The county planning commission may appoint such employees as it may deem necessary for its work and may contract with planners and other consultants for such services as it may require, and may incur other necessary expenses; provided that the expenditures of the county funds by the planning commission shall not be in excess of the amounts appropriated for that purpose by the board of county commissioners. It shall be lawful for the board of county commissioners to appropriate funds for the administration of this act and to contract with the governing body of the county seat city to contribute jointly to pay expenses and salaries of a combined staff to serve the county planning commission, county board of adjustment, city planning commission and city board of adjustment, and to provide offices for such combined staff either in the county courthouse or the municipal building.

For building permits issued pursuant to this section, the county engineer shall collect a fee set by the county planning commission, which shall be approved every two (2) years by the board of county commissioners. For each petition for amendments to zoning regulations, the county planning commission shall, upon approval and authorization by the board of county commissioners, collect a fee sufficient to cover the cost of mailing notices and conducting investigations into the applicant's petition. In the event the petition is withdrawn by the applicant before consideration by the county planning commission but after notice and mailing of such public hearing on applicant's amendments to zoning regulations or in the event the applicant's petition is denied by the county planning commission and an appeal is not pursued to the county board of adjustment, the applicant shall not be permitted to file another petition for amendment to zoning regulations covering the matter withdrawn or denied until ninety (90) days from such withdrawal or denial and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee as set by the county planning commission, which shall be approved by the board of county commissioners. All fees collected by the county planning commission and the county engineer shall be deposited with the county treasurer daily, as is now provided by law, to the credit of the county planning commission and such fees shall be placed in a separate fund to the credit of the said county planning commission, to be designated as the "County Planning Commission Special Fund", and shall be expended by the county planning commission, as follows: for salaries of the staff or any member thereof, for mailing cost to potentially affected members of the public concerning notice of petitions for amendment to zoning regulations, for books, records, supplies, fixtures and other necessary expenses incurred in the operation of said Planning Commission, provided that any of the fee so expended shall be upon verified claims duly filed, and approved by the board of county commissioners of the county as provided by law. Provided, however, that in the event the fees shall be in excess of the necessary operating expenses of the planning commission, said excess shall revert to the general fund of any such county at the end of the fiscal year. Provided further, that in the event said fees shall not be sufficient to operate the planning commission, the difference may be supplied by appropriation as provided by law. On the first day of each month the county engineer and the county planning commission shall each submit to the board of county commissioners a verified report of all fees charged and collected during the preceding month.

For each petition for an appeal to the board of adjustment, the county planning commission shall, upon approval and authorization by the board of county commissioners, collect a fee sufficient to cover the cost of mailing notices and conducting investigations into the applicant’s petition.

Added by Laws 1972, c. 244, § 4, emerg. eff. April 7, 1972. Amended by Laws 1995, c. 103, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1995; Laws 2008, c. 294, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2008.