There is hereby created the park board (board) to be composed of five regular members and two alternate members. The board shall be officially designated as the park board.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
The board will assist the city council by providing community information and recommending improvements to park lands and park properties. The purposes of the board are to:
(1) 
Encourage and promote the creation and expansion of park lands and recreation facilities;
(2) 
Plan, recommend, originate, coordinate, and implement, with city council approval, improvements and future development of park lands within the city;
(3) 
The board is a recommending board only, subject to city council authority;
(4) 
The board will prepare and submit to the city council a monthly report of all board programs and services.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
(a) 
The board shall consist of a chairman, and four (4) regular members, each designated by place, being places 1 through 5 on the board. The board shall also consist of two (2) alternate members being alternate member #1 and alternate member #2.
(b) 
Members of the board, including the chair, are recommended by the mayor/city manager but appointed by the city council, with the approval of a majority vote of the city council. The city council may also remove a member by recommendation from the mayor/city manager with approval of a majority vote of the city council. The chair shall serve for a two-year term.
(c) 
Initial members of the board shall be appointed in June 2009 to places 1, 3 and 5 to serve until June 2011 and members to places 2 and 4 until June of 2010 or until their successors are qualified and appointed. Alternate member #1 shall be appointed in June 2009 until June of 2011 and alternate member #2 shall be appointed in June 2009 until June 2010 or until their successors are qualified or appointed.
(d) 
Board members shall serve for a term of two years beginning in June following their appointment or until their successors are qualified or appointed. Members in odd-numbered places will be appointed in odd-numbered years, and members in even-numbered places will be appointed in even-numbered years.
(e) 
If a vacancy occurs on the board, the vacancy shall be filled by recommendation from the mayor/city manager with the approval of a majority vote of the city council. A member appointed to fill a vacant place on the board shall serve for the length of the unexpired term.
(f) 
The members of the board shall be residents of the city except that a member may be appointed by special consent of the mayor with advise and consent from the city council that is a resident located within the district boundaries of the Castleberry Independent School District. In addition to the qualifications for service on a board required by the city charter, ordinances or state law, a person appointed to a board if applicable, must not be delinquent in the payment of taxes, water service charges, or other obligation to the city.
(g) 
Members of the board shall serve without compensation and until their successors are appointed and qualified.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09; Ordinance 1370-2023 adopted 2/14/2023; Ordinance 1382-2023 adopted 6/27/2023)
(a) 
Presiding officer.
The chair shall, when present, preside at all meetings of the board. In the absence of the chair, the vice-chair shall exercise the powers of the chair. If the chair ceases to preside during a meeting and no vice-chair is available, the chair may, subject to the approval of the board, appoint a temporary chair.
(1) 
Rulings.
The presiding officer shall rule on points of order and procedures that are brought up in board meetings.
(b) 
Vice-chairman.
The board will select a vice-chair and secretary by simple majority vote. The offices of vice-chair and secretary will be for a one-year term.
(c) 
Temporary chair.
If the chair and vice-chair are absent at the beginning of a meeting, the board shall elect a temporary chair.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
(a) 
Rules of order.
Unless otherwise provided by state law, another ordinance or the city charter, the board or this division, proceedings of a board or commission shall in all cases be governed by rules of order as set forth by the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
(b) 
Quorum.
Unless otherwise provided by state law, the city charter, or another ordinance, a quorum for the transaction of business of a board shall be three (3) members including the chair and vice-chair. At the beginning of each regular or special meeting, the chair shall determine whether or not a quorum exists in order to properly transact business. If a quorum does not exist 15 minutes after the time for which the meeting was called, the chair shall adjourn the meeting and either reschedule the meeting at its next regular time or call a special meeting, depending on the circumstances.
(c) 
Voting.
Every member present when a question is put, including the chair and vice-chair, shall vote either “aye” or “no” on each matter unless the member is prevented from voting because of a conflict of interest. A member who is absent from the meeting during the vote and returns to or arrives at the meeting before adjournment shall, upon returning or arriving, vote on the question for the record unless prevented from voting by a conflict of interest. A member recorded present during a meeting who does not vote and who is not prevented from voting by a conflict of interest shall be recorded as having voted in the affirmative, unless the member has obtained the consent of the chair to leave the meeting and is absent for the remainder of the meeting.
(d) 
Question to be stated.
The chair shall state all questions submitted for a vote, call for an affirmative and negative vote, and announce the result. A roll call vote shall be taken upon the request of any member.
(e) 
Duties and privileges.
