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12-06-2022 Revised Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 1 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws Schertz Historical Preservation Committee BYLAWS Last Revised: January 23, 2020 Revised: October 27, 2022 Ratified: December 6, 2022 ARTICLE I NAME AND LOCATION 1.1 Name: The name of the Committee shall be the Schertz Historical Preservation Committee (SHPC), referred to herein as the Committee. 1.2 Office Location: The office of the Committee is to be the City of Schertz Mayor’s Office, located at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz, Texas 78154. 1.3 Mail: All mail shall be directed to the Committee through the City Secretary of the City of Schertz at the above address. ARTICLE II PURPOSE 2.1 Mission: The SHPC exists in accordance with City Ordinance 06-R-35. The goals and objectives of the Committee will be to (i) create a City museum to contain pictures, artifacts, and other historical items related to the City’s past; (ii) obtain grant money from the State of Texas, the federal government, and other charitable sources for the purpose of historical preservation; and (iii) designate and preserve qualified houses, commercial buildings, and other structures in the City as “historic”. 2.2 Organization: The SHPC will: (a) Maintain an organizational structure to allow for the conduct of meetings, management of the committee, and maintenance of records. (b) Assign, publish, and monitor sub-committees, programs, and projects to highlight the mission of the Committee. (c) Record (in manuscript form or vocally) for retention the memories and knowledge of individuals about people, places and events relating to the City of Schertz. (d) Recommend to City Council the designation of historical structures and sites. (e) Encourage and publicize community interest and involvement in the historical preservation of those activities. (f) Participate with City Council in Schertz activities upon request. Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 2 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP 3.1 Membership shall be open to any Schertz resident who holds an interest in historical preservation and the history of Schertz, Texas, as approved by the City Council after an interview from the SHPC members. In addition, three of the members may be non-residents provided that they live in one of the following counties: Bexar, Guadalupe, or Comal. 3.2 All members will be volunteers who are unpaid and uncompensated. 3.3 All members must agree to abide by these by-laws. 3.4 Requirements for Committee Membership: (a) Actively participate in meetings, subcommittees, and activities. This shall constitute a member in good standing. 3.5 Appointed members shall be no more than fourteen (14). Their appointment shall originate from nominations placed before the Schertz City Council. The appointed members shall be the only authorized voting members on Committee activities. ARTICLE IV MEETINGS 4.1 Meetings of the Committee will be held on a monthly basis on the fourth Thursday of each month. Exceptions: No meetings in July or December. The November meeting will be held the third Thursday of the month. Meeting dates may be adjusted for holidays. The time of the meetings will be 6:00 P.M. (a) If there is a scheduling conflict that requires a change of time and date of any meeting, all members shall be notified prior to the scheduled meeting date. 4.2 Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson at their discretion. Committee members may request a special meeting to the Chairperson either by email or phone call. 4.3 A quorum is when 50% of members are present for a Committee meeting. (a) If a quorum fails to be achieved or maintained during the course of a meeting, no binding votes will be taken until a quorum is again achieved. 4.4 An agenda will be prepared by the Chairperson and be sent to the City Staff at least seven (7) days prior to the scheduled meeting date. Agendas will establish the date, time, and place of the meeting and a list of discussion items. SHPC Members are encouraged to submit agenda topics. Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 3 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws (a) Members are expected to attend meetings as scheduled, and if unable to attend a particular meeting, the member will notify the Chairperson to announce his/her expected absence. (b) Should a member be absent for two (2) or more consecutive meetings for reasons other than circumstances approved by the Chairperson, the Committee may inquire with the member as to whether his/her personal commitments are such as to warrant release from the Committee membership. If deemed appropriate, the Committee Chairperson will notify the member of his/her recommended release from Committee’s active membership and request he/she assume an associate member role or resign from Committee membership. The Chairperson will notify the City Secretary of the recommendation that City Council remove that member from the Committee. ARTICLE V ELECTED OFFICERS 5.1 At a minimum, elected officers shall consist of a Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson. 5.2 Nominations for officers shall occur at the October and January meetings. Voting will occur at the January meeting. The only exception to this time schedule shall be the nominations and vote for the initial slate of officers. (a) Elections may be held out of cycle in case of resignation or removal of members. 5.3 Officers will assume their positions at the January meeting or in the case of the initial slate of officers, at the time of member voting. The nominee receiving a plurality of votes will be deemed the selected candidate for the officer position under consideration. 5.4 The term of elected officers and committee members will be one (1) calendar year term for their duties and roles. A member may run unlimited times for any position. (a) In the event that an elected officer is unable to complete his/her term of office, the membership will nominate and vote on a replacement and the newly selected officer will assume the officer post as of the date of the vote. 5.5 Officers and committee members shall not jointly or individually enter into any legally binding contract on behalf of the Committee. ARTICLE VI ELECTED OFFICER DUTIES 6.1 The Chairperson shall: (a) Preside at all meetings and perform all executive functions of the Committee. (b) Appoint all subcommittee chairs. Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 4 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws (c) Be responsible for all meeting notices. (d) Be an ex-officio member of all sub-committees. (e) Represent the Committee at City of Schertz City Council meetings, activities, etc. as needed. 6.2 The Vice-Chairperson shall: (a) In the absence of the Chairperson, preside at all meetings. The Vice- Chairperson shall automatically assume the position of Chairperson in the case of vacancy. The Vice-Chairperson shall complete the term of the Chairperson until the next scheduled session. (b) Perform all executive functions of the Committee as delegated by the Chairperson. Executive functions will include but not be limited to: (i) Accepting expense vouchers from Committee members and submitting Committee approved vouchers to the appropriate City office for reimbursement. (ii) Provide quarterly book sales reports. (iii) Prepare an Annual Report covering Committee activities for the prior calendar year not later than the date of the second quarterly Committee meeting. (iv) Gather data and prepare the Committee’s Annual Report as an executive summary to the City subsequent to the January Committee meeting. ARTICLE VII SUBCOMMITTEES 7.1 Subcommittees will be created based on need and activity. ARTICLE VIII PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY 8.1 The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Committee activities so long as they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules the Committee may adopt. (a) If there is a disagreement, then the laws in this document take precedent. ARTICLE IV AMENDMENTS 9.1 These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the present and appointed members voting at a Committee meeting. Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 5 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws ARTICLE X PUBLICATIONS 10.1 The Committee will obtain written permission from the owner (when known) to place pictures and articles in Committee publications. 10.2 The Committee will conform to the highest professional standards of publishing, editing, accuracy, and writing. 10.3 Anyone seeking to publish materials in the name of the Committee will submit such to the Committee for membership review and for vote (two-thirds of appointed members present for voting) before publishing in the name of the Committee. Non-response to a request will constitute approval. 10.4 News releases and publications being made on behalf of the Committee will be first coordinated with the Committee membership prior to release. ARTICLE XI PROPERTY/ARTIFACTS OFFERINGS 11.1 Property in the form of papers, photographs, documents, artifacts, etc., offered to the Committee as historical materials by any person shall not be accepted and the donor shall be instructed to contact representatives of the Cibolo Valley Community Museum Association or a suitable historical organization that will accept their gifted item for retention or display. ARTICLE XII COMMITTEE BUDGETING 12.1 The Committee Chairperson will provide whatever expense projections requested to the City of Schertz for its consideration in allocating funds for the operation of the Committee. ARTICLE XIII MEMBER EXPENSE VOUCHERING 13.1 Expenditures by members of the Committee shall be reimbursed by the City of Schertz through the vouchering process that includes the following: a) Items costing less than $250 do not require pre-approval by the SHPC; however, the SHPC may choose to deny the request for reimbursement. b) Items costing more than $250 but not more than $1,000 must be pre- approved by the SHPC before being purchased. c) Any purchase of $1,000 or more must be pre-approved by the SHPC before being purchased as well as coordinated through the Schertz City Manager's Office for a City of Schertz Purchase Order using Appendices A and B. Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 6 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws d) Complete a Texas Sales and Use Exemption Certification form (Appendix D) and present to the store when purchasing items on behalf of the SHPC. Some stores may not accept the form (i.e. Walmart), but most stores will. 13.2 Other purchases by a committee member in support of the Committee’s work will be submitted to the Committee for payment using Appendix A and B. (a) Appendix A: The vehicle for submitting the reimbursement expenses will be the Committee Invoice Document (Appendix A) along with legible receipts of the purchases. Original or copies of receipts will be required to support an Invoice. If a receipt is not available, a written explanation for its absence will be provided. (b) Appendix B: The Letter of Request for Fund Disbursement (Appendix B) will have the signature of the Chairperson for review and approval prior to submission to the City. (c) Requests for any expense reimbursement will be brought before the Committee for approval by a majority vote. (d) Once Committee approval is obtained, the Committee Chairperson will forward the expense reimbursement package (Appendix A, Appendix B, and supporting documentation) to the City Finance Office or processing and payment. A copy will be maintained with the Committee’s Finance Files. ARTICLE XIV DESIGNATIONS OF HERITAGE NEIGHBORHOODS AND LANDMARK PROPERTIES 14.1 Authority: Per Section 21.3.6B1 (Boards and Commissions) of the Schertz Unified Development Code (UDC) the Committee (Commission) shall have those duties and approval authorities as granted by the ordinance establishing the Committee (Commission). 