TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY OF CHINO
FROM: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT
title
Amending Chapter 2.36 (Planning Commission) of the Chino Municipal Code.
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Approve the introduction of Ordinance No. 2025-009, amending Chapter 2.36 (Planning Commission) of the Chino Municipal Code (CMC) to provide for the reduction in the number of resident Planning Commission members from seven to five, to be read by number and title only, and waive further reading of the Ordinance.
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FISCAL IMPACT
There is no increased fiscal impact, however, the City will realize cost savings for compensation related to meeting attendance, training, equipment, dues, conferences and meetings.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Superior Customer Service
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
• Exemplary Leadership
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BACKGROUND
Section 2.36.020 (A) of the Chino Municipal Code establishes that the Chino Planning Commission shall consist of nine members, appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council. This includes seven resident members and two nonresident members appointed from the City’s Sphere of Influence (SOI). The SOI is land area adjacent to the City boundary in the unincorporated area of the County of San Bernardino that is expected to one day be annexed into the City.
The scope of the Commission’s authority is defined in Chino Municipal Code §§ 2.36.060 and 20.23.010. The Commission has authority to review and make recommendations to the City Council on requests for general plan amendments, specific plan amendments, zone changes, zone ordinance amendments, and development agreements. The Commission also has authority to review and take final action on a variety of planning applications, including special conditional use permits, major variances, site approval applications, tentative tract and parcel maps, and pre-zoning of areas within the City’s SOI. The SOI members were added by the City Council in 2024 (Ordinance No. 2024-010) and have a limited role to only act on issues that would affect the areas within the SOI.
Recognizing the vital importance of sound planning and the critical role the Planning Commission plays in the current and future development of the City’s commercial, industrial and residential zones, the City of Chino strives for excellence in the selection of Planning Commissioners. To achieve this goal, the Council and City Staff periodically review the composition of its Commissions to maximize effectiveness. This review may include key factors such as compensation, size, and/or representation.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
After a review of neighboring cities, City Staff has found that the Chino Planning Commission has more members than most cities in the area. After this review, Staff believes the City can achieve the same goals of delivering excellence in sound City Planning with a reduced Commission size of five resident members.
Comparison Cities
City Staff evaluated several neighboring cities to compare the Planning Commission size of those commissions against key factors such as City size, Council composition, and City population. According to the table below, most neighboring cities have five commissioners. This is consistent with the number of Council Members.
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City Name |
Population |
City Size (square miles) |
# of Council Members |
# of Planning Commissioners |
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Chino |
95,055 |
30 |
5 |
9 |
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Chino Hills |
77,314 |
44.8 |
5 |
5 |
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Ontario |
188,000 |
49.96 |
5 |
7 |
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Fontana |
213,000 |
42.4 |
5 |
5 |
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Corona |
160,000 |
39.2 |
5 |
5 |
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Eastvale |
69,514 |
13.1 |
5 |
5 |
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San Bernardino |
220,800 |
62.24 |
8 |
9 |
Given the geographic size of the City of Chino, number of Council Members and population, the Chino Planning Commission is larger than most of its neighboring cities.
Appointments, Vacancies and Resignations
Section 2.36.020 (A) of the Chino Municipal Code establishes that “in the event that a member resigns or dies before the end of his or her term, or for any reason is unable to complete the term, the Mayor may appoint a member to fill the vacant position with the approval of the City Council.” This section will remain unchanged.
Residency and Term
Section 2.36.020 (B) of the Chino Municipal Code states that “seven members of the Planning Commission shall be residents of the City at the time of their appointment and throughout their terms of office and shall serve for a term of four years (full commission membership). The term and residency will remain unchanged, however, the number of commissioners in this section will be reduced from seven to five.
Quorum
If approved, the new quorum for the Chino Planning Commission will be set at three.
Sphere of Influence and Other Commissions
Approval of these changes will not impact the number or scope of the SOI members on the Planning Commission. Nor will these proposed changes impact the make-up of the Chino Community Services, Parks and Recreation Commission size or scope.
Based on the information provided, City Staff is recommending the City Council reduce the Planning Commission size from seven to five members. If approved, no other changes will apply to the Chino Planning Commission.
Attachment: Ordinance No. 2025-009