[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Rock Hall 10-12-2000 by Ord. No. 00-04. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Mayor and Council may establish a Museum Board, with functions and duties herein provided.
A. 
The Museum Board shall consist of 13 members appointed by the Mayor and Council, of whom one shall be a Councilmember. The members shall be selected, as far as it is practical, with due regard to representation of all segments of the town's population and to all geographic portions of the town's area.
B. 
All members shall be appointed for four years from the first day of January of the year of their appointments or until their successors are appointed. The original members of the Museum Board, other than the Councilmember, when first appointed, shall be divided into three classes. The initial terms of those in the first class shall be four years; of those in the second class, three years; and those in the third class, two years.
C. 
Vacancies, except those at the expiration of a term, shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments and for the unexpired term.
Officers of the Museum Board shall be a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary and a Treasurer, all of whom shall be elected from among the Museum Board's membership at the organization meeting in January. The terms of officers shall be two years or until a successor shall be elected and qualified. The duties of officers shall be set forth in the bylaws for the Museum Board.
The Museum Board, subject to the approval of the Mayor and Council, may from time to time employ such personnel as may be considered necessary to properly administer to the function of the Museum Board.
The Museum Board, subject to budgetary policies, appropriations and approval of the Mayor and Council, shall be responsible for planning, organizing, directing and administering a Rock Hall museum and related programs, and shall:
A. 
Initiate, adopt, direct or cause to be conducted or directed a comprehensive program for the accumulation, preservation and public display of materials, maritime articles and other artifacts of antique or historic value related to the Town of Rock Hall and surrounding areas.
B. 
Further the public interest, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of materials, maritime articles and other artifacts of antique or historic value related to the Town of Rock Hall and its historic background.
C. 
Receive property of all kinds, by bequest, gift, loan or lease, for use by the Museum Board in displays and related programs.
D. 
Plan and supervise all Museum Board programs and facilities.
E. 
Establish bylaws for its governance and conduct of business, and adopt rules and regulations governing use and access to Museum Board programs and facilities.
F. 
Submit to the Mayor and Council an annual report of the Museum Board's activities, together with recommendations for further activities and development of the Rock Hall Museum and related programs, and submit any other reports or documents pertaining to the duties of the Museum Board as may from time to time be requested by the Mayor and Council.
G. 
Perform any other duties as may from time to time be assigned by the Mayor and Council.
The members of the Museum Board shall be under the direction of the Mayor and Council and shall be subject to removal by the Mayor and Council.
The members of the Museum Board shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for such expenses incurred in the performance if their duties as may be approved by the Mayor and Council.
The Museum Board may, subject to the approval of the Mayor and Council, join or cooperate with the federal government, the State of Maryland, Kent County and any other governmental agency, not-for-profit organization or citizen group in fulfilling its duties under this chapter.
The existing Rock Hall Museum and all current inventory and programs related to the Rock Hall Museum shall come under the jurisdiction of the Museum Board in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
The Museum Board is authorized to adopt reasonable rules and regulations governing access and use of facilities and programs under their control. Such rules and regulations shall be appropriately promulgated by the Museum Board.
The Recitals to this Ordinance No. 00-04 are incorporated herein and deemed a substantive part of this chapter, as follows:
WHEREAS, in 1976, through the inspiration of the late Robert J. Johnson and the cooperation of the Rock Hall community, the Rock Hall Historical Museum was founded; and
WHEREAS, in 1978, the "Rock Hall Museum" was formally organized with the adoption of bylaws and the formation of a governing board of directors; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Rock Hall Museum was to "organize and operate a museum exclusively for educational and historical purposes" and for "the preservation of materials relating to the Rock Hall area together with other maritime articles and exhibits and all other artifacts of antique or historic value" and "to display and exhibit the same, not for profit, but to further the public interest, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of such material and its related historic background;" and
WHEREAS, the Town of Rock Hall has been asked to assume responsibility for the administration, inventory and oversight of the Rock Hall Museum, including the transfer of funding from the private Rock Hall Museum organization; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 502 of the Charter, the Mayor and Council are specifically authorized in Subsection 12 to "provide, maintain and operate community and social services for the preservation and promotion of the health, recreation, welfare and enlightenment of the inhabitants of the Town," and in Subsection 16 to create agencies of the Town government; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the Town of Rock Hall, for the good and welfare of the community and visitors to the Town, deem it necessary and appropriate to add Chapter 11 of the Code of the Town of Rock Hall for the purposes of enabling the establishment of a Museum Board.