Chapter 2.39
VETERANS ADVISORY COMMISSION

Sections:

2.39.010    Creation.

2.39.020    Purpose and intent.

2.39.030    Functions and duties.

2.39.040    Membership.

2.39.050    Term of office.

2.39.060    Operation of commission.

2.39.010 Creation.

There is hereby created a veterans advisory commission. (Ord. 2593 § 1, 1994).

2.39.020 Purpose and intent.

It is the purpose and intent of the veterans advisory commission to serve as a resource to provide advice and make recommendations to the city council and the city manager on issues affecting veterans and on matters with which veterans have special areas of knowledge and expertise, and to serve as a focal point for mustering various segments of the community to provide volunteers for various community-oriented projects. (Ord. 2593 § 1, 1994).

2.39.030 Functions and duties.

The function and duties of the veterans advisory commission shall be as follows:

A. Provide advice to the city council on matters directly relating to veterans (“direct issues”).

B. To serve as an information resource to the city council on matters relating to the city policy regarding veterans’ entitlement programs established by legislation from federal, state, or county.

C. To promote and assist the city on Veterans Day or Memorial Day observations and other city military recognition events.

D. Encourage and promote patriotism in the city, including support as available to military services recruitment offices.

E. To provide a forum for discussion of issues relating to military veterans.

F. Coordinate with the city veterans fraternal organizations regarding resources available for mobilization in case of a disaster or emergency.

G. To promote interest in flag etiquette and display and represent the city in providing notices of flag use violations.

H. Coordinate city individual recognition programs for active duty military and veteran residents of the city who have achieved significant merit.

I. Provide advice and assistance to city residents when requested regarding resources available to veterans’ spouses, and veterans’ dependents.

J. Formulate and develop a recommended city position and endorsement regarding proposed legislation affecting veterans and military personnel.

K. Attend meetings of, and report on actions affecting the city taken by, the San Diego County veterans advisory council.

L. Study future needs of veterans including veterans’ homes and veterans’ halls.

M. Act as liaison between the city and veterans’ fraternal organizations regarding community programs.

N. Provide various analyses and reports to the city council.

O. Provide advice regarding matters of protocol with which veterans are especially familiar such as flag presentation, color guard procedures and other military and paramilitary procedures. (Ord. 2593 § 1, 1994).

2.39.040 Membership.

A. Number of Members. The commission shall consist of seven voting members, and two staff ex-officio members.

B. Designation of Members.

1. Voting Members. The seven voting members shall be appointed by the city council from the qualified electors of the city in accordance with the provisions of Section 600, et seq., of the Charter, who shall be residents of the city and who shall, throughout their term, maintain their residency and elector status.

2. Staff Ex-Officio Members. The two staff ex-officio members may be the city manager or their designated representatives, who shall not be required to be qualified electors of the city, and who shall have no vote (“staff ex-officio member”). (Ord. 2593 § 1, 1994).

2.39.050 Term of office.

A. Term of Office – All Classes of Members.

1. Post-Initial Terms. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (A), the terms of office of all members, and all classes of members, of said commission shall be for a nominal period of four years, and shall terminate on June 30th of the fourth year of their term, unless they shall otherwise sooner resign, die, become disqualified or incompetent to hold office.

2. Initial Terms of Voting Members. Notwithstanding subsection (A)(1) of this section, the initial terms of voting members shall commence upon appointment and shall conclude for one voting member on June 30, 1995; for two voting members on June 30, 1996; for two voting members on June 30, 1997; and for two voting members on June 30, 1998; unless they shall otherwise sooner resign, die, become disqualified or incompetent to hold office.

a. Appointment to Initial Terms by Lot. Appointment of the initial voting members as to the initial terms shall be determined by lot.

3. Staff Ex-Officio Members. The term of the staff ex-officio members shall be indefinite, and they shall serve at the pleasure of the council.

