(A) A president of the Council shall be elected at the last Board meeting of the year. His or her term shall begin on January 1, and extend until December 31.
(B)
The President is the Town Executive.
(C) As the Executive Officer of the town the President of the Town Council in emergency situations shall be vested with the authority to take certain actions on his own authority to protect the public safety, health and welfare of the town, its people the public, its properties and all other assets.
(1) For purposes of the authority granted by this section, emergencies shall be defined to include severe weather, fire, power failure, earthquakes, tornados, floods, epidemics, pandemics and other national, regional or local emergencies and other emergencies of a similar nature.
(2) When the President declares an emergency in accordance with this section the President may take the following actions:
(a) Prohibit the use and/or occupancy of any or all public facilities and/or public properties owned or operated by the town or a portion thereof;
(b) Restrict the use or occupancy of any or all public facilities and/or properties owned or operated by the town or a portion thereof; and
(c) Order any other reasonable rules regarding the town's employees, its assets and the public needed for the protection of such persons and assets.
(3) The actions taken by the President in accordance with this emergency authority shall remain in place until the earlier of the following:
(a) The action(s) are modified or cancelled by the President; or
(b) The next meeting of the Town Council, including both a special meeting or a regular scheduled meeting.
(4) In the event the emergency actions by the President are still in force at the next meeting of the Town Council, the Town Council at the meeting shall take one of the following actions:
(a) Cancel the actions taken by the President;
(b) Modify and supersede the actions taken by the President; or
(c) Allow the actions of the President to stand.
(D) Any contract or agreement that has been approved by the Town Council and any documents regarding a transaction by the town that has been approved by the Town Council may be signed by the President of the Town Council as its authorized agent.
(1991 Draft Code, § 3-3) (Ord. 6-81, passed 12-14-1981; Ord. 09-2020, passed 3-17-2020; Res. 2021-04, passed 1-11-2021)
Statutory reference:
Selection of a President, see I.C. 36-5-2-7
Town Executive, see I.C. 36-5-2-2