Policies & Procedures

This policy sets forth the comprehensive process for appointments to the City’s boards, commissions, and committees, including advertising for candidates, application forms, and processing information to the City Council; appointment timetable; attendance records; letters of appointment; oaths of office; and letters of appreciation.

A Councilmember will be appointed annually by Mayor and Council as liaison to various boards, commissions, and committees. Liaison appointments will generally be made no later than the second regular meeting of the Council following the May General election. The Council Liaison shall serve as a conduit of information between the City Council and the board, commission, or committee and shall provide information.

An information sheet listing all standing boards, commissions, and committees and Council Liaisons (at the time this policy is approved) is included as Exhibit A. A synopsis of most of the standing boards, commissions, and committees is included as Exhibit B.

Section 4.01. Uniform Appointment Date

All ordinances, resolutions, and laws governing appointments to boards, commissions, and committees of the City of Friendswood shall be written in such a manner that the appointments shall be effective on two uniform dates each year in July and November.

Section 4.02. Applicable Laws & Ordinances

All boards, commissions, and committees shall act in accordance with the authority granted to them through applicable state law, charter provision, and/or directives and policies of the City Council.

Because of their special responsibilities, some members of boards, commissions, and committees are considered officers. Officers hold special decision-making duties. As a result, certain sections of these policies will require different levels of commitment and responsibility. Boards, commissions, and committees whose members are considered officers are the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and Charter Review Commission.

Section 4.03. Terms of Office

Each term of service on a board, commission or committee will be for a three-year period unless otherwise directed by Council or otherwise provided by law, except for the Charter Review Commission, which is a six-month term and Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals which requires a 2-year term by statute (LGC 54.033 and 211.008). No member/officer shall be elected to serve as Chair or Vice Chair for more than four terms unless otherwise directed by Council. Beginning with the most recent amendment and re-adoption of this policy, all existing board, commission or committee member’s terms start at year zero.

Section 4.04. Oaths of Office

Oaths of Office appropriate to the position held and in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.05 of the City Charter (Every officer of the City, whether elected or appointed, before entering upon the duties of office, shall take and subscribe to the appropriate oath or affirmation to be filed and kept in the office of the City Secretary) will be administered to all newly appointed or reappointed members to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals, and Charter Review Commission at the first regular meeting of the board, commission, or committee or as soon as possible after appointment. Oaths of office for appointed officers are included as Exhibit C.

Arrangements to receive oaths of office at another time may also be made at the discretion of the City Secretary or whomever is authorized by law to give the oath such as a notary public.

Section 4.05. Rules & Regulations

All boards, commissions, and committees shall follow procedures of conduct set out in Robert’s Rules of Order. All board, commission, and committee meetings shall have an agenda and record the action by keeping minutes. Advisory boards, commissions, and committees shall not be required to comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act. However, the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment and

Appeals, Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation, and Charter Review Commission shall comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act.

Some boards, commissions, and committees may find it desirable or be directed to adopt rules of procedure. All such rules of procedure shall be approved by the City Council. Any amendments shall also be approved by City Council.

Section 4.06. Appointment of Officers/Members

Officers or members of each of the City’s boards, commissions, and committees will be appointed in accordance with any applicable ordinances, state laws, or City Charter. Chair and Vice Chair may be rotated following the appointment and reappointment time frame but may not serve more than four terms, unless otherwise approved by Council. Officers of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corporation, and the Charter Review Commission are required to be a resident of Friendswood. Members of advisory boards, or committees are not required to be a resident of the city; however, a quorum of members from those advisory boards or committees must never be from outside of the City. All newly appointed officers/members shall be reported to the City Secretary for inclusion in the Boards, Commissions, and Committees’ rosters.

Section 4.07. Providing & Maintaining Records

The City Secretary’s office shall keep an up-to-date official record of pertinent information on each board, commission, and committee in an official notebook. City Staff Liaisons to the boards, commissions, and committees will be responsible for providing to the City Secretary’s office up-to-date information of names, addresses, and telephone numbers for their boards, commissions, and committee members. Each Staff Liaison will maintain a historical list of boards, commission and committee members which their department supports.

Section 4.08. Attendance Policy & Records

Attendance records shall be maintained by all City Staff Liaisons providing support to the various City boards, commissions, and committees. The records will be available by request to the boards, commissions, and committees members at each regular meeting.

The attendance record will be provided to the City Secretary’s office when the appointment/reappointment process takes place for that committee.

