Missouri City can move forward with joint public hearings as the city works to update its comprehensive plan.

The overview

At a March 3 meeting, Missouri City City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to establish public notice timelines for joint hearings between City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding zoning amendments.

The first reading was approved at a Feb. 17 meeting.

The specifics

The joint hearings aim to provide continuity in information and prevent delays in decision-making for any zoning changes that come from the city’s comprehensive plan, City Attorney E. Joyce Iyamu said at the Feb. 17 meeting.

According to agenda documents, the ordinance requires public notice of joint public hearings in multiple forms including:

• Publishing a notice in the city’s official newspaper at least 15 days before the hearing
• Providing notice to property owners who may become nonconforming at least 10 days before the hearing

Additionally, the ordinance allows the P&Z Commission to issue its recommendation report at the same or a subsequent hearing, while City Council will have to wait until a subsequent meeting to vote on a proposed change, Iyamu said at the Feb. 17 meeting.

Going forward

The city is set to release draft findings and recommendations, host a public open house and issue a second questionnaire before providing its draft report, according to the plan’s website. Specific dates have not yet been set.