The board shall be named and referred to as the “Main Street Advisory Board,” (“board”) and shall be comprised of members appointed by the City of Brenham (“city”) City Council.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
The purpose and responsibility of the board shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) 
To develop plans and programs to stimulate both historic preservation and economic development and vitality in downtown Brenham.
(2) 
To work with the Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau to implement marketing strategies to help improve sales in downtown Brenham and create a positive public image.
(3) 
To develop financial assistance programs and grants to assist downtown business and property owners.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
The board shall serve in an advisory capacity. All recommendations of the board regarding policies, procedures, and programming shall be presented to the city council for final approval, as applicable.
The board shall be subject to and comply with all applicable local, state or federal laws, rules, regulations, acts or mandates.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
The membership requirements of the board are as follows:
(1) 
Members must be residents of Washington County, Texas.
(2) 
Members must be qualified voters of Washington County, Texas.
(3) 
Members must not be in arrears in the payment of any taxes or other liability due to the City of Brenham.
(4) 
Members shall be knowledgeable about marketing, financing, historic preservation or other special disciplines important to the overall purpose of the board.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
All persons interested in serving as a city appointee on the board must complete an application which shall include information about the applicant’s background, current and past occupations, involvement in and knowledge of issues related to the board, and any other information deemed appropriate by the city. All applications must be submitted to the city secretary by October 1 of each year.
The mayor and city manager will review all submitted applications and make recommendations to the city council regarding appointments to the board. Appointments to the board will be made by the city council in December of each year or as soon as practicable thereafter.
In the event of an unexpected medical or personal emergency an interim member may be appoint for a term of not more than six (6) months by the mayor. The interim member shall have all the rights and responsibilities of the incumbent member while serving in the incumbent member’s position.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
The board shall consist of eleven (11) members appointed by the mayor and city council. All members shall be appointed to staggered three-year terms, expiring on December 31 of each calendar year.
The authority vested in the board shall be exercised only at a meeting of a quorum of its members. Six (6) members of the board shall constitute a quorum. Any action taken by the board shall be by simple majority vote of the members present at a properly constituted meeting. A board member may cast only a single vote on any issue. Proxy votes are prohibited. Alternate and ex-officio members shall not vote.
The board members serve at the pleasure of the city council. The city council retains the right to remove any board member at any time and for any reason.
The terms of the members and officers of the board shall be on a calendar year basis, i.e. terms shall begin on January 1 and end on December 31. In the event that appointments are not made prior to the expiration of a member’s term, such member shall continue to serve until his/her successor is appointed by the city council.
Resignations from the board shall be submitted in writing to the board chairperson and the mayor. Vacancies resulting from a resignation, or any other cause, will be filled by the mayor and city council. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remaining unexpired term of the position to which the person was appointed.
Members of this board shall not use their position for a purpose that is or gives the appearance of being a conflict of interest. In the event that a member becomes aware of a conflict of interest, or potential conflict of interest, with regard to any particular item being considered by the board, they shall immediately notify the chairman and shall abstain from the consideration of and voting on the item, unless the board determines that no conflict of interest exists. A “conflict of interest” is generally defined as a situation in which a board member’s personal interests might be served or financial benefits gained as a result of, or relating to, a decision of the board.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
For the purpose of establishing and maintaining three-year staggered terms, each member shall be assigned a member position. The following member positions are hereby established:
Member position 1: Expiring December 31, 2015
Member position 2: Expiring December 31, 2016
Member position 3: Expiring December 31, 2014
Member position 4: Expiring December 31, 2015
Member position 5: Expiring December 31, 2016
Member position 6: Expiring December 31, 2014
Member position 7: Expiring December 31, 2015
Member position 8: Expiring December 31, 2016
Member position 9: Expiring December 31, 2014
Member position 10: Expiring December 31, 2015
Member position 11: Expiring December 31, 2016
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
A chairperson and vice chairperson shall be elected annually by the members of the board. The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the board and shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the board or the city council. The chairperson shall have the power to appoint subcommittees, as he/she deems necessary to achieve the objectives of the board. In the event there is a vacancy in the chairperson position, or the chairperson is otherwise unable to act, the vice chairperson shall perform the duties of chairperson until such time as a chairperson is elected by the members of the board to fill such vacancy, or is otherwise able to act.
In the absence of the chairperson from a meeting of the board, the vice chairperson shall serve as the presiding officer during the meeting. If both the chairperson and vice chairperson are absent from a meeting of the board, the board members present at the meeting shall elect a member of the board to serve as the temporary presiding officer during the meeting.
Resignation of the chairperson from the chairperson position shall be by letter to all other board members. If the chairperson or vice chairperson resigns from their officer position but continues to serve on the board, the members shall elect a new chairperson or vice chairperson as soon as practicable. If the chairperson or vice chairperson resigns from their officer position and does not continue serving on the board, the member position will be considered vacant.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
A staff liaison will be designated by the city manager and shall serve as a communications liaison between the board and the city. The staff liaison will perform support services, provide technical data, prepare agendas for the meetings, post notices of the meetings, prepare minutes of the meetings, and any other functions as requested by the city. The staff liaison shall be considered a nonvoting, ex-officio member of the board.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
The board shall meet as needed, upon the direction of the chairperson, vice chairperson, or upon request of a majority of the members of the board.
An agenda of issues to be considered at each board meeting shall be posted on the external bulletin board at city hall at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting time. All meetings of the board will be held in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act and shall be open to the public, except as may otherwise be allowed by law.
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all matters of parliamentary procedure in conducting board meetings.
Emergency meetings to address matters of an urgent nature may be called provided each member is notified by telephone or by personal contact, provided notice is posted at least two (2) hours prior to the meeting time, and provided said meeting is held in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
An agenda of each meeting and minutes of the meeting shall be delivered to each member of the board and the city secretary’s office.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
Members of the board are required to maintain regular attendance at all meetings. Members who cannot attend a meeting should, as soon as possible, notify the chairman or staff liaison of his/her absence as soon as possible prior to the meeting.
Three (3) consecutive absences from regular meetings, or absences from more than twenty-five (25) percent of the meetings in a six-month period, shall cause the staff liaison to report the member’s attendance record to the city manager.
The city manager shall review the circumstances of the absences and determine if the member should be recommended to the city council for removal.
A board member who misses fifty (50) percent of the scheduled meetings in a one-year period shall not be eligible for reappointment to the board.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)
All new board members shall attend training on the Texas Open Meetings Act, the Texas Public Information Act, and any applicable laws pertaining to the board. Such training must be held within ninety (90) days of the new member’s appointment to the board.
(Ordinance O-14-014 adopted 3/6/14)