Loading...
2000-06-26 EC Agenda PktAgenda Environmental Commission Monday, June 26, 2000 7:00 p.m. Golden Valley City Hall - Council Conference Room (Upstairs) 1. Convene Commission and Opening Comments — Mayor Anderson. 2. Discuss City Ordinance Establishing Commission. 3. Discuss Proposed By -Laws. 4. Appoint Officers. 5. Review Upcoming Agenda Items. GAEnvironmental Commission\Agendas\062600EC.doc BY-LAWS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY Article I: Mission Statement The Environmental Commission has been established to advise and make recommendations to the City Council in matters relating to and affecting the environment. Specifically, the Commission shall: 1. Develop and make recommendations to educate the public on environmental regulations, policies, practices and tools; 2. Develop and make recommendations as an advisory review body for amendments to or revisions of the city's Surface Water Management Plan and provide advice as requested by the Council on other city programs and initiatives; 3. Review and make recommendations regarding the city's existing environmental ordinances, policies and guidelines; 4. Develop and make recommendations on management practices for the city's nature areas, public and private ponding areas, and other such city - owned properties as directed by the City Council; 5. Participate, as directed by the City Council, in local activities initiated by Federal and State environmental agencies such as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, watershed management organizations, the Board of Water & Soil Resources, etc.; 6. Act as a recipient of citizen complaints regarding environmental concerns and refer, as necessary, to city staff or other local, state and federal organizations; 7. Advise and recommend such other functions or procedures as may be assigned to them by the City Code Council. Article II: Membership, Meetings and Attendance 1. Membership a. The Environmental Commission membership shall consist of seven (7) members who shall serve three-year staggered terms. Emphasis in appointments will be based on knowledge of environmental issues and their relationships to the natural environment and quality of life in the City. 2. Meetings a. The Commission will hold monthly meetings on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. b. A quorum consisting of a majority of the membership is necessary to transact the business of the Commission. C. The Commission may hold special meetings to complete or initiate business at the call of the chairperson or at the request of three members. d. Each member shall be notified at least 48 hours notice of a special meeting regarding the time, place, and purpose of the meeting. e. All meetings will be open to the public. 3. Attendance Attendance is required at all meetings. Absence from 25% per year or more of regular or special meetings shall be cause for recommendation for removal from the Commission. Members are responsible for notifying the staff liaison or chairperson if they cannot attend a meeting. Article III: Appointment, Terms and Vacancies Appointments Appointments shall be for terms extending through March 1 and the Council will appoint the appropriate members. 2. Terms Members will serve three-year staggered terms. Terms extend until March 1 or when a successor is appointed and confirmed. 3. Vacancies If a vacancy occurs before the end of the term, interim appointments may be made by the Council Article IV: Officers, Elections, and Duties Officers The Environmental Commission will have two officers: a chairperson and a vice chairperson. 2. Election of Officers The Commission will elect officers at the March meeting each year. Officers will serve until the next election. 3. Duties of Officers GAEnvironmental Commission\Bylaws.doc The Commission Chairperson will: • Work with staff liaison to develop meeting agendas. • Conduct and preside over monthly meetings in a productive, timely manner. • Monitor and ensure the progress of the Commission. • Report to the City Council. • Assure that the Commission conducts its activities within its mission and by-laws. The Commission Vice Chairperson will: • Preside over any meeting in the Chairperson's absence. Article V: Amendments and Revisions The Commission will review these by-laws annually at the March meeting with a majority of members present, and members will present recommendations for changes and amendments. These by-laws can be altered or amended at any regular quarterly Commission meeting, provided that notice of the proposed changes and amendments is mailed to each member at least ten business days before the meeting. GAEnvironmental CommissionTylaws.doc 10 SECTION 2.70. PUBLIC WORKS RESERVE FUND. established. bdivision 1. Establishment. A Public Subdivision 2,12e a § 2.70 reby The purpose of the Fund shall be to finance capita W1111111110Ments to the City's public wo"ftua,s-tructure. The Council may annuall xes for maintaining the Fund, and may, by other a not required to be used for other purposes. priate SECTION 2.71. CODE OF ETHICS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. Subdivision 1. Policy. A. General