The Mayor, with the approval of the Council, shall appoint the Board of Public Works. The Board shall consist of three members who are residents of the municipality. The members of the Board shall serve a four-year term of office, unless reappointed, at a salary set by ordinance of the Governing Body of $1,000 per year. The terms of not more than two members shall expire at any one time. Members of the Board shall continue in office at the expiration of their term until the time as their successor is duly appointed and qualified as provided. Each of the members shall be required to give a bond to the municipality in the sum of $5,000 and shall be conditioned on the faithful performance of the duties of their office; provided, the premium on the bond shall be paid out of a municipal fund designated by the Governing Body. No member of the Board shall ever be financially interested in a contract entered into by the Board on behalf of the municipality. The members of the Board shall be required to take an oath to faithfully perform the duties of their office before entering upon the discharge thereof. The terms of new members shall begin at the Board’s first meeting in June of each year, and the Board members shall organize by selecting from among their number a Chairperson and Secretary. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep the full and correct minutes and records of all meetings and to file the same with the Municipal Clerk where they shall be available for public inspection at any time. All accounts against the public utilities in the municipality shall be audited by the Board of Public Works, and warrants against the funds shall be drawn by the Chairperson and countersigned by the Secretary. Warrants so drawn and countersigned shall be paid by the Municipal Treasurer out of the appropriate fund. The minutes of each meeting shall be published in a legal newspaper of general circulation in the municipality within 30 days after it is held. The Board shall meet two times each month unless requested by the Governing Body to meet more often. Special meetings may be held upon the call of the Chairperson, or any three members of the Board. A majority of the Board members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. It shall be the duty of the Board to operate any utility owned by the municipality and to exercise all powers conferred by law upon the municipality for the operation of utilities to the same extent as the Governing Body, except that the Board shall not make an expenditure other than ordinary operational expenses exceeding $1,000 without first obtaining the approval of the Governing Body. The Board may, in its discretion employ a commissioner to operate one or more of the municipal utilities and who shall be under the immediate authority of the Board of Public Works. All actions of the Board shall be subject to the review and supervision of the Governing Body. The Board shall be responsible for making the reports and performing the other duties as the Governing Body may, from time to time, designate. No member of the Governing Body shall serve as a member of the Board of Public Works while serving a term of office as a member of the Governing Body. No member of the Board of Public Works shall serve in the capacity of both the Chairperson and Secretary of the Board.
(1972 Code, § 2-209) (Ord. 654, passed 5-19-1981; Ord. 858, passed 2-20-1996; Ord. 966, passed 9-17-2002; Ord. 2014-09, passed 10-7-2014)
Statutory reference:
Board of Public Works, see Neb. RS 16-325