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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
(a) 
Board.
Commission and committee bodies may be referred to generally as "committee," for ease of communication.
(b) 
A committee may be a "charter" committee - established by the home rule charter of the city adopted November 18, 2024. A committee may be an "ordinance" committee, if the enabling legislation is an ordinance of city council. Charter committees and ordinance committees are considered "standing" committees and are established to operate on a long-term or permanent basis. By council action, the council can establish temporary, "ad hoc" committees which are established for a specific project or purpose. A temporary committee is not a standing committee. An example of an "ad hoc" committee might be a home rule charter review committee.
(Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
Committee 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, committee 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. Committee members shall not indulge in personalities, use offensive language, arraign the motives of members, charge deliberate misrepresentation, or use language tending to hold other members, council members, the public, or the city staff in contempt. Committee members will comply with the directions of the presiding officer. Committee 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
Board and commission members [sic] 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
Committee members shall dress for meetings in a manner that is appropriate 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
(a) 
All members of boards, committees, commissions, task forces, and/or Blue Ribbon panels will be appointed by the city council. This applies whether the committee is a standing permanent committee or a temporary committee. The council should consider recommendations from the committee related to the application(s) received if the members of the committee wish to forward recommendations. While recommendations may be made, the city council members will review all completed applications.
(b) 
If recommendations are forwarded, these should be based upon criteria pertinent to the mission, goals and charge of the committee. These criteria should be determined and established by formal action of the committee in advance of any screening of applications. These criteria may be adopted at time of adoption of Ordinance 2025-O-002, or upon the appointment of a new committee chairperson.
(c) 
The recommendation process shall apply only to the filling of a vacancy that has occurred outside the scheduled appointment period.
(d) 
Council members may communicate with applicants during the application review period.
(e) 
Members shall be eighteen (18) years of age, or older.
(f) 
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, within the corporate boundaries of the Liberty Hill Independent School District (LHISD), or in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction territory (ETJ). The city council may waive these requirements and consider other criteria in filling a position, except when membership requirements are prescribed by state statute.
(g) 
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 committee" (of a temporary nature) in addition to a standing committee, with prior approval of the city council.
(h) 
No city employee may serve as a member of a board or commission except as a staff liaison in a non-voting support role.
(i) 
No member of the city council may serve as a permanent member of a standing committee.
(j) 
Members of committees serve as volunteers, without pay.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.005, adopted 2/8/2023; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
(a) 
Applicants must submit an application form prescribed by the city, completed in a timely manner, to be considered for appointment. Applications will be kept on file for a year.
(b) 
Applications are available online on the city website or from the office of the city secretary.
(c) 
Applications must be accompanied by a letter of interest/introduction from the applicant that should provide detail about previous experience, skills and interests with sufficient information regarding why the applicant is applying for the particular committee they have chosen.
(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 committee.
(4) 
No member of any committee shall serve on more than one permanent committee.
(5) 
No member may be appointed to any committee 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 this code).
(6) 
Members appointed serve without compensation.
(7) 
All members of city committees 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 this code), conflicts of interest, parliamentary procedure, and the rules of decorum.
(8) 
Members of committees 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 committees which deal with confidential information, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be required.
(10) 
For committees 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
(a) 
Terms on city boards and commissions are two (2) years.
(b) 
The terms of office shall be staggered within each committee.
(c) 
No member of a committee 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 November 1st and end on October 31st, two years later.
(e) 
All vacancies, as possible, will be filled by the council during the first council meeting in the month of October. Applications will be accepted year round, however, to qualify as timely for annual appointment cycle the application must be submitted by September 15th.
(f) 
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.
(g) 
Vacancies can be filled throughout the year as they occur.
(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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
A majority of the appointed members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but may in no instance be fewer than three members. Committees have the power to promulgate their own rules governing the meetings and proceedings, subject to the provisions of this division. Special meetings shall be called by the chairman or upon written request of three members of the committee. All meetings of city committees shall be conducted in compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act.
(Ordinance 2023-O-003, sec. 1.07.007, adopted 2/8/2023; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
Upon appointment, members of all committees 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
Each 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)
A member of a committee 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; Ordinance 2025-O-002 adopted 1/8/2025)