Sec. 15.

(1) In a municipality, the chief elected official shall appoint members of the planning commission, subject to approval by a majority vote of the members of the legislative body elected and serving. In a county, the county board of commissioners shall determine the method of appointment of members of the planning commission by resolution of a majority of the full membership of the county board.

(2) A city, village, or township planning commission shall consist of 5, 7, or 9 members. A county planning commission shall consist of 5, 7, 9, or 11 members. Members of a planning commission other than ex officio members under subsection (5) shall be appointed for 3-year terms. However, of the members of the planning commission, other than ex officio members, first appointed, a number shall be appointed to 1-year or 2-year terms such that, as nearly as possible, the terms of 1/3 of all the planning commission members will expire each year. If a vacancy occurs on a planning commission, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as provided for an original appointment. A member shall hold office until his or her successor is appointed.

(3) The membership of a planning commission shall be representative of important segments of the community, such as the economic, governmental, educational, and social development of the local unit of government, in accordance with the major interests as they exist in the local unit of government, such as agriculture, natural resources, recreation, education, public health, government, transportation, industry, and commerce. The membership shall also be representative of the entire territory of the local unit of government to the extent practicable.

(4) Members of a planning commission shall be qualified electors of the local unit of government, except that the following number of planning commission members may be individuals who are not qualified electors of the local unit of government but are qualified electors of another local unit of government:

(a) 3, in a city that on September 1, 2008 had a population of more than 2,700 but less than 2,800.

(b) 2, in a city or village that has, or on September 1, 2008 had, a population of less than 5,000, except as provided in subdivision (a).

(c) 1, in local units of government other than those described in subdivision (a) or (b).

(5) In a township that on September 1, 2008 had a planning commission created under former 1931 PA 285, 1 member of the legislative body or the chief elected official, or both, may be appointed to the planning commission, as ex officio members. In any other township, 1 member of the legislative body shall be appointed to the planning commission, as an ex officio member. In a city, village, or county, the chief administrative official or a person designated by the chief administrative official, if any, the chief elected official, 1 or more members of the legislative body, or any combination thereof, may be appointed to the planning commission, as ex officio members, unless prohibited by charter. However, in a city, village, or county, not more than 1/3 of the members of the planning commission may be ex officio members. Except as provided in this subsection, an elected officer or employee of the local unit of government is not eligible to be a member of the planning commission. The term of an ex officio member of a planning commission shall be as follows:

(a) The term of a chief elected official shall correspond to his or her term as chief elected official.

(b) The term of a chief administrative official shall expire with the term of the chief elected official that appointed him or her as chief administrative official.

(c) The term of a member of the legislative body shall expire with his or her term on the legislative body.

(6) For a county planning commission, the county shall make every reasonable effort to ensure that the membership of the county planning commission includes a member of a public school board or an administrative employee of a school district included, in whole or in part, within the county's boundaries. The requirements of this subsection apply whenever an appointment is to be made to the planning commission, unless an incumbent is being reappointed or an ex officio member is being appointed under subsection (5).

(7) Subject to subsection (8), a city or village that has a population of less than 5,000, and that has not created a planning commission by charter, may by an ordinance adopted under section 11(1) provide that 1 of the following boards serve as its planning commission:

(a) The board of directors of the economic development corporation of the city or village created under the economic development corporations act, 1974 PA 338, MCL 125.1601 to 125.1636.

(b) The board of a downtown development authority created under 1975 PA 197, MCL 125.1651 to 125.1681, if the boundaries of the downtown district are the same as the boundaries of the city or village.

(c) A board created under the tax increment finance authority act, 1980 PA 450, MCL 125.1801 to 125.1830, if the boundaries of the authority district are the same as the boundaries of the city or village.

(8) Subsections (1) to (5) do not apply to a planning commission established under subsection (7). All other provisions of this act apply to a planning commission established under subsection (7).

(9) The legislative body may remove a member of the planning commission for misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance in office upon written charges and after a public hearing. Before casting a vote on a matter on which a member may reasonably be considered to have a conflict of interest, the member shall disclose the potential conflict of interest to the planning commission. The member is disqualified from voting on the matter if so provided by the bylaws or by a majority vote of the remaining members of the planning commission. Failure of a member to disclose a potential conflict of interest as required by this subsection constitutes malfeasance in office. Unless the legislative body, by ordinance, defines conflict of interest for the purposes of this subsection, the planning commission shall do so in its bylaws.

(10) An ordinance creating a planning commission may impose additional requirements relevant to the subject matter of, but not inconsistent with, this section.

History: 2008, Act 33, Eff. Sept. 1, 2008 ;-- Am. 2010, Act 105, Imd. Eff. June 29, 2010