This division shall be applicable to all city boards and commissions
members whether in existence now or in the future. Nothing in this
division shall be deemed to overrule a specific provision of an ordinance
applicable to a specific board or commission. In the event of conflict,
this division should be harmonized with any other ordinance. In the
event harmonizing is not possible, the provisions of the specific
ordinance shall prevail.
(Ordinance 05-O-23, sec. 2, adopted 5/9/2005; 2009 Code, sec. 1.07.001)
Board and commission members shall act and conduct themselves
in a manner which will promote trust in their integrity, impartiality,
and their devotion to the best interests of the city. During meetings,
board and commission members shall preserve order and decorum and
shall conduct themselves in a manner which will not, either by conversation
or activity, delay or interrupt the proceedings. Board and commission
members shall not indulge in personalities, use offensive language,
arraign the motives of members, charge deliberate misrepresentation,
or use language tending to hold any board and commission members,
council members, the public, or the staff in contempt. Board and commission
members will comply with the directions of the presiding officer.
The board and commission members shall treat each other with dignity,
respect and civility.
(Ordinance 05-O-23, sec. 3, adopted 5/9/2005; 2009 Code, sec. 1.07.002)
Board and commission members will represent unconflicted loyalty
to the interests of the citizens. This accountability supersedes any
conflicting loyalty such as that to advocacy or interest groups and
membership on other boards, commissions, or staffs. This accountability
supersedes the personal interest of any board or commission member
acting as an individual citizen of the city.
(Ordinance 05-O-23, sec. 4, adopted 5/9/2005; 2009 Code, sec. 1.07.003)
Board and commission members shall dress for meetings in a manner
that is appropriate for their position as a board or commission member
of the city. All board and commission members shall dress in a manner
to show the city as a positive, professional organization.
(Ordinance 05-O-23, sec. 5, adopted 5/9/2005; 2009 Code, sec. 1.07.004)
(a) All
members of boards, committees, commissions, task forces, and/or Blue
Ribbon panels will be appointed by the city council. The council may
consider recommendations from the board, committee, or commission
related to the application(s) received.
(b) Members
shall be eighteen (18) years of age, or older.
(c) The
boards and commissions shall be comprised of citizens who are qualified
voters and reside within the corporate limits of the city. The council
may also consider applicants who reside outside of the city limits,
for example within the corporate boundaries of the Liberty Hill Independent
School District (LHISD), the 78642 zip code, the area covered by the
city’s utility systems, or in the city’s extraterritorial
jurisdiction territory (ETJ). The city council may waive these requirements
and consider other criteria in filling a position.
(d) Members
shall have no outstanding debts to the city nor any pending litigation,
and no history of being terminated from a city board or committee
for cause. No member may serve on more than one (1) standing board
or commission but may serve on “ad hoc” and “special
committees” (of a temporary nature) in addition to a standing
committee, with prior approval of the city council.
(e) No
city employee may serve as a member of a board or commission except
as a staff liaison in a non-voting support role.
(f) No
member of the city council may serve as a permanent member of a standing
committee.
(g) Members
of boards and committees serve as volunteers, without pay.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.005,
adopted 2/8/2023)
(a) Applicants
will submit an application form prescribed by the city, completed
in a timely manner, to be considered for appointment.
(b) Applications
are available online on the city website or from the office of the
city secretary.
(c) Applications
shall be accompanied by an updated resume and/or letter of interest
from the applicant.
(d) Some
boards may require special training, experience, or license(s). The
applicant will be responsible to provide proof of required qualifications
for the application to be considered complete.
(e) By
completing the city’s required application form, applicants
agree to the following:
(1) They are not a party to litigation nor have any outstanding claim(s)
against the city.
(2) They are not in arrears of city taxes, city utilities, or other city
assessments, meaning ninety (90) days or more delinquent.
(3) Members must maintain their residency qualifications, if any, while
serving on a board or commission.
(4) No member of any appointed board or commission shall serve on more
than one permanent board or commission.
(5) No member may be appointed to any boards, committees or commissions if related to a member of the city council or senior city staff to a degree prohibited in the city’s ethics ordinance (article
2.05 of the Code of Ordinances).
(6) Members appointed serve without compensation.
(7) All members of city boards, committees, or commissions must complete training on the Texas Open Meetings Act laws, as well as training from the city secretary’s office staff related to ethics (article
2.05 of the Code of Ordinances), conflicts of interest, parliamentary procedure, and the council’s rules of decorum.
(8) Members of boards and commissions agree to utilize email accounts
assigned to them on the city’s domain for committee business
and provide information as may be requested under Public Information
Act.
(9) For commissions, committees and boards which deal with confidential
information, a non-disclosure agreement (NOA) may be required.
(10) For commissions, committees and boards which deal with confidential
information, appointment may be contingent upon a background check.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.006,
adopted 2/8/2023)
(a) Terms
on city boards and commissions are two (2) years.
(b) The
terms of office shall be staggered within each board and commission.
(c) No
member of a board or commission may serve more than three (3) terms
or six (6) consecutive years on any one board or commission, without
prior approval of the city council.
(d) Terms
will begin July 1st and end on June 30th, two years later.
(e) All
vacancies, as possible, will be filled by the council during the first
council meeting in the month of June. Applications will be accepted
annually from March 1st through May 30th.
(f) Appointments
may also be done when a vacancy occurs due to resignation or council
removal of a member.
(g) Vacancies
are created when a member moves out of the applicable territory, misses
more than 50% of the meetings or more than three months of consecutive
meetings without excuse, removal by the city council, or resignation
before their term is up.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.006,
adopted 2/8/2023; Ordinance
2023-O-0009 adopted 3/8/2003; Ordinance 2023-O-009 adopted 3/9/2023)
A majority of the appointed members shall constitute a quorum
for the transaction of business. Boards and commissions have the power
to promulgate their own rules governing the meetings and proceedings,
subject to the provisions of this division, but the boards and commissions
shall have at least one regular meeting at least every 90 days. Special
meetings shall be called by the chairman or upon written request of
three members of the commission. All meetings of the commission shall
be conducted in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.007,
adopted 2/8/2023)
All boards, committees, and commissions shall receive training
as coordinated by city staff regarding the Texas Open Meetings Act,
the Texas Public Information Act, the city’s code of ethics,
social media guidelines, and parliamentary procedure. Training shall
be conducted within 90 days from appointment.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.008,
adopted 2/8/2023)
Each board, commission and committee may have bylaws which will
specify their own policies and procedures, officers of the body, meeting
dates, and any policies/procedures unique to the body. Some commissions
and boards will have state laws/statutory regulations which apply.
The bylaws shall not contradict this division or state law.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.009,
adopted 2/8/2023)
A member may be removed by the city council at any time for
any reason.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.010,
adopted 2/8/2023)