[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Manheim 4-27-1999 by Ord. No. 562 (Ch. 1, Part 11, of the 1992 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Planning Commission — See Ch. 49.
Zoning — See Ch. 220.
A. 
The Borough Council of the Borough of Manheim hereby creates a Historic Commission, which shall report to Borough Council and which consist of five members who shall be appointed by Borough Council. The membership of the Commission shall include individuals who have professional expertise or a demonstrated interest in cultural history, architectural history, archaeology, historic preservation or knowledge in a field related to the objectives of the Commission, such as real estate, construction, grant writing, fund-raising, local business, economic development and the like.
B. 
Each Commission member shall serve for a term of five years. The creation of the Commission shall be established so that one term shall expire each year. The Commission shall notify the President of Borough Council of any vacancies in the Commission, and Borough Council shall act within 90 days to fill those vacancies. Appointments to fill vacancies for unexpired terms shall only be filled for the unexpired portion of the term vacated. Members shall serve without pay but shall be reimbursed for any personal expenditures in the conduct of Commission business when authorized by Borough Council.
The Commission shall annually elect, from its own membership, a Chairman who will direct the activities of the Commission and such other officers as may be required to conduct its business. A quorum shall be a majority or more of its membership. The Commission may make, alter and rescind rules and forms for its procedures consistent with the ordinances of the Borough of Manheim and laws and regulations of the commonwealth. The Commission shall conduct business at regular public meetings. An agenda for each public meeting shall be available for inspection prior to the start of each meeting.
The Commission shall keep full public records of its business and shall submit a report of its activities to Borough Council annually. The report shall include, at a minimum, a list of all regular and special meetings, a listing of all cases handled and the decision in each case, a list of all Commission members and a list of all expenditures and a proposed budget. All records and papers shall be kept on file in the Borough office building.
Within the limits of funds appropriated by Borough Council, the Commission may employ staff or contract for clerical, consulting or other technical services.
Historic Commission members are required to recuse themselves from any discussion and disqualify themselves from voting on any project in which their own financial interest or those of their immediate families are involved.
In accordance with the purposes of this chapter, the Commission shall have the following functions and duties:
A. 
Participate in the preparation of Comprehensive Plan updates and assist with development of the historic preservation component of said Comprehensive Plan update.
B. 
Participate in the periodic review and update to Borough ordinances to ensure against provisions which may conflict with historic preservation goals.
C. 
Make proposals to Borough Council for the creation of historic preservation ordinances and/or their revision as may be required to implement the goals of the historic preservation plan.
D. 
Preparation of design guidelines for historic buildings to serve as an aid to owners of historic buildings.
E. 
Preparation and maintenance of maps and historic resource inventories in accordance with survey information either gathered by the Commission or provided by a consultant.
F. 
Provide information on historic preservation issues to the Borough Council.
G. 
Review and comment on proposals for demolition of historic structures.
H. 
Review and comment on proposals for additions and alterations to buildings or structures designated as historic resources.
I. 
Review and comment on proposals for infill and/or new construction in neighborhoods which support historic resources.
J. 
Work with the Planning Commission in review of land development and subdivision plans to determine if they will have an impact on historic resources and, if so, propose alternatives to mitigate any negative impact for presentation and consideration by the developer/builder/owner.
K. 
Review and comment on potential impact of proposed state and federal agency actions on historic resources.
L. 
Conduct research on and propose the nomination of significant resources to the National Register of Historic Places and other appropriate lists or programs.
M. 
Advise the Zoning Hearing Board and/or Borough Council on all requests for special exceptions, variances or conditional uses affecting historic resources.
N. 
Develop informational brochures and educational materials about the Borough's history and historic resources.
O. 
Develop a resource file or library to guide citizens in their preservation efforts.
P. 
Promote, conduct or participate in activities which educate or enhance the community's understanding of the Borough's history and historic resources.
Q. 
Develop a walking tour brochure and map which features Class I and Class II historic resources.
R. 
Actively pursue funding through grants, gifts, donations and other sources for the purposes stated herein.
S. 
Perform any other lawful activities which shall be deemed necessary to further the purposes of the historic preservation effort, stated in the intent, policy, goal or mission statements contained in the preface of this Ordinance No. 562.
All Commission reviews provided to the applicant, Codes Compliance Officer, Planning Commission and/or Borough Council shall be in the form of a "letter of appropriateness," which shall include an outline of the proposal along with any Commission recommendations and shall further note all points where the Commission and applicant agreed on the implementation of either the proposal and/or modification to the proposal.
The Commission shall establish bylaws for the purpose of directing its activities. Said bylaws shall be created in accordance with the provisions herein. Copies of any bylaws, policies or guidelines shall be provided to the Planning Commission and Borough Council as they are developed for public distribution.