It shall be the responsibility of each member to attend meetings regularly. Three consecutive unexcused absences or the absence of an advisory board or committee member from more than 50% of the meetings in a six-month period shall be cause for Council to review the attendance record and make a recommendation on the continued service of that member. Three consecutive unexcused absences or the absence of a member considered to be an officer from more than 20% of the meetings in a six-month period shall be cause for Council to review the attendance record and make a recommendation on the continued service of that officer. Examples of excused absences include illness, business reasons, death of family members, etc.

Attendance at all regular meetings, special meetings, and work sessions by each board, commission, and committee member will be recorded on an attendance record form (Exhibit Number D), and absences shall be noted as excused or unexcused by the Chair.

Section 4.09. Information Packets

Each applicant shall receive a packet of information about the committee, its purpose, members, meeting schedule and location, and any other information, such as rules of procedure, as requested.

Section 5.01. Applications

All citizens interested in being appointed or reappointed to a board, commission or committee must have an up-to-date application on file or submit a completed application (Exhibit Number E) to the City Secretary. New applications will be forwarded to the Staff Liaison of the appropriate board, commission or committee. At the established time, applications will be distributed by the City Secretary’s office to the Mayor and City Council.

The City Secretary shall provide an application to citizens upon request, as well as information sheets on the various boards, commissions, and committees.

The City Secretary shall advertise in the months of April and August, in the news media and as otherwise directed by City Council, an invitation to citizens to submit an application indicating their interest and qualifications to serve on a board, commission, or committee. The members of boards, commissions, and committees to be appointed in July are the Planning and Zoning Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals, Library Board of Trustees, Community and Economic Development Committee, and Charter Review Commission (to be appointed in July every 5 years or as called by Council). Members of boards, commissions, and committees to be appointed in November are Fourth of July Steering Committee, Keep Friendswood Beautiful, Senior Citizen Advisory Committee, and Investment Committee.

All applications submitted to the City Secretary will be date stamped "RECEIVED", emailed to the Staff Liaison to the committee(s) and will be retained by the City Secretary for a period of three years, according to the applicable rules in the adopted records retention schedule. The applications will be used in making appointments to boards, commissions, and committees for expiring terms of office and as vacancies occur.

The City Secretary will send a letter to each board, commission, and committee member who has an expiring term of office to determine if the member wishes to be considered for reappointment and/or to update the application on file.

Section 5.02. Appointment Process

By the end of May and September of each year, the City Secretary will notify the Staff Liaison what members/officers would like to be reappointed and who would not. The Staff Liaison will contact the Council Liaison to discuss the candidates for appointment/reappointment. Council may interview new candidates to be considered prior to the appointments. The Council Liaison to the board, commission or committee will contact the Mayor on the proposed appointments/reappointments and obtain his concurrence. The Council Liaison will notify the City Secretary who will then prepare an Agenda Item form for the July or November Council meeting to have the appointments/reappointments approved by Mayor and Council.

The City Secretary may be directed to notify applicants of an interview process and the date and time of a desired interview.

Appointments shall be made to boards, commissions, and committees at the regular monthly Council meeting in July and November or as soon thereafter as possible. Appointments will be effective July and November, respectively.

A congratulatory letter (Exhibit Number F) will be prepared by the City Secretary’s office for all newly appointed or reappointed members to the City’s boards, commissions, and committees.

All members/officers of the boards, commission and committees must complete Open Meetings Act (OMA) Training administered by the Texas Attorney General within 90 days as required by law and must provide their certificate of completion to the City Secretary’s office.

Section 5.03. Selection Criteria

Selection of members to boards, commissions, and committees shall be made considering the stated interest and desire of the applicant to serve. Other criteria will be the applicant’s availability, qualifications, personal background, and any special skills he/she may have.

Members selected should not only be qualified, but also show a desire and commitment to serve in the capacity they are appointed.

Appreciation letters will be sent by the City Secretary to all individuals who were not appointed. They will be advised that their application will be retained for three years and that they will be notified as other vacancies and/or expiring terms of office occur during the year.

Section 5.04. Filling Vacancies

Vacancies on boards, commissions, and committees caused by resignations will be filled throughout the year as they occur in order to complete unexpired terms of office. When a vacancy occurs, the Staff Liaison of the board, commission, or committee shall notify the City Secretary.

Appointments to fill vacancies will be made at a Council meeting by a majority of City Council from the list of applicants provided on the Agenda Item form completed by the City Secretary.

Should there be no current applicants for the vacancy, the City Secretary shall follow the procedures previously described to seek new applicants.