[Adopted 12-27-1993 by Ord. No. 833 (Ch. 1, Art. VIII, § 1.101, of the 1980 Code of Ordinances)]
These general provisions shall apply only to the extent they are consistent with the law applicable to such board or commission.
The administrative boards and commissions specified in this Administrative Code have been or are hereby established for the proper and efficient conduct of municipal affairs. The purpose of these boards and commissions is to perform duties of a continuing nature in specific areas as designated by this Administrative Code or other ordinances of the Borough.
A. 
The boards and commissions designated in the following subsections of this article have been previously established by ordinance or are established by this Administrative Code. Additional boards or commissions shall, from time to time, be established by ordinance as deemed necessary by the Council. However, no additional boards or commissions may be created until the Council has determined that the functions of the proposed board or commission cannot be feasibly performed by one or more of the existing boards or commissions.
B. 
Those boards and commissions specified as being administrative boards or commissions in this Administrative Code have been or are hereby established within the requirements of the law and the ordinances of the Borough. Those boards and commissions designated as administrative boards shall have authority only in the specific areas of responsibility granted to such boards or commissions by law, this Administrative Code or by other ordinances of the Borough.
No administrative board or commission shall have the authority to spend Borough funds unless provided for in the budget, specifically approved by the Council and subsequently approved by the Secretary or a member of the administrative staff authorized so to do by the Secretary. The Secretary shall assign employees of the Borough to serve as liaison to and provide staff services to the boards and commissions. No administrative board or commission shall have the power to enter into contracts of any nature.
A. 
Appointment. Council shall appoint the members of administrative boards and commissions. Appointment to fill vacancies shall be only for the unexpired portion of the term.
B. 
Removal. Any member of an administrative board or commission may be removed prior to the expiration of his appointed term by a majority vote of the Council or in accordance with law.
C. 
Compensation. No member of any administrative board or commission shall be compensated for his duties.
A. 
Each member shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with any adverse action by reason of the fact that he is or was a member if the member acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Borough and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the member did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Borough and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
B. 
To the extent that the member has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any adverse action, he shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys' fees) actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection therewith as of right. In all other instances, indemnification should be made by the Borough only as authorized in a specific case upon a determination that the indemnification of the member is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth above. Such determination shall be made by the Council.
C. 
Expenses incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Borough in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding as authorized by the Council in a specific case upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the member to repay such an amount unless it shall ultimately be determined that he is entitled to be indemnified by the Borough as provided herein.
D. 
The indemnification provided by this subsection shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled by any contract or as a matter of law.
E. 
The indemnification shall continue as to such person who has ceased to be a member and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such person.
A. 
Chairman and Vice Chairman. A chairman and a vice chairman of each administrative board or commission shall be elected by the members of each board in January of each year. Each such officer shall serve a one-year term.
B. 
Secretary. The members of each administrative board or commission may elect one of their own members or appoint an employee of the Borough (to be designated by the Secretary) to act as secretary. The Secretary, if elected from the membership, shall serve a one-year term. If an appointed Borough employee, the Secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the board or commission.
A. 
Chairman and Vice Chairman. The Chairman or, in his absence, the Vice Chairman shall preside at all meetings and hearings of an administrative board or commission, decide all points of order or procedure and perform any other duties required by the law or by the ordinances of the Borough.
B. 
Secretary. The Secretary or his designee shall conduct, at the direction of the administrative board or commission, all official correspondence of the board or commission; shall send out all notices required by law; shall keep a record of each meeting, examination or other official action of the administrative board or commission; and shall perform all other duties required by the board or commission, this Administrative Code, law or the ordinances of the Borough.
A. 
All meetings and hearings of administrative boards and commissions shall be open to the public, unless otherwise permitted by law.
B. 
Regular meetings of administrative boards and commissions shall be held on a designated day as established at annual organizational meetings. The first regular meeting in January of each year shall constitute the annual organizational meeting of administrative boards and commissions.
C. 
Special meetings may be held as needed upon the call of the Chairman or Vice Chairman, provided that appropriate notice of each meeting is given to each member and to the public in accordance with the law.
D. 
A quorum shall consist of at least a majority of all members of the board or commission.
E. 
The Chairman or, in his absence, the Vice Chairman shall administer oaths and may compel the attendance of witnesses when required by law, in accordance with the provisions of the law.
F. 
The Secretary or his designee shall keep minutes of the administrative board or commission proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon each question or, if absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact.
G. 
A file of all materials and decisions relating to each case shall be kept by the Secretary or his designee as part of the records of each board or commission.
H. 
All records of administrative boards and commissions shall be public records, unless otherwise permitted by law.
I. 
All meetings of administrative boards and commissions shall be conducted in an orderly fashion and in accordance with the rules delineated in Robert's Rules of Order.