Planning Commission

The Planning Commission is a nine-member volunteer board appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Commission. They are responsible for planning the future growth of the community and reviewing specific development projects, including special use permits, zoning ordinance text amendments, and property rezoning requests. The Planning Commission also is charged with the preparation and adoption of plans for the city, including the Master Plan and Capital Improvement Plan.  

The Planning Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the City Commission by holding public hearings on special use permit requests, deliberating on each around a set of standards established in the Zoning Code, and providing a recommendation to the City Commission.  

Planning enabling legislation outlines that the Planning Commission should represent a broad spectrum of interests, including industry, transportation, commerce, education, agriculture, etc.; this same law outlines that the Planning Commission should represent the various geographic areas of the city. As provided for by law, there are two City Commission members appointed to the Planning Commission, each with voting rights. One member of the Planning Commission can also serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals, though as of August 2023, this is not the case.