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Ordinance amending Section 2.56.050 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code, regarding the start time of Planning Commission meetings
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WHEREAS, Chapter 2.56 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code (“Municipal Code”) establishes the South San Francisco Planning Commission (“Planning Commission”) and sets forth rules and regulations for its structure and operation; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission has discussed the merits of changing the regular Planning Commission meetings start times from 7:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and is supportive of this change; and
WHEREAS, starting in March, 2023, Planning Commission meetings will be held in a hybrid format, allowing members of the public to attend in-person or remotely; and
WHEREAS, members of the public have multiple methods to submit comments before and during Planning Commission meetings; and
WHEREAS, Planning Division staff recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed ordinance to amend the Municipal Code, and to change the regular Planning Commission meetings from 7:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of South San Francisco does hereby ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. Amendment
The City Council hereby amends Section 2.56.050 of the South San Francisco Municipal Code to read as follows (with text in strikeout indicated deletion and double-underlined text indicating addition). Sections that are not amended by this Ordinance are not included below, and shall remain in full force and effect.
2.56.050 Meetings.
(a) The commission shall meet on the first and third Thursdays of each month at seven six p.m. in the community room, Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive, South San Francisco, California, except in case of necessity or emergency the chairperson or four commissioners may designate an alternate meeting place within the corporate limits of the city. Legal notice of an emergency meeting shall be given at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of the meeting. If a meeting is set for the regular meeting place of the commission, or duly noticed for an alternate meeting place, and because of necessity or emergency, the commission is required to meet in another place within the corporate limits of the city, then the secretary shall appear at the regular or alternate meeting place, whichever is the case, at the time set for the meeting, and publicly announce the new meeting place and post a notice of same on the door of the regular meeting place. Notices of all meetings, except regular meetings, shall be served on each commissioner and to each person who has requested notice in writing of such meetings, at least twenty-four hours prior to the time specified for the proposed meeting. Notices shall comply with Government Code Section 54950 et seq., also referred to as the Ralph M. Brown Act.
(b) If the day designated as a regular, adjourned regular, special or study meeting falls upon a legal holiday, the commission shall meet upon the next succeeding day which is not a holiday unless otherwise ordered by the commission.
SECTION 2. Severability.
If any provision of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of this Ordinance, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, provisions of this Ordinance are severable. The City Council of the City of South San Francisco hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause, or phrase hereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses, or phrases be held unconstitutional, invalid, or unenforceable.
SECTION 3. Publication and Effective Date.
Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 36933, a summary of this Ordinance shall be prepared by the City Attorney. At least five (5) days prior to the Council meeting at which this Ordinance is scheduled to be adopted, the City Clerk shall (1) publish the Summary, and (2) post in the City Clerk’s Office a certified copy of this Ordinance. Within fifteen (15) days after the adoption of this Ordinance, the City Clerk shall (1) publish the summary, and (2) post in the City Clerk’s Office a certified copy of the full text of this Ordinance along with the names of those City Council members voting for and against this Ordinance or otherwise voting. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days from and after its adoption.
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Introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of South San Francisco held the 22nd day of March, 2023.