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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3264 Establishing a Salary Commission and Adding Chapter 2.90 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code Ordinance 3264 ORDINANCE NO. 3264 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND ESTABLISHING A SALARY COMMISSION AND ADDING CHAPTER 2.90 OF THE PORT TOWNSEND MUNICIPAL CODE WHEREAS, in 2007, City Council approved Resolution 07-034 establishing the compensation rates for the Mayor and City Council; and WHEREAS, the City Council has not reconsidered those rates since 2007; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that level of compensation may discourage otherwise interested individuals from seeking a position on the Port Townsend City Council; and WHEREAS, RCW 35.21.015 authorizes the City to establish an independent salary commission with authority to set the salary of the members of the City Council; and NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Port Townsend do ordain as follows: SECTION 1. A new Chapter 2.90— Salary Commission of the City of Port Townsend Municipal Code is hereby added as shown in Exhibit A. This ordinance amends Title 2 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code to add a new Chapter 2.90. SECTION 2. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this Ordinance or its application to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such order or judgment shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remainder of any part of this Ordinance. To this end, the provisions of each clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this law are declared severable. SECTION 3. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force five days after the date of its publication in the manner provided by law. ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, at a regular meeting thereof, held this 17th day of May 2021. r Michelle Sandov,41 Mayor Attest: Approved as to Form: Joanna Sanders MMC _... Heidi O. �_....._..µ �eenw��o City Clerk City Attorney Ordinance 3264 Exhibit A Page I of 2 Exhibit A Chapter 2.90 SALARY COMMISSION Sections: 2.90.010 Created—Membership, appointment, compensation, term. 2.90.020 Vacancies. 2.90.030 Removal. 2.90.040 Mission and responsibilities. 2.90.050 Referendum. 2.90.060 Meetings, officers, records and quorum. 2.90.010 Created—Membership, appointment, compensation, term. A. There is created a salary commission for the City. The commission shall consist of five residents of the City, to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council. B. A member of the commission shall serve until either: the commission completes its salary review and files a salary schedule with the City Clerk; or the commission issues a final determination that no salary adjustment is appropriate. C. Beginning in 2021, a salary commission shall be appointed and shall begin a new salary review as provided herein. Every seven years thereafter, a new salary commission shall be appointed to perform a new salary review in accordance with this chapter. D. No member of the commission shall be appointed to more than two terms. E. A member of the commission shall not be an officer, official, or employee of the City or an immediate family member of an officer, official, or employee of the City. For purposes of this section, "immediate family member" means the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relatives of an officer, official, or employee of the city, whether or not living in the household of the officer, official, or employee. F. A member of the commission shall not be appointed to another City committee, board or commission, except for specialized committees or task forces of limited duration. G. Members shall serve without compensation. 2.90.020 Vacancies. In the event of a vacancy in the office of commissioner, the Mayor shall appoint, subject to approval of the City Council, a person to serve the unexpired portion of the term of the vacant position in accordance with the City's appointment cycle. 2.90.030 Removal. A member of the commission shall only be removed from office for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office, or for a disqualifying change of residence. Ordinance 3264 Exhibit A Page 2 of 2 2.90.040 Mission and responsibilities. A. Beginning in 2021, and every seven years thereafter, the commission shall have the duty to review the salaries paid by the City to each elected City official. The commission shall complete its review within 120 days of the first meeting of the commission. The City Council may approve a request from the commission for an extension of the 120-day review period. B. If after such review the commission determines that the salary paid to any elected City official should be increased or decreased, the commission shall file a written salary schedule with the City Clerk indicating the increase or decrease in salary. C. Any increase or decrease in salary established by the commission shall become effective and incorporated into the City budget without further action of the City Council or the commission. D. Salary increases established by the commission shall be effective as to all City elected officials, regardless of their terms of office. E. Salary decreases established by the commission shall become effective as to incumbent City elected officials at the commencement of their next subsequent terms of office. F. If after review, the commission determines that the salary paid to any elected city official should not be increased or decreased, then the commission shall file a written determination with the city clerk indicating that no salary adjustment is appropriate. 2.90.050 Referendum. Any salary increase or decrease established by the commission pursuant to this chapter shall be subject to referendum petition by the voters of the city, upon filing of a referendum petition with the City Clerk within 30 days after filing of a salary schedule by the commission. In the event of the filing of a valid referendum petition, the salary increase or decrease shall not go into effect until approved by a vote of the people. Referendum measures under this section shall be submitted to the voters of the city at the next following general or municipal election occurring 30 days or more after the petition is filed, and shall otherwise be governed by the provisions of the State Constitution and the laws generally applicable to referendum measures. 2.90.060 Meetings, officers, records, and quorum. A. The committee may meet as necessary during the 120-day review period but shall establish a regular meeting schedule and announce the specific day and time each month that the committee will conduct its regular meetings during the review period. Meetings shall be open to the public and held in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. B. Beginning in 2021, and every seven years thereafter that a new commission is appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council, the commission, at its first regular meeting, shall select from among its members a chairperson. C. A majority of the voting members then serving on the commission shall constitute a quorum.