Although not mandated by any law, the Commission has chosen to follow Robert's Rules of Order to conduct its meetings. While the Commission may adopt its own procedures to conduct its meetings, State law, specifically the Brown Act, limits some actions the Commission may take. The primary intent of the Brown Act is to assure that the decisions of the Commission are made in the open, available for the public to see, make comment on and to understand.

It is also an important aspect of the Brown Act that the Commission may not, except in very limited circumstances, make a decision upon an item or issue that has been brought to their attention for the first time at a Commission meeting. Typically, before an item or issue may be acted upon by the Commission, it must be placed upon an agenda and that agenda made available to the general public for at least three (3) days. This is to assure that anyone with information that may assist the Commission in making its decision on that issue or item is given the opportunity to address the Commission. 
 
An agenda, available to the public, is prepared for each meeting. This agenda is typically available three (3) to five (5) working days prior to the meeting. The Commission agenda is organized into different activities to form a consistent, organized approach to conducting the Commission's business. The agenda is organized as follows:
• The meeting is called to Order;
• Roll Call is taken;
• The Pledge of Allegiance is performed;
• Public hearings are conducted;
• Public comments not related to public hearing items are taken by the Commission;
• Planning Commissioner comments are given;
• Staff comments are given; and
• Other Commission business is conducted.