Article 153
JOINT ENVIRONMENTAL
ADVISORY COUNCIL*
Sections:
153.01 Creation and membership.
153.02 Compensation and expenses.
153.04 Advisory function and limitation.
*Code reviser’s note: Section 4 of Ordinance No. 3511 set out as follows:
Section 4. Sunset. The Environmental Advisory council created pursuant to this Ordinance shall cease to exist and the terms of all members thereof shall terminate as of January 1, 2008 unless prior to that date the governing bodies of the three forming municipalities shall take proper governmental action to extend the existence thereof for an additional term to be defined in such action.
153.01 Creation and membership.
(A) The City of Meadville hereby creates an environmental advisory council, jointly with the municipalities of the township of Vernon and the township of West Mead.
(B) The environmental advisory council shall be composed of six members, two residents representing each of the three municipalities.
(C) Council members shall be appointed in accordance with the following procedures:
(1) Each governing body shall appoint two members of the council, each of whom shall be a resident of the appointing municipality.
(2) Whenever possible, one member appointed by each participating municipality shall also be a member of the municipal planning board of commission of that municipality.
(3) Council members’ terms of office shall expire on the first Monday in January following the last year of their term of office; provided, however, that members shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed by the appropriate municipality(ies) in the event successors are not appointed as of the first Monday in January following the last year of their term.
(4) Members of the council shall serve terms of three years, except that the terms of the initial members shall be so staggered that the terms of one-third of the membership shall expire each year. Terms of the initial members shall be staggered after the appointment of the initial six members of the council through the drawing of lots among them or other method acceptable to the members at their organizational meeting. Members shall continue to serve until their successors are duly appointed by the appropriate participating municipality(ies). (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)
153.02 Compensation and expenses.
Members shall receive no compensation for their services but may be reimbursed for the expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the performance of their duties when, as and to the extent that the environmental advisory council may have funds available for such purposes. The participating municipalities may, from time to time, elect in their sole discretion to make appropriations to or on behalf of the environmental advisory council. The environmental advisory council may accept funding from public or private sources to further its activities. The adoption of the ordinance codified in this article does not in any way commit the adopting municipality to make any appropriation or payment to or for the benefit of the environmental advisory council. (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)
153.03 Chair.
A chair of the environmental advisory council shall be elected annually during the month of January by the members of the council. (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)
153.04 Advisory function and limitation.
(A) The environmental advisory council is to be advisory to and shall coordinate its activities with the elected officials of the participating municipalities and with appropriate agencies of the participating municipalities, including, but not limited to, their planning commissions and their park and recreation boards, on matters dealing with protection, conservation, management, promotion and use of natural resources, relating to French Creek and its tributaries.
(B) The environmental advisory council shall not exercise any powers or perform any duties which by law are conferred or imposed upon a commonwealth agency. (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)
153.05 Meetings.
Meeting of the council shall be held at the call of the chair and at such other times as the council shall determine. All meetings of the council shall be open to the public, except for meetings which may be held in executive session under applicable law for the purpose of preparing and delivering advice to the governing bodies of the participating municipalities concerning the acquisition or disposition of real estate. The council shall keep records of its meetings and activities and shall make a written annual report to the governing bodies of the three municipalities. To the extent that any of the municipalities publish or file annual reports of their activities, the annual report of the environmental advisory council shall be included in that municipality’s annual report. If any of the participating municipalities do not publish or file an annual report, such municipality(ies) shall make appropriate arrangements to have the annual report of the environmental advisory council made known and available to its citizens. (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)
153.06 Duties of the council.
The environmental advisory council shall have the following duties relating to French Creek and its tributaries:
(A) To advise the appropriate governmental agencies concerning the benefits of, potential for, methods of accomplishing and other facts relevant to the creation of a "greenway" adjacent to French Creek and its tributaries in each of the participating municipalities; and
(B) To identify environmental problems, issues, and trends affecting the participating municipalities; and
(C) To recommend plans and programs to the appropriate agencies of the municipalities for the promotion and conservation of the natural resources and for the protection and improvement of the quality of the environment within the corporate boundaries of the three municipalities; and
(D) To make recommendations as to the appropriate use of open land areas; and
(E) To develop, recommend, and, when authorized, promote a community environmental program designed to enhance public awareness of environmental issues affecting the municipalities, the alternatives available to address such issues and the impact each alternative may have upon the environment and the development of the region; and
(F) To work cooperatively with public, private, commercial, and industrial entities in the area to develop a better understanding of the potential environmental impacts of public and private sector actions and to coordinate activities to minimize any negative impact arising therefrom; and
(G) To keep an index of all open areas, publicly or privately owned, including but not limited to flood-prone areas, wetlands, and other unique natural areas; and
(H) To advise the appropriate local government agencies in the acquisition of property, both real and personal, whether by gift, purchase, grant, bequest, easement, devise or lease; and
(I) To undertake such additional environmental tasks as requested by the joint action of the governing bodies of the three participating municipalities. (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)
153.07 Funds and accounting.
To the extent that the environmental advisory council receives public or private funding, all such funds shall be held, administered, and paid on behalf of the environmental advisory council by the finance officials of (municipality) under and in accord with the (hold for agency name which covers city/township combinations) generally accepted accounting practices applicable to municipalities. (Ord. 3511 § 1, 1998)