Section 13-4-101 - Creation of planning commission - Compensation - Appointment of members - Term of office - Vacancies - Training and continuing education(a)(1) The chief legislative body of any municipality, whether designated board of aldermen, board of commissioners or by other title, may create and establish a municipal planning commission. Such planning commission shall consist of not less than five (5) members and not more than ten (10) members, the number of members within the limits to be determined by the chief legislative body. One (1) of the members shall be the mayor of the municipality or a person designated by the mayor and one (1) of the members shall be a member of the chief legislative body of the municipality selected by that body. All other members shall be appointed by such mayor, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b). In making such appointments, the mayor shall strive to ensure that the racial composition of the planning commission is at least proportionately reflective of the municipality's racial minority population. The chief legislative body may determine whether, and in what amount, to compensate members of the planning commission. Any such compensation authorized is in addition to any other compensation received from the municipality. The compensation authorized by this section does not apply to members of a planning commission who also serve as members of a board of zoning appeals. The compensation authorized by this section may not be counted against a salary limitation established by charter or otherwise. The terms of appointive members shall be of such length as may be specified by the chief legislative body; provided, that they shall be so arranged that the term of one (1) member will expire each year. Any vacancy in an appointed membership shall be filled for the unexpired term by the mayor of the municipality, who shall also have authority to remove any appointed member at the mayor's pleasure.(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1), any member of a planning commission created by a municipality incorporated under a private act and having a population of not less than seven thousand four hundred (7,400) nor more than seven thousand five hundred (7,500), according to the 2000 federal census or any subsequent federal census, shall be appointed by a majority vote of the legislative body of the municipality.(b) All appointive members of the municipal planning commission created pursuant to subsection (a) in any municipality incorporated pursuant to title 6, chapter 18, having a population of not less than one thousand six hundred twenty-five (1,625) nor more than one thousand six hundred thirty-five (1,635) which lies within a county having a population of not less than thirty-four thousand four hundred (34,400) nor more than thirty-four thousand five hundred (34,500), both according to the 1970 federal census or any subsequent federal census, or in any municipality having a population of not less than twenty-three thousand nine hundred (23,900) nor more than twenty-four thousand (24,000), according to the 2000 federal census or any subsequent federal census, shall be appointed only by the chief legislative body of the municipality, and likewise any vacancy in an appointive membership shall be filled for the unexpired term only by the chief legislative body of the municipality, which shall also have the authority to remove any appointive member at its pleasure. In making such appointments, the chief legislative body shall strive to ensure that the racial composition of the planning commission is at least proportionately reflective of the municipality's racial minority population. Except as modified by this subsection (b), the provisions of subsection (a) shall remain in force.(c)(1) Each planning commissioner shall, within one (1) year of initial appointment and each calendar year thereafter, attend a minimum of four (4) hours of training and continuing education in one (1) or more of the subjects listed in subdivision (c)(5).(2) Each full-time or contract professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the planning commission shall, each calendar year, attend a minimum of eight (8) hours of training and continuing education in one (1) or more of the subjects listed in subdivision (c)(5). A professional planner who is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) shall be exempt from this requirement.(3) Each of the individuals listed in subdivisions (c)(1) and (2) shall certify by December 31 of each calendar year such individual's attendance by a written statement filed with the secretary of such individual's respective planning commission. Each statement shall identify the date of each program attended, its subject matter, location, sponsors, and the time spent in each program. A professional planner who is a member of the AICP shall be exempt from this requirement.(4) The legislative body of the municipality shall be responsible for paying the training and continuing education course registration and travel expenses for each planning commissioner and full-time professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the planning commission.(5) The subjects for the training and continuing education required by subdivisions (c)(1) and (2) shall include, but not be limited to, the following: land use planning; zoning; flood plain management; transportation; community facilities; ethics; public utilities; wireless telecommunications facilities; parliamentary procedure; public hearing procedure; land use law; natural resources and agricultural land conservation; economic development; housing; public buildings; land subdivision; and powers and duties of the planning commission. Other topics reasonably related to the duties of planning commission members or professional planners or other administrative officials whose duties include advising the planning commission may be approved by majority vote of the planning commission prior to December 31 of the year for which credit is sought.(6) Each local planning commission shall keep in its official public record originals of all statements and the written documentation of attendance required to comply with these provisions for three (3) years after the calendar year in which each statement and appurtenant written documentation is filed.(7) Each planning commissioner and each professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the planning commission shall be responsible for obtaining written documentation signed by a representative of the sponsor of any continuing education course for which credit is claimed, acknowledging the fact that the individual attended the program for which credit is claimed. A member of the AICP shall be exempt from this requirement.(8) If a planning commissioner fails to complete the requisite number of hours of training and continuing education within the time allotted by this subsection (c) or fails to file the statement required by this subsection (c), then this shall constitute a cause for the removal of the planning commission member from the planning commission.(9) The legislative body of the municipality may, at any time, opt out of this subsection (c) by passage of an ordinance. Further any such legislative body that has opted out may, at a later date, opt in by passage of an ordinance.Acts 1935, ch. 34, § 1; C. Supp. 1950, § 3493.1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 13-501; Acts 1981, ch. 222, §§ 1-3; 1987, ch. 406, §§ 1, 2; 1994, ch. 611, § 1; 1996, ch. 977, §§ 2, 3; 2002, ch. 862, § 4; 2008, ch. 734, § 1; 2008, ch. 1150, § 16; 2009, ch. 47, §§ 7-9.