(A) At least every 2 years, the Board of Rural Fire Control shall organize itself by electing 1 of its members as Chairperson, 1 as Secretary, and the other officers as they may deem appropriate. The Secretary shall, with other assigned duties, be in charge of notifying the news media of all regular and special meetings of the Board.
(B) The Board of Rural Fire Control may acquire with the approval of the County Council, or as provided by the enabling legislation initially establishing the Board, the property, real or personal, considered necessary pursuant to its purpose provided that the property shall be received by title in the name of Newberry County. The Board may also dispose of or mortgage the real or personal property with the approval of the Newberry County Council, or as may be otherwise provided by the initial enabling legislation establishing the Board, provided it is done in compliance with any county, state, or federal legal requisites, such as the Freedom of Information Act, or applicable county or state procurement policies. Any funds received for the disposal of property shall go into the General Fund of Newberry County, unless otherwise provided by Newberry County Council or by the enabling legislation.
(C) The Board of Rural Fire Control may set its own time and schedule of meetings, but no Board or Commission may schedule less than 4 meetings per year.
(D) The Board of Rural Fire Control shall perform other functions and duties required by federal and state laws, or assigned by Newberry County Council.
(E) Personnel of the Board of Rural Fire Control employed and paid by county funds shall be subject to the hiring, employment, termination, and personnel practices established by Newberry County Council for county employees, unless otherwise provided by the enabling legislation establishing the Board, or unless otherwise provided by Newberry County Council.
(F) Board members shall serve without pay.
(G) Newberry County Council may from time to time establish the method by which the Board members will be reimbursed for mileage and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of the official business of the Board. Newberry County Council may establish thereafter a uniform per diem fee for the members of the Board.
(H) Any requests from the county for funding shall be in the form of a budget request, submitted to the county at the time as may be established by Newberry County Council. All county funds expended shall be done so in conformity with county financial procurement codes and policies, and the Board shall not have the power to contractually bind Newberry County unless the contract is entered into in strict accordance with the procurement codes and policies of Newberry County.
(I) Except for illness or emergency, any member who fails to attend 3 consecutive regular meetings may be disqualified as a member, and the Secretary shall notify in writing the member and the Newberry County Council when a member has accumulated 3 consecutive unexcused absences. The Secretary of the Board shall keep attendance records for each meeting to be supplied to County Council at its request. The Board shall determine whether or not any of its members was justifiably absent from a meeting by reason of illness or emergency. Newberry County Council will take final action to disqualify any member who accumulates 3 consecutive unexcused absences at regular meetings.
(J) All members appointed by County Council to the Board shall be required to remove themselves from discussion and/or voting on any issue which may constitute a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest shall be deemed to occur when personal benefit of any nature may accrue to the appointee from a pending decision and, in addition, a conflict of interest will exist when any member of the Board takes action in violation of the state ethics law, or in violation of the Hobbs Act, or other state or federal law which governs the particular situation. Any appointee failing to remove himself or herself from any situation where the conflict may occur shall be subject to removal from the Board upon a simply majority vote of County Council. Members shall also adhere to any and all state regulations and statutes concerning conflict of interest of public bodies.
(K) No Newberry County Council member may serve as a regular or ex officio member of the Board.
(Ord. 06-11-01, passed 6-6-2001; Am. Ord. passed 10-3-2001; Am. Ord. 08-18-02, passed 8-7-2002)