Laguna Niguel Municipal Code Art. 3 Military Support Committee

(a) The military support committee is hereby established.

(b) The military support committee shall consist of not less than ten nor more than 20 members. Two members of the city council shall serve on the committee in a non-voting and advisory role as liaisons between the city council and the committee and shall be appointed by majority vote of the city council.

(c) The remaining members of the committee shall be at-large members appointed by the city council as deemed appropriate, and may include representatives from local service clubs, charities, civic organizations, veteran's organizations, as well as interested Laguna Niguel residents, local veterans, business owners and individuals residing outside of the City of Laguna Niguel.

(d) The city council may appoint up to five at-large members nominated by specific charitable, service or civic organizations which by virtue of their significant and ongoing presence within the city are expected to make a substantial contribution to the mission of the Laguna Niguel Military Support Committee. Such at-large members shall be considered the liaisons to the specified organizations and shall serve at the discretion of the organization. The city council may grant or revoke the right for an organization to appoint an at-large member at any time.

(e) The committee shall hold an annual organizational meeting and each at-large member who is appointed for a term of one year shall serve from their date of appointment until the committee's next annual organizational meeting and each at-large member who is appointed to serve a term of two years shall serve from the date of their appointment until the annual organizational meeting held in two years.

(f) Within 90 days of the effective date of the ordinance that added this subsection (e), or as soon thereafter as the committee deems appropriate, the members of the committee shall select a chair and a vice chair of the committee from the appointed and voting members of the committee. The selected chair and vice-chair shall serve until the committee's next annual organizational meeting at which time the committee may select the same or different members to serve as chair and vice-chair. At each annual organizational meeting thereafter, the members of the committee shall make its annual selection of a chair and a vice chair of the committee from the appointed and voting members of the committee. The committee may select a chair and vice-chair to serve successive one-year terms in those positions. City Council members appointed as liaisons to the committee shall not be eligible to be selected as a chair or vice-chair of the committee.

(g) The city council when making the annual appointments of the at-large members of the committee shall as to each member appointed designate whether that member shall serve for a term of one year or a term of two years. Each year, the city council shall appoint enough at-large members to insure that with the members who had been appointed the previous year for a two-year term there are at least ten members of the committee and no more than 20 members of the committee.

(h) The city council has the sole authority to remove any member of the committee before the expiration of their term and may do so with or without cause or with or without a reason.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19; Ord. No. 2020-203, § 2, 2-18-20; Ord. No. 2022-212, § 2, 4-19-22; Ord. No. 2023-221, § 2, 4-18-23)

The following ex officio members shall serve on the committee in a non-voting advisory role:

(a) A liaison appointed by the commanding officer of each of the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(b) A representative appointed from spouse/family support groups of each of the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(c) One or more representatives from the Laguna Niguel Military Support Foundation.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19; Ord. No. 2022-212, § 3, 4-19-22)

The duties and responsibilities of the military support committee shall consist of the following:

(a) Maintain continuous communication and contact between the city and representatives of the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(b) Determine the support needs of the personnel and families of the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(c) Plan, organize and conduct programs and special events to support the personnel and families of the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(d) Represent the city at ceremonial and social events, upon the invitation of the commanding officer (or his/her representative) of the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(e) Solicit and raise private funds and donations to support the Laguna Niguel Military Support Foundation's mission to support the city's adoptive relationship, programs and special events with the city council's selected adoptive military units.

(f) Provide periodic updates to the city council on its activities.

(g) Such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the city council.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19; Ord. No. 2022-212, § 4, 4-19-22)

The committee may establish such ad hoc committees, including ex officio members, as it deems necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the committee.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19)

The military support committee shall determine when and how frequently to meet. The committee shall meet at least once annually for the purposes of appointing and organizing its members and establishing such ad hoc committees that it deems necessary or appropriate. All meetings of the committee shall be held at the City of Laguna Niguel City Hall. A meeting may be called and scheduled by the chair or by a majority of the members of the committee. A quorum shall consist of seven voting committee members being present at the meeting.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19; Ord. No. 2023-221, § 3, 4-18-23)

It is anticipated that the city will continue to budget on an annual basis funds to support activities of the military support committee with the primary source of funding expected to come from the Laguna Niguel Military Support Foundation and various fundraising events. The finance director shall establish such funds and accounts that he/she deems necessary to properly account for contributed city funds and private contributions/donations. The finance director is authorized to disburse funds only upon the written request of the chair and written approval of the city manager.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19; Ord. No. 2023-221, § 4, 4-18-23)

The city manager, the finance director and the executive secretary shall provide the necessary staff for the military support committee.

(Ord. No. 2019-198, § 3, 10-1-19)