(A) The Historical Review Board shall consist of five members to be appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. The term of two of the members of the original Historical Review Board will expire within three years; two within two years; and one within one year after the date of appointment. Vacancies on the Historical Review Board shall be filled within 60 days. All members shall have a demonstrated interest in historical preservation, and at least two members shall have training or experience in a preservation-related profession, architecture, history, archaeology, architectural history, planning or related fields. When one or more professional members are not available, persons interested in historic preservation may be appointed to those positions. When the Historical Review Board reviews an issue that is normally evaluated by a professional member and that field is not represented on the Historical Review Board, the Board shall seek expert advice before rendering its decision.
(B) (1) (a) Each Historical Review Board shall make recommendations to the City Council on all matters relating to the preservation, conservation and enhancement of structures, premises and areas of substantial historic or architectural significance and matters relating to the establishment of historic districts and landmarks and regulations to be enforced thereunder. The Historical Review Board shall inspect and identify such structures, premises and areas as each considers having substantial historic or architectural significance. The Historical Review Board shall conduct a continuing survey of historical and cultural resources according to the state’s Historic Preservation Office guidelines and shall maintain an inventory of these resources within its jurisdiction for use by public agencies and private owners. The Historical Review Board shall prepare a plan for the preservation of these resources for use in advising other officials and departments of local government. The Historical Review Board shall adopt and make public written guidelines for use in making recommendations on requests to alter, demolish, relocate or add to a designated property or to build a new structure in a historic district. The guidelines shall include the United States Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Historic Preservation Projects, and the Historical Review Board may adopt additional guidelines.
(b) The Historical Review Board shall advise and assist property owners and other persons and groups interested in historic preservation. The Historical Review Board shall undertake educational programs that may include the preparation of publications, the holdings of meetings on preservation issues and the placing of historical markers.
(2) To participate in the certified local government program, a local government shall initiate all local nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and shall request the chief elected official and the Historical Review Board to submit recommendations on each proposed nomination to the National Register. The chief elected official and the Historical Review Board shall obtain comments from the public that shall be included in their National Register recommendations. Within 60 days of the receipt of a nomination from a private individual or the initiation of a nomination by the local government, the local government shall inform the state’s Historic Preservation Office and the owner of the property of the two recommendations regarding the eligibility of the property. If the chief elected official and the Historical Review Board do not agree, both opinions shall be forwarded in the local government’s report. If both the chief elected official and the Historical Review Board recommend that a property not be nominated, the state’s Historic Preservation Office shall inform the property owner and the state’s Historic Preservation Review Board, and the property will not be nominated unless an appeal is filed with the state’s Historic Preservation Officer.
(3) If either or both the chief elected official and the Historical Review Board agree that a property should be nominated, the nomination will receive a preliminary review by the state’s Historic Preservation Review Board. The state’s Review Board shall make a recommendation to the state’s Historic Preservation Officer who decides whether to forward the nomination to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior who shall make the decision on listing the property on the National Register. The chief elected official, the Historical Review Board or the property owner may appeal the final decision by the state’s Historic Preservation Officer. In the development of the certified local government program, the local government may ask the Historical Review Board to perform other responsibilities that may be delegated to the local government under the National Historic Preservation Act, being 54 U.S.C. §§ 300101 et seq.
(C) The Historical Review Board shall adopt rules for the conduct of its duties, which shall be subject to review of the City Council to ensure uniformity, shall elect a Chairperson and keep minutes of all meetings. Meetings shall be held at regularly scheduled times at least four times a year or at the call of the Chairperson or, in his or her absence, at the call of the Vice-Chairperson, or at the request of the City Council. All meetings shall be advertised in advance in accordance with the provisions of KRS Ch. 424 and shall be held in a public place. A quorum shall consist of three members, but a lesser number may conduct public hearings or meetings at which the principal purpose is collection of information; provided that, no action binding on the Historical Review Board shall be taken at such hearings or meetings. All meetings and records of the Historical Review Board shall be public. Recommendations by the Historical Review Board shall be made by a majority vote of these members at any meeting where a quorum of members is present, except where greater number is specifically required. The City Council shall provide a secretarial staff and financial assistance to the Historical Review Board so that it may have professional staff assistance. The Historical Review Board shall prepare and keep on file, available for public inspection, a written annual report of its activities, cases, decisions, special projects and qualifications of the members. Each Historical Review Board member shall attend each year one informational or educational meeting that has been approved by the state’s Historic Preservation Officer.
(Ord. passed 3-8-2004)