There is hereby established within and for the City a Planning and Zoning Commission which shall consist of not more than fifteen (15) nor less than seven (7) members, including the Mayor, if the Mayor chooses to be a member; a member of the Board of Aldermen selected by the Board, if the Board chooses to have a member serve on the Commission; and not more than fifteen (15) nor less than five (5) citizens appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen. The term of each of the citizen members shall be for four (4) years, except that the terms of the citizen members first appointed shall be for varying periods so that succeeding terms will be staggered. Any vacancy in a membership shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment as aforesaid. The Board of Aldermen may remove any citizen member for cause stated in writing and after public hearing.
All citizen members of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall serve without compensation.
The Planning and Zoning Commission shall elect a Chairman and a Secretary from among the citizen members. The term of Chairman and Secretary shall be for one (1) year with eligibility for re-election.
The Planning and Zoning Commission shall hold regular meetings and special meetings as they provide by rule, and shall adopt rules for the transaction of business, and keep a record of its proceedings. These records shall be public records.
The expenditures of the Planning and Zoning Commission, exclusive of grants and gifts, shall be within amounts appropriated for the purposes of the Board of Aldermen.
All public officials shall upon request furnish to the Planning and Zoning Commission, within a reasonable time, all available information it requires for its works.
In general, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall have the power necessary to enable it to perform its functions and promote City planning. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall have the power to perform all of the functions of the Zoning Commission provided for in Chapter 89, RSMo., and shall have and perform all of the functions of a Planning Board as outlined in such Chapter.
The Planning and Zoning Commission, its members and employees in the performance of its functions may enter upon any land to make examinations and surveys.
The Planning and Zoning Commission shall make and adopt a City plan for the physical development of the municipality. The City plan, with the accompanying maps, plats, charts and descriptive and explanatory matter, shall show the commission's recommendations for the physical development and uses of land, and may include, among other things, the general location, character and extent of streets and other public ways, grounds, places and spaces; the general location and extent of public utilities and terminals, whether publicly or privately owned, the acceptance, widening, removal, extension, relocation, narrowing, vacation, abandonment or change of use of any of the foregoing; the general character, extent and layout of the replanning of blighted districts and slum areas. The commission may also prepare a zoning plan for the regulation of the height, area, bulk, location and use of private, non-profit and public structures and premises, and of population density, but the adoption, enforcement and administration of the zoning plan shall conform to the provisions of Sections 89.010 to 89.250, RSMo.