Declaration of Policy. It is imperative that all persons acting in the public service not only maintain the highest possible standards of ethical conduct in their transaction of public business but that such standards be clearly defined and known to the public as well as to the persons acting in public service. The proper operation of democratic government requires that public officials be independent, impartial and responsible to the people; that governmental decisions and policies be made in the proper channels of the governmental structure; that public office not be used for personal gain; and that the public have confidence in the integrity of its government. In recognition of these goals there is hereby established a Code of Ethics for public officials, elected and appointed, paid and unpaid. The purpose of this Code is to establish ethical standards of conduct for such officials by setting forth those acts or actions that are incompatible with the best interests of the City and by directing disclosure by such officials of private, financial or other interests in matters affecting the City. The provisions and purpose of this Code are hereby declared to be in the best interests of the City. B. Responsibilities of Public Office. Public officials are agents of public purpose and hold office for the benefit of the public. They are bound to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this State and to carry out impartially the laws of the Nation, State and City and thus to foster respect for all government. They are bound to observe in their official acts the highest standards of morality and to discharge faithfully the duties of their office. C. Dedicated Service. All officials of the City shall be dedicated to fulfilling their responsibilities of office described herein. They shall be dedicated to the public purpose and all programs developed by them shall be in the community interest. Public officials shall not exceed their authority or breach the law or ask others to do so, and they shall work in full cooperation with other public officials and employees unless prohibited from so doing by law or by officially recognized confidentiality of their work. GOLDEN VALLEY CITY CODE 19 (6-15-98) lk § 2.71 Subdivision 2. Scope of Persons Covered. The provisions of this Code of Ethics shall be applicable to all members of the Council, Committees, and members of advisory Boards and Commissions. Subdivision 3. Fair and Equal Treatment. A. Subject to the provisions of Subparagraphs E and F below, no Council member, Commission member or Committee member, while acting as such, shall participate in the discussion of, or vote on, any issue in which such person has any direct financial interest or personal interest which arises from blood or marriage relationships. "Direct financial' interest" is hereby deemed to mean such an interest as would involve a reasonable likelihood of gain having a monetary value of substance. "Blood relationships" and "marriage relationships" shall be deemed for the purposes hereof to include only immediate family relationships of the first degree: spouse, children, mother, father, father- in-law, mother-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, brother, sister, sister-in-law and brother-in- law. B. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above stated or implied, whenever two or more members shall declare an interest in the matter as hereinbelow set forth, then every member of the Council shall be required to vote on a zoning ordinance or other form of amendment to City Code, Chapter 11, which requires a four-fifths favorable vote for approval and/or enactment (as prescribed by pertinent provisions of the State statutes for the.State of Minnesota); provided, however, that all of such required votes by members of the Council shall only be cast and tallied following a full public discussion of the item being voted upon during the course of which discussion every Council member having either a direct financial interest or personal interest as above described in this Subdivision shall make a full disclosure of the same. (All such disclosures shall also be made a matter of the public record along with the recording of the votes relating to the subject matter). C. Subject to the provisions of Subparagraphs E and F below, if a Council member, Commission member or Committee member has a financial interest in a business, investment, or transaction, which has a matter pending before the Council, Commission or Committee of which such person is a member, such person shall not participate in the discussion as such public official or vote on the matter. GOLDEN VALLEY CITY CODE 20 (6-15-98) § 2.71 D. