A.
The City Council may establish by ordinance any advisory committee it deems necessary. In addition to other duties assigned, advisory committees are charged with:
1.
Providing the City Council with tangible recommendations in key priority areas.
2.
Leveraging residents' technical expertise and lived experiences to inform City policies and programs.
3.
Ensuring that the Council has regular and timely information to use when considering its priorities or important issues.
4.
Providing an opportunity to engage residents on issues that are important to them as well as to assist in community education and engagement activities in their priority areas.
B.
The authority of such entities is limited to that extended to them by the City Council.
C.
Each committee is required to report the status of its work annually or at the request of the City Council. Council shall review each committee's report and may concurrently undertake a review of each committee's purpose, duties, other assigned tasks, and adjust them as necessary.
D.
Membership of advisory committees shall be in accordance with the provisions of this section unless otherwise provided by City Code.
1.
Only City residents may serve on a committee.
2.
Individuals interested in serving on a committee may apply in accordance with procedures and time frames set forth by the City Council and shall be confirmed and appointed by a majority vote of the City Council.
3.
A member who has served on a committee for six years continuously may not be reappointed to the same committee until one year has elapsed since the end of that member's previous tenure.
4.
A member who is term limited may apply to serve on a committee for which the member is not term limited.
E.
Organization.
1.
Unless otherwise stated in the Code or directed by Council, each advisory committee should consist of up to nine members.
2.
Each committee shall operate under a common set of procedural rules, which shall be prepared by the City Attorney's office and be approved by Council.
3.
Each committee shall elect from its members the following officers: chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary. Officers shall serve for a period of one year at which time each committee shall elect again the officers. The chairperson shall be elected annually, but may only serve in that capacity for two consecutive years. The chairperson may not hold two offices simultaneously.
F.
Meetings.
1.
Committees shall meet at least quarterly or as often as required to fulfill their purposes.
2.
All meetings shall be open to the public and are subject to Maryland's Open Meetings Act. Meeting notices and agendas shall be prepared and submitted to the City Clerk and posted in advance of any committee meeting in accordance with State law. Written records of proceedings and attendance shall be maintained by the committee and provided to the City Clerk for safekeeping. A report on the activities of each committee shall be submitted to the City Clerk and Council once per year.
3.
Meetings shall be held at times that facilitate and allow for committee member attendance and ease of public attendance.
4.
A majority of a committee shall constitute a quorum.
5.
Meetings shall take place at a City government building or other publicly accessible location approved by the City Manager. The meetings may occur in person or virtually, so long as such is announced in advance. Meetings may include a virtual attendance option for members and for the public.
6.
At least three members of every committee must maintain current Open Meetings Act certification and provide a copy of the certification to the City Clerk.
G.
Each committee shall designate an individual who shall be responsible for preparing meeting agendas and minutes, and coordinate publishing and storage of the same with the City Clerk.
H.
Staff Liaison. The City Manager shall assign a member of the City staff to act as a staff liaison to each committee, who shall provide general support to the committee.
I.
Member Conduct.
1.
Members are expected to attend each meeting of the committee on which they serve. Members may miss a scheduled meeting for cause.
2.
Members are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct established by the Code of Conduct for Council-Appointed Members of Boards, Committees, Commissions, and Task Forces (Resolution 2020-22, Oct. 7, 2020).
3.
Council, by resolution, may remove a member from their position upon finding a violation of the Code of Conduct, no longer meeting the requirements for membership, or otherwise not fulfilling the duties of a member.
(Ord. 2021-39 § 1, 2021/Ord. 2024-1 § 1, 2024)