(A) Establishment, composition of Commission. There is hereby established the Historic Preservation Commission of the city. The Commission shall consist of ten voting members who shall be residents of the city appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of City Council, and with due regard to proper representation of fields such as history, education, architecture, urban planning, archaeology, real estate, art and law. The Commission may also have one ex-officio non-voting member, who may or may not be a resident of the city, and who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. No person holding an elected office in the city government shall be eligible for appointment. Any member who has a pecuniary interest in any matter coming before the Commission for vote shall disclose in writing to the Commission that the member has an interest and shall not be entitled to vote on that matter. Such a member shall be counted for purposes of determining a quorum which shall be defined as a simple majority of currently appointed members.
(B) Term of office. Of the Commission members first appointed two shall serve for a term of one year, two shall serve for a term of two years and three shall serve for a term of three years. Thereafter, all members shall serve for terms of three years and all members shall be eligible for reappointment. Appointments for unexpired terms shall be for the duration of such unexpired term. All members shall serve without compensation.
(C) Organization. The Commission shall annually elect a Chair, a Vice-Chair and a Secretary from its own members and is hereby authorized to establish, adopt and from time to time amend by-laws setting forth procedural rules and regulations consistent with provisions of this chapter, as from time to time amended, or successor chapters. The Commission shall report annually in writing to the Community Development Committee of the City Council or any such successor sub-committee.
(D) Duties. The duties of the Commission shall be as follows:
(1) To recommend to City Council the adoption of ordinances designating areas, places, buildings, structures or other objects, including city-owned property, having significant historical, architectural or aesthetic features as the city’s landmark sites;
(2) To involve departments of city government and interested members of the community as much as possible in its work, and to encourage complementary activity with other agencies and organizations;
(3) To recommend to City Council measures to protect those portions of the city that have significant historical, architectural or aesthetic features;
(4) To hold a public hearing concerning any proposed designation of any area, building, structure or any other object, as a landmark site;
(5) To hold a public hearing on and to review any application for demolition affecting proposed or designated landmark sites or structures within historic districts and issue or deny certificates of appropriateness and economic hardship for such actions in accordance with provisions of this chapter;
(6) To recommend to the City Council the acquisition through donation, purchase or eminent domain of a fee or lesser interest in landmark sites and structures within historical districts; and
(7) To undertake such additional tasks and responsibilities as the City Council may from time to time determine.
(1999 Code, § 151.15) (Ord. 1833, passed 4-15-1996; Ord. 3043, passed 2-5-2001)