Home > City > Planning Commission

Planning Commission

Current Planning Commission Members
Chair: Bruce Albright, Council Liaison
Members: Rebecca Hasse, Jim Courneya and Alex Ohman 
 
Click here for the 2019 Capital Improvement Plan - Approved by the City Council on 9/9/2019
Click here for the 2020 Vergas Housing Plan - Approved by City Council 7/14/2020
Click here for the 2022 Comprehensive Plan - Approved by City Council 8/02/2022
Zoning Map 
 
 
February 10, 2020 Agenda & Minutes             January 25, 2021 Agenda & Minutes             January 25, 2022 Agenda & Minutes                                                                                             
March 9, 2020 Agenda & Minutes                       February 22, 2021 Agenda & Minutes          February 28, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
April 27, 2020 Agenda & Minutes                        March 22, 2021 Agenda & Minutes               March 28, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
May 18, 2020 Agenda & Minutes                         April 26, 2021 Agenda & Minutes                   April 11, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
June 22, 2020 Agenda & Minutes                        May 24, 2021 Agenda & Minutes                     April 25, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
August 24. 2020 Agenda & Minutes                    June 09, 2021 Agenda & Minutes                   May 23, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
Sept. 28, 2020 Agenda & Minutes                        June 28, 2021 Agenda & Minutes                    June 27, 2022 Agenda & Minutes              
October 26, 2020 Agenda & Minutes                July 26, 2021 Agenda & Minutes                      July 25, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
November 23, 2020 Agenda and Minutes       August 23, 2021 Agenda & Minutes               August 22, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
                                                                                                   September 27, 2021 Agenda & Minutes      September 26, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
                                                                                                   October 25, 2021 Agenda & Minutes           October 24, 2022 Agenda & Minutes
                                                                                                   November 22, 2021 Agenda & Minutes       December 8, 2022  Agenda & Minutes
 
April 24, 2023 Agenda & Minutes                    May 22, 2023 Agenda & Minutes                        June 26, 2023 Agenda & Minutes
 
                                                                                                                                                              

 

The Planning Commission shall consist of five members from the resident population of the city to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council.  The appointees shall be appointed to serve staggered terms of three years, except Council Representative, commencing on the first day of January in the year of appointment.  Upon expiration of a term, the appointee shall continue until reappoint or a successor is appointed.  Absences from any three meetings in a year, unless excused in advance by the Chair, constitutes a vacancy.  In the event of any vacancy, the Mayor, with the approval of the City Council, shall appoint a person to complete the unexpired term.

 31.48  POWERS AND DUTIES; COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

 
(A)  Generally.  The Planning Commission shall have the powers and duties given to city planning agencies generally by law, including the authority to conduct public hearings as directed by the City Council or city policy.  The Planning Commission shall also exercise the duties conferred upon it by this code.  It shall be the purpose of the Planning Commission to prepare and adopt a comprehensive plan for the physical development of the city, including proposed public buildings, street arrangements and improvements, efficient design of major thoroughfares for moving of traffic, parking facilities, public utilities services, parks and playgrounds, a general land use plan and other matters relating to the physical development of the city.  This plan may be prepared in sections, each of which shall relate to a comprehensive plan program.  After the Planning Commission has prepared and adopted the comprehensive plan, it shall periodically, but at least every three years, review the comprehensive plan and any ordinances or programs implementing the plan.
 
(B)  Means of executing plan.  Upon the adoption of a comprehensive plan or any section thereof, it shall be the concern of the Planning Commission to recommend to the City Council reasonable and practical means for putting into effect the plan or section thereof in order that it will serve as a pattern and guide for the orderly physical development of the city and as a basis for judging the timely disbursements of funds to implement the objective.  Means of effectuating the plan shall, among other things, consist of a zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, capital improvement programming and technical review, and recommendations of matters referred to the Planning Commission by the City Council.
 
(C)  Zoning ordinance.  Pursuant to M.S. ' 462.357(4), as it may be amended from time to time, the Planning Commission shall review all proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance, take part in or conduct public hearings as directed by the City Council or city policy, and make recommendations to the City Council as may be prescribed by the zoning ordinance.
 
