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representation and expertise among the membership. The commission shall establish bylaws <br />to govern rules of procedure and the annual election of officers. All meetings of the <br />commission shall be open to the public. <br /> <br />Rationale: The Charter Review Commission believes that the Charter should prescribe the <br />composition of the planning and zoning commission, the terms of office, and the qualifications for <br />commission members. The Charter presently delegates these determinations to the city council. <br />These proposed changes would maintain the current nine-member composition with three-year <br />staggered terms as defined by ordinance, and would extend the current residency and property <br />ownership requirements to a period of three years for new appointments. The Charter Review <br />Commission thinks that having the composition set in the Charter, together with three-year staggered <br />terms of office, will help ensure stability for this important commission, and will shield it from the <br />potential that the city council could alter the commission's composition for political reasons. <br /> <br />B. NON-SUBSTANTIVE REVISIONS <br /> <br />A change to the Charter approved in 2000 allows the City Council, by ordinance, to make changes <br />to the Charter that do not affect the substance or meaning of the Charter. The Charter Review <br />Commission recommends that the City Council make the following revisions using this authority: <br /> <br />1. Amend Section 3.01 as follows: <br /> <br />Sec. 3.01. Number, selection and term. <br /> <br />~ The legislative and governing body of the city shall consist of seven council members and <br />shall be known as the "City Council of San Marcos". <br /> <br />(b a) The members of the city council shall be elected from the city at large, and each council <br />member shall be elected to occupy a place on the council, such places being numbered and <br />designated 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and mayor. <br /> <br />(c b) Each council member for places 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 shall hold office for a period of three <br />years, staggered so that two members shall be elected to a regular term each year. The <br />council member elected to the place of mayor shall hold office for a period of two years. <br /> <br />2. Amend Section 7.04 as follows: <br /> <br />Sec. 7.04. Organization. <br /> <br />The commission shall elect a chair from its membership annually, and shall establish rules <br />of procedure which shall include the following: <br /> <br /> (1 a) A quorum shall consist of a majority of the membership. <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br /> <br />