Effective immediately following adoption of these rules by the City Council, the following rules, regulations, and by-laws will be adhered to by advisory or study committees formed by the Mayor, City Council or the Municipal Administrator. They shall remain in effect unless otherwise changed by the City Council. Such action is in keeping with Section 3.07
Powers of Council of the Charter of City of Waterville which states that the Council shall adopt its own rules and regulations, or by-laws. This section shall not supersede the rules, regulations, and by-laws of committees, commissions or boards formed by legislation including, but not limited to, the Finance Committee, Tree Commission, Historic District Commission, Municipal Planning Commission, Personnel Board, Board of Zoning and Building Appeals and Municipal Records Commission. (Ord. 20-06. Passed 9-11-06.)
(b) Members. Advisory or study committees shall have at least three members. Of those member, at least two and not more than three shall be members of Council. At the first Council meeting in January following a municipal general election, a majority of the members of Council shall determine the total number of members each advisory or study committee shall have for the new two-year term. In the event Council approves a new advisory or study committee during a two-year term, a majority of the members of Council shall determine the total number of members for such new committee for the remainder of the two-year term at the same Council meeting at which the committee is initially approved by Council. City employees will not serve as voting members of any committee nor will their presence be included to establish a quorum. Committee members must be City residents, City business owners or City property owners or an authorized representative of a City property owner or City business owner.
(1) Application and appointment. Non-Council members and non-employees shall complete a volunteer application, which will be on file at the Municipal Building. Appointment to a committee will be by the Mayor and subject to the approval of a majority of the members of Council. In the event that any vacancy shall not be so filled within sixty days, any member of Council may nominate a qualified individual to fill the vacancy, subject to the approval of a majority of the members of Council. Members may be reappointed by a majority of the members of Council with the member’s consent.
(2) Terms. Committee members shall serve for terms that coincide with seating of a new Council after a municipal general election at two-year intervals beginning January 1, 1998.
(3) Removal. With the exception of Council members, other members will be removed if they miss more than three regularly scheduled meetings in a calendar year.
(Ord. 40-08. Passed 11-10-08.)
(c) Chair. The chair of an advisory or study committee must be an elected member of Council. In the absence of the committee chair, only a committee member who is an elected member of Council may chair the meeting.
(d) Meetings. The committees may designate a day and time for regularly scheduled meetings (example third Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m.). The Chair or a simple majority of the committee may decide to cancel a meeting. Members are responsible for contacting the Municipal Administrator, or his designee, in advance if they will not attend a meeting.
(1) Special Meetings - Special meetings (as opposed to regular schedule) can be held at the direction of the Chair of the Committee, City Council, or the Municipal Administrator. Special meetings will also be subject to quorum and chair requirements.
(2) Quorum - A quorum of members and a chair is required to conduct any business, i.e. approve minutes, make recommendations, etc.
If a quorum is not present, it is not a meeting of a public body. No minutes will be taken and the staff has the option of staying for general discussion or leaving. (Ord. 20-06. Passed 9-11-06.)