[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Smithfield 9-2-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-06; amended in its entirety 7-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-03 . Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
The Town Council finds that an Economic Development Commission
is needed to encourage and enhance the business climate by promoting
a variety of incentive programs and support services for both new
and existing businesses consistent with the goals of the community.
There is hereby established an Economic Development Commission
to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
A.
The Economic Development Commission shall consist of five regular
members and two alternate members who shall be designated as first
and second alternates. All Commission members shall be appointed by
the Town Council from among the qualified voters of the Town. Each
regular member shall serve a term of three years, except that the
terms shall be arranged so that the term of one regular member shall
expire each year. Each alternate member shall serve a term of one
year.
B.
The alternate members shall sit and may actively participate in the
meetings of the Commission. The first alternate shall vote if a regular
member of the Commission is unable to attend or participate in a meeting
and the second alternate shall vote if two regular members of the
Commission are unable to attend or participate in a meeting. In the
absence of the first alternate member, the second alternate member
shall serve in the position of the first alternate member.
In the event of a vacancy on the Commission, the Town Council
shall make an interim appointment for the remainder of the unexpired
term. In the event that a Commission member shall have missed three
consecutive regular meetings without the consent of the Commission
Chair, then his or her membership shall expire forthwith and the Town
Council shall make an interim appointment to fill the unexpired term
of the vacancy.
The Commission shall organize annually in January or the first
meeting of the year. The Commission, by election, shall select from
its membership a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary and may adopt any
rules of procedure deemed necessary for the proper discharge of its
duties. Meetings of the Commission shall be conducted in accordance
with the Rhode Island Open Meetings Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See R.I.G.L. § 42-46-1 et seq.
Three members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, and
no vacancy in the membership shall impair the right of a quorum to
exercise all the rights and perform all of the duties of the Commission.
The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
A.
The Commission is an advisory board to the Town Council. The general
purposes of the Commission are to:
(1)
Establish long-and short-term economic development goals for the
Town, including goals proposed for inclusion in the Comprehensive
Community Plan;
(2)
Provide support and outreach to existing businesses in the Town;
(3)
Provide support and outreach to new businesses seeking to locate
in the Town;
(4)
Research properties in the Town that may be available for attracting
new businesses;
(5)
Develop a site inventory of potentially suitable sites for location
and relocation of businesses; and
(6)
Research local and statewide resources available to Smithfield businesses.
B.
As an advisory board, the Commission is intended to provide assistance
to the Town Council, and input to the Town administration regarding
issues and programs relating to economic development in Smithfield.
In addition, the Commission is intended to act as a local resource
for the community relative to economic development issues. In this
respect, the Commission shall:
(1)
Establish a work program based upon the action items included in
the Economic Development element of the Comprehensive Community Plan;
(2)
Meet on a monthly basis and report on an annual basis to the Town
Council regarding the status of implementation of economic development
initiatives within Smithfield;
(3)
Work with local businesses to strengthen their competitiveness and
to increase their ability to access competitive funding sources (state
and federal);
(4)
Act as an advocate and catalyst for economic development issues within
the Town.
(5)
Provide advisory review and assistance to the Town Council relative
to local ordinances and land development projects and potential modifications
to the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision and Land Development Regulations
aimed at improving the economic development climate within the Town;
and
(6)
Provide advisory review and assistance concerning any economic development
matter referred to it by the Town Council.