(D)  Conditional permits.  The Planning Commission may make recommendations on all requests for a conditional use permit under the terms of the zoning ordinance and may conduct public hearings as directed by the City Council or city policy.  The Planning Commission shall report its recommendations to the City Council for action.
 
(E)  Subdivision regulations.  The Planning Commission may make recommendations in relation to the subdividing of land as prescribed by the ordinance and may conduct public hearings as directed by the City Council or city policy.  The Planning Commission shall report its recommendations to the City Council for action.
 
(F)   Variances.     All applications for variances may be referred to the Planning Commission which may conduct public hearings as directed by the City Council or city policy, and forwarded with or without recommendations directly to the City Council, which shall have the powers of a Board of Appeals and Adjustments as provided for in M.S. ' 462.357, Subd. 6, as it may be amended from time to time for its decision.  The City Council, acting as the Board of Appeals and Adjustments, may hear requests for variances from the literal  provisions of the ordinance in instances only where their strict enforcement would cause undue hardship because of circumstances unique to the individual property under consideration, and may grant variances only when it is demonstrated that such actions will be in keeping with the spirit and intent of the ordinance. UNDUE HARDSHIP as used in connection with the granting of a variance, means the property in question cannot be put to a reasonable use if used under conditions allowed by the official controls, the plight of the landowner is due to circumstances unique to the property not created by the landowner, and the variance, if granted, will not alter the essential character of the locality. Economic considerations alone shall not constitute an undue hardship if reasonable use for the property exists under the terms of the ordinance. UNDUE HARDSHIP also includes, but is not limited to inadequate access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems. Variances shall be granted for earth-sheltered construction as defined in M.S. ' 216C.06, Subd. 14, as it may be amended from time to time, when in harmony with the ordinance. The Board of Appeals and Adjustments may not permit as a variance any use that is not permitted under the ordinance for property in the zone where the affected person's land is located. The Board may permit as a variance the temporary use of a one-family dwelling as a two-family dwelling. The Board may impose conditions in the granting of variances to ensure compliance and to protect adjacent properties. All variances issued shall by filed by the City Clerk with the County Recorder.
 
(G)  Appeals to denials of zoning, land use or building permits based on the official map. All appeals to denials of zoning, land use or building permits based on the official map may be referred to the Planning Commission, and forwarded with or without recommendations directly to the City Council. The City Council shall have the powers of a Board of Appeals and Adjustments as provided for in M.S. 462.359, Subd. 4, as it may be amended from time to time for its decision.
 
(H)  Purchase and sale of real property.  Pursuant to M.S. ' 462.356, Subd. 2, as it may be amended from time to time, after adoption of a comprehensive plan, if any, the Planning Commission shall review all proposed acquisitions or disposals of publicly owned interests in real property within the city by the municipality, or any special district or any agency thereof, or any other political subdivision having jurisdiction within the municipality, and make findings as to the compliance of the proposed acquisition or disposal of real property with the comprehensive municipal plan.  The City Council may by resolution adopted by two-thirds vote dispense with the requirements of this section when in its judgment it finds that the proposed acquisition or disposal of real property has no relationship to the comprehensive municipal plan.
 
(I)   Capital improvements.  Pursuant to M.S. ' 462.356, Subd. 2, as it may be amended from time to time, after adoption of a comprehensive plan, if any, the Planning Commission shall review all proposed capital improvements within the city by the municipality, or any special district or any agency thereof, or any other political subdivision having jurisdiction within the municipality, and make findings, as to the compliance of the proposed capital improvement with the comprehensive municipal plan.  The City Council may by resolution adopted by two-thirds vote dispense with the requirements of this section when in its judgment it finds that the proposed acquisition or disposal of real property has no relationship to the comprehensive municipal plan.
 
(J)   Comprehensive Plan amendments.  Pursuant to M.S. ' 462.355, Subds. 2 and 3, as it may be amended from time to time, after adoption of a comprehensive plan, if any, the Planning Commission shall review all proposed amendments to the comprehensive plan, hold at least one public hearing, and make recommendations to the City Council on comprehensive plan amendments and their relation to the city comprehensive plan and other land use controls.  The Planning Commission shall report its recommendations to the City Council for action.