(a) Creation. It is hereby declared that the public welfare and interest of the citizens of the city will best be served by establishing and maintaining a commission for the sustainability and continued development of downtown, a vital urban center of western North Carolina's economic, cultural and visitor activity. To that end, there is hereby created and established a commission of the city to be known as the Asheville Downtown Commission, referred to in this division as "commission."
(b) Composition. The commission shall consist of 11 members, except as provided in subsection (c) below. The appointed composition will be as follows:
(1) Two members appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.
(2) One member of the city council appointed by the city council, except as provided in subsection (c) below.
(3) Seven members appointed by the city council from the private sector of the community.
(4) A member of the board of directors or the executive director of the Asheville Downtown Association.
The members appointed by the city council and county commissioners from the private sector of the community shall represent various segments of the greater downtown community such as, but not limited to, property owners, merchants, residents, businesses and institutions; and shall have a willingness to participate actively in commission efforts; and shall possess expertise and interest in the sustainability and development of downtown.
Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their service, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their official duties.
(c) Terms of office. Members of the commission shall serve staggered, three-year terms, with the exception of the city council member, and the person serving in the position allocated for the Asheville Downtown Association, each of whom will serve according to the length of their respective terms of office; provided that the two council members serving on the commission as of the effective date of this amendment may continue to serve until their service on the city council ends, or until one of them resigns, at which time the total membership of the commission shall be eleven, and city council member appointees shall be reduced to one. In the event that a county commissioner is appointed to the commission, her/his term on the commission shall coincide with her/his term of office. At-large members will be eligible for reappointment for one term.
(d) Selection of officers. The commission shall select annually from its members a chair and a vice-chair.
(e) Meetings. The commission shall establish its meeting schedule. Special meetings may be called by the chair or, in her/his absence, by the vice-chair, and special meetings shall be called upon the request of a majority of the members of the commission.
(f) Attendance. The failure of any commission member to attend 75 percent or more of the meetings of the commission held during a 12-month period, without an excused absence being approved by the chair, may be grounds for removal. Removal from the commission shall be at the discretion of the city for its appointees and the discretion of the county for its appointees.
(g) Voting. A quorum shall be constituted by a simple majority of commission members, excluding vacancies. The chair or the presiding member of the commission shall vote on all matters of business considered by the commission.
(h) Transaction of business. The commission shall act as a body in the transaction of all business, unless a committee or member is duly authorized by the commission for a specific purpose. The committee is to be discharged upon the completion of the duties assigned to it, unless it is a permanent committee.
(i) Appointment of committees. The commission is authorized to appoint committees from its membership or the community at large. Committee functions shall be fixed by the commission at the time of appointment. Committees may be standing or ad hoc in nature and shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the commission.
(j) Periodic reviews. There will be periodic reviews by the city council of the progress of the commission as deemed necessary by the city council.
(Code 1965, § 2-101; Ord. No. 1687, 4-26-88; Ord. No. 1884, § 2-101, 2-18-91; Ord. No. 1962, 2-18-92; Ord. No. 2078, §§ 1, 2, 2-15-94; Ord. No. 2287, 6-11-96; Ord. No. 2630, § 1, 10-27-99; Ord. No. 4059, § 1, 2-28-12; Ord. No. 4567, § 1, 3-28-17)