Rialto Municipal Code Ch. 2.16 Commissions Generally

All members of commissions shall be residents of the city at the time of appointment and while so serving. "Resident" does not mean business address but place of domicile.

(1965 code Title III, Ch. 1, § 1)

The city council shall, by a vote of a majority of its members, appoint commissioners to serve on commissions established in the municipal code by the city council. At such times as one or more seats become vacant on any commission, the city clerk's office will solicit applications from interested city residents to fill the vacant positions. The city shall provide application forms which are to be completed and filed by interested persons on-line at the city's website. All filed application shall be directed to the city manager's office which shall provide a copy of each filed application to each of the city council members for review. The city council may hold, whether as part of a regularly scheduled meeting or as a special meeting, a noticed public meeting to review and discuss applications, to interview applicants, to make and discuss nominations for commissioners, and to appoint commissioners to fill any vacant commission seats. The city council may conduct the review, nomination, and appointment process in a single meeting or over the course of several meetings as the council finds to be most convenient for the conduct of its business. In the alternative, the city council may appoint a subcommittee of two council members to interview applicants and to make recommendations regarding the appointment of commissioners. Such recommendations shall be submitted to the city council at a regular or special meeting of the city council for deliberation and action.

(Ord. 1234 (part), 1995)

(Ord. No. 1699, § 2A, 3-11-25)

The city council may replace, in the manner provided in Section 2.16.040, any member of a commission who is absent from three consecutive meetings of the commission to which the member was appointed or who is not committed to the purpose of the commission as demonstrated by failing to attend the commission meetings regularly or failing to contribute to the commission when in attendance. To this end, the city council may review the attendance and devotion of members of the various city commissions on a quarterly or semi-annual basis at which time the city council may act to remove any commission member whose attendance or devotion is lacking as determined by the city council.

(Ord. 1234 (part), 1995: Ord. 699 § 2, 1976)

(Ord. No. 1464, § 1, 5-11-10)

Any appointed commissioner may be removed, with or without cause, by either of the following:

A. The mayor, subject to the approval of the city council;

B. A majority vote of the city council.

(Ord. 1234 (part), 1995: Ord. 1051, 1989)

A nonvoting student member may be appointed to each commission established by this code as provided in section 2.16.020. Every such student member shall be a high school student in tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grade, and reside within the city at the time of their appointment. A student member shall not count toward establishing a quorum of a commission. A student member shall be permitted to participate in discussion and deliberation but shall not have the right to vote on matters before the commission. No such student member shall receive compensation or reimbursement for expenses of any kind for the services rendered to the commission to which he or she may be appointed. All appointments pursuant to this section shall be for a period of one year and shall serve no more than three terms.

(Ord. 1055, 1989)

(Ord. No. 1699, § 2B, 3-11-25)

At a regular meeting the members of the commission shall meet in open session and elect from their members a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, and shall appoint a secretary. Officers hold office for one year or until their successors are elected.

(Ord. 1234 (part), 1995)

Except as provided in Section 2.16.110, all commission appointments shall be for a term of four years. The term shall expire on December 31 in the last year of the term. An individual shall serve no more than three terms on a single city commission. In the event that an individual is appointed to fill a mid-term vacancy on a commission, the partial term shall count as one of the three terms. A commissioner who has completed three consecutive full terms on a commission may apply to serve on a different commission provided at least one year has passed since the end of their third term. The one year waiting period shall not apply to any commissioner who has served less than three consecutive full terms on a commission. A commissioner applying to serve on a different commission, or no longer wishes to serve on an appointed commission, shall submit a letter requesting a re-appointment or resignation to the city clerk, by December 1st in the last year of their term. The city council shall review requests for reappointment, and re-appointments shall be made by the city council as provided in Section 2.16.020.

(Ord. 1234 (part), 1995)

(Ord. No. 1699, § 2C, 3-11-25)

Vacancies in the commission occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall be filled in the manner set forth in Section 2.16.020, for the unexpired term.

(Ord. 1234 (part), 1995)

Each commission shall adhere to procedural rules for the transaction of business adopted by the city council by resolution. In the event the city council has not adopted procedural rules for a commission, then such commission shall adhere to the adopted procedural rules for the transaction of business applicable to the city council. Each commission shall keep a record of its transactions, resolutions, findings and determinations.

(Ord. No. 1689, § 1, 1-9-24)

As directed by the city council, or as may be delegated to the city manager, each person appointed to a city commission shall undertake training provided by the city as may be mandated by the state (for example anti-harassment and discrimination training and AB 1234 ethics training) and training pertinent to the work of the commission to which the person has been appointed.

(Ord. No. 1699, § 2D, 3-11-25)

This section shall only apply to the reorganization of the commissions and the initial commissioner terms pursuant to Ordinance No. 1692. In order to effectuate the reorganization of commissions pursuant to Ordinance No. 1692, all commission terms existing as of April 10, 2025 or such other date as may be established by the city council, shall be terminated. The start date of the new terms shall be April 10, 2025, or such other date as may be established by the city council. Existing commissioners may reapply to serve on their existing commission or a new commission. To stagger the commissioner's terms of office, the city clerk shall conduct a lottery draw at each first commission meeting after the initial appointments are made to assign expiration dates for each commissioner's initial term of office. Four commissioners shall have terms of office that expire after on December 31, 2028, and three commissioners shall have terms of office that expire on December 31, 2026. These initial terms resulting from this lottery draw shall not count as a full term for the purposes of term limits in Section 2.16.070. Following the expiration of the above initial terms, commissioners shall be appointed to serve on the reorganized commissions as provided in Section 2.16.070.

(Ord. No. 1699, § 2E, 3-11-25)