A. 
It is found that the protection, enhancement, perpetuation, and use of districts, sites, and structures of historic, cultural, and architectural significance located within the city are of aesthetic and economic value to the city. It is further found that cultural and historic resources contribute to the city's character, atmosphere, and reputation, and that respecting the heritage of the city will enhance its economic, cultural, and aesthetic standing. Therefore, it is imperative that the city safeguards these irreplaceable resources for the welfare, enjoyment, and education of the present and future community.
B. 
The purpose of this chapter is to:
1. 
Provide a mechanism to identify, designate, protect, preserve, enhance, and perpetuate those historic sites, structures, and objects that embody and reflect the city's aesthetic, cultural, architectural, and historic heritage;
2. 
Foster civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments represented by the city's historic landmarks and distinctive neighborhoods and recognize these resources as economic assets;
3. 
Encourage the protection, enhancement, appreciation, and use of structures of historical, cultural, architectural, community, or aesthetic value that have not been designated as historical resources but are deserving of recognition;
4. 
Enhance the quality of life and promote future economic development within the city by stabilizing and improving the aesthetic and economic value of such districts, sites, structures, and objects;
5. 
Encourage adaptive reuse of the city's historic resources by promoting public awareness of the value of rehabilitation, restoration, and maintenance of existing buildings as a means to conserve reusable material and energy resources;
6. 
Integrate historic preservation within the city's comprehensive development plan;
7. 
Promote and encourage historic preservation through continued private ownership and utilization of such sites, buildings, and other structures now so owned and used, to the extent that the objectives listed above can be attained under such policy.
(Code 1980, § 2.24.010; Ord. No. 848, § 3(attach. A), 7-6-2011; Ord. No. 870 (Recodification), 2014)
The following terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the meaning set forth in this section, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
"Alteration"
means any act or process that modifies a historic landmark or contributing resource that either:
A. 
Requires a building permit and changes one or more of the features of a landscape or structure, including, without limitation, the erection, construction, reconstruction, or relocation of any structure or any part of a structure; or
B. 
Significantly changes any feature of a landscape or exterior of a structure that relates to its status as a historic landmark or contributing resource, regardless of whether such act or process requires a building permit.
"Building and safety official"
means the building and safety official of the city or designee.
"Commission"
means the city historic preservation commission.
"Conservation district"
means an area of the city designated as a conservation district pursuant to this chapter.
"Contributing resource"
means any site, sign, structure, building, landscape, object, area, place, or feature within a conservation district that is either a separately designated historic landmark or designated as a resource that contributes to the district's historic, cultural, or architectural significance.
"Demolition"
means any act or process that destroys, in whole or in part, a building, structure, or site, or permanently impairs its structural integrity.
"Historic landmark"
means any structure, any site, sign, structure, building, landscape, object, area, place, or feature designated as a historic landmark pursuant to this chapter.
"Inventory of historic resources"
means the inventory adopted by the commission of potentially historic sites, structures, buildings, landscapes, areas, and places in the city.
"Ordinary maintenance and repair"
means any work for which a building permit is not required by law, the purpose and effect of which is to correct any deterioration of or damage to an improvement or natural feature or any part thereof and to restore the same to its condition prior to the occurrence of such deterioration or damage.
"Planning director"
means the planning director of the city or designee.
"Point of historic interest"
means a location designated as a point of historic interest pursuant to this chapter.
"Register of historic resources"
means the inventory adopted by the commission of historic landmarks, points of historic interest, and conservation districts designated pursuant to this chapter.
"Rehabilitation"
means the act or process of making possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or architectural significance.
"Restoration"
means the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period, which may include the limited and sensitive upgrade of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make the property functional.
"Secretary's standards"
means the standards for the treatment of historic properties adopted by the United States Secretary of the Interior, and all guidelines adopted for the implementation of the same.
"Small business"
means any office-type use that does not exceed 2,500 square feet, with no more than five employees.
"State historical building code"
means Health and Safety Code § 18950 et seq., and the California Historical Building Code, codified at part 8, title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, as either of these may be amended from time to time.
(Code 1980, § 2.24.020; Ord. No. 848, § 3(attach. A), 7-6-2011; Ord. No. 870 (Recodification), 2014)
A. 
Creation. There is created the historic preservation commission of the city.
B. 
Powers and duties. The commission shall have the following powers and duties in addition to any other duties specified in this chapter:
1. 
Administer the provisions of this chapter.
2. 
Advise the city council in all matters pertaining to historic preservation.
3. 
Maintain a current register of designated historic resources for public use and information.
4. 
Maintain a current inventory of potentially historic resources for public use and information.
5. 
Recommend the designation of historical resources, as hereinafter provided by this chapter.
6. 
Review and hold public hearings on applications for certificates of appropriateness, as hereinafter provided.
7. 
Review and comment on the decisions and documents, including, but not limited to, environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, and environmental impact statements, prepared by other public agencies when such decisions or documents might affect designated or potential historical resources within the city.
8. 
Participate in, promote, and conduct public informational, educational, and interpretive programs pertaining to historical resources.
9. 
Recommend and encourage the protection, enhancement, appreciation, and use of structures of historical, cultural, architectural, community or aesthetic value that have not been designated as historical resources but are deserving of recognition.
10. 
Consider requests by property owners for non-technical advice on proposed work on historical landmarks and contributing resources.
11. 
Perform any other functions that may be designated by resolution or action of the city council.
C. 
Membership; appointment and terms. The commission shall consist of five voting members who shall each be residents of the city and appointed by the city council.
1. 
Each member shall serve a term of four years, except that two of the members first appointed shall be designated to serve a term of two years, and three of the members for a term of four years, so as to provide a continuity of membership on the commission. Thereafter, the term for each voting member shall be four years. An appointment to fill an unexpired term shall be for the remainder of such unexpired term. Three members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
2. 
Commission members shall be appointed to terms commencing on January 1 next succeeding each regular municipal election scheduled to occur in November of even-number years.
D. 
Chairperson and vice-chairperson; appointment and term. The mayor, with the approval of the city council, shall appoint the first chairperson from among the members of the commission. The term of office of the chairperson shall be for the calendar year or that portion remaining after the chairperson is appointed or elected. Thereafter, when there is a vacancy in the office of the chairperson, the commission shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson each year in the month of July from among its members. The same individual shall not hold the position of chairperson for more than three years in a row.
E. 
Assignment of duties by city council.
1. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the city council may, by resolution, designate the planning commission as the historic preservation commission and vest all functions, rights, powers, and duties of the historic preservation commission in the planning commission. In the event the city council so designates the planning commission, the membership, terms of office and officers of the historic preservation commission shall be the same as that set forth for the planning commission.
2. 
If, on the effective date of this section, the planning commission is then acting as the historic preservation commission pursuant to the city council's previous designation, such designation shall continue in effect and the planning commission shall continue to act as the historic preservation commission subject to the requirements and terms of this chapter.
F. 
Secretary. The planning director shall act as secretary to the commission and shall be custodian of its records, conduct official correspondence, and generally coordinate the clerical and technical work of the commission in administering this chapter.
(Code 1980, § 2.24.030; Ord. No. 848, § 3(attach. A), 7-6-2011; Ord. No. 870 (Recodification), 2014)