The Commission shall have the following powers and duties, in addition to those otherwise specified in this chapter.
(A) The Commission shall conduct a continuing survey of all areas, places, buildings, structures or similar objects in the city, which the Commission, on the basis of information available or presented to it, has reason to believe are or will be eligible for designation as heritage preservation landmarks or districts.
(B) The Commission shall work for the continuing education of the citizens of the city with respect to the historic and architectural heritage of the city. It shall keep current and public an official list of designated heritage preservation landmarks and districts and shall maintain a map of all properties and areas designated by the City Council as heritage preservation districts or landmarks, which shall be kept at City Hall and be available to the public.
(C) The Commission, upon obtaining Council approval, may retain the services, on a permanent or part-time basis of technical experts and other persons as may be required to perform the Commission’s duties.
(D) The Commission may recommend to the City Council, after review and comment by the city’s Zoning and Planning Commission, that certain properties eligible for designation as heritage preservation landmarks or districts be acquired by gift, by negotiation or other legal means.
(E) The Commission shall have authority to solicit gifts and contributions to be made to the city and to assist in the preparation of applications for grant funds to be made to the city for the purpose of heritage preservation.
(F) Upon final designation of a heritage preservation landmark or district by the Mayor and City Council, the Commission shall adopt heritage preservation guidelines specific to the landmark or district. The guidelines shall detail allowable architectural and/or site modifications, essential features to be retained and any other criteria by which future proposals for modifications shall be judged. These guidelines are intended to provide assurance to owners of properties within heritage preservation landmarks or districts that the design review process, per § 159.04 of this chapter, will be based on clear and objective standards rather than the taste of individual Commission members and shall be in conformance with the Secretary of Interior’s standards for historic preservation projects.
(G) The Commission may nominate a heritage preservation landmark or district to the National Register of Historic Places, but only with the consent of the Mayor and the City Council.
(H) The Commission shall make an annual report to the state’s Historic Preservation Officer by October 31 of each year.
(Prior Code, § 315.11) (Ord. passed 4-19-2005)