14.2 Designation of Heritage Neighborhoods: Nominations for such a designation can be made by any person or group interested in doing so using the application form in Appendix C. 14.3 A heritage neighborhood will be defined as one in which multiple properties are contained meeting the definition of such in the sections below. There will be no legal restrictions set on any such neighborhood or individual property contained therein. The process for approval will include the following: (a) A majority vote of Committee members present and voting (vote to be based on the historical merits of the application presented to the Committee by the nominator) 14.4 Designation of Landmark Properties: Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 7 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws (a) Landmark: A “Landmark Property” is defined as any property that presents itself as a unique feature of the City of Schertz or its Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) landscape (community) due to either its nostalgic, aesthetic, architectural, or symbolic attributes and which could or will have an enduring impact on the community’s cultural identity. (b) There will be no legal restrictions placed on any such properties. (c) A property will be granted selection as a named landmark property by means of nomination for such status by any person or group interested in doing so using the application form in Appendix C. ARTICLE XV SCHERTZ MAIN STREET AREA PRESERVATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM 15.1 Authority: Per City Council Resolution 15-R-03 the City of Schertz will offer an incentive grant program for historic preservation related projects (50/50 matching up to a $20,000 cap) involving properties within the Main Street Incentive area as shown on Exhibit B of the above cited Resolution. 15.1 Administration: Shall be administered by the City of Schertz Building Inspection Division. 15.2 SHPC Responsibility: A City Representative will present an application for a City of Schertz Incentive Program Grant to the Schertz Historical Preservation Committee at the Committee’s meetings. 15.3 If expedited treatment is requested or required by an applicant, a special meeting called by the Chairperson will be initiated. The Committee will review the application for reasonable compliance with standards set by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. A majority committee vote shall be needed to approve an application for forwarding to City Council for action. (a) The Committee Chairperson and/or City Staff will report to the Schertz City Council its recommendation as determined by Section 16.3 above. (b) Committee members, by majority vote, may allow an extension of the one- year time allowance for project completion if deemed warranted by applicant appeal. END OF BY-LAWS APPENDICES A. SHPC Committee Invoice B. SHPC Letter of Request for Fund Disbursement C. SHPC Application for Heritage Neighborhood or Landmark Property Designation D. Tax Exempt Form Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 8 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws APPENDIX A Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Committee Invoice ITEM PURCHASED QUANTITY COST PER TOTAL GRAND TOTAL I certify that the above expenditures were made on behalf and to support the work of the Schertz Historical Preservation Committee (receipts attached). If receipt is not attached, please explain reason. _______________________________ ____________________________ Committee Member’s Signature Date Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 9 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws APPENDIX B Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Letter of Request for Fund Disbursement FROM: _______________________________ Committee Member TO: Schertz Historical Preservation Committee DATE: _______________________________ In accordance with Article XII, Section 12.1 of the Schertz Historical Preservation Committee (SHPC) By-laws, I am requesting reimbursement for expenses for the attached Committee Invoice (Appendix A). I have attached all available receipts to the invoice and where no receipt was obtained an explanation is enclosed. I affirm that the expenses shown on the invoice were made on behalf of and in support of projects of the SHPC. _______________________________ ____________________________ Committee Member’s Signature Date Schertz Historical Preservation Committee review and approval on: _______________________________ ____________________________ Chairperson’s Signature Date ATTACHMENTS: • Appendix A: Committee Invoice • Receipt(s) Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 10 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws APPENDIX C Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Application for Landmark Property or Heritage Neighborhood Designation This application is to serve as the means by which citizens may apply for approval to have a structure, residence, neighborhood, or designated area within the city limits and/or Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) of Schertz, Texas, designated as either a “Landmark” property or a “Heritage Neighborhood.” “Landmark Property” shall mean any site or structure, designated by the Schertz Historical Preservation Committee (SHPC) and declared as such by a majority vote of the Schertz City Council that is of exceptional cultural, archaeological, or architectural significance. “Heritage Neighborhood” shall mean a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites or structures united architecturally, archaeologically, or culturally, by plan or physical development in the past. NAME OF APPLICANT / NOMINATOR: __________________________________ ADDRESS DESIGNATION: ___________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ CONTACT INFORMATION (PHONE, EMAIL): _____________________________ NOMINATION FOR (Check One):  Landmark Property  Heritage Neighborhood) COMMITTEE NOMINEE: ______________________________________________ STATEMENT OF JUSTIFICATION: __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ (Appendix C – Page 1) Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 11 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws SECTION B. SCHERTZ HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COMMITTEE ACTION  Approved  Approved with Modification  Denied _______________________________ ____________________________ Chairperson’s Signature Date SECTION C. CITY COUNCIL ACTION  Approved  Approved with Modification  Denied (Appendix C – Page 2) Revised/Ratified 12-6-22 12 Schertz Historical Preservation Committee Bylaws