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Most comprehensive plans include a variety of maps, including a land use plan map that indicates how the plan guides the future land use in different areas of the community. State law provides certain processes that cities must follow for comprehensive plan adoption and amendment. Prior to adoption of a comprehensive plan, the planning commission must hold at --least one public hearing. A notice of the time, place, and purpose of the hearing must be published once in the official newspaper of the municipality, and at least 10 days before the day of the hearing. Unless otherwise provided in a city charter,the city council may, by resolution by a two- thirds vote of all of its members, adopt and amend the comprehensive plan or a portion of the plan. This means that on a five-member council, the comprehensive plan must receive at least four affirmative votes. After a city has adopted a comprehensive plan, all future amendments to the plan must be referred to the planning commission for review and comment. No plan amendment may be acted upon by the city council until it has received the recommendation of the planning commission, or until 60 days have elapsed from the date an amendment proposed by the city council has been submitted to the planning commission for its recommendation. In submitting review and comment to council, the planning commission serves in a strictly advisory role. The city council ultimately decides on the acceptance, rejection or the revision of the plan, and is not bound by planning commission recommendations. Cities in the seven-county metropolitan area must Something to Think About submit their comprehensive plan to the Metropolitan Council for review of its compatibility and conformity When the Metropolitan Council with the Council's regional system plans. Cities within determines that a city's the seven-county metro area must review and update comprehensive land use plan may their plan, fiscal devices, and official controls at least have a substantial impact on, or every 10 years, and submit their revised plans to the contain a substantial departure Metropolitan Council for review. from the Metropolitan Council's regional system plans, the Council Adopting and amending a comprehensive plan should has the statutory authority to be a dynamic public process with an eye towards require the city to conform to the implementation. Public participation ensures broad Council's system plans. and ongoing support, brings a variety of information and perspectives, and instills a sense of community ownership in the plan. Once adopted, the city should actively consult the plan, periodically review it for consistency with current policies and practices, and recommend amendments whenever necessary. State law provides that comprehensive plans should be implemented through zoning and subdivision regulations, as well as coordination of public improvements & city services, and a capital improvements program. The Zoning Ordinance State law authorizes a city zoning ordinance as a tool to Learn More implement a comprehensive plan. Zoning is a method Read more about zoning decisions in: of establishing a land use pattern by regulating the way land is used by landowners. A zoning ordinance has • Zoning Guide for Cities 4 Small Cities Track-2011 Planning&Zoning 101-12