Sec. 2-8-20. Powers and duties.
The Open Space Commission shall:
(1) Establish priorities and criteria for Town Council adoption for the acquisition of open space and for the management and maintenance of all properties acquired with expenditures from the Open Space Fund.
(2) Review open space elements of comprehensive, master and area plans and make recommendations to the Town Council concerning any open-space-related changes to plans.
(3) Make recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission and Ecology Commission as warranted regarding open space impacts of applications filed under the Town’s and County’s land use codes and regarding exactions or dedications required to fulfill the goals of the Open Space Program, as established in this Article.
(4) Make recommendations to the Town Council for the acquisition of specific fee interests, options, easements or other interests in real property by expenditures from the Open Space Fund.
(5) Establish relationships with local and regional land trusts to more effectively discharge Open Space Commission responsibilities.
(6) Conduct all meetings of the Open Space Commission in an open and public setting, except that executive sessions may be convened pursuant to the following standards:
(a) The subject matter of any executive session shall be limited to the identification, evaluation or purchase of any property for open space purposes, inclusive of negotiations necessary thereto.
(b) The Open Space Commission shall give seventy-two (72) hours’ written notice to the Town Council of any executive session.
(c) A majority of the Open Space Commission members in attendance may vote publicly to convene an executive session, at which time a public announcement is made as to the permissible grounds for conducting the same.
(d) Attendance at executive sessions shall be restricted to members of the Open Space Commission, the Town Council, designated Town staff and such individuals as the Open Space Commission or the Town Council may deem necessary for advice and information.
(e) In addition, the following procedures shall be followed in the conduct of executive sessions:
1. The Open Space Commission shall define and publish the proposed topic of discussion to the fullest extent possible.
2. When applicable, the Open Space Commission shall identify, in conjunction with the announcement of an executive session, the municipal ordinance being relied on for the executive session.
3. During executive sessions, the Chairperson shall immediately terminate any discussions falling outside the scope of authorized executive sessions.
4. Upon completion of the executive session and during formal action being taken pursuant thereto, any Open Space Commission member may express his or her reason for his or her action even if expressed during the executive session.
5. The Open Space Commission may, by motion, publish notice of and conduct a public hearing or discussion on any executive matter the Open Space Commission feels appropriate to solicit public comment upon.
(f) The Town Manager or, in the event he or she does not attend, the Chairperson of the Open Space Commission, shall submit to the Town Council a written report of the substance of the executive session.
(g) No legally binding or formal action shall be taken during any executive session, nor may any meeting of the Open Space Commission be adjourned in executive session.
(h) The Town Clerk shall tape record all executive sessions, which recording shall be available only to the Open Space Commission and the Town Council and shall not be made available to the public, except upon a majority vote of the Town Council or pursuant to a valid order as issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(i) A breach of the standards as provided in this Paragraph (6) shall constitute a municipal ordinance violation and subject the offender to those penalties as set forth in Section 1-4-10 of this Code. (Prior code 2.26.020; Ord. 1288 §1, 2008)