City of Lavon, TX City Secretary

(a)

The city secretary, subject to limitations defined in resolutions and ordinances of the city and state statutes, shall be the secretary for the city, responsible directly to city council for the proper administration and management of their duties, pursuant to the statutes of the state and the ordinances of the city, and the resolutions, board motions and directives of the city council.

(b)

The city secretary shall have all the power, authority and duties assigned to him/her by state law, the Code of Ordinances and other ordinances of the city.

(c)

The city secretary shall have discretionary authority to manage the city secretary’s office for the city in order to carry out directives of the city council.

(d)

The city secretary shall have discretionary authority to countersign all commissions issued to municipal officers and all licenses issued by the mayor, and keep a record of those commissions and licenses.

(e)

The city secretary shall have discretionary authority to perform all other duties required by law, ordinance, resolution, or order of the city council as evidenced by the majority vote of the city council.

(f)

The city secretary shall have discretionary authority to administer the records system of the city and insure that the system employs methods in accordance with current records procedures established by the city secretary and any limitations contained in the state statutes.

(g)

The city secretary shall have discretionary authority to ensure all records are available to staff members and filed in a logical and retrievable method.

(h)

The city secretary shall have discretionary authority to ensure that the records retention and destruction laws of the state and the United States are followed accurately and in a timely manner.

(i)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to research and prepare ordinances and resolutions as requested by the mayor or city council.

(j)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to serve as the human resource officer of the city, and to establish and maintain complete and current personnel records, including specific job descriptions, for all city employees.

(k)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to attend all meetings of the city council and shall keep, in a record provided for that purpose, accurate minutes of the governing body’s proceedings.

(1)

If the city secretary has subordinate members of his/her department, he/she may select a subordinate to serve in his/her place.

(2)

If the city secretary has no subordinate members of his/her department, the treasurer shall serve in the city secretary’s absence.

(l)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to attend each meeting of any other board or commission of the city that requires minutes be taken and does not provide for their own secretary. The city secretary shall keep, in a record provided for that purpose, accurate minutes of the proceedings.

(1)

If the city secretary has subordinate members of his/her department, he/she may select a subordinate to serve in his/her place.

(2)

If the city secretary has no subordinate members of his/her department, the treasurer shall serve in the city secretary’s absence.

(m)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to prepare draft minutes and submit them to the respective board for approval.

(n)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to prepare the final minutes of each meeting of the city council and ensure they include:

(1)

The date, time and location of the meeting;

(2)

The name of city council members present at the meeting;

(3)

Times during the meeting for which a city council member was absent;

(4)

The name of each municipal officer present at the meeting;

(5)

Times during the meeting for which a municipal officer who is in attendance was absent;

(6)

Each agenda item;

(7)

The topics of discussion under each agenda item;

(8)

Each motion made by a city council member, including the name of the city council member;

(9)

The name of the city council member who seconds the motion;

(10)

The vote on each motion, including the names of the council members that voted, and whether their vote was in favor, opposed or abstention;

(11)

In the case of a tie vote, the vote of the mayor, including the name of the mayor, and whether his/her vote was in favor, opposed or abstention;

(12)

The result of each motion, whether passed, failed, withdrawn or died for lack of second;

(13)

Information related to conflict of interests of the mayor or council member;

(14)

The time of each recess of the meeting, the duration of the recess and the time the meeting was restarted;

(15)

The name and topic of each guest or visitor speaking at the meeting;

(16)

The actual wording of each statement made “for the record” of the council meeting; and

(17)

The time of adjournment of each meeting.

(o)

Unless directed otherwise by the presiding officer, the city secretary shall have the responsibility to attend each executive session of the city council and keep an accurate certified agenda of the proceedings. When the city secretary is directed not to attend, the presiding officer shall have the responsibility to attend each executive session of the city council and keep an accurate certified agenda of the proceedings.

(p)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to cause an audio recording to be made of each city council meeting.

(q)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to engross and enroll all actions of the city council for the city, including:

(1)

All ordinances of the city;

(2)

All resolutions of the city;

(3)

All proclamations of the city;

(4)

All directives of the city council; and

(5)

All orders of the city council.

(r)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility for other duties and directives of the city council, as evidenced by the majority vote of the city council.

(s)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to devote all hours of work of the city secretary to city functions and business.

(t)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to keep the corporate seal of the city.

(u)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to notify the Texas Judicial Council (P.O. Box 12066, 205 West 14th St., Suite 600, Austin, TX 78711-2066) of the name of each person who is elected or appointed as mayor, municipal court judge, or clerk of a municipal court of the municipality. The secretary shall notify the judicial council within 30 days after the date of the person’s election or appointment.

(v)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to schedule and organize all notices and public hearings required for annexation, zoning change and variance requests.

(w)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to prepare all notices required under any regulation or ordinance of the municipality.

(x)

The city secretary shall be responsible for the proper care, custody and maintenance of all records of the city.

(y)

The city secretary shall carefully keep all contracts made by the governing body.

(z)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to report regularly to the city council on matters related to the city secretary’s office.

(aa)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to conduct all elections for the city and to provide notifications required by law.

(bb)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to track all termination of office dates for all boards and expiration dates of ordinances.

(cc)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to serve as the acting treasurer whenever a vacancy exists in the position of treasurer for the city. In such times the city secretary shall have the authority and responsibility to perform all the duties and responsibilities of the treasurer until a qualified treasurer has been named.

(dd)

The city secretary shall have the responsibility to perform the duties and act as the acting treasurer in such times as the treasurer is unavailable to perform their duties.

(2013 Code, sec. 3.2.5.4)

(a)

The city secretary shall report to and be responsible to the city council.

(b)

A member of the city council shall serve as the liaison to the office of city secretary.

(c)

A member of the city council, as the liaison to the office of city secretary, shall, subject to the review and approval of the city council, serve as the direct supervisor of the city secretary.

(d)

A member of the city council, as the liaison to the office of city secretary, shall, subject to the review and approval of the city council, ensure the city secretary receives the training, equipment and guidance necessary to perform all of the duties of city secretary.

(e)

The discretionary authority of the member of the city council, as the liaison to the office of city secretary, in matters of discipline, shall be limited to the right to place the city secretary on paid administrative leave until such time as the city council can meet to consider the disciplinary issue.

(1)

The right to place the city secretary on paid administrative leave shall be limited to issues for which the member of the city council, as the liaison to the office of city secretary, has good cause that leave is required in the best interest of the city.

(2)

A member of the city council, as the liaison to the office of city secretary, shall bring all matters of disciplinary problems involving the city secretary to the attention of the city council during executive session of the next upcoming city council meeting for which the agenda has not been set.

(f)

The city council shall review the city secretary’s job performance at least once annually in May or as soon as possible thereafter, when the city council schedules the staff reviews.

(2013 Code, sec. 3.2.5.5)