City of Lacey, Washington Municipal Code Title 2, Chapter 2.42

LACEY MUNICIPAL CODE

A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Lacey, Washington

Title 2: ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL

Chapter 2.42

HISTORICAL COMMISSION

Sections:

2.42.010 Creation

2.42.020 Membership--Terms

2.42.030 Officers--Records

2.42.040 Expenditures

2.42.050 Powers and duties

2.42.055 Additional powers and duties

2.42.060 Quorum

2.42.010 Creation. There is created a commission to be known as the Lacey Historical Commission which shall perform all of the duties and shall have all of the authority hereinafter set out. (Ord. 531 §1 (part), 1979).

2.42.020 Membership--Terms.

A. The commission shall consist of seven general members and one youth member appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. Terms for general members shall be for three years. General membership on the commission shall be limited to two full terms.

The youth member shall be between the ages of 16 and 18 (when appointed), enrolled as a Junior or Senior in the North Thurston School District; or enrolled in private school or homeschooled in Lacey or Lacey’s Urban Growth Management Area, and be a resident of the city of Lacey or reside in Lacey’s Urban Growth Management Area. The youth member shall be appointed to serve for a term of one year. The youth member shall be limited to one appointed term. Except as outlined in this paragraph, the youth member shall have the same rights and responsibilities of the general members.

B. The commission members shall not receive any salary or other compensation for services rendered on the commission, but necessary expenses actually incurred and within the budget as set by the annual budget ordinance shall be paid.

C. Vacancies occurring otherwise than through the expiration of terms shall be filled for the unexpired terms. Members may be removed, after public hearing, by the mayor with the approval of the city council, for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance in office. The members shall be selected without respect to political affiliations.

D. General membership on the commission shall always include at least two professionals who have experience in evaluating historic resources and are selected from among the disciplines of history, architecture, architectural history, historic preservation, planning, cultural anthropology, archaeology, cultural geography, or American studies. The commission action that would otherwise be valid shall not be rendered invalid by the temporary vacancy of one or both of the professional positions unless the commission action is related to meeting certified local government (CLG) responsibilities cited in the certification agreement between the mayor of Lacey and the state historic preservation officer. Furthermore, exception to the residency requirement of general commission members may be granted by the mayor and city council in order to obtain representatives from these disciplines. (Ord. 1177 §1, 2002; Ord. 1088 §1, 1998; Ord. 796 §3, 1986; Ord. 531 §1 (part), 1979).

2.42.030 Officers--Records.

A. The commission shall select its own chairperson from within its membership and may create such other offices as it may deem necessary and shall adopt all necessary rules for the transaction of its business and the keeping of its own records. A recording secretary shall also be appointed.

B. An accurate record shall be kept of the proceedings of all meetings, including all motions, resolutions and transactions, findings and determinations. These records shall be public and a copy thereof shall be transmitted to the city clerk after each meeting.

C. An accurate record of all items of historical relevance donated to the city and the location of those belonging to private citizens shall be maintained as an active, up-to-date reference file. (Ord. 531 §1 (part), 1979).

2.42.040 Expenditures. The expenditures of the historical commission, exclusive of gifts donated for a specific purpose, shall be for the purposes and within the limits of the amounts appropriated therefor by a simple majority vote of the commission. (Ord. 531 §1 (part), 1979).

2.42.050 Powers and duties. The historical commission shall have the power and it shall be its duty, subject to such rules and regulations as may from time to time be prescribed by ordinance:

A. To adopt such bylaws, rules and regulations for its own guidance and for the government of the commission as it deems expedient;

B. To have the supervision of all property of the city or loaned to the city which is of historical relevance, including photographs, slides, news clippings, literature and any other pertinent matter, inclusive of rooms or buildings constructed, leased or set apart therefor;

C. To accept such gifts of money or property for historical preservation and historical purposes as are approved by the city council and as it deems expedient and allow for said items to become available from the library;

