Article 173
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS GENERALLY*

Sections:

173.01  Boards, commissions and committees continued and created.

173.02  Personnel board – Composition, term, vacancy and duties.

173.03  Planning commission – Appointment.

*Editor’s note: This article has been established to provide a synopsis of legislation relating to the creation of boards and commissions by council or the Third Class City Code.

173.01 Boards, commissions and committees continued and created.

(A) The following boards, commissions and committees to advise and assist council are hereby continued and created:

(1) Planning commission;

(2) Zoning hearing board;

(3) Police pension board;

(4) Firemen’s pension board;

(5) City employees’ pension board;

(6) Sewer assessment board of view;

(7) Shade tree commission;

(8) Codes review committee;

(9) Personnel board.

(B) Until further changed by council, the duties and powers of the above boards, commissions and committees shall be governed by the existing laws, ordinances and directives of council presently applicable to each.

(C) The manner of appointment of personnel to serve on such boards, commissions and committees shall be as provided and directed by law. (Ord. 2683 § 15, 1968)

173.02 Personnel board – Composition, term, vacancy and duties.

(A) The personnel board shall be composed of five members appointed by council. Council may appoint one councilman to be a member of the personnel board. Members shall serve for a five-year term, except, that of the first five members appointed, one shall serve for a term ending the first Monday of January, 1977, two for a term ending the first Monday of January, 1978, and two for a term ending the first Monday of January, 1979. Any vacancy in the office of any member shall be filled by council within 30 days of the vacancy. The term of any councilman serving as a member of the personnel board shall expire at the expiration of that person’s term of office as a member of council.

(B) The personnel board shall:

(1) Make recommendations to and otherwise assist council in the formulation of personnel policy.

(2) Periodically review the procedures and practices established by the city manager and the application thereof, as well as the application of personnel policies established by council, and report the results of such review to council.

(3) Be available for consultation and assistance to the city manager on any matters concerning city personnel under his jurisdiction.

(4) At council’s request, investigate any complaint concerning any personnel policy, practice or procedure or the application of the same.

(5) Perform such other duties concerning city personnel as council may lawfully direct.

(C) The personnel board shall be charged with the investigation of complaints from city employees or other persons alleging the existence of discriminatory policies or practices affecting municipal employment. Subject to the following limitations, the personnel board may issue such regulations as it deems proper to assure the fair and impartial hearing of any and all such complaints:

(1) Complaints shall be filed in the office of the city clerk who shall forthwith notify the chairman of the personnel board and the city manager.

(2) Complaints shall be in writing on forms prescribed by the personnel board.

(3) The city clerk shall forward a certified copy of such complaints to the head of the department, authority or commission against which such complaints have been filed. City departments, authorities or commissions shall make answer to any such complaint in writing within 10 days of the receipt of a certified copy of the complaint. Answers shall be filed with the city clerk who shall forthwith forward copies of said answers to the personnel board and the city manager.

(4) Upon receipt of a formal complaint and answer, the personnel board shall meet and review same. If, in the unanimous opinion of the personnel board, a review of the complaint and answer indicates no basis for the complaint or that the complaint has been adjudicated in another form or that the complaint could more properly be adjudicated in another form, the same shall be dismissed. The complainant shall be given written notice of the dismissal of the complaint and the grounds therefor.

(5) Should any member of the personnel board believe a complaint to merit investigation, the board shall conduct a public hearing upon the complaint no later than 20 days after the date upon which the answer to the complaint was filed with the city clerk.

(6) The personnel board is hereby empowered to compel the attendance and testimony of any city officer or employee at hearings conducted pursuant to this article.

(7) Persons shall be entitled to appear before the board and shall have a right to be represented by counsel of their choice. The city manager shall attended all hearings conducted pursuant to this article and shall be entitled to give such testimony as he deems relevant to the controversy before the board.

(8) The personnel board shall issue written findings of fact no later than 10 days after the final hearing held upon any complaint.

(9) All decisions of the personnel board shall be by simple majority vote of all members of the board except as provided in subsection (C)(4) of this section.

(10) Upon receipt of the personnel board’s findings of fact, the city clerk shall forward a copy thereof to the complainant at his last known address and a copy thereof to the city manager.

(11) Upon receipt of findings of fact of the personnel board, the city manager shall review same and shall submit to the personnel board a written proposal for immediate and positive action designed to remedy any discriminatory practice or policy and the effects thereof which have been determined by the personnel board’s finding of fact.

(12) The personnel board shall review the city manager’s proposed action and, if satisfied that the same is sufficient to remedy any discriminatory practice or policy and the effects thereof, shall communicate its agreement with the proposed action to the city manager in writing.

(13) If the personnel board and the city manager are unable to agree upon a course of conduct designed to remedy any discriminatory practice or policy and the effects thereof, the dispute shall be placed on the agenda of the next public city council meeting for decision.

(14) The personnel board shall delegate one of its members to present the board’s position to council should council action be required by subsection (13) of this section. (Ord. 2876 § 1, 1975; Ord. 2875 § 1, 1975; Ord. 2683 § 15, 1968)

173.03 Planning commission – Appointment.

(A) The planning commission, consisting of seven members, shall be appointed by the city council in the manner prescribed by law. All members of the planning commission shall be residents of the City of Meadville. At least five members of the commission shall not be officers or employees of the city. All members of the commission shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses. Elected or appointed officers or employees of the city shall not, by reason of membership therein, forfeit the right to exercise the powers, perform the duties or receive the compensations of the municipal offices held by them during such membership.

(B) The two additional members of the planning commission authorized by this section shall be appointed to such terms which require that appointments after the initial appointment shall be for a term of four years but shall be fixed so that not more than two members shall be re-appointed or replaced during any future calendar year. (Ord. 3068 §§ 1, 2, 1984)