There is hereby created a Parks and Recreation Advisory Board composed of nine (9) regular members appointed from citizens and residents of the City.  Membership appointments to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall be reduced to five (5) members should the City cease to operate a golf course.  The Mayor or Councilperson appointed by the Mayor will constitute one (1) of the regular members.  All members will be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the majority of the City Council.  A member’s initial term of office shall expire on the second Monday in January following the election of Mayor.  Upon the expiration of a member’s initial term of office, Mayor may appoint a member to a two (2) year secondary term of office. Until the members’ terms of office are staggered such that at least half of the members' terms of office expire on an alternate date from the remaining members’ terms of office's expiration date, the Mayor shall appoint second terms of office as follows: five members will be appointed to one (1) year terms and four members will be appointed to two (2) year terms.  Once the appointment schedule allows for no more than five (5) members’ terms to expire on the same date, all appointments shall be made for a term of two (2) years.  If a vacancy shall occur during the term of any member, his or her successor shall be appointed for the unexpired portion of the term.  The Director of Public Works & Utilities, or his/her designee, shall serve as the Secretary of the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.  The Secretary shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Board and is not entitled to vote on any matters coming before the Board. 

(Ord. 1856)

The Mayor or appointed Councilperson shall serve as the Board ex officio Chairperson.  The Board shall elect from among its members a Vice Chairperson, establish rules and regulations of procedure and keep records and a journal of all its proceedings.  The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall meet at least once each calendar quarter.  Proposed agendas shall be transmitted to the City Clerk for publication on the City website prior to meetings, and minutes of meetings shall also be posted.  The Board shall be subject to the provisions of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (K.S.A. 75-4317 et. seq.) and the Kansas Open Records Act (K.S.A. 45-215 et. seq.)  A majority of the membership of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.  The members of the Board shall serve without compensation.  No member of the Board shall be related by blood or marriage to the Mayor, members of the City Council or any officer appointed pursuant to Chapter I, Article 2 of the Code.

The duties and functions of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall be to:

(a)   Make recommendations to the governing body for the beautification of City parks and public open space and recreational opportunities for the greater Andover community.

(b)   Develop a list of goals and objectives, to include but not limited to:

(1)   Needs and usage of the existing City parks, public open space and recreational opportunities.

(2)   Need for additional park grounds and public open spaces.

(3)   Size and type of park grounds and public open spaces.

(4)   Development of short and long range capital improvements required to develop current and proposed sites and facilities.

(c)   Develop initiatives to enhance the image of the community, both at the neighborhood level and City-wide, through beautification and preservation projects to include landscaping, streetscaping, tree planting, decorative lighting and measures to reduce traffic, noise, sight and other types of pollution.

(d)   Consider, investigate, make findings, report and/or recommend upon any special matter within its scope of work at the request of the governing body, Mayor and/or City Administrator.

(e)   Serve as first point of contract and coordinate any volunteer labor offered for beautifying and improving City parks and public open spaces.

(f)    Manage grants and gifts of sites, facilities, funds and work with outside agencies and groups in the development and maintenance of parks, public open space and recreational facilities.

(g)   Oversee the development, implementation and update of the Parks & Recreation System Master Plan.

(h)   Undertake such other responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time by the governing body.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall not by this ordinance be granted any authority over the operation of the park and/or recreation systems, nor have the authority to make any rules or regulations governing the use of any park, public open space or recreational offering.  The Board shall be permitted to make recommendations to the governing body for action regarding any laws, rules or restrictions on the use of any City park, public open space and/or recreational offering.  The Board shall be advisory to the governing body and shall make its recommendations to the governing body through the Director of Public Works & Utilities or his/her designee.  The actions of the Board shall be subject to the discretion of the governing body.

(Ord. 1772)