(A) The Historic District Commission shall each year elect from its membership a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson. The Chairperson shall preside at meetings of the Commission and shall have the right to vote. The Chairperson shall lead the Commission in carrying out its duties and shall be the spokesperson for the Commission in presenting its policies to the public. In the absence or disability of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall preside at Commission meetings and perform the other duties of the Chairperson. The village government shall provide staff assistance to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
(B) The Historic District Commission shall hold monthly public meetings at a regularly scheduled time, and special Commission meetings shall be called anytime they become necessary. Public notice of the time, date and place of each meeting shall be given as required by the State Open Meetings Act (Public Act 267 of 1976, being M.C.L.A. §§ 15.261 through 15.275). The notice shall include a meeting agenda and listing of each permit application to be reviewed or considered by the Commission.
(C) (1) All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public and shall conform to the State Open Meetings Act (Public Act 267 of 1976, being M.C.L.A. §§ 15.261 through 15.275). Any person shall be entitled to appear and be heard on any matter before the Commission prior to its reaching a decision.
(2) All decisions by the Commission shall be made at a public meeting, and applicants shall be given notice of the Commission’s meetings and its decision on their application.
(D) (1) The Commission shall adopt rules of procedure providing for its organization and the conduct of its business. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Commission, who may take action under the provisions of this chapter.
(2) A majority of the total membership of the Commission shall be required for the approval or denial of applications and issuance of a certificate of appropriateness, denial or a notice to proceed.
(E) The Commission shall prepare and keep on file, available for public inspection, minutes of its meetings containing all decisions of the Commission and the reasons for these decisions. The procedures, guidelines and criteria and similar material used by the Commission shall be available to the public for review and comment under the State Freedom of Information Act (Public Act 442 of 1976, being M.C.L.A. §§ 15.231 through 15.246). The Commission shall submit an annual report of its activities to the Village Council. The report shall also summarize historic preservation activities of the village.
(F) In accordance with the provisions of state laws, no member of the Commission shall vote on any matter that may affect the property, income or business interests of that member. Any member who abstains from voting because of a conflict of interest shall not be considered as part of the total membership for that vote.
(Ord. 140, passed 1-15-2002; Ord. 140, passed 6-27-2013)