(a) 
City council committees.
The city council may, as need arises, authorize the appointment of ad hoc council committees. Except where otherwise provided by the city Charter, the mayor shall appoint members of the city council committees, subject to the approval of the council. Any committee so created shall cease to exist upon the accomplishment of the special purpose for which it was created or when abolished by a majority of the city council. No committee so appointed shall have powers other than advisory to the city council or the city manager, except as otherwise provided by city charter.
(b) 
Citizen boards, commissions and committees.
The city council may create and establish other committees, boards and commissions to assist in the conduct of the city government with such duties as the city council may specify, not inconsistent with the city Charter or this Code. Memberships and selection of members shall be as provided by the city council if not specified by the city Charter. Any committees, boards or commissions so created shall cease to exist upon the accomplishment of the special purpose for which they were created, or when abolished by majority vote of the city council. No committee so appointed shall have powers other than advisory to the city council or the city manager, except as otherwise provided for in the city Charter. No committee so appointed shall have powers other than advisory to the city council or the city manager, except as otherwise provided by city Charter.
(Ordinance 3840, § 2, adopted 2/12/2024)
(a) 
Exemptions.
The following subject matters are exempt from the operation of this section.
(1) 
Eligibility for appointment to the planning and zoning commission; eligibility for appointment to the civil service commission.
(2) 
Method of conducting business of the board of adjustment civil service commission and planning and zoning commission.
(3) 
Construction board of appeals.
(4) 
Youth advisory committee.
(5) 
All statutorily created boards.
(b) 
Definition.
The word "board" as used herein means "board," "commission," or "committee" of the city.
(c) 
Composition of boards.
Each board shall consist of members who will serve in numbered places on each board. The city council member whose place-number coincides with the numbered place on each board shall have the right to nominate a person to serve in that place on each board. The actual appointment will be subject to the approval of the city council.
(d) 
Terms of office.
It is directed that terms of office for each board shall begin on July 1 of the first year of the appointment and shall end on June 30 of the last year of the appointment. A member shall serve until his successor is duly appointed and qualified.
(e) 
Citizens' pool.
The city council directs that a citizens' pool be created from applications received by the city secretary. The city secretary shall create this pool by soliciting and receiving applications from the public. The city secretary is authorized to advertise in the news media, Citicable television and in any reasonable manner calculated to spawn interest by citizens in serving on city boards.
(f) 
Information sheets and application forms.
The city secretary will make available to potential applicants information sheets on each board showing the reason for the board's existence, nature of the duties and other pertinent information which may be available to a person in selecting a board upon which to serve. The city secretary shall also make available to potential applicants an application form which is on file in the city secretary's office.
(g) 
Dating and filing of applications.
The city secretary will date stamp each application as received and the application shall remain on file for a period of one year and shall be made available to city council members to consider during that one-year period.
(h) 
Notification of term expiration.
In February of each year, the city secretary shall send a letter to each council member letting that council member know which of his nominees have expiring terms on June 30 of that year. The city secretary shall send to the serving member of the board any letter which may be directed by a council member who is responsible for a nomination to that particular place on a board. If so directed, the city secretary shall send a letter asking if a board member wishes to be reappointed and if that member wishes to update his application.
(i) 
Worksheet.
In February of each year, the city secretary will provide each council member with a worksheet showing his serving nominations and the date that each person's service is due to expire. The worksheet will further show the original appointment date last reappointment date and attendance records for the past eight months.
(j) 
Actions on nominations; affinity or consanguinity.
Each council member shall send his nominations for each board to the city secretary prior to July 1 of each year. The city council will act upon the nominations and appoint board members at the first meeting in July of each year, or a soon thereafter as practicable. No appointee shall be related to the appointing council member within the second degree of affinity or within the third degree of consanguinity. The preceding sentence will not affect any person now serving on a board so long as that person serves on the same board.
(k) 
Certificate of appointment.
The city secretary will send each member a certificate of appointment. The city secretary shall further send each applicant who was not appointed an appropriate letter of appreciation.
(l) 
Terms of office.
The terms of office for each board member shall coincide with the term of the mayor and council members, unless appointed to fulfill a vacancy. The elected official who nominated the appointee may remove his appointee at any time.
(m) 
Attendance reports.
The staff person providing support to that particular board shall keep attendance reports at all meetings. The staff person will forward the attendance reports to the city secretary on or before the last day of each month. The city secretary will prepare a report for the city council showing attendance records for each board and each member thereof. This report shall be provided to the city council each month. A member shall attend a minimum of 75 percent of the board's meetings from July 1 through June 30, if not he/she shall automatically be dropped from membership on the board. Automatic removal for failure to meet this attendance requirement shall not apply to a board or commission that meets less than four times within a 12 month period (July 1 - June 30), or to a board or commission for which a separate removal process is set forth in the City Charter or the City Code of Ordinances.
The city secretary shall inform a council member if their appointee has missed three meetings within a six month timeframe. The attendance reports referred to in this paragraph shall be made available to the city council and a copy furnished upon request. Attendance at all regular meetings, special meetings and workshops shall be recorded and used to calculate attendance percentages.
(n) 
Meetings; officers.
