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Amend the Advisory Board Membership Policy to Require an Application for Appointment.
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Staff: |
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Mayor Hemminger |
Council Committee on Boards & Commissions |
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Council Member Anderson |
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Council Member Parker |
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Council Member Ryan |
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Overview: The Council Committee on Boards & Commissions requests all applicants have an application on file to be put on the ballot for consideration for Board and Commission membership.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council adopt a resolution to amend the Advisory Board Membership Policy to require an application for appointment.
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Attachments: |
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• Resolution |
A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERSHIP POLICY TO REQUIRE AN APPLICATION FOR APPOINTMENT (2022-09-14/R-5)
WHEREAS, the Council Committee on Boards & Commissions met on June 27, 2022, and questioned allowing the Council to write in the name of a person who had not applied; and
WHEREAS, the Council Committee on Boards & Commissions recommends the Council change the Advisory Board Membership Policy to require an application on file and subsequent eligibility determined before being included on the ballot.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council amends the Advisory Board Membership Policy Application Process section as follows.
“In January of each year, the Town Clerk shall notify the Council and all advisory board and commission chairs of those advisory board and commission members whose terms expire June 30. The Town Clerk shall advertise vacancies from February through April in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation within the community and such other means as may be deemed effective, including, but not limited to, mailings to community organizations, public service announcements, and letters of invitation to citizens who have expressed interest throughout the year, and posting the advertisement for vacancies to the Town’s website. An application must be on file and eligibility determined for the Council to consider appointing a person to an advisory board or commission.
Beginning in March, the Town Clerk shall distribute to the Council and the respective boards and commissions the applications that have been received to date from eligible citizens wishing to serve. The Town Clerk will not forward applications to Council or boards and commissions if the applicant’s eligibility has not been determined. Upon verification of an applicant’s eligibility the Town Clerk shall forward the application to the Council and board or commission for consideration.
The Council requests that the boards and commissions review all applications and recommend candidates to the Council for each vacancy, unless the board or commission declines to do so. The board or commission’s recommendation should clearly articulate the reasons why it is recommending each applicant. The recommendation shall be submitted in writing to the Town Clerk no later than April 25. If a board or commission elects not to recommend applicants, it is requested that the board or commission notify the Town Clerk of this decision in writing by April 25. Notwithstanding recommendations from boards and commissions, the Town Clerk shall forward the names and applications of all eligible persons interested in appointment for the vacancy on a board or commission and the board or commission recommendations to the Council for its consideration. The Council may choose to not consider appointments without a recommendation from the board or commission.
The Council also requests that the Community Design Commission, Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board, Housing Advisory Board and Transportation and Connectivity Advisory Board review all applications for the Champion seat that will represent its board or commission on the Planning Commission. The board or commission’s recommendation should clearly articulate the reasons why it is recommending a particular applicant or declining to recommend any applicant. The recommendation shall be submitted in writing to the Town Clerk no later than April 25.
One of two Council subcommittees will interview the applicants to the Board of Adjustment, Community Design Commission, Historic District Commission and the Planning Commissions prior to appointments being made to those boards. Using a Council approved rubric to identify the candidates that best meet the Council’s interests for that board, the subcommittees will recommend applicants for full Council appointment. In addition to the rubric, the subcommittees will provide minutes of their meetings reflecting the interviews and recommendations.
Applications received after the Wednesday prior to the Council’s regular business meeting at which appointments are scheduled shall be held until another vacancy occurs, thus allowing the Town Clerk to verify the applicant’s eligibility and the board or commission to make a recommendation.
Mid-term vacancies shall be filled from applications on file without special advertising efforts unless requested by the Council. However, any application from an individual currently serving on a standing advisory body will not be considered for a mid-term vacancy on a standing advisory body. The board or commission shall submit a recommendation for these appointments to the Town Clerk no later than the Wednesday prior to the Council’s regular business meeting at which appointments for the vacancy are scheduled, unless the board or commission declines to do so and notifies the Town Clerk in writing by the Wednesday prior to the Council’s regular business meeting at which the vacancies are scheduled to be filled. The Council may choose to not consider appointments without a recommendation from the board or commission. Additional applications received after this time will not be considered until the next vacancy occurs.
Council members may not write in a person’s name who has not applied. If possible, Council members are to mark and sign their ballots prior to the meeting, and forward them to the Town Clerk at any time prior to the start of the meeting. The Town Clerk will provide the results of the balloting at the appropriate time during the Council’s meeting. If vacancies remain (applicants did not receive 5 or more votes), the Council may immediately hold further rounds of balloting to fill the vacancies, or may postpone filling these vacancies until the next regular meeting.
Beginning with the first regular meeting in May, and through the second regular meeting in June (four consecutive regular meetings of the Council), the Council may consider appointments to three or more boards and commissions per meeting.
All appointments to Town boards and commissions are made at the will of the Council. Therefore, Council may remove at any time a member of a board or commission.”
This the 14th day of September , 2022.
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
By adopting the resolution, the Council amends the Advisory Board Membership Policy to require an application for appointment.