(a) Membership. There is hereby created the Board of Property Maintenance Appeals, which shall consist of five members: the City Engineer or designee; the Fire Chief or designee; the Knox County Health Commissioner or Environmental Health Director of the Health Department; and two residents of the City appointed by the Mayor with the approval of City Council.
(b) Alternates; Qualifications of Appointees. The Mayor shall also appoint two alternate members, with the approval of City Council, who may be called upon by the chairman to hear appeals if a member is unavailable or has a conflict of interest. All appointed members of the board shall be qualified to consider matters of property maintenance, and they shall not be employees of the City of Mount Vernon. Appointed members shall serve for terms of three years.
(c) Chairman, Vice-Chairman. The Board shall annually select one of its members to serve as chairman, and one of its members to serve as vice-chairman to run Board meetings in the absence of the chairman.
(d) Conflicts of Interest. A member shall not hear an appeal in which that member has a personal, professional or financial interest. Members with a conflict of interest shall recuse themselves in advance of the hearing so that the chairman may appoint an alternate to hear the appeal.
(e) Quorum. The Board of Property Maintenance Appeals shall not transact business with less than four members. An affirmative vote by a majority of the board shall be required to render any decision.
(f) Secretary; Record of Proceedings. The Safety Service Director shall designate a qualified city employee to serve as the secretary to the Board. The Property Maintenance Enforcement Officer or the Safety Service Director may not serve in this role. The secretary shall file a detailed record of the proceedings of the Board in the office of the Safety Service Director.
(g) Compensation. Members of the Property Maintenance Board of Appeals shall serve without compensation.
(h) Meetings. The Board shall set a monthly meeting day and place, and shall assemble at that time unless there are no appeals to be heard. All meetings of the Board are considered public meetings under Ohio Revised Code Section 121.22 and shall be governed accordingly.
(i) Law Director to Attend. The Law Director or Assistant Law Director shall attend all meetings of the Board. (Ord. 2014-02. Passed 3-24-14.)