Membership on all city boards and commissions shall be accompanied by active participation in the activities of the commission or board and any member who is absent for three consecutive regular meetings of the commission or board or whose overall attendance at regular meetings for any 12-month period falls below 75 percent, shall automatically be dismissed from membership unless the chairman of the board writes a letter or appears before the city council and informs the council of the reason why the member should not be dismissed, and the council decides to permit the member to continue to serve. Vacancies occurring in the commission or board, for whatever reason, shall be filled within 30 days by appointment by the city council for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members of the commission or board shall be considered at-will appointees.
(Ordinance 2019-11 adopted 11/12/2019)
(a) 
Created, number of members, compensation.
There is hereby created a beautification commission to be known as the Keep Simonton Beautiful Commission for the restoration, preservation and enhancement of scenic beauty, consisting of seven members who shall be residents of the city and who shall serve without compensation. The city administrator shall serve as commission coordinator.
(b) 
Appointment; terms; ex officio members; duties of city administrator.
The members of the beautification commission shall be appointed by the city council, three such members to be appointed in each even-numbered year and four such members to be appointed in each odd-numbered year, the appointments to be made each year within 30 days following the regular election. The term of office of each such member shall be two years. In addition, the director of parks and recreation, as a representative of the city manager, shall be an ex officio member of the commission, and shall serve the commission in an advisory capacity, but shall have no voting rights and shall attend the meetings of the beautification commission. The city administrator shall also coordinate the activities of the beautification commission.
(c) 
Organization; rules of procedure.
The beautification commission shall annually elect one of its members as chairman, and shall establish its own rules and procedures which shall include the following:
(1) 
A quorum shall consist of the majority of the voting members of the commission and an affirmative vote of the majority of those present shall be necessary to pass upon pending questions, the chairman being entitled to vote upon questions.
(2) 
Meetings shall be held not less than once each month, shall be open to the public, and a record of all proceedings shall be kept, which records shall be filed with the person performing the duties of city secretary and shall be a public record.
(d) 
Powers and duties.
The beautification commission shall be and is hereby vested with the following powers and duties:
(1) 
Recommend to the city council for adoption, policies regarding the landscaping and the placement of trees, grass, shrubs, flowers and decorations within the corporate limits of the city, including public parks and private property used for public purpose.
(2) 
Recommend to the city council for adoption, policies concerning the aesthetic qualities that are involved in preserving and enhancing scenic beauty in planning and zoning the future development and redevelopment of the municipality to include control and elimination of junkyards and automobile graveyards.
(3) 
Recommend to the city, for adoption, legislative changes with regard to the handling of solid waste or the control and elimination of litter, trash and waste materials.
(4) 
Conduct a continuous education program designed to change the attitude of all the citizens of the city toward the disposal of waste and to motivate citizens to keep their city clean.
(5) 
Encourage citizen involvement and participation.
(6) 
Encourage strict code enforcement.
(7) 
Introduce new forms of technology.
(8) 
Develop programs within the city government and community which will aid in the sustained reduction of litter.
(9) 
Periodically measure litter accumulation in the city.
(10) 
Make an annual report to the city council showing the activities of the commission and the Keep Simonton Beautiful subcommittees for the current year.
(11) 
Initiate studies and undertake review of the waste problem in the city.
(12) 
Perform such other duties and be vested with such other powers as the city council shall from time to time authorize.
(e) 
Subcommittees.
To exercise the powers and accomplish the duties of the Keep Simonton Beautiful Commission, the commission may establish subcommittees including, but not limited to, the areas of business and industry, communications, community organizations, municipal operations and schools. Each subcommittee shall be chaired by a Keep Simonton Beautiful member with an unspecified number of community volunteers chosen by the commission as working subcommittee staff.
(f) 
Funding.
Office space, supplies, telephone, postage and secretarial support for the Keep Simonton Beautiful Commission shall be furnished by the city within the budgetary appropriation process. Additional funds involving travel or training shall also be supplied by the city within council-imposed budgetary restraints. However, supplemental funds for commission activities may be gained from donations. Such donations may be received by the city from the general public, business, industry, foundations and other sources for the purposes set forth in this division.
(g) 
Affiliations.
Keep Simonton Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful.
(Ordinance 2019-11 adopted 11/12/2019)