[Adopted 6-22-1999 by Bill No. 714]
The Talbot County Board of Tourism be and the
same is hereby created.
[Amended 3-25-2008 by Bill No. 1115]
A.
The Talbot County Board of Tourism shall consist of
13 members, all of whom shall be residents of the County, and one
member from the County Council. The Board shall annually select a
Chairman and a Vice Chairman from its membership and shall adopt rules
of procedure to govern its meetings. Members of the Board shall receive
no compensation for their services. The Council member shall serve
for his or her term of office.
[Amended 1-9-2018 by Bill
No. 1381]
B.
The appointed members and their successors shall be
selected as follows:
[Amended 1-9-2018 by Bill
No. 1381]
(1)
One member each from the Town of St. Michaels, the
Town of Easton, and the Town of Oxford, and the Tilghman Island District,
and the Bay Hundred District;
(2)
One at-large member;
(3)
One member from each of the following tourist industries:
bed-and-breakfast, food and beverage, the hotel/motel industry, and
the short-term rental market;
(4)
Two Countywide Cultural Attraction members;
(5)
One member for the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce,
as nominated by those respective bodies and appointed by the Council.
C.
For the first terms, which shall commence on July
1, 1999, the appointments shall be as follows:
(1)
The Town of Easton, the Town of Oxford, and the hotel/motel
industry: one year;
(2)
The Chamber of Commerce, the Town of St. Michaels,
the bed-and-breakfast industry: two years;
(3)
The food and beverage industry, the Bay Hundred District,
and the Countywide Cultural Attraction members: three years; and
(4)
The Tilghman Island District: four years.
[Amended 1-9-2018 by Bill
No. 1381]
D.
Thereafter, as each appointment expires, the new appointment
shall be for a term of four years or until a successor is appointed,
to commence from the first day of July of the year in which it was
made.
E.
Vacancies occurring prior to expiration of a term shall be filled
in the same manner as an original appointment for the unexpired term.
Existing appointments shall continue for their full current terms,
and the one additional at-large member shall serve a partial term
until July 1, 2018, and shall be eligible for consideration for appointment
to a subsequent four-year term.
[Amended 1-9-2018 by
Bill No. 1381]
[Amended 3-25-2008 by Bill No. 1115]
A.
The Board shall develop policies, plans, goals, objectives,
and programs for the promotion and management of tourism and travel-related
businesses and services in Talbot County.
B.
It shall encourage development of cooperative programs
among the various municipalities, organizations and segments of the
tourism industry throughout the County, including the Talbot County
Chamber of Commerce, the Talbot County Economic Development Commission,
and federal, state, and local agencies, boards, departments and commissions,
and shall act as a clearinghouse for coordination of ongoing programs.
C.
It shall act as an advisory and consultive body to
the Council regarding policy, planning, and funding issues affecting
tourism. To the extent appropriated by the County Council in the annual
budget, it shall have general oversight and control over the disbursement
of County funds designated for tourism. Subject to applicable laws
and regulations, it shall have authority to apply for and obtain public
funding from federal, state, and local sources, and authority to receive
and manage privately general funds.
D.
The Board shall meet as necessary, but no less than
quarterly. Board members are expected to attend all meetings, and
nonparticipation in two consecutive meetings will be reviewed by the
Board. The review can result in a recommendation to the Talbot County
Council to remove the nonparticipating member and reappoint another
representative to fill the vacant Board seat. All meetings shall be
open to the public unless applicable Maryland law permits an executive
or closed session.
E.
The Board shall report its activities to the Council
no less than annually and at such other times as may be requested
by the County Manager or the County Council.
The County shall employ a Director of Tourism,
who shall report directly to the County Manager and serve at the County
Council's discretion and subject to its supervision and control. The
Director shall exercise executive and administrative authority to
implement the policies, directives, plans, and programs of the Board.
The Board shall submit annual budgets to the
County Council in accordance with the County Charter and applicable
laws and regulations. All disbursements by the Board from public funds
for expenses or other authorized expenditures shall be paid by the
Talbot County Finance Officer on vouchers signed by the Chairman and
attested by the Director of Tourism. The Council shall have the power
to review, approve, disapprove, modify, amend, or substitute any contract
or proposed contract entered into or proposed by the Board.
