Rules of Procedure
Many procedural issues essential for the conduct of plan commission business are not addressed in state statutes and must be determined by local ordinance or by rules of procedure adopted by the plan commission. Wisconsin Statutes allow plan commissions to establish their own rules for conducting business. Common issues typically addressed in plan commission rules are outlined below:
Membership
- Desired qualifications
- Appointment of alternates
- Officers, duties, and staff assistance
- Establishment of committees
- Vacancies, resignations and removal
- Compensation
Conduct
- Attendance requirements
- Training requirements
- Conflicts of interest and bias
- Ex parte communication
Meetings, Hearings and Site Visits
- Meeting time, frequency, location
- Parliamentary procedures
- Quorum
- Order of business
- Authorization for site inspections
Decisions
- Voting requirements
- Recording decisions
- Meeting minutes, exhibits and records
Roberts Rules of Order
While it is common for plan commissions to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order for the conduct of meetings and hearings, some caution is warranted. Robert’s Rules are extremely complicated and establish highly formal processes which make discussion difficult. Furthermore, few people know these rules well enough to use them accurately. When plan commission decisions are challenged in court, the first line of attack is the rule book. Cases can be remanded back to the commission for reconsideration if the rules aren’t followed. Training is also needed to properly administer Robert’s Rules.
The sample rules of procedure included in Resources reference Robert’s Rules of Order for issues not addressed elsewhere in the bylaws. You may wish to omit this reference or refer to a different parliamentary authority. The UW-Extension Local Government Center provides training on parliamentary procedure.
