Explanation
BACKGROUND:
The Department of Neighborhoods is amending Columbus City Code Chapter 3109 and providing supportive best practices that will help residents, neighborhood groups, business and property owners and city staff have consistent experiences and expectations for engagement with all Columbus Area Commissions. The recommended best practices will provide standard operating procedures to facilitate communication, zoning review, meeting management, process, organization and policy for all Columbus Area Commissions.
The amendments will:
• Remove confusion regarding Area Commissioner terms, appointment status and ability to vote by standardizing Area Commissioner terms to three years.
• Ensure all Area Commission seats can be filled and meeting quorums achieved by capping the maximum number of Area Commissioners per organization at 17.
• Specify that it is the role of the Department of Neighborhoods to work with Area Commissions. The "city" is currently listed.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To amend various sections of the Chapter 3109 of the Columbus City Code in order to establish standardized terms for area commissioners and to specify the Department of Neighborhoods as the city department designated for providing assistance to area commissions.
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Neighborhoods is responsible for providing assistance to and oversight of area commissions in compliance with Columbus City Code 3109 and is authorized to recommend amendments to this code, and
WHEREAS, the amendments to Columbus City Code Chapter 3109 were recommended to the Department of Neighborhoods and Columbus City Council by Area Commission members through surveys, in-person retreats and discussion during Area Commission meetings, and
WHEREAS, the Department of Neighborhoods recommends this proposed code change to Columbus City Council for adoption; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That section 3109.07 of the Columbus City Codes is hereby amended to read as follows:
3109.07 - Commission members.
Each area commission shall consist of the number of members prescribed in its by-laws, limited, however, to no less than seven (7) and no more than twenty-one (21) seventeen (17). An odd number of commissioners is recommended for a decisive vote. All members shall be appointed by the mayor with the concurrence of council.
SECTION 12. That section 3109.09 of the Columbus City Codes is hereby amended to read as follows:
3109.09 - Terms.
Members of an area commission shall serve without compensation for the term specified in such commission's by-laws, provided, however, that the term shall be for no less than two (2) nor more than four (4) years for a term of three (3) years. The by-laws shall provide that initial appointments be made for no less than one (1) a year nor more than a full term arranged to assure future continuity of experienced service; subsequent full-term appointments shall be of uniform length. three (3) years. Terms shall be arranged to assure future continuity of experienced service; subsequent full-term appointments shall be of uniform length.
SECTION 23. That section 3109.16 of the Columbus City Codes is hereby amended to read as follows:
3109.16 - Assistance.
Pertinent technical and planning assistance and liaison will be made available by the city department of neighborhoods to the all area commissions to the extent practical and in relation to planning programs, budgets and priorities.
SECTION 34. That prior existing sections 3109.07, 3109.09, and 3109.16 of the Columbus City Codes are hereby repealed.
SECTION 5. That an area commission whose by-laws currently provide for more than seventeen (17) members shall amend its by-laws within one (1) year of the effective date of this ordinance in order to achieve compliance with section 3109.07, as amended in Section 1 above.
SECTION 46. That an area commission member appointed to a term of less longer than three (3) years as of the effective date of this ordinance may continue to serve to the completion of that appointed term notwithstanding section 3109.09, as amended in Section 2 above.
SECTION 57. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.