(a) Board Members.
(1) The Civilian Review Board shall consist of nine (9) voluntary members who will be reflective of diverse regions and character of the community.
(2) Each of the four (4) wards will be represented by one (1) member, who shall be nominated by the ward councilperson. These four (4) members will serve a two (2) year term.
(3) The Mayor will nominate five (5) members. One (1) of the members must be a practicing attorney, one (1) member must have a law enforcement background but not active with the Reynoldsburg Division of Police, one (1) member must have a background in human resources, and at least two (2) members must be representatives of a minority race or ethnicity in the City of Reynoldsburg as determined by the results of the most recent decennial United States Census. The minority members may be representatives of the same race or ethnicity.
A. "Law enforcement background" shall be defined as at least five (5) years serving in a non-civilian capacity with a recognized law enforcement agency in the State of Ohio.
B. "Minority race or ethnicity" is defined as any race or ethnicity identified by the United States Census other than the racial or ethnic identity that represents a plurality, or highest percentage, of residents in the City.
(4) Nominations shall be submitted to City Council, who shall vote on the confirmation of the nominee at the next scheduled City Council meeting. A simple majority vote is needed to confirm a nominee.
(5) In the event a nominee fails to receive a majority vote, Council shall repeat the process with a new nominee until an appointment is confirmed by majority vote.
(6) All appointees and sitting board members shall be residents of the City of Reynoldsburg, shall not be employed by the City or any of its authorities, shall not be a current member of the City Council, and shall serve without compensation. Board members may, however, be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the direct implementation of the Board's responsibilities. Persons appointed to the Board shall be fair-minded and committed to the efficient and effective operation of the Board.
(7) In the event an appointee is confirmed to be a member of the Board they shall maintain their City residency in order to maintain the ability to serve as a member of the Board. A member who ceases to be a resident of the City of Reynoldsburg shall no longer be eligible to be a member of the Board effective the day they move from the City. Any member planning to move from the City of Reynoldsburg shall notify the Board Chair of this intent.
A. Upon receipt of said notice, the Chair shall take appropriate action to notify all other board members, the Mayor, City Council, and the City Attorney that a vacancy exists on the Board.
(b) Appointment of Members and Vacancies.
(1) Once a member's term is over, the Council or the Mayor will nominate another member at the first Council meeting of the year. Members may be re-appointed for consecutive terms. Any new member must fulfill the qualifications and capacity of the departing member set forth in division (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section. Any continuing member must repeat the training set forth in division (f) of this section.
(2) Any of the following circumstances shall lead to a vacancy on the Board:
A. Expiration of the member's term, death, or resignation of the member.
B. Removal by a majority of the Board for cause, upon notice and hearing, for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. Neglect of duty and malfeasance in the office includes an unexcused absence of the member from three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Board; unexcused absence of the member from one-third (1/3) or greater of the regular meetings of the Board over the course of the most recent twelve (12)-month period; or combination of excused and unexcused absences of the member from a sufficient number of meetings as to compromise the Board member's ability to faithfully and fully carry out the member's responsibilities to the Board and Reynoldsburg community; or failure to attend and satisfactorily complete the required training course within six (6) months of the beginning of a member's service on the Board.
(3) Vacancies during a term shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments for the unexpired term.
(4) A Board member who desires to resign shall notify the Chair, the Mayor, and the City Attorney of the resignation. If the Board becomes aware of a circumstance giving rise to a vacancy, other than expiration of a member's term or notice of resignation as outlined above, the Board Chair shall notify the Mayor and the Clerk of Council as soon as possible.
(c) Officers.
(1) The Board shall select annually one (1) member of the Board to serve as its Chair and one (1) member of the Board as Vice-Chair.
A. Selection shall be through a majority vote of Board members, during a meeting that is open to the public.
B. No person shall serve more than two (2) consecutive one-year terms in each position.
(2) Duties and powers of the Chair.
A. The Chair shall preside over all meetings of the Board and shall have the right to vote on all questions.
B. The Chair shall ensure that all municipal and state laws pertaining to the activities and rulings of the Board are faithfully executed.
C. The Chair shall act as the spokesperson in all matters pertaining to the Board.
D. The Chair shall sign all documents on behalf of the Board after approval by the Board.
E. The Chair shall perform such other duties and responsibilities imposed upon him or her by the Board.
(3) Duties and Powers of the Vice-Chair. If at any time the Chair is absent from a meeting for any reason or is unable or unwilling to perform his/her duties, whether within a meeting or outside a meeting, the Vice-Chair shall perform all the duties of the Chair with the same force and effect as if performed by the Chair.
(4) Chair Pro Tem. If both Chairs are absent at any meeting of the Board and have not selected a Chair Pro Tem, the Board shall select a Chair Pro Tem who shall perform all the duties of the Chair for that specific meeting only.
(5) City Clerk of Council. The City Clerk of Council shall keep a true and correct record of all proceedings of the Board.
(d) Attendance and Participation.
(1) Board members have a duty to use best efforts to attend all regularly-scheduled Board meetings.
(2) Board members have a duty to use all reasonable efforts to attend any special, emergency, or other similar meetings that are not regularly scheduled.
(3) If a Board member cannot attend a meeting or other function of the Board where official business will be conducted, the Board member must provide notice to the Board Chair and the Board's Administrative Coordinator as soon as possible. The Chair will have the discretion to classify absences as excused or unexcused.
(4) An absence about which the Chair and the City Clerk have received advance notice of more than seventy-two (72) hours will be presumed to be excused unless the Chair identifies emergency or other extenuating circumstances that warrant the absence being classified as an excused absence.
(5) The City Clerk of Council will track all Board member absences in an electronic database.
(6) Board members have a duty to be responsive to communications from the Board, other Board members, and the Board's staff, including but not limited to telephone, electronic, and other communications.
(e) Budget.
(1) The Mayor shall oversee the budget on behalf of, and with guidance from, the Board.
(2) The budget for the Board shall be included in the annual budget for the City.
(f) Training.
(1) Once members of the Citizen Review Board are appointed they shall have six (6) months to complete the Reynoldsburg Civilian Police Academy training program and, at minimum, a four (4)-hour "ride along" with an officer of the Division of Police.
(2) The purpose of this training requirement is for each Board member to gain some experience and insight to the unique job functions of a law enforcement officer in the community.
(3) If either of the training requirements are not available, for any reason, the Division of Police shall determine an appropriate substitute level of training.
(g) Structure of Meetings.
(1) The structure of meetings shall be set by rules adopted by the commission, consistent with the Ohio open meetings laws.
(2) The Board shall be scheduled to meet at least once a month. Meetings may be cancelled if there are no agenda items for discussion.
(3) Special meetings of the Board may be held with at least seven (7) days notice consistent with the notice requirements of the City Charter.
(h) Quorum and Voting.
(1) Two-thirds (2/3) of members currently appointed to the Board shall constitute a quorum.
(2) The affirmative vote of the majority of members present shall be required to carry a motion, proposal, or recommendation, unless provided otherwise in this chapter.
(Ord. 74-2020. Passed 10-12-20.)