(A) Establishment. The Town Board, for the purpose of advertising and promoting tourism in the town, established the Town Tourism Development Authority (MTDA) on 12-7-2010.
(B) Office, books and records.
(1) Principal office; mailing address.
(a) The principal office of the MTDA shall be:
Town of Mocksville
171 S. Clement St.
Mocksville, NC 27028
(b) Its mailing address shall be:
Mocksville Tourism Development Authority
c/o Town Finance Officer
171 S. Clement St.
Mocksville, NC 27028
(2) Books and records. Except as may otherwise be provided by resolution of the MTDA, or as may be required by the business of the MTDA, all records of the MTDA shall be kept at the principal office of the MTDA. Financial records will be kept in the office of the Town Finance Officer.
(C) Tourism Development Authority.
(1) Appointment of membership. The MTDA Board shall consist of six members appointed by the Town Board. The initial terms of office shall be as follows: three members appointed for two years; three members appointed for one year. The Town Board shall designate the term of each initial Board member.
(2) Tenure of membership.
(a) MTDA Board members shall serve appointed terms and may be reappointed.
(b) MTDA Board members desiring to resign should submit their resignation in writing to the Town Board.
(c) MTDA Board membership is not transferable or assignable.
(3) Qualifications of Board membership.
(a) At least one-third of the MTDA Board members must be individuals who are affiliated with businesses that collect the occupancy tax levied by the town.
(b) At least one-half of the MTDA Board members must be individuals who are then currently active in the promotion of travel and tourism in the town.
(c) The remaining MTDA Board member shall be the Town Board's choice.
(4) Vacancies of Board membership. The Town Board may fill vacancies occurring in the MTDA Board for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(5) Officers of the Board. The Town Board shall appoint a Chairperson and the MTDA Board may choose a Vice-Chairperson. The Finance Officer of the town shall serve ex officio as Finance Director for the MTDA Board and may vote in the event of a tie. The Chairperson shall be the executive officer of the MTDA, calling and presiding over all meetings, developing the agenda and signing all bonds, contracts and other instruments to be executed on behalf of the MTDA.
(6) Compensation of Board members. No compensation shall be paid for services to members of the MTDA Board.
(D) Rules and conduct.
(1) Faithful attendance at all meetings of the MTDA and conscientious performance of the duties required of Board members of the MTDA shall be considered a prerequisite of continuing membership on the MTDA Board. If a Board member misses more than two consecutive meetings, he or she may be replaced at the recommendation of the MTDA and at the discretion of the Town Board.
(2) No Board member shall take part in the consideration and determination of any matter in which he or she has a direct personal or financial interest.
(3) Each Board member shall maintain the confidential nature of confidential material, which Board members may become privy to as a Board member of the MTDA.
(4) No Board member shall directly or indirectly solicit any gift, or accept or receive any gift, whether in the form of money, services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, thing or promise, or any other form, under circumstances in which a reasonable person would believe that the gift was intended to influence him or her in the performance of his or her duties, or was intended as a reward for any official action on his or her part.
(5) The MTDA may suspend or expel any of its appointed Board members for cause and may terminate the membership of any of its appointed Board members by majority vote of its members and the approval of the Town Board.
(E) Powers and duties. The MTDA shall study the tourism industry of the town and the most effective means of enhancing and promoting that industry and recommend any plans, actions and programs, which will, in accordance with the powers granted herein, serve to enhance and improve the tourism industry of the town. To this end, the Town Board confers upon the MTDA the following powers and duties:
(1) To promote travel, tourism and corporate travel in the town, sponsor tourist-related events and activities in the district and finance tourist related capital projects in the town;
(2) To contract with and/or hire an individual, agency or organization to advertise or market an area or activity, publish and distribute pamphlets and other materials, conduct market research and engage in or sponsor similar promotional activities that attract tourists or business travel to the area;
(3) To make recommendations to the Town Board for the efficient and effective enforcement of the town's room occupancy tax;
(4) To conduct market research as it deems necessary in order to devise and develop the goals and plans necessary to create an effective marketing plan to promote the travel and tourism industry in the town;
(5) To make tourism-related expenditures that, in the judgment of the MTDA, are designed to increase the use of lodging facilities, recreational facilities and business establishments in the town or to attract tourists or business travelers to the town;
(6) To recommend tourism- and resident-related capital expenditures including expenditures required to improve and increase the recreational facilities located in the town and maintain the attractiveness of the town and its green areas;
(7) To select appropriate goals for the enhancement and development of the tourism industry in the town;
(8) To seek, evaluate and choose proposals from appropriate organizations which will address the established and approved goals of the MTDA;
(9) To evaluate the effective and efficient implementation of the officially adopted plans of the MTDA and of the Town Board;
(10) To submit reports quarterly and at the close of the fiscal year, to the Town Board regarding its receipts and expenditures for the preceding quarter and for the year in the detail as the Town Board may require; and
(11) To make recommendations to the Town Board regarding persons nominated to serve new terms or to fill vacant terms on the MTDA.
(F) Meetings.
(1) Regular and special meetings. The MTDA shall meet at least quarterly. The Chairperson may call special meetings of the MTDA Board at any time. At least 96 hours' written notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be given by the Secretary or by the Chairperson to each Board member of the MTDA. All MTDA meetings, with the exception of closed sessions, are to be open to the public and held tn accordance with G.S. Ch. 143, Art. 33C commonly referred to as the Open Meetings Law. The Secretary of the MTDA shall keep a record of its members' attendance and the minutes of the MTDA's meetings.
(2) Quorum. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the Board members of the MTDA.
(3) Voting. All actions taken by the MTDA are done so by majority vote of the members of the MTDA present and voting at a regular or special meeting of the Board. Each member of the MTDA is entitled to one vote. There shall be no voting by proxy. All members must vote on an issue properly before the MTDA unless a member has a direct personal or financial interest in the matter before the MTDA.
(G) Fiscal year end budget.
(1) Fiscal year. The fiscal year for the MTDA shall begin July I and end June 30. The MTDA shall develop and approve a budget for each fiscal year in accordance with the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act.
(2) Expenditures. The MTDA shall use at least two-thirds of the funds remitted to it each year by the Town Board to promote travel and tourism in the town and shall use the remainder of the funds remitted to it for tourism-related expenditures.
(H) Amendments. Except as otherwise provided by law, these bylaws, or any part thereof, may be amended, added to, altered or repealed at the pleasure of and by a majority affirmative vote of the members of the MTDA and with the approval of the Town Board.
(Ord. passed 12-7-2010)