(A) To provide comprehensive, coordinated, professional community development planning services for the city and the county, there shall be established and maintained a City/County Department of Community Development.
(B) Duties and Responsibilities.
(1) The Department, as a segment of the overall planning process, shall be primarily involved in determining the relative priorities of the needs of the community and the acquisition of funds, local and others, to undertake those projects deemed appropriate. The member governments shall be responsible for the day-to-day bookkeeping for these programs. Developed recommendations shall be submitted to the proper authorities for decision as to implementation or rejection.
(2) The Department, in conjunction with the city, shall:
(a) Identify and become thoroughly familiar with health, public welfare, social and recreational problems confronting the community;
(b) Assemble and evaluate data pertinent to the city, with a goal of determining social and physical needs, and programs available to meet those needs for individual neighborhoods and the city as a whole;
(c) Gain the support and assistance of the individuals living in project neighborhoods by working in conjunction with neighborhood groups and aiding them in evaluating the economics of their neighborhood and governmental programs that provide assistance to neighborhood groups; and
(d) Make a social impact analysis for planning programs or projects as necessary, in an effort to gain support for and ease the disruptive effects of programs prior to implementation.
(3) The Department, in pursuing the goals of the county, shall:
(a) Identify and become familiar with health, public welfare, social and recreational problems confronting the community;
(b) Become familiar with govern- mental and private agencies that deal with these problems, their programs and facilities, and the people responsible for agency activities;
(c) Become aware of governmental and private sources for funding public and recreational facilities, and become conversant with procedures necessary in obtaining such funds;
(d) Establish priorities and coordinate the activities of all agencies and organizations, so that the greatest needs are pursued first.
(C) Financing.
(1) The Department shall receive its basic financial support from both the city and the county on a fifty-fifty basis, with both parties sharing equally in the costs, or as otherwise mutually agreed upon hereafter.
(2) Any additional financing above and beyond the above-mentioned basic financial support shall be obtained by the Department through application to public and private funding sources.
(D) Staffing. The joint Board shall have the power to hire and fire the Director of the Department; however, the Director shall have the power to hire and fire such additional support staff deemed appropriate for the efficient day-to-day administration of the Department.
(E) Supply. The city and the county shall provide those basic supplies needed for the efficient day-to-day administration of the Department on a fifty-fifty basis, with both parties sharing equally in the costs, or as otherwise mutually agreed upon hereafter.
(F) Administration.
(1) There shall be established and maintained a joint Board for the administration of the Department. This joint Board shall consist of nine members as follows, to wit: two members or designees from the City Council, to be appointed by said Council; the Mayor of the city or his/her designee; the City Engineer or his/her designee; one County Commissioner or designee, to be appointed by said Commissioners; two members or designees from the County Council, to be appointed by said Council; the County Surveyor or his/her designee; and the Director of the Area Planning Commission or his/her designee. Each member shall serve as long as they hold the offices described above or until their resignation. Upon the resignation or any other cause resulting in the loss of said office, the appointing bodies named above shall appoint a successor.
(2) Election of officers:
(a) A Chairperson and Vice Chair- person of the Board shall be elected and will be representatives from different government entities (city or county) with the Community Development Director serving as Secretary.
(b) If for any reason during their term an officer cannot fulfill their duties and the position becomes vacant, a new officer representing the same government entity of the vacating officer shall be elected.
(c) All Board members will be eligible to vote at each election.
(3) All administrative and policy decisions of the joint Board including, but not limited to, the manner of financing, staffing and supplying the Department and of establishing and maintaining a budget therefor, shall be inclusive as to those respective matters and binding upon the parties to this agreement.
(4) The Director of the Department shall be responsible to the joint Board, and it shall take a majority vote of the joint Board to hire and fire the Director or make any other necessary and proper changes to aid in the proper discharge of the Director’s duties or the duties of the Department.
(5) The joint Board shall meet quarterly at such time and place as it shall designate.
(G) Budgeting. The city shall establish, maintain and administer the budget for the Department and the county shall, by this agreement, pay the city one-half of the total budget on a quarterly basis. In the event any funds are obtained by the Director on the behalf of the city, the city shall be responsible for all bookkeeping of those funds, and in the event the funds are obtained for the county, the county shall be responsible for all bookkeeping of those funds.
(H) Acquiring, holding and disposing of real and personal property. The Director shall have the power to acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property necessary for the efficient day-to-day administration of the Department.
(I) Duration of agreement. This agreement shall continue from year to year until such time as one or both parties moves to terminate the agreement.
(J) Termination of agreement. Either party to this agreement may terminate this agreement upon giving to the other party written notice of such desire to terminate on or before December 31 of any calendar year, and such termination shall be effective December 31 of the subsequent year on such date as the parties may agree upon for fiscal purposes.
(K) Disposition of property upon termination of this agreement. At the termination of this agreement and the dissolution of the Department, the joint Board will determine the proper disposition of all Department property.
(Ord. 3599, passed 7-7-97)