Chapter 2.14
CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Sections:
2.14.010 Applicability—Exceptions.
2.14.020 Eligibility—Appointment—Removal.
2.14.040 Terms—Assignment—Commencement—Expiration.
2.14.010 Applicability—Exceptions.
A. Applicability. This chapter applies to boards regulated by Article V of the City Charter (“boards”).
B. Exceptions. This chapter does not apply to the civil service commission nor the library board. Further, this chapter does not apply to ad hoc boards, including the water utility coordinating committee and the community housing improvement program loan review committee. (Ord. 2050-95 § 1, 1995)
2.14.020 Eligibility—Appointment—Removal.
A. Eligibility. To the extent possible, considering such things as availability and expertise, board appointments will be limited to individuals who reside within the city limits of Everett. Boards may establish by ordinance, resolution or by-laws additional criteria, including required attendance, for board members and alternates to maintain their eligibility. Except for members of the civil service commission and library board, board members are eligible for appointment to more than one city board. Except when required by state law, city elected officials, city officers and employees are not eligible for appointment to any city board. Alternate board members are subject to these eligibility requirements as well.
B. Appointment—Removal. Members, including alternates, shall be appointed and removed by the mayor with the approval of city council except when any such board consists of persons serving as representatives of neighborhood organizations, duly elected as such pursuant to ordinances enacted from time to time regulating the recognition of such organizations and the qualifications, election and terms of office of representatives, then the names of newly elected representatives shall be presented by the mayor to the council for approval. All board appointments shall be to a specifically enumerated board position as identified in Section 2.14.050 (i.e., Position No. 1, etc.). (Ord. 2240-97 § 1, 1997: Ord. 2050-95 § 2, 1995)
2.14.030 Membership.
The following establishes the membership for each of the boards regulated by Article V of the Charter:
A. Animal shelter advisory committee—seven members;
B. (Reserved);
C. Board of appeals (review)—seven members;
D. Board of park commissioners—seven members;
E. Citizens’ advisory committee—eleven members;
F. Cultural commission—eleven members;
G. Council of neighborhoods—not to exceed two members from each neighborhood (each member shall be appointed to a separate position);
H. Emergency medical services advisory board—eleven members;
I. Historic commission—nine members;
J. (Reserved);
K. Lodging tax advisory committee—five members;
L. Museum board—seven members;
M. Planning commission—seven members;
N. Senior center advisory board—nine members;
O. Sister cities advisory board—seven members;
P. Solid waste advisory committee—seventeen members;
Q. Transportation advisory committee—nine members; and
R. Tree committee—seven members.
Additionally, each board may have a maximum of two individuals serving in the capacity of alternates. Alternates shall serve in the absence of members when asked by the board chairperson and, when serving, shall have the same powers and responsibilities as duly appointed board members. (Ord. 3652-18 § 6, 2018: Ord. 2975-07 § 17, 2007: Ord. 2240-97 § 2, 1997: Ord. 2151-96 § 1, 1996; Ord. 2050-95 § 3, 1995)
2.14.040 Terms—Assignment—Commencement—Expiration.
A. Terms. Unless otherwise provided by the ordinance establishing a particular board or commission, terms shall be for six years. In any case, terms shall be for a maximum of six years. Terms shall be staggered. No person serving continuously on a board for a period in excess of four years in the capacity of a member or an alternate shall be eligible for reappointment to such board until (s)he has been off such board for at least one year. The mayor is authorized to make appointments for less than the designated term in order to provide and maintain the required stagger.
B. Terms—Stagger Assignment. For those boards identified in Section 2.14.030, all board member terms shall be staggered. Unless otherwise provided in the ordinance establishing the board or commission, the term stagger assigned to each board shall be based upon the following premise:
1. For a three-member board, the initial terms were to be two, four, and six years;
2. For a four-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at two, one member at four and two members at six years;
3. For a five-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at two, two members at four, and two members at six;
4. For a six-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at one, one member at two, one member at three, one member at four, one member at five and one member at six;
5. For a seven-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at one, one member at two, one member at three, one member at four, one member at five, and two members at six;
6. For an eight-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at one, one member at two, one member at three, one member at four, two members at five and two members at six;
7. For a nine-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at one, one member at two, one member at three, two members at four, two members at five and two members at six;
8. For a ten-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at one, one member at two, two members at three, two members at four, two members at five and two members at six;
9. For an eleven-member board, the initial terms were to be one member at one, two members at two, two members at three, two members at four, two members at five and two members at six.
For boards with memberships that exceed eleven, the terms shall be staggered in proportion to the number of members using the above as a basis for determining the appropriate stagger.
