City Planning Commission

Membership and Term Length

The City Plan Commission, appointed by the Mayor with approval by the City Council consists of 13 members, who shall be residents of the city and qualified by knowledge or experience to act in matters pertaining to the development of a city plan and who shall not hold any elective office in the city government.

The term of office of the members of the Commission shall be six years. The terms of office shall be staggered, with each term to expire on March 31.

If any vacancy exists on the Commission caused by resignation, or otherwise, a successor for the residue of the term shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointee.

All members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, except their actual expenses, which shall be subject to the approval of the Council. The Commission shall choose annually at its first regular meeting one of its members to act as Chairperson and another as Vice Chairperson, who shall perform all the duties of the Chairperson during the Chairperson’s absence or disability. The Commission shall adopt rules and regulations governing its organization and procedure as it may deem necessary.

Current Members

Powers and Duties

• Zoning: The Commission shall have and exercise all the powers and duties and privileges in establishing the city zoning regulations and other related matters and may from time to time recommend to the Council amendments, supplements, changes or modifications, all as provided by the Iowa Code Chapter 414. When proposed changes in the zoning regulations or districts are referred to the Commission by the Council, the Commission shall within 30 days thereafter file its recommendations approving, disapproving or modifying the proposed changes with the Council.
• Recommendations of improvements: No statuary, memorial or work of art in a public place, and no public building, bridge, viaduct, street fixtures, public structure or appurtenances, shall be located or erected, or site therefor obtained, nor shall any permit be issued by any department of the city for the erection or location thereof until and unless the design and proposed location of any improvement shall have been submitted to the Commission and its recommendations thereon obtained, except the requirements and recommendations shall not act as a stay upon action for any improvement when the Commission after 30-days’ written notice requesting recommendations, shall have failed to file same.
•  Review and comment on plats: All plans, plats or re-plats of subdivision or re-subdivisions of land embraced in the city or adjacent thereto, laid out in lots or plats with the streets, alleys or other portions of the same intended to be dedicated to the public in the city, shall first be submitted to the Commission and its recommendations obtained before approval by the Council.
•  Fiscal responsibilities: The Commission shall have full, complete and exclusive authority to expend for and on behalf of the city all sums of money appropriated to it, and to use and expend all gifts, donations or payments whatsoever which are received by the city for city planning and zoning purposes.
• Limitation on entering contracts: The Commission shall have no power to contract debts beyond the amount of its original or amended appropriation as approved by the Council for the present year.
•  Annual report: The Commission shall each year make a report to the Mayor and Council of its proceedings, with a full statement of its receipts, disbursements and the progress of its work during the preceding fiscal year.