01-13-2020 Council Work Session Packet

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CITY OF ORONO MEMORANDUM DATE: January 13, 2020 TO: Mayor Walsh, City Council FROM: Dustin Rief, City Administrator RE: Park Commission Tenure Discussion The subject around Park Commission tenures has been brought up on occasion under the understanding that the Park Commissioner terms were not limited like the planning commissioner terms at three, three year terms. Staff and internal working documents all understood this to be the case. However, under Article V1 Boards and Commission, Sec. 2.106 Appointments; removal reads: All board and commission appointments authorized by ordinance shall be made by the council at the first regular meeting in January of each year unless another appointment date is established else where by ordinance. The term of each appointee shall be established and stated at the time of his appointment, and terms of present board and commission members may be reestablished and changed so as to give effect to this section. New appointees shall ass ume office immediately. All appointees to boards and commissions shall hold office until their successor is appointed and qualified. All vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as for an expired term, but the appointment shall be only for the unexpire d term. No appointed board or commission member shall be an employee of the city, but an ex officio member may be so employed. All appointed board and commission members shall serve without remuneration but may be reimbursed for out -of-pocket expenses incurred in the performance of their duties when such expenses have been authorized by the council before they were incurred. In order to balance the need for consistency, with the desire to provide ongoing opportunities for new members, the council, in genera l, will reappoint commission members for up to two additional three -year terms beyond their initial three -year term. Any board or commission member may be removed by the council for any reason and his position filled as any other vacancy. Each board and co mmission shall hold its regular meetings at a time established and approved by the council. Boards and commissions created by resolution shall terminate when the purpose for which they were created has been accomplished or upon the expiration of their terms stated in the resolution. Except as otherwise provided, this section shall apply to all boards and commissions. It is unclear when or how this interpretation happened, but we currently do not have any Park Commission members that have met the tenure. The Park Commission and Planning Commission each have their own chapters in which the y were established and the rules are placed. To better clarify staff would like to discuss either adding the paragraph from section 2-106 to each section in which a board/commission is established or add language into code referring back to section 2-106 emphasizing the application of this section of code also applies.