(A) Composition of Commission: The Commission shall consist of five (5) voting members, all of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. No less than three (3) members of the Commission shall be residents of the City.
(B) Qualifications: The members shall be appointed on the basis of expertise, experience or interest in the area of architectural history, building construction or engineering, finance historical and architectural preservation, neighborhood organizing or real estate.
(C) Terms: Members of the Commission shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years. Alternate members shall be appointed to serve in the absence or disqualification of the regular members. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term only. Members shall serve without compensation.
(D) Officers: Officers of the Commission shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and a Secretary elected by the Commission who shall serve a term of one year and shall be eligible for reelection. The Chairman shall preside over all meetings. In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman. If both are absent, a temporary chairman shall be elected by those present. The Secretary to the Commission shall have the following duties:
1. Take minutes of each Commission meeting;
2. Be responsible for publication and distribution of copies of the minutes, reports, and decisions of the Commission to its members;
3. Give notice as provided herein or by law for all public hearings conducted by the Commission;
4. Advise the Mayor of vacancies on the Commission and expiring terms of members; and
5. Prepare and submit to the City Council a complete record of the proceedings before the Commission on any matter requiring Council consideration.
(E) Meetings: A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members. All decisions or actions of the Commission shall require a minimum of three (3) affirmative votes of the members. Meetings shall be held at regularly scheduled times to be established by resolution of the Commission at the beginning of each calendar year or at any time upon the call of the Chairman. There shall be a minimum of two (2) meetings per year.
No member of the Commission shall vote on any matter that may materially or apparently affect the property, income or business interest of that member. No action shall be taken by the Commission that could in any manner deprive or restrict the owner of property in its use modification, maintenance, disposition, or demolition until such owner shall first have had the opportunity to be heard at public meeting of the Commission. The Chairman, and in his absence the acting chairman, may administer oaths of witnesses. All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public. The Commission shall keep minutes of its proceedings and shall keep records of its examinations and other official actions, all of which shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk.
(F) Powers and Duties: The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
1. To adopt its own procedural regulations;
2. To conduct an ongoing survey to identify historically and architecturally significant properties, structures and areas;
3. To investigate and recommend to the Plan Commission and to the City Council the adoption of ordinances designating properties or structures having special historic, community, or architectural values as "historic landmarks";
4. To investigate and recommend to the Plan Commission and to the City Council procedures to protect properties or structures having special historic, community, or architectural value;
5. To determine an appropriate system of markers and make recommendations for the design and implementation of specific markings of properties or structures which have special historic, community, or architectural value;
6. To advise property owners on physical and financial aspects of preservation, renovation, rehabilitation, and reuse, and on procedures for inclusion on the State or National Register of Historic Places;
7. To inform and educate the citizens of Dixon concerning the historic and architectural heritage of the City by publishing appropriate maps, newsletters, brochures, and pamphlets, and by holding programs and seminars;
8. To accept and administer on behalf of the City, upon designation by the City Council, such gifts, grants and money as may be appropriate for the purpose of this Chapter;
9. To call upon available City staff members as well as other experts for technical advice;
10. To testify before all boards and commissions, including the Plan Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals, on any matter affecting historically and architecturally significant properties;
11. To review proposed zoning amendments, applications for special use permits, or application for zoning variances that affect proposed or designated landmarks in historic districts. The City Council shall refer applications for special use or zoning variances to the Commission for comment prior to the date of the hearing by the Plan Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals; and
12. To periodically review the Dixon Zoning ordinance and to recommend to the Plan Commission and the City Council any amendments appropriate for the protection and continued use of historically or architecturally significant properties. (Ord. 1927, 4-1-1996; amd. Ord. 1973, 1-6-1997; Ord. 2118, 10-5-1998; Ord. 2892, 9-17-2012; Ord. 2911, 5-20-2013)