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above stated or implied, whenever two or more members shall declare an interest in the matter as hereinbelow set forth, then every member of the Council shall be required to vote on a zoning ordinance or other form of amendment to City Code, Chapter 11, which requires a four-fifths favorable vote for approval and/or enactment (as prescribed by pertinent provisions of the State statutes for the State of Minnesota); provided, however, that all of such required votes by members of the Council shall only be cast and tallied following a full public discussion of the item being voted upon during the course of which discussion every Council member having either a direct financial interest or personal interest as above described in this Subdivision shall make a full disclosure of the same. (All such disclosures shall also be made a matter of the public record along with the recording of the votes relating to the subject matter). E. No person covered by this Code of Ethics shall take any official action with respect to a matter in which such person has a direct financial interest or personal interest which arises from blood or marriage relationships; provided that partici- pation in the decision-making process on such person's own behalf as a private citizen shall not be prescribed by this Code of Ethics, and provided further that such person may participate in matters leading up to or preliminary to official action to the extent that such person disclosed any such direct financial or personal interest as such person may have in the same and to the extent that such person has no discretion to make a final controlling judgment or vote on the same. Disclosure of any such financial or personal interest shall be made to the Council, Board, Commission or Committee of which the person is a member when the item appears on the agenda. Such disclosure shall be recorded in the minutes and become a matter of public record. F. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary above stated or implied, whenever two or more members shall declare an interest in the matter as hereinbelow set forth, then every member of the Council shall be required to vote on a zoning ordinance or other form of amendment to City Code, Chapter 11, which requires a four-fifths favorable vote for approval and/or enactment (as prescribed by pertinent provisions of the State statutes for the State of Minnesota); provided, however, that all of such required votes by members of the Council shall only be cast and tallied following a full public discussion of the item being voted upon during the course of which discussion every Council member having either a direct financial interest or personal interest as above described in this Subdivision shall make a full disclosure of the same. (All such disclosures shall also be made a matter of the public record along with the recording of the votes relating to the Subject matter). G. No person covered by this Code of Ethics shall, without proper legal authorization, disclose confidential information concerning the property, government, or affairs of the City, nor shall such person use such information to advance the financial or other private interests of any person. GOLDEN VALLEY CITY CODE 21 (6-15-98) § 2.71 H. No person covered by this Code of Ethics shall directly or indirectly solicit any gift or accept or receive any gift of substance whether in the form of money, services, loan, travel, entertainment, hospitality, promise or any other form, under circumstances in which it could be reasonably inferred that the gift was intended to influence such person, or could reasonably be expected to influence such person in the performance of such person's official duties or was intended as a reward for any official action on the part of such person. I. No Council member shall appear in behalf of another's private interest before the Council, any Committee, Commission or agency of the City, nor shall such Council member represent another's private interests in any action or proceeding against the interests of the City in which the City is a party. J. Except as specifically authorized by Section 471.88 of Minnesota Statutes, no person covered by this Code of Ethics who is authorized to take part in any manner in making any sale, lease or contract in such person's official capacity shall have a direct financial interest in that sale, lease or contract or personally benefit financially therefrom. Subdivision 4. Public Discl A. Within 30 days after membero ouncil shall file, as a public statement disc the following: list of the i governmental agencies, comp firms doing business with the City or at -s o is connected as an employee, officer, 011 fiduciary (other than as a nominee) or financial interest, through a pensio ret result which such person has any f' cial inter other securities. 2. A list of such the same locattApithin the City. B. Each person who file CourKdb he timeof said filing as a candid re his Subdivision. ure by Council. e effective date of this Cod.aAWEthics each ;cord, in the office of t_ ity Clerk, a signed of all 4WMhess corporations, rtn ips or other business enterprises ithin the City (a) with which such person 'ector, trustee, partner, advisor, consultant, such person has any continuing nt a. shared income, or otherwise, as a 0Q It." UM# -UU001UU10 Lion, or (c) in ough the'dbq&rship of stocks, bonds, or rson's interests in real party or rights in s a candidate to become a membOwlikthe shall also file the disclosure statemenrN GOLDEN VALLEY CITY CODE 22 (6-15-98)