(a) The Commission shall consist of seven (7) members, all of whom have demonstrated a special interest, experience, or knowledge in history, architecture, or related disciplines and have demonstrated a positive interest in historic preservation.
(1) The first member of the Commission shall be the Mayor of the City of Canton or their designee, and will serve as Chairman of the Commission, and shall preside at all meetings and have those powers and duties generally assigned to that position.
(2) The remaining six (6) members will be appointed by the Mayor of the City of Canton. Canton City Council approval of appointment shall not be required, however Canton City Council must be advised of any appointments to the Commission.
(3) Commission membership must include two (2) qualified professionals in the fields of architecture, history, architectural history, archaeology, planning, engineering, or related disciplines as available in the community.
(4) Commission membership must include one member of the Canton Preservation Society Board of Trustees and may be an officer, trustee, or advisory committee member of said board.
(5) Commission membership must include one board member or employee of the Stark County Historical Society or the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library and Museum.
(6) All other appointed members of the Commission must be a property owner in, business owner in, resident of, employed by or have their principal place of business in, or have retired from employment at a business in the City of Canton.
(7) All members of the Commission will serve with no compensation.
(b) In the event that either the Stark County Historical Society or the Canton Preservation Society ceases to be active entities, the Mayor shall appoint a replacement Commission member to fill any vacancy so created in compliance with the above standards.
(c) The initial appointed Board members shall serve for terms of two, three, three, four, four, five, and five (2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5 and 5) years respectively. Thereafter, appointments shall be for five (5) year terms with terms beginning on January 1. In the event of a vacancy, the Mayor shall appoint a person to complete the unexpired term.
(d) The Mayor shall have the power to remove any member of the Commission for just cause.
(e) Vacancies caused by death, resignation, or otherwise shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments are made. Vacancies shall be filled within sixty (60) days unless extenuating circumstances require a longer period.
(f) A member whose membership is to be terminated for any reason shall serve until officially replaced even though such service may extend beyond the term of appointment.
(g) The Secretary of the Commission shall be appointed by the Mayor. The Secretary shall keep correct records of all meetings and proceedings of the Landmark Commission and perform other duties as the Commission requests. The Secretary shall be a non-voting member of the Commission and shall not count as a portion constituting a quorum.
(h) The Canton City Planning staff shall provide the Commission technical and administrative assistance within the framework of Commission policy; it shall supply necessary data, make analyses, and furnish the Commission with such reports or recommendations as are needed or requested by the Commission. The staff may represent the Commission decisions before public officials and the general public. The staff shall further be authorized to maintain liaison with other departments of the City and other public bodies and private organizations for the purpose of carrying out the objectives of and as determined by the Commission.
(i) The Chairperson may appoint other City officers or personnel to serve as Advisors to the Commission.
(j) The Commission shall adopt its own rules of procedure, including conflict of interest prohibitions, which shall be made available for public inspection. The rules of procedure shall provide for at least four (4) regular meetings per year and additional special meetings which will be held in a public place, advertised in advance, and made public. All review decisions will be made in a public forum, with applicants notified of meetings and advised of decisions. Written minutes of actions and decisions of the Commission shall be made available for public inspection.
(k) A written annual report of Commission activities, including, but not limited to, case decisions, special projects, and qualifications of members shall be kept on file and available for public inspection.
(Ord. 103-2017. Passed 5-8-17.)