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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNo 872 Division 4. Environmental and Natural Resources Commission ORDINANCE NO. 872 DIVISION 4. ENVIRONMENTAL ANDNATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION Sec. 18.180. Established The city council establishes for the city an environmental and natural resources commission as an advisory board to the city council, as provided in Minn. Stats. §§ 462.351-462.365. (Code 1982, § 25-17) Sec. 18-181. Advisory body; exceptions All actions of the advisory environmental and natural resources commission shall be in the nature of recommendations to the city council, and the commission shall have no final authority about any matters, except as the council may lawfully delegate authority to it. (Code 1982, § 25-18) State law reference- City environmental and natural resources agency to be advisory, except as otherwise provided by state statute or charter, Minn. Stats. § 462.354, subd. 1. Sec. 18.182. Composition; appointment; qualifications; terms (a) The environmental and natural resources commission shall have seven members appointed by the council. The members shall be residents of the city and may not hold an elected city public office. When possible, the council shall select commission members to represent the various areas of the city and to help meet the needs of the residents. (b) The city council shall appoint members of the environmental and natural resources commission for three-year terms. If the appointment is to fill a vacancy, the appointment would be to finish the unexpired part of the vacated terms. (Code 1982, § 25-19) Sec. 18.183. Chairperson and vice-chairperson. The environmental and natural resources commission shall elect a chairperson and a vice-chairperson at the first environmental and natural resources commission meeting in January each year. The chairperson shall be responsible for calling and presiding at meetings and shall have an equal vote with other members of the commission. If the chairperson is not at a meeting, the vice- chairperson shall assume the duties of the chairperson for that meeting. If the chairperson resigns from or is otherwise no longer on the environmental and natural resources commission, the vice-chairperson shall become the acting chairperson until the environmental and natural resources commission can hold an election for new officers. (Code 1982 § 25-20) Sec. 18.184. Vacancies. (a) Any of the following may cause the office of an environmental and natural resources commissioner to become vacated: (1) Death or removal from the city. (2) Disability or failure to serve, as shown by failure to attend three meetings in any year, may be cause for removal by council majority, unless good cause can be shown to the council. (3) Resignation in writing. (4) Taking public office in the city. (b) Vacancies shall be filled by the council for the unexpired portion of the vacated term. (Code 1982, § 25-21) Sec. 18.185. Officers; meetings; rules of procedure. (a) The environmental and natural resources commission shall elect its own officers, establish meeting times, and adopt its own rules of procedure to be reviewed and approved by the city council. (b) All meetings of the environmental and natural resources commission shall be open to the public and published on the city’s website. (Code 1982, § 25-22) Sec. 18.186. Duties and responsibilities. In order to protect, preserve and enhance the environment of the City of Maplewood, the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission will: (1) Establish environmental priorities for the city in partnership with the City Council. (2) Recommend to the Community Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council changes necessary to existing policies, operating procedures and ordinances that control, protect, preserve and enhance the city’s environmental assets. (3) Recommend to the Community Design Review Board, Planning Commission and City Council new policies, operating procedures and ordinances that control, protect, preserve and enhance the city’s environmental assets. (4) Actively participate in and support the mission and goals of the Maplewood Nature Center and Neighborhood Preserves by promoting environmental awareness through educational programs, communications and co-sponsored activities. (5) Pro-actively promote greater use and appreciations of the city’s environmental assets. (6) Review the role of other city groups and how they might assist, support and advise the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission. (7) Sponsor environmental projects to enhance, repair, replace or restore neglected or deteriorating environmental assets of the city. (8) Develop educational programs and materials that foster the mission to the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission. (9) Develop and promote the use of “sustainable practices” for city policies and procedures. (Code 1982, § 25-23) Sec. 18.187. Compensation; expenses. All members of the environmental and natural resources commission shall serve without compensation. However, approved expenses of the environmental and natural resources commission shall be paid from available city funds. Sec. 18.188. Responsibilities of the Environmental Manager. Subject to the direction of the city manager, the environmental and natural resources commission and its chairperson, the environmental manager who reports to the city engineer shall: (1) Conduct all correspondence of the commission. (2) Send out all required notices. (3) Attend all meetings and hearings of the commission. (4) Keep the dockets and minutes of the commission’s proceedings. (5) Keep all required records and files. (6) Maintain the files and indexes of the commission. (Code 1982, § 25-25) Sec. 18.189. Duties of city engineer, city attorney and other city employees. (a) The city engineer and the city attorney shall be available to the environmental and natural resources commission. The city engineer and attorney shall have the right to sit in with the commission at all meetings, but shall not be entitled to vote as members of the commission. (b) All city engineering department employees and other regular employees or personnel of the city shall cooperate with the environmental and natural resources commission and make them self available and attend meetings when requested to do so. (Code 1982, § 25-26) Passed by the Maplewood City Council on September 11, 2006.