C. Term—Commencement—Expiration. Terms shall be deemed to commence January 1st of the year of appointment, unless otherwise provided. The terms for all board positions shall expire on December 31st of the year of expiration. (Ord. 2240-97 § 3, 1997: Ord. 2050-95 § 4, 1995)
2.14.050 Term revision.
A. For each board identified in Section 2.14.030, the terms of its membership as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall be revised according to the requirements of this chapter. In making the revisions, each board position shall be assigned a number. For example, a six-member board shall be assigned positions numbered One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. Once a number is assigned, then each position shall be assigned a term in accordance with Section 2.14.040. For example, in the case of a six-member board, Position Number One shall be assigned a one-year term, Position Number Two shall be assigned a two-year term, Position Number Three shall be assigned a three-year term, Position Number Four shall be assigned a four-year term, Position Number five shall be assigned a five-year term, and Position Number Six shall be assigned a six-year term. Once this has occurred, current board members shall be assigned positions as provided herein.
B. For purposes of assigning current board members’ positions with revised terms, the revised terms shall be deemed to have commenced January 1, 1995; provided, however, the time served by a board member under his/her current term as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter plus the amount of time assigned under the revised term cannot exceed the board member’s remaining years of eligibility under his/her term in existence as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter (i.e., prior to any revision). Consequently, any assignment to a revised term that exceeds the board member’s remaining years of eligibility shall be effective only until the expiration of the member’s current eligibility. (For example, as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, a board member has served four years of a six-year term. (S)he is assigned a three-year revised term of which (s)he is only eligible to serve two additional years. At the expiration of the two-year period, a new board member would be appointed for a one-year appointment to fulfill the balance of the term.)
C. Each board identified in Section 2.14.030 shall submit the revised term with a corresponding position for each member to the city clerk within sixty days of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter. The term revision shall be accomplished either through voluntary action by the board in accordance with the requirements of this chapter or by the application of the revision process set forth in subsection D of this section. In the event any board required to make the revisions fails to do so, then the city clerk shall utilize the process set forth in subsection D to revise the terms.
D. Those who are board members as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall, by lot, be assigned a position with a corresponding term per Sections 2.14.040(B) and 2.14.050(A). A drawing shall be conducted for each board under the direction of the city clerk or her designee. Each board position with its corresponding term shall be noted on a slip of paper and placed in a receptacle. One slip of paper from the receptacle will then be selected for each board member. The position identified on the slip of paper chosen shall become the board member’s position. The term which the board member will then serve shall be the term assigned to the position or the remaining balance of the board member’s existing term, whichever is less.
E. In the event there are open board positions following the process in subsections C and D, those positions shall be filled with new appointments for their respective terms.
F. Should any question arise concerning term revisions, the department responsible for staffing the board in question may make a written request of the city clerk seeking clarification. The written determination of the city clerk shall be final. Further, the city clerk is authorized to promulgate rules concerning term revisions. Such rules shall be in writing and shall be provided to all affected boards. (Ord. 2050-95 § 5, 1995)
2.14.060 Vacancies.
Vacancies occurring, otherwise than by the expiration of a term, shall be filled for the unexpired term for the position in the same manner as the original appointment was made as set forth in Section 5.2 of the City Charter. Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter, the fulfillment of an unexpired term for a period of four years or less shall not affect a board member’s eligibility for reappointment to a six-year term. (Ord. 2050-95 § 6, 1995)
2.14.070 Board records.
The city clerk is designated the official repository for city records related to board appointments. Each board will provide the city clerk with the following information: the positions, the respective term for each position, the name of the board member assigned to the position, the date of appointment, the beginning and ending dates for the term for each position, and such other relevant information required by the city clerk. The secretary for each board will be responsible for providing the city clerk with this information. It shall be the responsibility of the city clerk to inform the mayor’s office in the event the required term stagger does not exist in which case adjustments will be made either at the time of appointment or with existing positions and terms by the mayor with council’s concurrence to provide for the proper stagger. Further, each board shall keep minutes of its meetings which minutes shall reflect members present and absent. (Ord. 2050-95 § 7, 1995)
2.14.080 Reimbursement.
The boards identified in Section 2.14.030 are duly created and approved for the purpose of reimbursement of expenses when incurred in the performance of the board’s duties pursuant to Chapter 2.76. (Ord. 2050-95 § 8, 1995)
2.14.090 Liability.
This chapter provides for and promotes the health, safety, and welfare of the general public, and does not create or designate any particular class or group of persons who will or should be especially protected or benefited by the terms of this chapter. Nothing contained in this chapter is intended to be nor shall be construed to create or form the basis for any liability on the part of the city, its officers, employees or agents by reason of any action or inaction on the part of the city related in any manner to the enforcement or the implementation of this chapter by its officers, employees or agents. (Ord. 2050-95 § 10, 1995)