(A) Under the provisions of I.C. 36-10-3-3, as added by Acts 1981, P.L. 309, 110, there is hereby established a County Department of Parks and Recreation, composed of five members, one ex officio member and such other personnel as the Board shall determine.
(B) The Board shall be composed of five members and the County Agricultural Cooperative Extension Coordinator, the County Agricultural Extension Agent or a member of the County Agricultural Extension Committee ex officio. The Judge of the Circuit Court shall select two members to be appointed to the Board, but no more than one member the Judge appoints may be affiliated with same party. The County Council shall also select two members, but no more than one member the Council appoints may be affiliated with the same political party. The County Commissioners shall select one member to be appointed to the Board. The ex officio member shall be selected by the respective Board. All persons named to the Board shall be appointed on the basis of their interest in and knowledge of parks and recreation. Neither a municipal executive nor a member of a county fiscal body, county executive, or a municipal fiscal body may serve on the Board.
(C) Upon the establishment of the Board, the terms of the members initially appointed shall be one, two, three and four years. The Judge’s appointments are for one- and three-year terms, respectively, and the County Council’s appointments are for two- and four-year terms, respectively and the County Commissioners appointment shall be for a four-year term. Thereafter, as a term expires, each new appointment shall be for a four-year term. All terms shall expire on the first Monday of January, but an appointee shall continue in office until his or her successor is appointed. If a vacancy on the Board occurs, the respective appointing authority shall appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(D) At its first regular meeting in each year, the Board shall elect a President, Vice-President and a Secretary. The Vice-President shall have the authority to act as the President of the Board during the absence or disability of the President.
(E) The Board shall have the general power to perform all acts necessary to acquire and develop sites and facilities, to conduct such programs as are generally understood to be park and recreation functions, including powers and duties promulgated in I.C. 36-10-3-10 and 36-10-3-11 respectively.
(F) The Board may designate one of its members to sit on a municipal park board in an advisory capacity. The Board may also allow a member of a municipal park board to sit with the Board in an advisory capacity. Any member of a municipal park board sitting on the Board in an advisory capacity shall not have the right to vote.
(G) The Board shall prepare and submit an annual budget in the same manner as other departments of the county government. The Board may accept gifts, donations and subsidies for park and recreation purposes.
(Council Ord. 4, passed 5-21-1984)