(A) Establishment. There is hereby established the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of Rushville, Indiana (hereinafter known as and referred to as the "Commission").
(B) Composition; appointment.
(1) The Commission shall consist of five voting members. The voting members shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to the approval of the City Council, and shall be residents of the city who are interested in the preservation and development of historic areas.
(2) The members of the Commission should include professionals in the disciplines of architectural history, planning, and other disciplines related to historic preservation, to the extent that those professionals are available in the community.
(3) Nonvoting advisory member(s) may be appointed to the Commission by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council.
(C) Terms.
(1) Voting members shall each serve for a term of three years; however, the terms of original voting members shall be for one year, two years, and three years in order for the terms to be staggered. A vacancy shall be filled within 90 days for the duration of the term by the Mayor or Council that appointed the member to the vacant position.
(2) The term for nonvoting, advisory member shall be for three years. A vacancy shall be filled within 90 days for the duration of the term.
(D) Compensation.
(1) Commission members (voting and non-voting) shall serve without compensation.
(2) Expenses incurred by a Commission member in the performance of Commission business shall be approved by the Commission for reimbursement.
(3) Once the Commission has approved the Commission member incurred expense, the original receipt for the incurred expense and a copy of the Commission's minutes approving said expense shall be forwarded to the Clerk-Treasurer to be included as part of the claims submitted to the City Council for approval of claims.
(E) Commission administrator.
(1) The Mayor or his designee shall serve as ex-officio administrator for the Commission. The Mayor, or his designee, serve as non-voting members, except in the case of a tie vote, the Mayor, or his designee, shall cast the vote to break a tie vote.
(2) The administrator shall provide staff assistance to the Commission, act as the Commission's secretary, and issue certificates of appropriateness as directed by the Commission.
(F) Officers.
(1) The Commission shall elect from its membership a Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson who shall serve for one year and who may be reelected.
(2) The Commission administrator shall serve as the Commission's secretary.
(G) Rules. The Commission shall adopt rules for the transaction of its business. The rules shall include the time and place of regular meetings and a procedure for the calling of special meetings.
(H) Meetings.
(1) Commission meetings shall be open to the public in accordance with Indiana's Open Door Law and a public record shall be kept of the Commission's resolutions, proceedings, and actions.
(2) The Commission shall hold regular meetings, at least monthly, except when it has no business pending. Special meetings may be called in a manner determined by the Commission and its rules.
(I) Judicial review. Final decisions of the Commission are subject to judicial review under I.C. 36-7-4.
(Ord. 2018-10, passed 11-20-2018)