Lompoc Municipal Code Ch. 2.60 Beautification and Appearance Commission

Chapter 2.60, Beautification and Appearance Commission, adopted by Prior code §§ 3112(A)—3112(H), as amended by Ord. 1677(21) and Ord. 1688(22), was repealed by Ord. 1712(24), 11/19/2024.

There is hereby created a Beautification and Appearance Commission which shall consist of five members to be appointed as follows:

A. A member of the City Council, upon commencement of that member's term of office, shall nominate for appointment or reappointment a member of the Beautification and Appearance Commission whose term of office concurrently expires with that of the nominating Council Member. Two members can be nominated and appointed at-large with overlapping four-year terms. The nominee shall be interviewed by the City Council at a duly noticed public meeting and shall be appointed by the Mayor, upon approval of a majority vote of all members of the City Council.

B. Each member of the City Council shall have an opportunity to nominate one appointee to become a member of the Beautification and Appearance Commission. If the Mayor fails to appoint such nominee due to failure of the majority of all the members of the City Council to approve the appointment, the member of the City Council whose nominee was rejected may nominate such other persons as necessary until the majority of the City Council votes to approve such nominee for appointment and the Mayor appoints such nominee to the Beautification and Appearance Commission. The Mayor shall not refuse to appoint any nominee otherwise qualified to serve on the Beautification and Appearance Commission, once the majority of all the members of the City Council have voted the approval of such nomination.

C. Failure to nominate a person for a seat on the Beautification and Appearance Commission for six consecutive regular or adjourned City Council meetings shall entitle the Mayor to appoint the Mayor's or any other Council Member's nominee to the seat upon the approval of the majority of all of the members of the City Council without the nomination of that member of the City Council otherwise entitled to nominate.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

A. The Beautification and Appearance Commission shall recommend and act in an advisory capacity to the City Council in all matters pertaining to the beautification and appearance of the City of Lompoc and its environs, including the following duties:

1. To stimulate public interest in the overall community appearance and to preserve and enhance the natural features of the Valley of Flowers.

2. To encourage citizens, the business community and governmental agencies in the planting of trees, flowers and shrubs and the like.

3. To encourage cooperation and coordination among private citizens to improve and make more attractive their residential and commercial property.

4. To advise the City Council relative to Urban Forestry operations, policies, and procedures.

5. To receive and consider public input on street and sidewalk issues, and advise and make recommendations to the City Council regarding those issues.

6. To make recommendations to the City Council regarding public art programs and become the oversight body of such programs as directed by Council.

7. As requested by the City Council, Planning Commission, or other City agency or department, to prepare special appearance reports relative to areas and conditions of public interest and concern.

8. To make an annual written report to the City Council on or before the first day of April of each year, which shall include projects completed in the past year, projected projects, and solicit Council input for future projects.

B. The functions and duties of the Commission as contained in this Section shall not be construed as prohibiting the Commission from initiating such studies and preparing such reports concerning conditions and problems regarding City beautification and appearance, which its membership feels warrant the attention of the Commission and the consideration of the City Council.

C. Upon direction of the City Council, the Commission may adopt such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary to carry out it functions.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

The terms of office of Beautification and Appearance Commissioners shall expire concurrently with those of each Council Member responsible for that Commissioner's nomination for a seat on the Beautification and Appearance Commission. Vacancies on the Beautification and Appearance Commission occurring during an unexpired term shall be selected in the same manner provided for in Section 2.60.010. Commissioners shall serve until their successors have been appointed by the City Council and qualified. A vacancy occurring on the City Council shall not automatically terminate the office of the Commissioner nominated by the departing Council Member; however, the new Council Member filling the Council vacancy shall be entitled to nominate a candidate of his or her choice for Commissioner in the manner provided in Section 2.60.010.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

Any member of the Beautification and Appearance Commission may be removed from office by a majority vote of the full City Council. If any Commission member misses three consecutive meetings, without permission, his or her office becomes vacant.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

All members must be City residents. No person shall be appointed to the Beautification and Appearance Commission who is employed by the City.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

The Beautification and Appearance Commission shall meet on the second Tuesday of each month, at 4:30 p.m., in the Administrative Conference Room at Lompoc City Hall, 100 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc, CA.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

A meeting shall be scheduled in February of each year to elect a chairperson and vice chairperson. Elected officers shall hold office for a period of one year. The chairperson shall be the presiding officer at all meetings of the Beautification and Appearance Commission and the vice chairperson shall act as presiding officer in the chairperson's absence. The City Manager shall appoint appropriate staff members to serve as secretary and/or advisors.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)

All operational expenses of the Beautification and Appearance Commission shall be approved by the City Council and such funds budgeted for this purpose shall be included within the City's budget. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation. However, actual and necessary expenditures incurred by members, while engaged on official Commission business, may be reimbursed to said members, provided such expenses have been previously approved by the department head responsible for staffing the Commission.

(Ord. 1717(25), 2/18/2025)