Brief Summary of Boards & Commissions
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board shall have and exercise the following
powers and duties:
Officers. To
meet and elect from its members a President, a Secretary, and such
other officers as it deems necessary. The City Treasurer shall
serve as Board Treasurer, but shall not be a member of the Board.
Physical Plant.
To have charge, control and supervision of the Library, its
appurtenances, fixtures and rooms containing the same.
Charge of Affairs.
To direct and control all affairs of the Library.
Hiring of Personnel.
To employ a librarian, and authorize the librarian to employ such
assistants and employees as may be necessary for the proper management
of the Library, and fix their compensation; provided, however, that
prior to such employment, the compensation of the librarian, assistants
and employees shall have been fixed and approved by a majority of the
members of the Board voting in favor thereof.
Removal of Personnel.
To remove the librarian, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board, and
provide procedures for the removal of the assistants or employees for
misdemeanor, incompetence or inattention to duty, subject however, to
the provisions of Chapter 35C of the Code of Iowa.
Purchases. To
select, or authorize the librarian to select, and make purchases of
books, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, papers, maps, journals, other
Library materials, furniture, fixtures, stationery and supplies for the
Library within budgetary limits set by the Board.
Use by Nonresidents. To authorize the use
of the Library by nonresidents and to fix charges therefor unless a
contract for free service exists.
Rules and Regulations. To make and adopt, amend, modify or repeal rules and
regulations, not inconsistent with this Code of Ordinances and the law,
for the care, use, government and management of the Library and the
business of the Board, fixing and enforcing penalties for violations.
Expenditures. To
have exclusive control of the expenditure of all funds allocated for
Library purposes by the Council, and of all moneys available by gift or
otherwise for the erection of Library buildings, and of all other
moneys belonging to the Library including fines and rentals collected
under the rules of the Board.
Gifts. To
accept gifts of real property, personal property, or mixed property,
and devises and bequests, including trust funds; to take the title to
said property in the name of the Library; to execute deeds and bills of
sale for the conveyance of said property; and to expend the funds
received by them from such gifts, for the improvement of the Library.
Enforce the Performance of Conditions on Gifts. To enforce the performance of conditions on
gifts, donations, devises and bequests accepted by the City on behalf
of the Library.
Record of Proceedings. To keep a record of its proceedings.
County Historical Association. To have authority to make agreements with the local
County historical association where such exists, and to set apart the
necessary room and to care for such articles as may come into the
possession of the association. The Trustees are further
authorized to purchase necessary receptacles and materials for the
preservation and protection of such articles as are in their judgment
of a historical and educational nature and pay for the same out of
funds allocated for Library purposes.
MAYOR'S YOUTH COMMISSION
The Youth Commission shall be an advisory body to
the Clinton City Council consisting of 15 students between the grades
of 7th grade and 1st year of college, inclusive. The Youth
Commission shall make recommendations to the City Council on matters
that may be referred to them by the City Council. The Youth
Commission may make recommendations to the City Council on matters that
are of interest to the youth of the community.
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE
Neighborhood Improvement Committee formed to help
develop programs to incentivize property owners to invest in and
improve existing housing stock in Clinton. The membership of said
committee should represent a wide variety of community interests.
This body shall be advisory in nature and report its
recommendations to the City Council.
PARKLAND & FACILTIES DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Parkland & Facilities Development committee
is created to assist with input for the development and planning of all
city parks, to recommend improvements and alternations to all city
parks subsequent to adoption of a master plan and to offer input and
assistance to both the Department of Recreation and the Grounds &
Facilities Division of the Public Works Department.
PLAN COMMISSION
The Commission shall have and exercise the
following powers and duties:
Selection of Officers. The Commission shall choose annually at its first
regular meeting one of its members to act as Chairperson and another as
Vice Chairperson, who shall perform all the duties of the Chairperson
during the Chair person's absence or disability.
Adopt Rules and Regulations. The Commission shall adopt such rules and regulations
governing its organization and procedure as it may deem necessary.
Zoning. The
Commission shall have and exercise all the powers and duties and
privileges in establishing the City zoning regulations and other
related matters and may from time to time recommend to the Council
amendments, supplements, changes or modifications, all as provided by
Chapter 414 of the Code of Iowa. When proposed changes in the
Zoning Regulations or districts are referred to the Commission by the
Council, the Commission shall within thirty (30) days thereafter file
its recommendations approving, disapproving or modifying such proposed
changes with the Council.
Recommendations of Improvements. No statuary, memorial or work of art in a public
place, and no public building, bridge, viaduct, street fixtures, public
structure or appurtenances, shall be located or erected, or site
therefor obtained, nor shall any permit be issued by any department of
the City for the erection or location thereof until and unless the
design and proposed location of any such improvement shall have been
submitted to the Commission and its recommendations thereon obtained,
except such requirements and recommendations shall not act as a stay
upon action for any such improvement when the Commission after thirty
(30) days' written notice requesting such recommendations, shall have
failed to file same.
Review and Comment on Plats. All plans, plats, or re-plats of subdivision or
re-subdivisions of land embraced in the City or adjacent thereto, laid
out in lots or plats with the streets, alleys, or other portions of the
same intended to be dedicated to the public in the City, shall first be
submitted to the Commission and its recommendations obtained before
approval by the Council.
