Background

Section 34.11 of City Code currently requires the City Council to appoint a representative to serve as a non-voting liaison to the Planning Commission. The liaison is required to attend Planning Commission meetings, facilitate communication between the Commission and City Council, and participate in an annually established rotation schedule.

Currently, the City Council does not have a formally designated liaison to the Planning Commission, and Council members do not regularly attend meetings in this capacity. The Planning Commission Chair recently requested that the City Council either appoint a liaison consistent with the existing Code requirements or consider amending the Code to remove the requirement.

Proposed Amendments

Staff prepared proposed amendments to Chapter 34 for the City Council's consideration. The amendments would:

1. Remove the mandatory City Council liaison requirement. The proposed amendment would eliminate the requirement for a designated City Council representative to attend Planning Commission meetings and the associated annual rotation schedule. This would align City Code with current practices and would not preclude Council members from attending Planning Commission meetings or the City Council from designating a liaison in the future.

2. Remove obsolete Planning Commission membership provisions. Section 34.11 includes transitional language related to changes in Planning Commission membership implemented in 2014, including provisions allowing previously appointed members to continue serving under the former membership structure. These provisions are no longer applicable and are proposed for removal as general code cleanup.

The proposed amendments would not change the Planning Commission's existing composition of five regular members, appointment procedures, quorum requirements, or statutory responsibilities. Neither a public hearing nor a Planning Commission recommendation is needed for this amendment to be approved. 

Staff recommends that the City Council review the proposed amendments to Chapter 34 as outlined in Ordinance No. 2026-570 and consider adoption of the ordinance, accompanying Summary Ordinance No. 2026-571 (requiring a four-fifths majority vote), and Resolution No. 2026-84 approving findings of fact.

If the City Council wishes to retain the existing liaison requirement, staff recommends that the Council instead designate a representative to serve in that capacity.