A planning commission is a government body responsible for making decisions and recommendations regarding land use and development within a specific jurisdiction. Their land use plans, often presented and discussed at planning commission meetings, should foster balanced growth, environmental protection, and improved quality of life for the community.
Planning commissions rely on internal policies and regulations known as bylaws to perform their duties efficiently. The bylaws stipulate how a planning commission handles its affairs, membership criteria, meetings, and more. Read on to learn more about planning commission bylaws.
What are Planning Commission Bylaws?
Planning commission bylaws are internal policies that direct how the commission functions. They appear in a formal written document approved by the city council and provide an overview of crucial voting and decision-making processes. This helps to guarantee a consistent procedure and established processes even as official and local leadership roles change hands within the government.
Bylaws cover corporate officers’ duties, board and commission directors’ duties, election procedures, term limits, meeting frequency, and how the council of directors operates. They define and secure each elected or nominated commission member’s rights, roles, responsibilities, and obligations. They also help determine how disputes among parties will be resolved. The planning commission’s bylaws serve as its legal framework and are subject to litigation if breached.
Elements of Effective Planning Commission Bylaws
To draft effective planning commission bylaws, incorporate the following elements:
1. Official Name, Purpose, and Membership Requirements
Most bylaws start with a brief section listing the commission’s name and primary address. Bylaws typically include language like, “This planning commission shall be known as,” or “The official name of this planning commission is” to denote the organization’s name. Additionally, it’s important to list the planning commission’s purpose. This helps members focus on the key objectives and stay on point to deliver results.
The bylaws should also cover membership requirements of the commission. Membership may include representatives from bodies like the housing committee, the general public, or any other representatives from the city administration. Specify the requirements for membership, information on any dues, the privileges that come with and don’t come with membership, and the procedure for resigning.
2. Meeting Structure and Format
The bylaws of a planning commission should specify how frequently meetings must be held, in addition to who has the power to convene meetings and how members must be notified beforehand.
They should also outline meeting protocols, such as Robert’s Rules of Order, the chair’s powers, etc. This will help maintain order in meetings, so members can effectively discuss the crucial planning commission agenda topics.
Additionally, a portion of the bylaws needs to address special meetings. This section should specify the format for special meetings, the authority holder, the permissible business to be discussed at special meetings, and the attendees.
3. Director’s Terms
Planning commissions are non-permanent and often experience change. As such, the bylaws should outline the commission director’s obligations to behave honestly and in the organization’s best interests. It should also outline how long a planning commission director will serve at the helm, and how succession, resignation, removal, or other factors that may affect the leadership of the planning commission will be handled.
4. Indemnification
The term “indemnification” refers to a guarantee made by one party to pay your losses if something they do hurts you or prompts someone else to sue you. Generally, the bylaws of a planning commission should contain a clause protecting its executives and members from any liabilities they might be subject to due to their affiliation with the organization.
It is usual for directors and executives to request indemnification to the fullest degree allowed by law before considering being part of the planning commission. Including indemnification in the bylaws helps put the planning commission’s members at ease and helps them perform their duties without pressure.
5. Director’s Duties and Powers
This is the longest portion of the bylaws because it covers all of the extensive duties of the commission’s directors. Typically, it should outline the commission’s scope of authority, degree of oversight, and prerequisites for tenure or experience. It should also provide details on conventional and special meetings and topics like notice criteria, quorum, restitution, vacancies, reimbursement, privacy, removal, and others.
Escribe Powers Effective Planning Commissions
Technology plays a crucial role in how city councils function and how effectively they conduct meetings. With affordable meeting management software like eScribe, planning commissions may improve the design and implementation of bylaws, increase collaboration, and guarantee that sessions are open to the public. The eScribe platform offers the following features:
- Meeting Manager: Makes it easier to design, share, edit and collaborate on meeting agenda with minimal paperwork.
- Meeting Minutes: Simplifies the process of accurately recording meeting minutes, lowering the chance of errors and guaranteeing that all critical topics are discussed.
- Workflows and Reporting: Makes it easy and efficient to handle reports and bylaw approvals, monitor progress, and meet deadlines.
- Collaboration Tools: Enhances collaboration, regardless of where members are physically located, through secure digital access to meeting materials.
Check out the City of Greensboro case study to learn more about how eScribe’s capabilities enhance the productivity of planning commission sessions.
