Unless otherwise provided by law or these ordinances, the following rules shall apply to all committees formed under this chapter.
A. Committees are advisory bodies only. Neither the committee nor its members have authority to either represent, act, negotiate or speak on behalf of the city, or to commit city funds for any purpose unless expressly authorized by the city council. In keeping with the advisory role of committees, members of the public may direct comments regarding issues within a committee’s purview to the City Council. Committee meetings shall not include a “public comment” agenda item.
B. Committees shall consist of members as the city council shall provide by ordinance or resolution;
C. Members:
1. Committee members shall be appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the city council.
2. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter:
a. Committee members shall serve four (4)-year terms;
b. When a new committee is created, half of the members first appointed to the committee may be appointed to an initial two (2)-year term so that appointments to the committee are staggered; and
c. Each committee shall have up to eleven (11) members.
3. Committee members with three (3) unexcused absences in a twelve (12) month period are subject to removal as per section 3-5-020(F).
D. Chairperson: A chairperson shall oversee the proceedings and activities of each committee. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all chairpersons shall:
1. Be appointed by the mayor; and
2. Serve a two (2)-year term;
E. Vice-Chair or Temporary Chair:
1. If the chairperson of a committee is absent, the vice-chair shall assume the roles of chairperson.
2. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all vice-chairpersons shall:
a. Be appointed by the mayor; and
b. Serve a two (2)-year term
F. Committee members may be removed at the mayor's sole discretion.
G. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, committee members shall receive no compensation for their services, but may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Committee members shall be deemed "volunteers" for purposes of city ordinances, rules and regulations regarding personnel. However, they shall be included in the definition of "employee" for purposes of the Utah Governmental Immunity Act as set forth in Utah Code Annotated, as amended.
H. Committees shall conduct meetings in accordance with the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act. A committee shall keep a public record of its proceedings, and all minutes of the meetings and decisions of a committee shall be filed in the Office of the City Recorder as public records. Meetings of a committee may be called by the chairperson, the vice-chair when acting as the chair, a majority of the members of a committee, the mayor, city manager, city council or the department head assigned to work with the committee.
I. Committees may receive funds by an annual appropriation in the city budget, by government, corporate or private grants or donations, and from proceeds of approved committee functions, which funds shall be held and managed as directed by the city council.
J. Advisor: The city manager shall designate a member of the city staff to serve as an advisor to each committee. The designated staff member shall serve only to advise and act as a liaison to the city administration and shall have no power to vote on matters coming before the committee.
K. Quorum: Five (5) members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. Three votes shall be the minimum number of votes required for a motion to pass unless three votes does not constitute a majority of the quorum present, in which case, a majority vote carries a motion.
L. Electronic Meetings: Committees may conduct electronic meetings as long as a quorum of the committee is present at an anchor location. An electronic meeting without an anchor location may be conducted in accordance with the Open and Public Meetings Act. (Ord. 1493, 6-15-2021; amd. Ord. 1523, 1-11-2022)