Centreville Planning Commission Rules

Exactly as extracted, unformatted — for checking against the original. The readable version is easier to read.

RULES
OF
THE TOWN OF CENTREVILLE PLANNING COMMISSION
ARTICLE I. AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE
Section 1. Authority
These Rules are adopted in accordance with authority contained in Land Use Article Section
2-101 et seq., of the Annotated Code of Maryland; Title 10, Subtitle 5, of the State
Government Article of that Code; and the Town of Centreville Zoning Ordinance and
Subdivision Regulations. In the event of any conflict between these Rules and those
authorities, the latter shall control.
Section 2. Purpose
These Rules are designed to facilitate the conduct of the Commission's proceedings and to
assist citizens having business before the Commission.
ARTICLE II. OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers
At any regular meeting held in May of each year and at any time during the year when a
vacancy occurs in such offices, the Commission will elect a Chairman, a Vice Chairman,
and a Secretary, each of whom will serve until the regular meeting held in May of the
following year and until a successor is elected. An officer is eligible for reelection.
Section 2. Chairman
The Chairman, will, when present, preside at all meetings of the Commission and will have
the authority to sign and execute on behalf of the Commission all plats and other
instruments approved in accordance with the Town of Centreville Zoning Ordinance.
Section 3. Vice Chairman
In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman will preside at all meetings of the
Commission and will perform all duties of the Chairman. However, the Vice Chairman may

not enter the approval of the Commission with respect to a subdivision plat.
Section 4. Secretary
The Secretary will have authority to sign and execute on behalf of the Commission all plats
and other instruments approved in accordance with the Town of Centreville Code.
ARTICLE III. MEETINGS
Section 1. Open Meetings / Public Inspection of Applications
(a) Except to the limited extent provided in Section 11, no matter will be discussed or
acted upon by the Commission at a closed meeting.
(b) Subject to the availability of equipment and appropriations from the Town Council,
all meeting places shall be configured and equipped so that presentations can be seen
and heard by all present.
(c) Videotaping, televising, or photographing may be performed from the back of the
meeting room with a stationary camera so as not to disrupt the proceedings of the
meeting.
(d) The files for all applications, including plats and plans, are available for public
inspection by request at any time during normal business hours at Town Hall or at
other designated areas.
(e) The Planning Commission will hear comments from the public during the first and
last fifteen (15) minutes of each regularly scheduled meeting on issues pertaining to
planning and zoning in the Town of Centreville. A sign-up sheet will be made
available before each regularly scheduled meeting. Each speaker will be allowed
three (3) minutes.
(f) The Planning Commission may hear comments from the public, including applicants
and citizens proposing text or map amendments, before taking action on
development applications or text or map amendments.
Section 2. Regular Meetings
The Commission will hold at least one regular meeting each month. At the regular meeting
held in May, the Commission will establish a tentative schedule for regular meetings. The
tentative date of any regular meeting may be changed by the Commission or the Chairman.

Section 3. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Commission will be held at the written request of the Chairman or at
least for three (3) of its members. The request will state the purpose of the meeting and the
matters proposed for consideration. The Chairman will designate the time of the meeting.
Section 4. Place of Meetings
All meetings of the Commission will be held in a place designated by the Chairman and
stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 5. Official Notice of Meetings
(a) In accordance with § 3-302 of the General Provisions Article of the Annotated Code
of Maryland, the Commission has given public notice that notice of any meeting or
session which is required to be an open session will be given in accordance with this
section.
(b) Such notice will be:
1. In writing;
2. Include the date, time and place of the meeting or session and any
other information required by law or the Town of Centreville Zoning
Ordinance with respect to a required public hearing referred to in
Article IV; and
3. Posted in the lobby of Town Hall, 101 Lawyers Row, Centreville,
Maryland, and on the Town’s official website
(www.townofcentreville.org) at least seven (7) days prior to any
meeting of the Commission.
Section 6. Agenda
(a) In addition to the official notice required by Section 5, an agenda of any meeting of
the Commission will be provided in accordance with this section.
(b) The agenda will include:
1. The information contained in the official notice required by Section 5;
2. Specific reference to each site plan or subdivision or other matter which is to
be considered at the meeting; and

3. A general description of the type of consideration or action contemplated
with respect to each such matter (for example, preliminary or final approval).
(c) The agenda of all meetings will be provided to each member of the Commission.
(d) The agenda of a special meeting will include a statement of the specific purpose(s)
for which the meeting has been called.
(e) Any defect in an agenda referred to in this section (including failure of the agenda to
refer to any matter considered by the Commission) will not affect any action taken
by the Commission.
Section 7. Action at Meetings
(a) At any regular meeting, the Commission may take any action authorized by the
Town of Centreville Zoning Ordinance.
(b) At any special meeting, the Commission may take action only with respect to
matters stated in the agenda referred to in Section 6.
(c) It is the policy of the Commission that, ordinarily:
1. No action will be taken with respect to any subdivision or site plan or other
matter which is not referred to in the agenda for that meeting;
2. No final subdivision or site plan approval will be given at a special meeting;
3. Both preliminary and final approval will not be given to any subdivision or
site plan at the same meeting.
(d) The provisions of subsection (c) may be waived at any meeting of the Commission
upon the affirmative vote of at least three (3) Commission members and their
recorded findings that:
1. such waiver is in the public interest;
2. stated special reasons exist for a departure from the policy of the
Commission;
3. those reasons do not involve to any degree any delay or inaction by the
person for whom the policy is waived;
4. the purpose of providing prior notice of action to be taken at a regular
meeting will not be unduly compromised; and
5. the Department of Planning and Zoning has certified that no further time is
required to make any determination required by the Town of Centreville
Zoning Ordinance.

