(A) City Council committees.
(1) The City Council shall have two standing committees, having legislative oversight responsibility for the respective departments or functions of the City government as delineated herein.
(2) Each oversight committee shall consist of seven members with one Alderman from each ward of the City. No Alderman shall serve on both committees concurrently. Each oversight committee shall be organized for a two-year period. Such organization shall be accomplished as follows:
(a) Following each biannual general City election the Mayor shall name a temporary credentials committee. The credentials committee shall consist of three carry-over Aldermen. The Mayor shall name one of these members as chairman. The credentials committee shall have the responsibility of checking the election results and records for each newly elected alderman, and shall make a verbal report of such at the first meeting of the City Council following the receipt from the Board of Election Commission the official election results of the regular municipal election at which the officers are elected. The credentials committee shall cease to exist following the seating of all new Aldermen.
(b) The two oversight committees shall be:
1. Public Works Committee.
2. Public Services Committee.
(c) The Mayor, at the first meeting of the City Council following the receipt from the Board of Election Commission the official election results of the regular municipal election at which the officers are elected, shall present a list of his or her appointments to each of the oversight committees. Upon approval of the City Council at said meeting, a recess shall be called for the committees to meet to elect committee officers. After the recess the election of committee officers for each committee shall be reported for the record of the City Council meeting before proceeding with other business of the meeting.
(d) The election of oversight committee officers shall be accomplished by each committee electing their own chairman and vice-chairman. The chairman and vice- chairman will serve for a two-year period. If any committee officer ceases to be a City Alderman or wishes to step down from such position the officer shall be replaced by the committee duly electing the replacement officer.
(B) Responsibilities of the oversight committees.
(1) The City Council oversight committees shall have legislative oversight responsibility for the respective departments of the City government as follows:
Committee Department
Public Works Public Works
Public Transportation
Urban Services
Public Services Public Affairs
Public Safety
(2) Regular monthly meetings of the oversight committees shall be held at 6:00 p.m. on schedule shown below:
Committee Monthly Meeting
Public Works Second Tuesday
Public Services Fourth Tuesday
(3) All oversight committee meetings shall be held at City Hall, unless the committee by motion duly adopted shall designate some other place or places within the City as such committee deems necessary and convenient. All committee meetings shall be held at 6:00 p.m. unless the committee by motion duly adopted shall designate some other time as such committee deems necessary and convenient. In the event that a regular oversight committee meeting shall fall on a legal holiday, such meeting shall be held on the next day which is not a legal holiday and on which no other committee is scheduled to meet.
(4) A special meeting of any oversight committee may be called by the chairman or by any two members of the committee, upon not less than 48 hours' written notice to all members of the committee and to the media as provided by the Open Meetings Act. The schedule of regular meetings of committees shall be published and posted as provided in the Open Meetings Act, and the City Clerk shall post and publish an annual notice of the schedule of regular committee meetings as provided by law.
(5) Four members shall constitute a quorum in order to conduct the business of any oversight committee. In order to promote full disclosure of information and to allow complete questioning by Aldermen the procedural rules for committee meetings shall remain less structured. The chair shall open and close all meetings and call upon Aldermen, the Mayor, staff, and other interested parties and citizens in an orderly fashion to conduct the business of the committee.
(6) The business of each oversight committee shall include: receiving regular reports from the Mayor or staff on the progress of projects, departmental activities, or assigned tasks; reviewing budgets and budget proposals for the assigned departments; reviewing and making recommendations to the City Council on budget matters including line item transfers and related actions; reviewing and recommending ordinances and resolutions for approval of the City Council; and, generally providing input to the assigned departments through suggestions and recommendations.
(7) Subcommittees or study committees may be established by any oversight committee when the purpose is to study special problems or specific issues that fall within the general scope of the oversight committee. Such subcommittees or study committees shall be established by a duly presented and approved motion of the oversight committee, and such motion shall be specific as to the purpose of the subcommittee.
(8) Members of the Public Services Committee shall also serve as members of the Public Safety Building Committee, in conjunction with members from the Vermilion County Board.
(Ord. 7644, passed 4-20-93; Am. Ord. 7760, passed 5-2-95; Am. Ord. 8188, passed 7-3-01; Am. Ord. 8372, passed 6-1-04; Am. Ord. 8642, passed 3-3-09; Am. Ord. 8875, passed 4-2-13)