Boards of the city shall conduct its business in compliance with the Open Meetings Act, V.T.C.A., Government Code § 551.001 et seq., the Open Records Act, V.T.C.A., Government Code § 552.001 et seq., and the oath and statement requirements of state law for statutory boards. Each board will elect officers pursuant to its own rules. Any change in officers shall be reported to the city secretary by the staff person charged with providing support for that particular board.
(o) 
Minutes.
Minutes shall be kept of each board meeting. The staff person, providing support to that board, and the officers of the board are responsible for providing the city secretary with a signed, approved copy of each set of minutes. The city secretary shall keep a permanent file of the original minutes. Copies of the minutes of each meeting, showing attendance and absences shall be forwarded to the city council by the city secretary.
(p) 
Orientation.
Immediately following the appointment process in July of each year, the staff person providing support for each board is charged with the duty to familiarize each board member with the functions of that board. Following the July appointment process, the first meeting of each board shall accommodate an orientation period, which shall be set aside for the purpose of helping members become more knowledgeable about his particular board, its functions, state or city laws or rules affecting the board.
(q) 
Training programs.
Members of the board of adjustment and the planning and zoning commission shall be required to attend a minimum of one regional or statewide training program during each two-year term, which is designed to educate members in the functions of those boards. The city shall bear the direct expense of this training for board members. The training program shall be designated by the city manager and approved by the city council. Staff shall conduct an annual training session for the planning and zoning commission and the zoning board of adjustment, which shall also be mandatory for all respective board members.
(r) 
Current board notebook.
The city secretary is charged with the responsibility to keep a current board notebook containing names, addresses and telephone numbers of board members. The staff support person for each board shall be responsible to provide the city secretary with information, with changes with respect to each board member. The city secretary shall retain a permanent copy of each notebook and shall place a copy of each annual or semiannual notebook in the city historical files.
(Code 1975, § 2-41; Ordinance 3419, § 1, adopted 7/11/2016; Ordinance 3471, § 1, adopted 9/11/2017; Ordinance 3826, § 5, adopted 11/13/2023; Ordinance 3957 adopted 5/26/2026)
(a) 
Application of section.
This section shall pertain to the following boards and commissions of the city, which are advisory bodies to the city council:
(1) 
Advisory committee on senior affairs;
(2) 
Animal control shelter advisory committee;
(3) 
Keep North Richland Hills Beautiful Commission;
(4) 
Library board;
(5) 
Parks and recreation board; and
(6) 
Teen court advisory board.
(b) 
Advisory capacity.
The city council hereby clarifies its intent in creating said boards and commissions and states herein that said boards and commissions are not intended to have judicial powers or quasi judicial powers nor rule making powers other than in an advisory capacity to the city council.
(Code 1975, § 2-42; Ordinance 3933 adopted 10/27/2025)
The mayor may appoint two alternate members to the planning and zoning commission and two alternate members to the civil service commission, such appointments are subject to confirmation by majority vote of the city council. Alternate members are entitled to participate in proceedings and deliberations of their respective commissions, but shall only have the power to vote in the absence or disability of a regular commissioner. The alternate members of each respective commission shall be known as Alternate A and Alternate B. If one regular commissioner is absent, Alternate A shall serve in the absence of such member and vote in the regular commissioner's place, unless Alternate A is unavailable. In the event, Alternate A is unavailable, Alternate B shall serve in the absence of such member and vote in the regular commissioner's place. If two regular commissioners are absent, Alternate A and Alternate B shall both serve in the absence of the regular commissioners and vote in the regular commissioners' places. The terms of such alternate members shall expire June 30 of the year the term of the mayor expires.
(Ordinance 3826,[1] § 1, adopted 11/13/2023)
[1]
Editor’s note – This ordinance also repealed the former § 2-123 which pertained to ex officio members and derived from Ordinance 2714, 6/23/2003.
The following boards are created in the sections referenced:
(1) 
Animal adoption and rescue center advisory committee, Code section 14-31.
(2) 
Civil service commission, Charter, art. XVII, § 3.
(3) 
Construction code appeals board, Code section 98-42.
(4) 
Library board, Code section 46-31.
(5) 
Economic development advisory committee, Code section 26-51.
(6) 
Health facilities development corporation board of directors, Code section 42-32.
(7) 
Industrial development corporation board of directors, Code section 26-81.
(8) 
Parks and recreation board, Code section 62-31.
(9) 
Planning and zoning commission, Charter, art. XIV, § 1.
(10) 
Teen court advisory board, Code section 58-81.
(11) 
Sexually oriented business license appeal board, Code section 10-171.
(12) 
Substandard building board, Code section 98-491 et seq.
(a) 
If any matter comes before any of the boards or commissions of the city which requires a formal vote each member of the board or commission entitled to vote under the rules of the board or commission shall vote.
(b) 
If any member of such board or commission has a conflict of interest which that member deems to disqualify him in connection with the vote, such member shall file a statement of disqualification with the secretary of the board. When such statement is so filed the said member shall not participate in any discussion on the matter and shall not vote on such matter.
(Ordinance 1519, §§ 1, 2, adopted 1/11/1988)