House Bill 4284 (As Passed House)

Contact: Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs

Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Summary

Topic: Municipal Planning
Sponsor: Representative Kolb
Co-Sponsors: Representatives Tobocman, McConico, Rivet, and Kooiman on original bill. When the board was opened for co-sponsors after final passage in the House, 29 other members joined them.
Committee: House Land Use and Environment

Date Introduced: February 26, 2003

Date of Summary: July 17, 2003

The bill creates the Joint Municipal Planning Act. It would authorize the legislative bodies of two or more municipalities to establish a joint planning commission by ordinance. The agreement is required to specify at least the following:

· Composition,
· Qualifications, selection and terms of office,
· Removal from office and filling vacancies,
· Sharing the operating budget,
·Jurisdictional area
·Procedures for joining or withdrawing,
·The planning act whose procedure will be followed (The definitions section lists two acts)
· The zoning act whose procedure will be followed (The definitions list two acts)
· Additional powers or duties of a zoning board or zoning commission that the specified zoning act authorizes.

All the powers and duties of a planning commission or zoning board are transferred to the joint planning commission. In exercising these powers the joint commission is required to follow the procedure provided under the specified planning or zoning act.

An opportunity and procedure for referendum are provided. A citizen has 30 days in which to file a petition. Signatures equal to not less than 15% of the total votes cast for Governor at the last preceding general election are required. In a city or village that has a charter that provides for a right of referendum on ordinances the charter provisions apply. If a petition is not filed within 30 days, the ordinance goes into affect.

Both the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts apply to the work of the joint planning commissions.