(a) Unless otherwise provided in this Charter, each of the City's boards and commissions, whether created by this Charter or by ordinance or resolution, shall:
(1) Organize at its first meeting each year by electing a chairman, vice chairman and secretary. The chairman and vice chairman shall be members of the board or commission and the secretary may be elected from within or without the membership of the board or commission. The Mayor shall call the organizational meeting prior to the first day of February by personally serving or leaving a notice at each member's usual place of residence, which notice shall state the time, date and place of the meeting. The secretary shall keep an accurate and complete record of the proceedings of the board or commission; and shall file a copy of its proceedings with the Clerk of Council for public inspection.
(2) Take action by motion, and a majority vote of the members of the board or commission shall be necessary to take action. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. All members of boards and commissions shall be electors of the City except as provided in Section 7.04(a) of this Charter.
(3) Adopt rules for the conduct and government of the board or commission, however, the rules shall not conflict with the provisions of this Charter or ordinances and resolutions of the City.
(b) Unless otherwise provided in this Charter, a vacancy during the term of any member of a board or commission created by this Charter or by ordinance or resolution shall be filled for the unexpired term, if any, in the manner authorized for an original appointment; provided that if such appointing authority shall fail to fill the vacancy within thirty days, the Mayor shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the unexpired term, if any. This Division shall be subject to applicable provisions of this Charter concerning removal, with or without cause, of members of boards and commissions.
(c) Members of boards and commissions may be removed for cause in the manner provided in this division.
(1) The Mayor, if he or she has reason to believe there is probable cause (as such causes are defined in this Section 7.08 for the removal of a member of a Board or Commission, shall give notice of the alleged cause for removal and the time, date and place of the commencement of hearings for removal, which shall not be earlier than ten days after the service of the notice, to the accused member by personal service, certified mail, or by leaving a copy of such notice at the member's last known place of residence in the City. At such time, date and place and at any adjourned meetings, the Council shall hear, provide an opportunity to the accused person to be heard and present defenses, and determine whether the accused person shall be removed from office as a member of the board or commission. The Council shall remove a member of a board or commission for any of the following causes by a two thirds vote of the members of the Council.
A. Unexcused absences from any four consecutive regular meetings of the board or commission or any six regular or special meetings thereof in any year. An absence from a regular or special meeting may be excused by a majority vote of the members of the board or commission at any time, including the excusing of any absence after action is initiated but prior to the commencement of hearings for the person's removal under this section.
B. Failure to possess or maintain the qualifications of the office.
C. A determination that the accused person is guilty of misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in office.
(2) Upon the removal of a member of a board or commission from office pursuant to this section, the office of the offending person shall be vacant, subject to any appeal to and review by an appropriate court, and the vacancy shall be filled as provided in this Charter.
(3) The removal of a member of a board or commission or the occurrence of any of the causes permitting the removal shall not invalidate any action of the board or commission in which the member participated. the subsequent removal of a person appointed to fill a vacancy created pursuant to this division by the reinstatement by a court of a person previously removed, shall not invalidate any action of the board or commission in which such person who filled the vacancy participated.
(4) The Council shall be the judge of the qualifications of an of the grounds for removal from office, and for those purposes and the conduct of proceedings relative to removal shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of evidence, either on its own motion or through the process of any appropriate court or officer thereof. A person charged with conduct constituting grounds for removal from office shall be entitled to either a private or public hearing on demand. If a public hearing is demanded, a notice of such hearing shall be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the City at least one week in advance of the hearing, and in such an event, the President of Council, or other presiding officer of the Council, may reschedule the time, date and place of the hearing set by the Mayor to accommodate the publication of the notice. If the hearing is rescheduled, the President, or other presiding officer, shall notify the accused person of such fact. Decisions made by the Council under this division shall be subject to review by the Courts on matters of law and whether the Council acted arbitrarily and without probative evidence to support the grounds for removal.