Fiscal Responsibilities. The Commission shall have full, complete and exclusive
authority to expend for and on behalf of the City all sums of money
appropriated to it, and to use and expend all gifts, donations or
payments whatsoever which are received by the City for City planning
and zoning purposes.
Limitation on Entering Contracts. The Commission shall have no power to contract
debts beyond the amount of its original or amended appropriation as
approved by the Council for the present year.
Annual Report. The
Commission shall each year make a report to the Mayor and Council of
its proceedings, with a full statement of its receipts, disbursements
and the progress of its work during the preceding fiscal year.
TRAFFIC STUDY COMMISSION
The Traffic Study Commission shall study and
analyze any traffic problems in the City of Clinton, Iowa and report
their recommendations regarding said matters to the City Council.
TREE COMMISSION
The Tree Commission shall provide leadership in
the development of understanding of the objectives of the tree program
and assist the Public Works Director in the development and maintenance
of technical specifications and guidelines. The Tree Commission
shall produce and maintain a list of the kinds and species of trees
suitable and desirable for planting and the areas and conditions under
which such trees should be planted. This list, to be known as the
“Master Tree List,” shall be adopted by resolution of the
Council. The Tree Commission shall also review developers' plans
for subdivisions and other new developments and recommend tree
preservation and tree plantings therein. The Council may require
the implementation of any recommendation by the Tree Commission.
ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
A majority of the members of the Zoning Board of
Adjustment shall be persons representing the public at large and shall
not be involved in the business of purchasing and selling real estate.
Meetings. All
meetings of the Board shall be held at the call of the Chairperson and
at such times as the Board may determine. All hearings conducted by
said Board shall be open to the public. The Board shall keep minutes of
its proceedings, showing the vote of each member upon each question,
or, if absent or failing to vote, indicating such fact, and the Board
shall also keep records of its hearings and other official actions.
Findings of fact shall be included in the minutes of each case of a
requested variation and the reasons for recommending or denying such
variation shall be specified. Each decision or determination of the
Board shall be filed immediately in the office of the Board and shall
be a public record. The Board shall adopt its own rules of procedure
not in conflict with this Chapter or with the Iowa statutes in such
case made and provided, and may select or appoint such officers as it
deems necessary.
Appeals. An appeal may be taken to the Zoning Board of
Adjustment by any person, firm, corporation, or any officer,
department, board or bureau affected by a decision of the
Administrative officer, but such appeal may be taken only when the
action involves a subject or instance upon which the Board is
authorized to act. Such appeal shall be taken within such time as
prescribed by the Zoning Board of Adjustment general rules, by filing
with the officer from whom the appeal is taken and with the Zoning
Board of Adjustment a notice of appeal, specifying the grounds thereof.
The officer from whom the appeal is taken shall forthwith transmit to
the Board all of the papers constituting the record upon which the
action appealed from was taken. The Board shall select a reasonable
time and place for the hearing of the appeal and give due
notice thereof to the parties and shall render a decision
on the appeal without unreasonable delay. Any person may appeal and
testify at the hearing, either in person or by duly authorized agent or
attorney. Fees for Zoning Board of Adjustment appeals, variances
and special use permits shall be in amounts established by resolution,
from time to time, by the Council. The fees shall be paid at the time
of filing.
Governmental jurisdiction. The Zoning Board of Adjustment shall have the following
powers:
All special use permits.
To hear and decide appeals where it is
alleged there is an error of law in any order, requirement, decision or
determination made by the Planning/Community Development Director or
his designated representative in the enforcement of this Chapter.
In hearing and deciding appeals, the Board
shall have the power to grant an exception in the following instances:
(1) Permit the extension of a district where the
boundary line of a district divides a lot or tract under a single
ownership at the time of passage of this Chapter.
(2) Interpret the provisions of this Chapter in
such a way as to carry out the intent and purpose of the plan, as shown
upon the maps fixing the several districts, accompanying and made a
part of this Chapter where the street layout actually on the ground
varies from the street layouts as shown on the maps aforesaid.
(3) To permit the erection and use of a building
or use of premises in any location for a public service corporation for
public utility purposes which the Board deems reasonably necessary for
the public convenience or welfare.
(4) All reconstruction of the structural
components because of fire or an act of God on a nonconforming building
is to be approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment where the Board
finds some compelling reason to continue the nonconforming use.
(5) Waive or reduce the parking and loading
requirements in any of the districts whenever the character or use of
the building is such as to make unnecessary the full provision of
parking or loading facilities, or where such regulations would impose
an unreasonable hardship upon the use of a lot as contrasted with
merely granting an advantage or a convenience.
(6) Permit land within 200 feet of a multiple
dwelling to be improved for the parking spaces required in connection
with a multiple dwelling but only when there is positive assurance that
such land will be used for such purpose during the existence of the
multiple dwelling.
(7) Add more uses to the list of those permitted
in the C 2, M 1, M 2 and M 3 districts, provided that such uses are
comparable, in general character, as those listed insofar as the
emission of odor, dust, noise, gas or smoke is concerned.
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