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'1' I I I I I I I I I I I I I i I I I I Planning organization may take several different forms: the council itself may assume total respon- sibility, it may delegate this duty to administrative officers, or it may follow the generally recom- mended procedure and appoint a planning com- mission. Planning commissions are created by ordinance passed by the council." (See League memo "Plan- ning Commissions - Notes and Ordinances.") They may be organized in any format deemed most approPriate by the council and they serve in an advisory capacity to that body. City officials may serve as members of the commission. Although not required by statute, the use of planning commissions is generally recommended. Administrators are usually so busy with the detail of day-to-day decisions that they lack the time for surveying long-range objectives and making com- prehensive plans. Councils, composed of part-time officials, also find their time too confined by daily work. Planning commissions, on the other hand, are usually composed largely of persons whose sole public responsibility is to focus public atten- tion on the planning problem and work towards the preparation and implementation of a compre- hensive plan. The Planning Act also authorizes the creation of a planning dncpartment with an advisory planning commission." Whichever form is used, the law refers to the planning body as the planning agency. Fees Cities may charge fees for administrative actions relating to official controls. Any municipality is permitted to prescribe fees sufficient to defray the costs incurred by it in reviewing, investigating, administering and applying for an amendment to an official control or an application for a permit or other approval required under an official contrpl established under the Municipal Planning AcL°a Preparation of a Comprehensive Plan The preparation of a comprehensive plan is a large undertaking, and while local citizens serving on a planning commission can and should do most of the job, many communities have found that professional assistance sometimes is necessary to the completion of the task. The preparation of a comprehensive plan often requires a certain a- mount of technical work, work which can best be achieved either by a competent, professional planning consultant (see Chapter 21 of this book on the selection ora consultant) or by a competent person on the staff of the city or made available to the city by a county, regional development - 248 commission or neighboring city. The person must work with the council 'and the planning commis- sion. Although their services are frequently helpful, consultants cannot and should not be made solely responsible for the development of a comprehen- sive plan. Local officials, and especially a planning commission, can be of real assistance to a profes- sional planner, not only in some of the local aspects of plan preparation, but also in making the plan realistic in terms of the temper, traditions and hopes of the community. Furthermore, an active planning commission with continuity of member- ship and an appreciation of the values of planning can perform a real service in keeping the plan alive and up to date, seeing that it is a principal point of reference for council decisions. It cannot be stressed enough that the public must be involved in the preparation of the plan at an early stage. Hearings before the planning commission are an important method of com- munity involvement. Duties of the Planning Commission The Planning Act imposes several duties on the planning commission (planning agency). These are: ('~'" 1. Preparation and review of comprehensive plan.71 The commission must prepare the com- prehensive city plan. The commission must consult with and coordinate the planning activities of other departments and agencies of the munici- pality to insure conformity with and to assist in the development of the plan. 2. Coordination with other units of govern- ment.8 The commission must take due cognizance of the planning activities of adjacent units of government and other affected public agencies and units of government. (See Chapter 16 on inter- governmental relations and the section of this chapter :on extraterritorial zoning and subdivision control.) 3. Periodic review.9 The commission must periodically review the plan and recommend amendments when necessary. 4. Adoption of the plan.lO The planning commission adopts the comprehensive city plan, or amendment thereto, after a public hearing on ten days' published notice. The plan or section thereof must be sent to the council prior to the publication of the notice of hearing. It is iml~ortant to note that unless the council formally aclot)ts the plan as the official city plan, it retains its status as a recommendation to the council only. ll 5. Recommendation for plan execution. 1 2 The commission must study and propose to the - 1982