Section 8. Quorum and Vote
(a) At any meeting, the presence of at least three (3) Commission members will
constitute a quorum with respect to any action which may be taken at the meeting.
(b) Unless a greater number is required by law or by these Rules, a majority of the
members present and eligible to vote on a matter will be sufficient to take any action
with respect to that matter.
(c) No Commission member may vote, or be counted as a member of the quorum, by
proxy.
(d) With respect to any matter upon which the Town Council member of the
Commission is not eligible to vote, that member will not be considered for any
purpose under this section.
(e) Members may participate virtually (i.e. video or telephone) in meetings provided the
technology and staff are available to facilitate the participation. Only members that
are physically present at the meeting shall count towards a quorum.
Section 9. Minutes / Record of Action
(a) Written minutes of all meetings of the Commission will be provided in accordance
with this section as soon as practicable after any meeting.
(b) Minutes of the Commission will reflect:
1. each item or matter considered by the Commission;
2. the action taken by the Commission with respect to each item or matter; and
3. each vote which was recorded.
(c) Record of the action taken by the Commission on each item set forth in the agenda,
after approval of minutes of that meeting, shall be posted on the Town of Centreville
official website.
Section 10. Effect of Minutes
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, minutes of any meeting of the
Commission are tentative and unofficial until approved by the Commission at a
subsequent meeting.
(b) Prior to such approval of the minutes, any specific action taken by the Commission

may be certified by:
1. the Secretary of the Commission, to the extent that such action is contained
in a resolution which was read in its entirety to the Commission immediately
prior to the vote by which it was adopted; or
2. the Chairman or another person specifically designated by the Commission
to make such certification, if the Commission directs that its action be
accompanied by interpretive or qualifying comment.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any person, other than the
Chairman or the Secretary, to evidence the Commission's approval of any
subdivision plat.
Section 11. Closed Meetings
(a) The Commission may meet in a closed meeting or adjourn an open meeting to a
closed meeting only for a purpose referred to Section 3-305 of the General
Provisions Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
(b) If a closed meeting is held, the minutes of the next open meeting will include:
1. a statement of the time, place and purpose of the closed meeting;
2. a record of the vote of each member as to the reason for closing the meeting;
and
3. a reference to the specific provision referred to in subsection (a) for which
the meeting was closed.
4. a listing of the topics of discussion, persons present, and each action taken
during the closed session.
ARTICLE IV. HEARINGS
Section 1. Definition
As used in this Article:
1. "hearing" means that portion of any meeting of the Commission at which a
person appears for the purpose of seeking any action by the Commission,
including approval of a site plan or subdivision.
2. "required public hearing" means a hearing which the Commission is
specifically required to hold as a public hearing and for which special notice
is required by law or by the Town of Centreville Zoning Ordinance (for

example, a public hearing with respect to comprehensive rezoning,
amendment of the comprehensive plan or amendment of the subdivision
regulations).
3. "interested person" means a person who has an interest in any issue to be
determined at a hearing and includes the Zoning Administrator or a member
of the Department of Planning and Zoning designated by him and any
attorney or agent who is duly authorized to appear on behalf of an interested
person.
Section 2. Notice of Required Public Hearing
In addition to the official notice required by Article III of these Rules, the Commission will
give such additional notice of a required public hearing as may be required by law or the
Town of Centreville Zoning Ordinance.
Section 3. Reception of Evidence
(a) At any hearing, an interested person may present evidence and, at the conclusion of
the reception of evidence, may present summation and argument with respect to
each issue to be established at a hearing.
(b) Evidence, summation and argument must be:
1. probative and
2. of a type which would be accepted by reasonable and prudent individuals in
the conduct of their private affairs.
(c) Evidence may include relevant documentary evidence, testimony of witnesses, cross
examination of other witnesses and rebuttal evidence with respect to any evidence
submitted on behalf of any other interested person.
(d) The Commission may:
1. limit or exclude any evidence which is not of a type referred to in subsection
(b);
2. limit or exclude any evidence, argument or summation which is
incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial, unduly repetitious or recognized as
privileged under Maryland law;
3. establish a reasonable limitation upon the time for the presentation of
evidence with respect to any issue and provide a reasonable allocation of that
time among interested persons having different points of view with respect

to that issue; and/or
4. establish a reasonable limitation upon the time for the presentation of
summation or argument with respect to any or all issues and provide a
reasonable allocation of that time among interested persons having different
points of view with respect to such issues.
Section 4. Consideration of Evidence
In deciding any matter with respect to which a hearing is held, the Commission will only
consider:
1. evidence presented at a hearing;
2. facts which could be judicially noticed by a court of record in Queen Anne's
County; and
3. facts of a general, technical or scientific nature within the specialized
knowledge of that Commission.
4. written testimony may be accepted up to three (3) days prior to a hearing,
with exceptions permissible solely by the Chairman.
ARTICLE V. AMENDMENT
Any provision of these Rules may be amended by the affirmative vote of at least three (3)
members of the Commission, inclusive of the Chairman, at any open meeting, if the subject
of the amendment was specifically referred to in the agenda circulated to the Commission
prior to that meeting in accordance with Article III.
ARTICLE VI. ADOPTION
Adoption of these Rules shall occur by the affirmative vote of at least three (3) members of
the Commission, inclusive of the Chairman, at any open meeting.