D. To encourage and provide leadership as necessary assisting in, encouraging, developing and otherwise maintaining a form of local historical society within the community;

E. To be advisory to the city council in its determination of historically relevant matters of consideration in the city planning process;

F. To provide and make available for public use historical information about the city to any agency, council, organization or person requesting such;

G. To determine and develop an ongoing method of collecting and maintaining information of historical relevance of the continuing history of the city;

H. To provide the community with various historically related services;

I. To initiate publications of a written record of the research collected;

J. To encourage donations of historically related materials to the commission;

K. To disseminate historical information to public local news media. (Ord. 531 §1 (part), 1979).

2.42.055 Additional powers and duties. A major responsibility of the historical commission is to identify and actively encourage the conservation of the city’s historic resources by initiating and maintaining a register of historic places and reviewing proposed changes to register properties; to raise community awareness of the city’s history and historic resources; and to serve as the city’s primary resource in matters of history, historic planning and preservation.

In carrying out these responsibilities, the historical commission shall engage in the following:

A. Conduct and maintain a comprehensive inventory of historic resources within the boundaries of the city and known as Lacey historic inventory; publicize and periodically update inventory results. Properties listed on the inventory shall be recorded on official zoning records with an “HI” (for historic inventory designation). This designation shall not change or modify the underlying zone classification;

B. Initiate and maintain the Lacey register of historic places. This official register shall be compiled of buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts identified by the commission as having historic significance worthy of recognition by the city and encouragement of efforts by owners to maintain, rehabilitate, and preserve properties;

C. Review nominations to the Lacey register of historic places according to criteria in Section 16.53.030(A), and adopt standards in its rules to be used to guide this review;

D. Review proposals to construct, change, alter, modify, remodel, move, demolish, and significantly affect properties or districts on the register as provided in Section 16.53.030, and adopt standards in its rules to be used to guide this review and the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness;

E. Provide for the review either by the commission or its staff of all applications for approvals, permits, environmental assessments or impact statements, and other similar documents pertaining to the historic inventory or adjacent properties;

F. Conduct all commission meetings in compliance with RCW Chapter 42.30, Open Public Meetings Act, to provide for adequate public participation and adopt standards in its rules to guide this action;

G. Participate in, promote and conduct public information, educational and interpretive programs pertaining to historic resources;

H. Provide information to the public on methods of maintaining the rehabilitated historic properties. This may take the form of pamphlets, newsletters, workshops, or similar activities;

I. Officially recognize excellence in the rehabilitation of historic buildings, structures, sites and districts, and new construction in historic areas, and encourage appropriate measures for such recognition;

J. Be informed about and provide information to the public and city departments on incentives for preservation of historic resources including legislation, regulations, and codes which encourage the use and adaptive reuse of historic properties;

K. Submit nominations to the state and national registers of historic places;

L. Investigate and report to the city council on the use of various federal, state, local, or private funding sources available to promote historic resource preservation in the city;

M. Establish liaison support, communication, and cooperation with federal, state, and other local government entities which will further historic preservation objectives, including public education, within the Lacey area;

N. Review and comment to the city council on land use, housing and redevelopment, municipal improvement, and other types of planning and programs undertaken by any agency of the city, other neighboring communities, the county, the state, or federal government as they relate to historic resources of the city;

O. Serve as the local review board for the purpose of recommending approval for special property tax valuation per RCW Chapter 84.26 and Chapter 221, Laws of 1986, and request the city to enter into an agreement with the property owner for the duration of the special valuation, during which time the review board monitors the property for continued qualifications for the special valuation per requirements of RCW Chapter 84.26 and Chapter 221, Laws of 1986. (Ord. 796 §4, 1986).

2.42.060 Quorum. A majority of the membership of the historical commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Any action taken by a majority of those present when those present constitute a quorum, at any regular or special meeting of the historical commission, shall be deemed and taken as the action of the commission. (Ord. 531 §1 (part), 1979).

City of Lacey, Washington, USA