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RESO 25-061 - Approving Updates to Planning Commission BylawsRESOLUTION NO. 25-061 RESOLUTION APPROVING UPDATES TO PLANNING COMMISSION BYLAWS WHEREAS, the Planning Commission Bylaws provides a list of duties and specific direction for the Planning Commission to carry out their work as required in City Code Section 2-126; and WHEREAS, the Commission must review the Bylaws no less than every three years and may review the Bylaws more frequently as needed; and WHEREAS, the Bylaws may be amended at any regular Planning Commission meeting with a majority of members present; and WHEREAS, on June 23, 2025, Planning Commission recommended approval to amendments to the Bylaws as shown in Exhibit A; and WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the revised by-laws as shown in Exhibit A. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY, MINNESOTA that this Council hereby approves the revised Bylaws of the Planning Commission attached hereto as Exhibit A. Adopted by the City Council this 1st day of July, 2025. Roslyn Harmon, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ Theresa Schyma, City Clerk Docusign Envelope ID: A2496AD4-00B9-4700-84A6-3DA0CF58D5E6 Planning Commission Bylaws Article I: Purpose, Mission, and Prescribed Duties The City Council, by motion, approves the following list of duties which amplifies and/or gives more specific direction to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission responsibilities are as follows. shall: • Review and make recommendations on specific development proposals made by private developers and public agencies. • Review and make recommendations on proposed rezoning, subdivision plans, amendments to the zoning text, platting regulations, and variances and similar items having to do with administration and regulatory measures • Conduct public hearings on planning applications, zoning code amendments, and other items that require a public hearing. • Conduct special studies dealing with items such as renewal, civic design, maintenance of a suitable living and working environment, economic conditions, etc. (these studies may be conducted at the initiative of the Planning Commission and/or specific direction from the City Council) • Review major public capital improvement plans against the policy and goals stated in the Comprehensive Plan for the area • Advise and make recommendations relative to housing, new development, and redevelopment projects proposed by the HRA prior to the final commitment of such projects by the HRA, which shall also relate to such responsibilities as: • Making recommendations to the City Council and/or HRA on the use of Federal and State funds received for housing and community development • Making recommendations to the City Council on the City’s participation in other Federal, State, Metropolitan Council, County, and Multi-City Housing and Community Development programs • Advise and make recommendations in matters relating to and affecting the environment, such as: o Taking into account environmental concerns and the impact on the environment of any Planning Commission recommended action. o To cooperate with and coordinate environmental proposals and programs with other City groups and Federal, State, Metro, County, and other municipal groups. o To make such reviews of land reclamation, filling, excavation, and grading applications as are required by City ordinance or referred to the Commission by the City Council, provided that no review or recommendation shall remove or limit the right of a property owner in accordance with City ordinances and the statutes and constitution of the State of Minnesota. Docusign Envelope ID: A2496AD4-00B9-4700-84A6-3DA0CF58D5E6 Amended and Approved July 1, 2025 | Page 2 Article II: Membership, Appointments, Terms, and Officers A. Membership The Commission shall consist of seven regular members and one non-voting youth member. Regular members shall be residents of the City. Youth members shall live or attend school within Golden Valley, the Robbinsdale Area District or Hopkins School District and be enrolled in school grades 9 through 12. B. Appointment and Terms Appointments shall be made by the City Council at its last meeting in April, effective May 1, except for youth appointments, which shall be made by the City Council at any time. at its last meeting in September, effective October 1. The City Council shall appoint regular members of the Commission for three-year staggered terms and one youth member to serve a one-year term. The City Council shall appoint the members of the Commission and may fill vacancies for unexpired terms. A vacancy shall be deemed to exist if a member resigns or ceases to meet the membership requirements. Commissioners shall be subject to the term limit requirements in City Code § 2-125. C. Officers The Commission shall elect officers of Chair, and Vice Chair, and Secretary from the Commission membership by its voting members at its regular annual meeting (no later than the second meeting after May 1 in each year). The Chair and Vice Chair positions rotate and members may only serve two consecutive years as the Chair or Vice Chair. Should the office of Chair or Vice Chair become vacant, the Commission shall elect a successor from its membership at the next regular meeting and such an election shall be for the unexpired term of said office. Officers may also delegate the duties of their position to other Commissioners as deemed appropriate by the Commission. Chair responsibilities: • Work with staff liaison to develop meeting agendas • Conduct and preside at all meetings in a productive and time-efficient manner • Ensure the Commission conducts its activities within the stated mission and bylaws of the Commission • Appoint Commissioners to subcommittees • monitor and ensure the progress of the Commission • Report to the City Council Vice Chair responsibilities: • Perform the duties of the Chair in the absence or incapacity of the Chair • Perform all other duties as prescribed by the Commission Secretary responsibilities: • sign the minutes and perform all other duties the Commission may prescribe • in the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair, conduct and preside over the meeting Docusign Envelope ID: A2496AD4-00B9-4700-84A6-3DA0CF58D5E6 Amended and Approved July 1, 2025 | Page 3 Article III: Meetings and Attendance A. Meetings All meetings of the Commission shall be conducted in accordance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law and City code. This means all business and discussion occurs at a meeting which has been posted and is open to the public. The presence of a majority of all regular voting members currently appointed to the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting its business and exercising its powers and for all other purposes. In the event a quorum