TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: Peter D. Lear, CPA, CGMA, City Manager
TITLE: Ordinance No. 2017-30, second reading, Amendments to the administrative Code of the City, Chapter 4 - Boards and Committees, Article I - Boards Generally, Sections 4-2 and 4-3, to provide for the addition and appointment of alternate members and filling vacancies to the City's advisory boards
Recommended Action
Adopt Ordinance No. 2017-30
Background Information
The City Commission at its regularly scheduled meeting of June 27, 2017, discussed the merits of adding alternate members to its advisory boards. The Commission discussed the benefit of having the maximum amount of citizen participation in the advisory boards as well as the ability of the City's advisory board business to not be delayed for lack of a quorum. The Commission voted 4-0 in favor of directing the City Attorney to draft an ordinance amending the administrative code to allow for two alternates on all advisory boards and for the alternates to automatically convert to regular members when a seat becomes vacant.
At first reading of this ordinance on October 10, 2017, the Commission voted 5-0 to continue the ordinance to second reading with the following edits and clarifications:
1. All boards shall allow for alternates consistently, without conflicting with State statutes;
2. Alternates shall not begin their terms until appointed as actual members, i.e., alternates shall automatically move into regular positions as vacancies exist and then begin two-year terms;
3. Automatic fulfillment of vacancy by the alternate of most time served upon acceptance; if not accepted, then the position goes to the next in line (second alternate);
4. Clarify that an alternate does not automatically replace a second term of an existing member (when member is eligible to reapply, alternate can also apply);
5. Otherwise, alternates will fill vacancies created by prior to the end of the regular memb...
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