Lompoc Municipal Code Ch. 2.48 Planning Commission

There is hereby created a Planning Commission which shall consist of five members to be appointed as follows:

A. A member of the City Council, upon commencement of that member's term of office, shall nominate for appointment or reappointment a member of the Planning Commission whose term of office concurrently expires with that of the nominating Councilmember. The nominee shall be interviewed by the City Council at a duly noticed public meeting and shall be appointed by the Mayor upon approval of a majority vote of all members of the City Council.

B. Each member of the City Council shall have an opportunity to nominate one appointee to become a member of the Planning Commission. If the Mayor fails to appoint such nominee due to failure of the majority of all the members of the City Council to approve the appointment, the member of the City Council whose nominee was rejected may nominate such other persons as necessary until the majority of the City Council votes to approve such nominee for appointment and the Mayor appoints such nominee to the Planning Commission. The Mayor shall not refuse to appoint any nominee otherwise qualified to serve on the Planning Commission once the majority of all the members of the City Council have voted the approval of such nomination.

C. Failure to nominate a person for a seat on the Planning Commission for six consecutive regular or adjourned City Council meetings shall entitle the Mayor to appoint the Mayor's or any other Council Member's nominee to the seat upon the approval of the majority of all of the members of the City Council without the nomination of that member of the City Council otherwise entitled to nominate.

(Prior code § 2501(A); Ord. 1688(22) § 1; Ord. 1716(25), 2/4/2025)

A. The Planning Commission shall have authority over planning and zoning matters, as set forth by City Code or State law.

B. The Commission may adopt such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary to carry out its functions.

(Prior code § 2501(B))

The terms of office for members of the Planning Commission shall expire concurrently with those of each Council Member responsible for that Commissioner's nomination for a seat on the Planning Commission. Vacancies on the Planning Commission occurring during an unexpired term shall be selected in the same manner provided for in Section 2.48.010. Commissioners shall serve until their successors have been appointed by the City Council and qualified. A vacancy occurring on the City Council shall not automatically terminate the office of the Commissioner nominated by the departing Council Member; however, the new Council Member filling the Council vacancy shall be entitled to nominate a candidate of his or her choice for Commissioner in the manner provided in Section 2.48.010.

(Prior code § 2501(C); Ord. 1677(21) § 1; Ord. 1688(22) § 2; Ord. 1716(25), 2/4/2025)

Any member of the Planning Commission may be removed from office by a majority vote of the full City Council. If any Commission member misses three consecutive meetings, without permission, his or her office becomes vacant.

(Prior code § 2501(D))

All members must be City residents. No person shall be appointed to the Planning Commission who is employed by the City.

(Prior code § 2501(E); Ord. 1677(21) § 2; Ord. 1688(22) § 3; Ord. 1716(25), 2/4/2025)

The Planning Commission shall meet at such times and dates necessary to consider the activities described in Section 2.48.020. Meetings may be called by the chairperson of the Commission, or by a majority of its members.

(Prior code § 2501(F))

A meeting shall be scheduled in February of each year to elect a chairperson and vice chairperson. Said elected officers shall hold office for a period of one year. The chairperson shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the Planning Commission and the vice chairperson shall act as presiding officer in the chairperson's absence. The City Manager shall appoint appropriate staff members to serve as secretary and/or advisors.

(Prior code § 2501(G); Ord. 1673(20) § 42)

All operational expenses of the Planning Commission shall be approved by the City Council and such funds budgeted for this purpose shall be included within the City's budget. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation. However, actual and necessary expenditures incurred by members, while engaged on official Commission business, may be reimbursed to said members, provided such expenses have been previously approved by the department head responsible for staffing the Commission.

(Prior code § 2501(H))

The Planning Commission, with approval of the City Council, may employ or contract with planning consultants and other specialists for such services as it requires.

(Prior code § 2506)