is not reached, a smaller number of members may meet to have informal discussion; however, formal action shall not be taken and must be reserved for such time as when a quorum of the Commission is reached. A quorum of the members should must not discuss Commission business by email, forms of social media, telephone, or informal meetings. In the absence of the Chair and Vice Chair, Commissioners may choose an Acting Chair from those Commissioners present. Commission meetings may be cancelled by the staff liaison if there are no items on the agenda for discussion. The proceedings of meetings should be conducted using standard parliamentary procedure. Regular Meetings The regular meeting of the Commission shall be held on the second and fourth Monday of the month at City Hall at 7 6:30 pm. The Commission may, by a majority vote, change its regular meeting dates for any reason provided proper public notice of the changed meeting is provided. Annual Meetings The Annual Meeting of the commission shall be a regular meeting, typically the first meeting after May 1 of each year, at which time elections will be held. Special Meetings A special meeting may be called by the Chair or whenever three members request the same in writing. • Staff shall give notice to each Commissioner, at least three days prior to any special meeting, of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. • No business shall be transacted at any special meeting other than that named in the call thereof, except by consent of two-thirds of the entire Commission, or by unanimous consent if fewer than two-thirds, but at least a quorum are present. If such consent is obtained, any measure adopted by a vote of a quorum shall have the same effect as if adopted at a regular meeting. • The members may adjourn from time to time, absentees being notified. If no quorum is present on the day fixed for a regular, continued or special meeting, the members present may adjourn until a quorum is obtained, or may adjourn said meeting without a definite day fixed. B. Attendance Members are expected to attend all meetings, including the annual board and commission joint meeting. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, they should contact the staff liaison, who will inform the chair. If a quorum cannot be attained, the meeting will be canceled. Staff liaisons will track attendance at each meeting. Each April, the City Manager’s office will review attendance Docusign Envelope ID: A2496AD4-00B9-4700-84A6-3DA0CF58D5E6 Amended and Approved July 1, 2025 | Page 4 records for the preceding calendar year (April-March) and send a standardized letter of warning to any member that has missed either of the following: • Two consecutive or three total meetings for groups that meet once a month • Two consecutive or five total meetings for groups that meet twice a month Because attendance is so important to the work of the City’s boards and commissions, the City Manager may ask the member to explain the reasons for their absences. If circumstances prevent the member from committing to consistently attending future meetings, the member may be asked to step down. The City Manager will not ask the member to step down if their inability to attend meetings is due to health reasons. If the member’s attendance does not improve within 3 months after receiving a warning, the City Manager or their designee shall ask the member to step down. If the member chooses not to step down, the City Council may take action to remove the member. Article IV: Rules A. Representative to Board of Zoning Appeals A Planning Commissioner shall be the sixth member of the Board of Zoning Appeals. All voting members of the Planning Commission are alternates to the Board. In the absence of any voting member of the Board, any member of the Planning Commission may serve as an alternate. At least one voting member of the Planning Commission shall be present at each meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals. B. Ad Hoc Committees The Chair may appoint ad hoc committees unless the Commission shall otherwise direct, and shall be an additional member ex officio, of all committees. The Chair shall appoint a Planning Commission member to chair each ad hoc committee. All committees shall consist of at least three members, except as otherwise ordered by the Commission. Three members of any committee shall constitute a quorum of such committee. If a quorum is not present at a meeting, the members present may prepare reports and submit them to the Planning Commission on behalf of the committee, in which case the report shall name the committee members who prepared it. Nothing in the foregoing shall be construed as waiving the rights of the Commission at any time to increase or curtail the duties of any committee and/or to direct or control its actions. C. Recordkeeping A person will be provided by the City to take minutes for the advisory boards and commissions. Minutes serve the dual function of making an historical record of commission proceedings and of informing the City Council regarding the commission’s activities. The minutes should, therefore, contain an accurate report of the sequence of events and names of citizens who appear and are heard. In addition to the formal action of the commission, a summary of the reasoning underlying such action should be included in the minutes. All minutes and resolutions shall be in writing and shall be kept in accordance with City procedures, Minnesota Statute and Rules regarding preservation of public records and the Minnesota Data Privacy Act. Docusign Envelope ID: A2496AD4-00B9-4700-84A6-3DA0CF58D5E6 Amended and Approved July 1, 2025 | Page 5 D. Annual Report The Commission shall may submit an annual report to the City Council summarizing the past year's activities. The report may highlight information the Commission feels appropriate to convey to the City Council. E. Performance of Duties Commissioners are expected to adequately prepare for meetings. Commissioners unable to complete an assigned task should notify the commission chair or subcommittee chair as soon as possible. The Commission staff liaison may ask the City Council to review a Commissioner’s appointment based upon its assessment of significant non-performance of duties. Article V: Amendments and Revisions The Commission will review these bylaws no later than the second meeting after May 1 every three years. Members may present recommendations for changes and amendments. These bylaws can be altered or amended at any regular monthly Commission meeting with a majority of members present, provided that notice of the proposed changes and amendments is provided to each member at least 10 business days before the meeting. The City Council must review and approve any changes to, and has final authority regarding, these bylaws. Docusign Envelope ID: A2496AD4-00B9-4700-84A6-3DA0CF58D5E6