The duties and powers of the HPC shall be as follows:
(A) Shall elect members each year to serve as chair, vice chair and secretary. The chair shall preside at meetings and be the spokesperson for the HPC. In the absence of the chair, the vice chair perform the duties of the chair. The secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the HPC.
(B) Shall adopt rules for the organization, conduct meetings and hold regular and special meetings as deemed necessary and appropriate. All meetings shall comply with KRS 61.800 et seq. (open meetings statute). Written agendas shall be prepared for all meetings and made available for public inspection. A simple majority of the HPC shall be required to conduct business.
(C) Shall act upon all applications for certificate of appropriateness as required by this chapter.
(D) Shall maintain and update an inventory of historic preservation properties for the city.
(E) Shall review all petitions for designation as an historic site, structure or district and submit recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.
(F) Shall review any application for a zoning text or map amendment, conditional use, variance, site plan or subdivision approval, and any legislation or other proposals affecting properties which are located within a designated historic site, structure or district or which have preservation easements, including preparation and amendment of master plans, and make recommendations thereon to the appropriate authorities.
(G) Shall have the right to accept and use gifts and services, which are given to the city specifically for use by the HPC for the exercise of its functions.
(H) Shall adopt rehabilitation and new construction design guidelines and criteria for construction, alteration, reconstruction, repair, moving and demolition of property in the HDO, which are consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Guidelines may include design characteristics intended to meet the needs of particular types of sites, structures, and districts, and may identify categories of changes that do not require review by the HPC because they are minimal in nature and do not affect historic, archeological or architectural significance. These design guidelines shall be used in the HPC's review of applications for a certificate of appropriateness.
(I) May, at the request of an applicant, receive information concerning the location and configuration of interior features in connection with an application for a certificate of appropriateness, which information may be used by the applicant in connection with explaining the applicant's request for the certificate of appropriateness. The HPC may receive this information for use in evaluation of the overall application.
(J) May institute an action for injunctive relief or require routine maintenance of a site or structure within the HDO, to require compliance with the provisions of this chapter or any permit issued hereunder, and to prohibit a violation of the provisions of this chapter.
(K) May acquire easements in connection with individual sites or structures, or with sites or structures located in or adjacent to a HDO area. Such easements may grant to the HPC, the residents of the HDO area, and the general public the right to ensure that any site or any structure and surrounding property upon which the easement is applied is protected in perpetuity from changes which would affect its historic, archeological or architectural significance.
(L) Annual report. The HPC shall report at least annually to the Board of Commissioners.
(Ord. 2018-005, passed 4-9-2018)