shall be notified of the Board's hearing of the matter by U.S. mail at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing. The applicant shall be entitled to be heard and present evidence in support of his application during the public hearing. The Board may consider any other competent evidence on the merits of the application during the hearing.