(A) The Historic District Commission shall:
(1) Administer the provisions of this chapter and preserve the historic district(s) established under the procedures of Public Act 169 of 1970, being M.C.L.A. §§ 399.201 through 399.215, as amended;
(2) Maintain a system for the survey and inventory of historic and architectural resources in coordination with the survey work of the state;
(3) Review applications requesting certificates of appropriateness for exterior work involving all property within a historic district and issue certificates of appropriateness, notices to proceed or denials;
(4) Adopt design review standards and guidelines to carry out its duties;
(5) Contract, with Village Council approval, with persons, firms, corporations or organizations for expert assistance in carrying out its duties under this chapter and state and federal laws;
(6) Work with and advise the state and federal governments and other departments of village government;
(7) Act as the agent of the village to administer grants from the state or federal governments for historic preservation purposes and from public or private contributions for similar purposes and participate in state and federal programs that benefit historic preservation;
(8) Collect and distribute information on historic preservation and provide technical assistance to property owners and other persons and groups, including business and neighborhood organizations, who are interested in historic preservation;
(9) Establish goals for its preservation program and recommend additional areas to be studied for designation and preservation as historic districts; and
(10) Perform such other duties as are required elsewhere in this chapter or delegated to it under the certified local government program or provided for in state and federal laws.
(B) The Historic District Commission shall pass only on exterior features of a resource and shall not review and act upon interior arrangements unless specifically authorized to do so by the Village Council.
(C) The Historic District Commission may:
(1) Prepare a plan for the preservation of historic properties in the village and plans for the rehabilitation of individual historic resources;
(2) Delegate to a qualified person on the village staff the approval of certificates of appropriateness for minor alterations and repairs that have been included among the Commission’s written guidelines, provided that each quarter the Commission reviews the certificates issued by the staff to determine whether or not the delegated responsibilities should be continued;
(3) Make recommendations to the Village Council regarding the acquisition of historic properties;
(4) Maintain publicly-owned historic properties using its own funds, if not specifically earmarked for other purposes, or those public funds committed for this use by the Village Council or recommend to the Village Council the selling of resources acquired under this chapter with protective easements included in the property transfer documents;
(5) Assist public and private groups in the registration and marking of historic properties and in the application for grants for the rehabilitation of those properties; and
(6) Undertake or assist educational and research programs including the collection of historical records and photographs, the preparation of publications and the conducting of special events relating to the village’s history.
(Ord. 140, passed 1-15-2002; Ord. 140, passed 6-27-2013)