§ 1211. Powers, duties, and responsibilities.

Subject to the direction and control of the participating local governments, the Commission shall have the power and duty to:

(a)

Conduct careful and comprehensive surveys and studies of existing conditions and probable future developments and prepare and recommend to the participating local governments such plans for the physical, social, and economic growth as will best promote the public health, safety, morals, convenience, prosperity, and/or general welfare, including efficiency and economy in the development of its jurisdiction.

(b)

Prepare and maintain a comprehensive plan or parts thereof, or cause to be prepared such plan or parts thereof, for the development of or all any each of the participating local jurisdictions, and make recommendations on any amendments thereto.

(c)

Prepare and recommend to participating local governments the adoption of any zoning ordinance, or resolution, or amendments or revisions to any local use or land development regulations, including zoning ordinances and maps, subdivision regulations, special ordinances, and the like, which shall be subject to the approval of the affected jurisdiction in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia and the ordinances and resolutions of said jurisdiction.

(d)

Administer zoning and other land use regulations in whatever role is delegated to it by any participating local government. To this end, the Commission may review applications for zoning map amendments or applications for land use approval and provide a recommendation to the participating local government. However, the Commission shall not be delegated any legislative authority such as the final approval of zoning map amendments or conditional or special uses.

(e)

Review and approve subdivision plats; provided, however, that if the Commission is given authority to grant approval of final plats, said approval shall not constitute acceptance of public improvements which is a power reserved by the participating local governments.

(f)

Prepare and recommend for adoption to any participating local government, a plat or plats, or a corridor map or maps, showing the location of the boundary lines of existing, proposed, extended, widened or narrowed streets and linear open spaces and recreational areas, together with regulations to control the erection of buildings or other structures within such lines, within the local jurisdiction or a specified portion thereof.

(g)

Make, publish, and distribute maps, plans and reports and recommendations relating to the planning and development of any local jurisdiction to public officials and agencies, public utility companies, civic, educational, professional, and other organizations and citizens.

(h)

Conduct all hearings, and prepare all notices and advertisements, in connection with any zoning and other land use matters delegated to the Commission hereunder, to include, without limitation, such hearings, notices and related procedural matters minimally required by the Georgia Zoning Procedures Law, O.C.G.A. § 36-66-1 et seq. with respect to any such matters.

(i)

Cooperate with, contract with, or accept funds from, federal, state, or local, public or semi-public agencies or private individuals or corporations, and expend such funds and carry out cooperative undertakings with said agencies, individuals, or corporations in furtherance of the public purposes enumerated herein.

(j)

Perform such additional functions and services in connection with planning and zoning matters as may be required or called for from time to time by the participating local governments, and exercise, in general, such other powers as may be necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes of this article.

The authorization to undertake these functions shall not be considered a mandate for the Commission to perform all of these functions, nor shall it prohibit the discretion of any participating local government, by law or resolution, from assigning one or more of these functions to a staff member of that government, or to another agency or commission. The powers and duties enumerated above shall be liberally construed to effectuate the intent and purpose of this article and the Commission.

(Ord. No. 2009-03, § I, 6-4-2009)