A. The City Council shall establish and appoint a Trails, Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee which shall be charged with the following duties and responsibilities:
1. To make recommendations to the City Council regarding disbursements of funds from the Colorado Springs trails, open space and parks fund, and the selection of open space land to be acquired, maintained, developed or preserved, and establishment of priorities therefor; and may by separate and additional resolutions promulgate the rules and regulations as may be required to implement this proposal for the best interests and preservation of the public peace, health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the City, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, all rules and regulations designed to assure that all proceeds from the taxes and other revenue sources, reimbursements, rebates or refunds thereof shall be used for the purposes set forth herein.
2. To make recommendation to the City Council concerning the trails, open space and parks program, to periodically review the open space elements of the comprehensive land use plans for both the City and the County of El Paso, to review the Mayor's budget as it relates to open space matters and to submit its recommendations concerning this budget to the City Council, and it may prepare and submit to the City Council, the Mayor, the Parks Department, the Utility Department or any other City department, recommendations on any other matter relating to or affecting the trails, open space and parks program, and it may request and obtain from the Mayor, the Parks Department, the Utility Department or any other City department, information relating thereto.
B. To assist the advisory committee in carrying out its functions in an efficient manner, the advisory committee shall be authorized to recommend to City Council the expenditure of up to two percent (2%) of the revenues collected by the City to retain outside professional services to the extent necessary or appropriate. The expenses shall be considered part of and count against the administration expenses described in subsection 4.6.202A of this article, and subject to the limitations set forth therein.
C. The members of the advisory committee shall all be residents of the City, shall not hold elected public office, shall serve without pay and shall be appointed by the City Council. At a minimum, the advisory committee shall include at least one member from each of the following:
1. One representative appointed at large selected from lists of nominees submitted by nonprofit groups whose mission includes promoting and protecting open space lands;
2. One representative appointed at large selected from lists of nominees submitted by nonprofit neighborhood groups; and
3. One representative appointed at large selected from lists of nominees submitted by nonprofit groups whose mission includes promoting and protecting trails.
D. No later than the year 2025, the advisory committee shall draft language for and recommend to the City Council a ballot measure which shall be referred to the electors of the City concerning renewal of this article. (Ord. 97-96; Ord. 01-42; Ord. 03-69; Ord. 11-19)