4. Holdover Office. Notwithstanding the end of any member’s initial term or post-initial term as herein provided, a member, other than the staff ex-officio members, shall be permitted to continue to exercise the privileges of his or her former office until the office to which the member was appointed is filled by reappointment or by the appointment of a qualified successor, but not for more than six months after the end of the term.

5. Vacancies. Notwithstanding the term of office to which a member is appointed, said office shall be deemed vacant upon any of the following events (“event of vacancy”):

a. The death or disability of said member that renders said member incapable of performing the duties of his/her office.

b. The member’s conviction of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude.

c. The member’s absence from three regular consecutive meetings of the commission, unless excused by majority vote of the commission, expressed in its official minutes.

d. The member has submitted a resignation, which resignation has been accepted by the city council.

e. The member has been terminated by three affirmative votes of the city council.

Upon the occurrence of an event of vacancy as hereinabove listed, the city council shall so declare the office to be vacant, and shall expeditiously take such steps as are necessary to fill said vacancy.

B. Number of Terms.

1. Voting Members.

a. Two-Term Limit. No voting member shall be appointed to more than two terms except as herein provided (“two-term limit”).

b. Unexpired Term Exception. Notwithstanding the two-term limit, a person appointed to the commission as a voting member to fill the unexpired term of an office of a voting member which has become vacant (“unexpired term”), which has less than two years remaining on said unexpired term, may be appointed to two terms in addition to their unexpired term. A voting member who currently occupies an office may not be reappointed to fill the unexpired term of another office which has become vacant.

c. Initial Term Exception. Notwithstanding the two-term limit, a person appointed to an initial term of two or less years may be appointed at the natural expiration of their initial term to two terms in addition to their initial term. A voting member who occupies an office under an initial term may not be appointed to fill the unexpired term of another office which has become vacant.

d. Any voting member may be reappointed to serve on the commission after two successive years of not serving on the commission in any office or membership capacity – voting or staff ex-officio. (Ord. 2593 § 1, 1994).

2.39.060 Operation of commission.

A. Time of Meetings.

1. First Pre-election Organizational Meeting. Among such other meetings as the commission may desire to have, the commission shall meet not later than the third Tuesday of the month following appointment of the seventh commissioner, and thereupon shall do the following:

a. Select a chair and vice-chair from among its voting members to serve for a period of one year.

b. Assign such duties to its members as it determines may be necessary.

c. Deliberate upon agenda issues for further deliberation and discussion by the commission.

2. Other Meetings. The commission shall meet at such other times as it shall be established by majority vote, or at such time as the chair thereof may call, or at such times as a majority of the members thereof may call a meeting.

B. Place of Meetings. Unless the commission shall otherwise establish another regular place for its meetings and advise the city clerk accordingly, the commission shall meet in Conference Room One in the Public Service Building, located at 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, or at such other place as may be posted upon the door of said conference room at least 30 minutes in advance of the meeting.

C. Conduct of Meetings. The meetings of the commission shall be governed by the same rules and regulations by which the city council is bound in the conduct of public meetings.

D. Quorum. Four voting members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

E. Resolutions. The affirmative vote of a majority of the entire membership shall be required for the passage of any resolution of the commission.

F. Reports and Recommendations. All reports and recommendations shall be made in writing.

G. Staff Support. It is the intention of council that the commission can function without significant staff support. Toward this objective, the commission is charged with minimizing the involvement of city staff, and in particular, shall (1) address those matters on their meeting agendas for which city staff is present in priority order to other matters; (2) invite city staff to leave all meetings after the commission has addressed those matters for which city staff is present. The city manager may, in his/her prudent discretion and giving full regard to diminishing resources of the city, make staff and clerical support available to the commission to fulfill its functions and duties.

H. Ex-Officio Privilege. The right of ex-officio members to participate in deliberations of the commission or attend commission meetings is to be at their sole discretion. The commission shall not issue any directives to ex-officio members.

I. Rules and Regulations. The commission may make such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 2593 § 1, 1994).