All individuals considered for appointment by the City Council to a Board, Commission, or Committee must have a resume or biographical information sketch on file in the office of the City Secretary. All vacancies must be listed on a City Council agenda in order for appointments to be made. Any Council Member can nominate persons to fill vacancies, except where the law requires nomination by the Mayor or City Manager. Each appointment must receive a majority vote of the Council Members present and voting.

The following rules and procedures will govern standing City Boards, Commissions, and Committees:

1. City Council Members may be appointed as liaison contacts to the City's Boards, Commissions, and Committees, as well as other Committees the Council makes appointments to, in order to facilitate communications. Appointments will be by the Mayor or a majority of the Council.
2. City Boards, Commissions, and Committees will provide annual reports of their respective activities. Such annual reports will be for the calendar year and will be due no later than January 15th of each year for the prior calendar period. Each City Board, Commission, and Committee will be provided an opportunity, if requested, to be placed on the City Council agenda for presentation of their annual report.
3. Board, commissions, or committees with rule making or quasi-judicial authority are covered by the Texas Open Meetings Act and shall comply therewith. Other boards, commissions, and committees are directed to follow the Open Meeting Act except as inconsistent with these procedures or other ordinance or directive of the Council, and failure to comply with the Act may be grounds for sanction by the Council, in its discretion. No closed session may be held without receiving advice from the City Attorney.
4. Orientation manuals will be prepared and provided to all new appointees to the City's Boards, Commissions, and Committees. Orientation sessions by the Chairpersons and/or staff liaison are encouraged.
5. Meetings will be held in meeting rooms nearest support staff whenever possible.
6. Agendas will follow a standard one-page format.
7. All Boards, Commissions, and Committees shall keep minutes of all meetings thereof. Minutes will be limited to a one-page summary when possible. The presiding officer at such meeting shall designate an acting secretary in the absence of the regular secretary of any of such bodies to discharge such duty. A copy of the minutes of the proceedings of every such meeting shall be promptly forwarded to the City Manager for his information. Minutes will be filed in the office of the City Secretary for City Council and public review.
8. Regular times for meetings will be established, when possible, to avoid staff overtime.
9. Chairpersons will be advised of meeting costs involved and the need to reduce costs and expedite meeting times when possible.
10. Ad hoc and subcommittees will meet without staff support when possible.
11. No City board, commission, or committee shall appoint persons outside its membership as advisors or to subcommittees, ad hoc committees or other accessory entities, without prior approval of the City Council.
12. Recommendations for appointments will be solicited from the affected Boards, Commissions, and Committees.
13. No person may serve as a voting member of a board, commission, or committee of the City for a period longer than six (6) years consecutively unless such service is required by virtue of the person's position or title as the result of employment or to complete an unexpired term. No person may be reappointed to the same board, commission, or committee after having been appointed to terms that would provide for six (6) consecutive years of service as a voting member unless the person has not served on that board, commission, or committee for a period of twelve (12) months. No person shall be appointed by the Mayor or Council Members to serve on more than one board, commission, committee or corporation at the same time unless required by charter, statute, or other ordinance or when such service is required by virtue of the individual's position or title as the result of employment or when such appointment involves the Mayor or Council Members.
14. The foregoing limitations do not apply to the appointment of advisory, nonvoting members to a board, commission, or committee of the City. Any such advisory, nonvoting member appointed to a board, commission, or committee of the City is prohibited from serving as an elected or appointed officer of the board, commission, or committee to which such person has been appointed. Unexcused absences from more than twenty-five (25) percent of regularly scheduled meetings during a term year on the part of any board, committee, or commission member shall result in an automatic vacancy, which vacancy shall be promptly reported to the City Council. An absence shall be deemed unexcused unless excused by the board, committee, or commission for good cause no later than its next meeting after the absence. Any member, otherwise eligible, shall not be precluded from reappointment by reason of such automatic vacancy.
15. All members of City Boards, Commissions, and Committees must be residents of the City.
16. A member of a City Board, Commission or Committee may file as a candidate for nomination or election to any non-city public office. Upon the election or appointment to a non-city public office or upon the filing as a candidate for any position under this Charter, such Board, Commission or Committee member shall forfeit his or her position.
17. All board, commission, and committee appointments will be presented to the City Council by the City Secretary no earlier than thirty (30) days before a term expires unless required by law.
18. No board, commission, or committee appointment will be made during the period thirty (30) days prior to a city council election and extending to the taking of office for the newly elected council. Provisions Q and R herein above apply to all appointments made by City Council and are not inclusive of only City boards, commissions, or committee appointments.