The Commission shall have the following duties in addition to those otherwise specified in this chapter:
(a) To improve the quality of life in the City by striving to further and achieve the spirit and purpose of this chapter;
(b) To conduct or cause to be conducted or assist in the conduct of a continuing survey of all structures, works of art, objects or areas of architectural, historic or aesthetic interest in the City, which the Commission believes, on the basis of information available or presented to it, are or will be eligible for designation as a listed property or as a historic district;
(c) To work for the continuing education of the residents of the City with respect to the architectural and historic heritage of the City and the listed properties and historic districts designated under the provisions of this chapter, and shall make every effort to improve the overall design and environmental awareness of the people;
(d) To work cooperatively with planners, developers, the City and others in long-range planning efforts to insure the inclusion of historic preservation values in such planning efforts;
(e) To review proposed National Register nominations for the properties within its jurisdiction and forward comments to the State Historic Preservation Officer.
(f) To employ technical experts and such other employees as may be required to perform its duties, within the appropriations made available therefor, and to perform such other related tasks within its capabilities as may be required by Council.
(g) To conduct or encourage members to attend educational sessions at least once a year pertaining to the function of the Commission or relating to specific historic preservation issues;
(h) To make recommendations for designation of listed properties or historic districts to Council;
(i) To keep a current register of all listed properties and historic districts. All listed properties shall be given a number, a description accompanied by a photograph, and the reason for the listing. All historic districts shall also be given a number, a description and representative photographs including streetscapes, a map outlining the boundaries and the reasons for the listing. This register shall also include verbal boundary descriptions of both listed properties and historic districts. The register will be made available to the public and to any other interested party;
(j) To review and act upon all applications for "certificates of appropriateness" as required by this chapter;
(k) To establish criteria, rules and regulations not otherwise included in this chapter for evaluating applications for certificates of appropriateness submitted to it and the manner in which they shall be processed;
(l) To use the Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for Rehabilitation" and any other written guidelines the Commission may adopt for making decisions on requests for certificates of appropriateness submitted to it;
(m) To consider whether the failure to issue a certificate of approval will involve a "substantial hardship" to the applicant and whether the certificate may be issued without substantial detriment to the public welfare and without substantial derogation from the interest and purposes stated herein; and
(n) To make recommendation to Council for additions or revisions to this chapter.