A. Commission Composition: A commission of five (5) members who will receive no salary shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council to serve three (3) year appointments with staggered terms. A City Council member may be appointed to serve as a nonvoting Council liaison. The City Administrator or designee shall serve as an advisor to the commission.
B. Commission Operation: At their first meeting, and at the first meeting of each fiscal year, the commission shall elect a Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary from within its membership, shall hold regular public meetings as required by the Chair, and shall cause the Secretary to maintain a written record of its deliberations and proceedings.
C. Commission Responsibility: The Payette Community Forestry Commission shall:
1. Be advisory in nature with the purpose of providing advice to the Mayor, City Council and City Forester as to the preservation, protection and management of the Payette community forest, in accordance with the intents and purposes of this chapter.
2. Organize, conduct and periodically maintain an inventory of trees and plantable areas on the City rights-of-way, City parks, other public and School District 371-J properties. Notable private trees may be added to this inventory at the request of the private property owner.
3. Prepare a management plan designed to maintain and improve the existing community forest and develop long term goals for the community forest. The Payette Community Forestry Commission shall present and recommend a proposed Community Forest Program to the Mayor and City Council for approval. All provisions of the management plan pertaining to other public properties and School District 371-J shall only be advisory.
4. Draft ordinances and policies for the protection of the community forest to be recommended to the Mayor and City Council. These policies may also be recommended to other public entities, i.e., Payette County and School District 371-J.
5. The commission will hear appeals from the licensee and/or certification applicants who are aggrieved of some action or omission taking place pursuant to the license/certification procedures of this chapter.
6. The commission will hear appeals from applicants and/or licensees who are aggrieved by the granting or denial of a permit required by this chapter.
7. The commission will develop the "Payette Tree Standards Manual", implement educational materials and programs addressing community forestry issues.
D. Coordination And Communication: The commission will coordinate its activities regarding public trees by communicating with the City Forester by liaison through the Payette City Council.
E. Funding: The commission shall recommend an annual budget to the Mayor and City Council. The commission is authorized to seek outside funding for commission projects as may be approved by the City Council in accordance with budgetary procedures. (Ord. 1355, 2012)