Planning and zoning: local planning.

Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, establishes in each city and county a planning agency with the powers necessary to carry out the purposes of the law. Existing law requires the legislative body of each city and county to by ordinance assign the functions of the planning agency to a planning department, one or more planning commissions, administrative bodies or hearing officers, the legislative body itself, or any combination thereof, as it deems appropriate and necessary. Existing law authorizes a legislative body to establish for its planning agency any rules, procedures, or standards that do not conflict with state or federal law. This bill would require a local planning agency to ensure architectural drawings that contain protected information, as defined, are made available to the public in a manner that does not facilitate their copying, as specified. By requiring a planning agency to take specified actions with respect to architectural drawings, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a planning agency to maintain official copies of architectural drawings with protected information submitted to the agency, subject to specified restrictions. The bill would also authorize a planning agency to take specified actions regarding these architectural drawings. The bill would also authorize a planning agency to provide a copy of or post a site plan or massing diagram, as defined, on the internet and allow the site plan or massing diagram to be copied. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.