When recognized by the chair, a member shall confine remarks to the question under debate, avoid personalities and refrain from impugning the motives of any other member’s argument or vote. No member shall address the chair or demand the floor while a vote is being taken.
(f) 
Right of appeal.
A member may appeal to the board from a ruling of the chair. If the appeal is seconded, the member making the appeal may briefly state reasons for the appeal and the chair may briefly explain the ruling, but there shall be no debate on the appeal and no other member shall participate in the discussion. The chair shall then put the question, “Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?” If a majority of the members present vote “aye,” the ruling of the chair is sustained; otherwise it is overruled.
(g) 
Limitation on debate.
No member shall be allowed to speak more than once upon any one subject until every other member choosing to speak on the subject has spoken.
(h) 
Personal privilege.
The right of a member to address the board on a question of personal privilege shall be limited to cases in which the member’s integrity, character, or motives are assailed, questioned, or impugned.
(i) 
Preservation of order.
The chair shall preserve order and decorum. The chair shall require members of the board engaged in debate to limit discussion to the question under consideration.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
The rules established in this division are applicable to this board unless otherwise provided to be contrary [to the contrary] in the charter or in any other ordinance or section of this code.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
The confidentiality of any file, record, or other data received by a board member that pertains to a land purchase, security, personnel, or legal matter shall be strictly maintained by every member.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
(a) 
Should any member of the board be absent from three meetings during any twelve-month period beginning from the date of appointment, it shall be the responsibility of the chair, or in his absence the secretary of the board, to notify the city council, through the city manager, with a record of the absences and of any extenuating circumstances related to the absences.
(b) 
Should one of the regular members be absent the chairman or in his absence the acting chairman is required to fill the vacancy for that meeting only with an alternate member that is present at the meeting. The alternate member will have the same voting powers and authority as for a regular member for the purpose of that particular meeting only.
(c) 
The chairman or acting chairman shall appoint the alternate member to fill the vacancy of a regular member by order of the number of the alternate member, in other words alternate member #1 shall fill the vacant place first followed by alternate member #2.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09; Ordinance 1239-2019, sec. 3, adopted 8/13/19)
The board may receive reports, advice, and available services from the various city departments as required and as directed by the city manager, or his designated representative.
(Ordinance 1239-2019, sec. 4, adopted 8/13/19)
(a) 
Regular meetings shall be scheduled on the first Thursday of every month in the community center at 6:30 p.m.
(b) 
Special meetings may be called by the chair at any time and shall be called by the chair upon written request of members comprising at least one-third of the board.
(c) 
Notice of all regular and special meetings of the board shall be published in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
(d) 
Public meetings.
(1) 
All meetings of a board shall be open to the public unless pertaining to matters authorized under the Texas Open Meetings Act to be discussed in closed meeting.
(2) 
When meeting in closed session, the chair shall publicly announce the category under the Texas Open Meetings Act that permits the closed meeting, and comply with all other requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act applicable to closed meetings.
(3) 
A printed agenda of items to be considered at each regular meeting shall be posted on the city bulletin board in front of the city hall, a place that is visible to the public at all times, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. If an emergency under the Texas Open Meetings Act exists, the agenda for an emergency meeting shall be posted two hours prior to the meeting.
(4) 
Compliance with this section shall be the responsibility of the city secretary or his/her designee designated to provide staff support to the board.
(e) 
Minutes.
Each board shall submit to the city secretary, within 14 days following each regular and special meeting, a list of members absent from the meeting and a copy of the minutes of the meeting.
(f) 
Conflict of interest.
(1) 
Voting required.
No attending member of a board shall be excused or shall abstain from voting on any matter before the board on which a vote is called or required, except where a board member’s substantial interest is involved, as provided by Texas Local Government Code, chapter 171. A member shall be considered to have a substantial interest in a matter whenever any matter before the board could or does affect the member’s financial interest or those of a business with which the member is associated, as set forth in chapter 171, Texas Local Government Code.
(2) 
When member stopped from voting.
A member stopped from voting on a matter for reasons of conflict of interest shall:
(A) 
Refrain from discussing the matter at any time with any other members of the board or any other body that will consider the matter;
(B) 
Execute an affidavit as required by the Texas Local Government Code, chapter 171;
(C) 
Shall abstain from further participation in the matter; and
(D) 
Refrain from voting on the matter.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)
All revenues derived from the activities of the park and recreation board are under the direct control of the city and shall be deposited to the city’s general fund and used to support related activities to the extent of city-wide needs as determined by the city council during the annual budgeting of funds for all city departments.
(Ordinance 813-09 adopted 5/26/09)