There is hereby established the Lecompton City Planning Commission

(Ord. 644; Code 2003)

The planning commission shall consist of seven members, two of whom shall reside outside the city limits and within a limit of three miles from the city limits.

The members of the planning commission shall be appointed by the mayor with the approval of the other city councilmembers. The members of the commission first appointed shall serve respectively for terms of one year, two years, and three years, divided equally or as nearly equal as possible between these terms as one, two and three years. Thereafter members shall be appointed for terms of three years each. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term only.

The terms of the original members of the planning commission shall commence on the 1st day of June 1976 and shall expire on the 1st day of June of the year for which the term of office is completed.

No member of the planning commission shall be a salaried or elected officer of the city.

(Ord. 644; Code 2003)

The planning commission shall have and exercise all the powers and shall perform the duties and conduct its affairs, all as provided by law, including, but not limited to the following:

(a)   The commission shall be responsible for the preparation, adoption and maintenance of a comprehensive plan which shall show the recommendations of the commission for the development or redevelopment of the city and any unincorporated territory lying outside of the city but within Douglas County, which in the opinion of the commission forms the total community of which the city is a part.

(b)   The commission shall make or cause to be made surveys and studies of past and present uses of property in the city and shall make recommendations to the city council concerning the division of the city into zones or districts for the purposes of restricting the use of buildings and land located within such zones or districts for dwellings, business, industry, conservation, floodplain, or for other purposes deemed necessary. Such recommendations shall include the nature and number of zones or districts which the commission deems necessary and the boundaries of such and appropriate regulations or restrictions to be enforced therein.

(c)   The commission shall prepare and recommend to the city council regulations governing the subdivision of land within the city. Such regulations shall provide for the harmonious development of the community, including the location and width of streets, and for building lines, open spaces, safety and recreational facilities, floodplains, and for the avoidance of congestion of population, including minimum width, depth and area of lots and compatibility of design.

(Ord. 644; Code 2003)

The members of the Planning Commission shall meet at such time and place as may be fixed in the Commission’s bylaws. The Commission shall elect one member as chairperson and one member as vice chairperson who shall serve one (1) year and until their successors have been elected. A secretary also shall be elected who may or may not be a member of the Commission. Special meetings may be called at any time by the chairperson or in the chairperson’s absence by the vice-chairperson. A majority of such Commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Unless otherwise provided by state statute or by ordinance of the governing body of the City of Lecompton or by a resolution of the governing body of Douglas County, Kansas, no action by the Planning Commission shall be taken except by a majority vote of the members present and voting. The Commission shall cause a proper record to be kept of all proceedings.

(Ord. 644; K.S.A. 12-745; Ord. 800)

All members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but they may be reimbursed for their expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties.

(Ord. 644; Code 2003)

No member of the commission shall be removed during his or her term of office, except for cause, and after a hearing held before the governing body by whom he or she was appointed, or in case of disqualification by moving out of the city, or by moving out of the area represented by him or her on the planning commission.

(Code 2003)

On or before the first Monday in July of each year, the planning commission shall submit to the city council its budget for the ensuing fiscal year. The city council shall consider the budget and make allowance for the planning commission as ii deems proper and add the planning commission budget to the general budget of the city.

(Ord. 644; Code 2003)

The Comprehensive Plan for Lecompton, Kansas, attached to Ordinance No. 748, and incorporated herein by reference, meeting the conditions for adoption prescribed in K.S.A. 12-747, is hereby adopted and declared to be the official guide for future development of the City. The Comprehensive Plan shall constitute the basis or guide for public action to insure a coordinated and harmonious development or redevelopment which will best promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity and general welfare as well as wise and efficient expenditures of public funds.

(Ord. 748; Code 2003)