Historic District Commission

A. Establishment. There is hereby established an Historic District Commission to carry out the purpose of this article.
B. Membership and appointment.
- (1) The Commission shall consist of seven qualified members, electors of the Town of Glocester, to be appointed by the Town Council. Members shall be appointed for three-year terms, except that the initial appointments of some of the members shall be for less than three years to the end that the initial appointments shall not reoccur at the same time. Members shall be eligible for reappointment.
- (2) At least four members of the Commission shall have a demonstrated knowledge or interest in historic preservation (such as, but not limited to, architect, owner of an historic home, or builder versed in historic restoration).
- (3) The Town Council shall have the right to name an auxiliary member to the Commission in addition to the regular members, which auxiliary member shall sit as an active member, upon the request of the Chairman of the Commission when and if a regular member of the Commission is unable to serve at any meeting of the Commission.
- (4) In the event of a vacancy on the Commission, the Town Council shall make an interim appointment, for the remainder of the unexpired term. Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled within 60 days.
C. Organization of the Commission.
- (1) The Commission shall organize annually and, by election, shall select from its membership a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and a Secretary.
- (2) The Commission shall:
  - (a) Adopt and publish all rules and regulations necessary to carry out its functions under the provisions of this article. Such rules and regulations and any additions and amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Council for its approval and shall, thereon, become part of this chapter; and
  - (b) Adopt and publish standards and guidelines (which shall use as a guide the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, 36 CFR 671, as amended), within six months following the adoption of this article to inform Historic District residents, property owners, and the general public of those criteria by which the Commission shall determine whether to issue a certificate of appropriateness. The Commission may from time to time amend these standards as reasonably necessary, and it shall publish all such amendments.
- (3) Conduct of business.
  - (a) The Chairman shall preside over all Commission meetings and shall have the right to vote.
  - (b) The Vice-Chairman shall, in the case of absence or disability of the Chairman, perform the duties of the Chairman.
  - (c) All meetings of the Historic District Commission shall be open to the public and any person, organization or duly authorized representative shall be entitled to appear and be heard on any matter before the Historic District Commission reaches its decision. All meetings shall be posted in accordance with the open meetings laws of the State of Rhode Island.
  - (d) The Secretary shall keep a record of all resolutions, proceedings, finding of fact, decisions and actions, and such record shall be on file for public view at the office of the Glocester Town Clerk.
  - (e) Five members shall constitute a quorum and the concurring vote of a majority, but not less than four of the members present shall be necessary for either approval or rejection of any plans before the Commission for review and for establishing or amending Commission rules, regulations and standards of review.