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(a) There is hereby created a commission on disabilities, which shall be an advisory body of 15 members. Each city council member shall have one appointment to the commission on disabilities. The mayor shall appoint the chair from among the members, subject to confirmation by the city council, and the full city council shall appoint the vice-chair.
(b) All members shall be appointed for an initial term to expire on June 14, 2023. Thereafter, nominations shall begin in September and each subsequent odd-numbered year, and members shall serve a two-year term beginning on October 1.
(c) All voting members of the commission on disabilities shall be residents of the city.
(d) All voting members of the commission on disabilities shall share a commitment to the goals of the commission on disabilities and shall either be persons with disabilities or be committed to the community of disabled persons.
(e) Members shall be broadly representative of the disabled community at large, without dominance by any single disability group.
(f) The commission on disabilities shall meet at least six times a year and may hold additional meetings at the call of the chair. (Ord. 32070)
In this article, DISABILITY means the same as the term is defined in the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. (Ord. 32070)
(a) The commission on disabilities shall be responsible for advising and making recommendations to the mayor, city council, city manager, department directors, and the individual designated by the mayor to head the mayor's initiative on disabilities on issues pertaining to the full spectrum of needs, rights, and privileges of people with disabilities.
(b) The subjects to be addressed by the commission on disabilities include, but are not limited to:
(1) Developing programs to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
(2) Developing programs to address accessibility issues.
(3) Developing community-based programs to enhance the quality of life for Dallas residents who have disabilities.
(4) Developing programs to address the issues pertaining to alcoholism and drug abuse.
(5) Developing programs to take full advantage of all federal, state and local funding opportunities.
(6) Developing programs to ensure adequate housing for people with disabilities.
(7) Developing programs to ensure accessible communications for people with disabilities. (Ord. 32070)
(a) There is hereby created a technical resource panel to be comprised of eight members appointed by the city council to serve as non-voting technical members of the commission on disabilities.
(1) The technical resource panel is not a board or commission subject to Chapter 8 of this code or Chapter XXIV, Section 13 of the city charter.
(2) The city manager may nominate members of the first technical resource panel, as recommended by the Office of Equity and Inclusion for approval by the full council.
(3) Following the initial appointments, future technical resource panel members may be nominated by the city manager, as recommended by the Office of Equity and Inclusion, through consultation with the commission on disabilities, for approval by the full council.
(b) Each member of the technical resource panel shall be an individual with at least four years of experience in disability matters and shall share a commitment to the goals of the commission on disabilities. Additionally, appointments to the panel must, to the extent possible, be representative of the ethnic diversity of the city.
(c) Members of the technical resource panel are not required to be residents of the city or qualified voters in the city.
(d) Members of the technical resource panel shall serve two-year terms and are subject to the same conflict of interest and confidentiality restrictions that are applicable to members of the commission on disabilities. Members of the technical resource panel are subject to forfeiture of membership on the same basis as members of the commission on disabilities.
(e) Members of the technical resource panel shall attend and fully participate in all meetings and deliberations of the commission on disabilities, including closed sessions, but shall not be entitled to vote as members of the commission on disabilities.
(f) The technical resource panel shall use its expertise and experience in disability matters to assist the commission on disabilities to the fullest extent possible in the review of all issues coming before the commission on disabilities.
(g) The technical resource panel does not have any oversight responsibility or oversight authority with respect to the commission on disabilities.
(h) Nothing in this section prohibits the commission on disabilities from seeking additional outside technical expertise and advice as necessary. (Ord. 32070)