111.21 STANDING COMMITTEES.

   (a)   Establishment. There shall be the following standing committees, all of which shall be appointed by the Council President, subject to the approval of Council:

 

Committee of the Whole	Infrastructure & Capital Improvements Committee
Building/Housing Committee	Legislative/Education Committee
Cable Committee	Public Service/Water Reclamation Committee
Economic and Community Development Committee	Community Life Committee
Education Committee	Safety Committee
Finance Committee

(Ord. 2006-235. Passed 12-5-06.)

      (1)   The Finance Committee of Council shall serve as the City’s Audit Committee and shall perform the following functions: review the annual unaudited financial report submitted to the Auditor of State; periodically review the process used to prepare interim financial information submitted to the Council members; review audit results; assure that audit recommendations are appropriately addressed; and serve as liaison between the management and the independent auditors. The Audit Committee shall meet regularly as established by the Finance Committee to monitor the City’s financial reporting and control activities, and shall meet with its independent auditors before and after each audit.

         (Ord. 2014-013. Passed 1-21-14.)

   (b)   Composition; Chairman. Each committee, except the Committee of the Whole, shall be composed of three Councilpersons, one of whom shall be designated by the Council President as the chairman. The Council President shall be chairman of the Committee of the Whole, which shall be composed of all seven Councilpersons.

   (c)   Effective in 2007, two high school teenagers residing in a Bedford School District Community shall be appointed by the Council Community Life Committee to serve in an advisory capacity to that Committee for one year terms. Such teenagers shall remain in high school during their term, and Bedford Heights residents shall be preferred. The duties of the advisory teen members of the Community Life Committee shall include, but not be limited to, the preparation of recommendations and/or proposals for new youth programs or events to be offered by the Community Life Division, identification of communication strategies to reach the youth population; and a review of recommendations or events proposed by the Community Life Division and the preparation of recommendations as to such proposals. Such advisory teen members shall attend Council Community Life Committee meetings at which youth programs are to be discussed, however they shall serve in a volunteer advisory only and shall have no vote.

   (d)   Quorum. A majority of the members of a committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Council President shall be a member of each standing committee for the purpose of constituting a quorum in those cases where less than a majority of any committee is present for any scheduled committee meetings. The Council President shall be entitled to vote when acting as a member of any committee. The Council member designated by the President of Council to perform his or her duties in his or her absence shall be the member of each standing committee for the purpose of constituting a quorum in his or her absence.

   (e)   Chairman Pro Tempore. In the event of absence of the Chairman of any standing committee at any scheduled meeting of the committee, one of the committee members in attendance shall act as Chairman Pro Tempore. In the event the Council President will be absent from any Committee of the Whole meeting, the Council President shall designate another Council person to act as Council President Pro Tempore.

   (f)   Procedure. Except in case of obvious inconsistency or inapplicability, committee hearings shall be governed by the rules applicable to Council proceedings.

(Ord. 2006-235. Passed 12-5-06.)

   (g)   Committee of the Whole Meetings. Committee of the Whole Meetings shall be held at 6:00 p.m. on the day of regular Council meetings when Department or Division Directors may be asked to be present to discuss matters involving their Department or Division, after which Council members will discuss the legislation to be considered at the regular meeting. An executive session called at a regular meeting will ordinarily commence after the close of business at the regular meeting although Council, in its discretion and by a majority vote, may adjourn to an executive session at any point during the course of the regular meeting. There shall be no post- Committee of the Whole after regular Council meetings unless Council, by a majority vote, determines that because of an imminent deadline or a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the City, immediate consideration of a subject is necessary at a post-Committee of the Whole meeting. (Ord. 2008-086. Passed 4-15-08.)

   (h)   Other Committee Meetings.   Other committee meetings shall be held at the call of the Chairman., subject to the public notice provisions of Chapter 107.

   (i)   Secretary; Agenda. The Clerk of Council or his or her designee shall serve as Secretary for all Committee of the Whole or other committee meetings. He or she may prepare an agenda for any Committee of the Whole or other committee meeting.       

   (j)   Sunset Provision. A majority of Council members present may prioritize agenda items and set a time limit for the end of any Committee of the Whole meeting at the beginning of the Post-Committee of the Whole meeting or other committee meetings at the beginning of the meeting, barring an emergency or unexpected event needing immediate attention.

(Ord. 2006-235. Passed 12-5-06.)