Sec. 15-2. Establishment of Department of Parks and Recreation—Establishment of Board.
(a) There is hereby established a Department of Parks and Recreation, in conformance with provisions of Indiana Code 36-10-3 et seq., as amended from time to time. The Department shall consist of a Parks and Recreation Board, a superintendent, and other personnel that the Board determines.
(b) The Parks and Recreation Board shall be composed of five (5) members as follows:
(1) Town Council Appointments.
a. Four (4) citizen members of the Board shall be appointed by the Town Council as the Town legislative body;
b. The citizen members shall be appointed on the basis of their interest in and knowledge of parks and recreation; and
c. No more than two (2) citizen members shall be of the same political party;
(2) School Corporation Appointment.
a. The governing body of the Lake Central School Corporation or the Hanover Community School Corporation, in the discretion of the Town Council, shall appoint one (1) member of the Board, either:
1. A member of the governing body of the selected School Corporation, serving ex officio, selected by that body. The Board member appointed by the applicable school board shall serve for a term which is concurrent with his/her term as a member of the school board, not to exceed four (4) years; or
2. An individual designated by the governing body of the selected School Corporation. The Board member appointed by the applicable school board shall serve for a term of four (4) years.
(c) All members of the Board must be residents of the District.
(d) Ex officio members have all the rights of regular members, including the right to vote.
(e) The Town Council's initial appointments of the citizen members of the Board are as follows:
(1) One (1) member for a term of one (1) year.
(2) One (1) member for a term of two (2) years.
(3) One (1) member for a term of three (3) years.
(4) One (1) member for a term of four (4) years.
As each term expires, each new appointment is for a four (4) year term.
(f) An appointing authority shall make the initial appointment within ninety (90) days after the creation of the Department.
(g) All terms expire on the first Monday in January, but a member continues in office until the member's successor is appointed. If an appointment for any new term is not made by the first Monday in April, the incumbent shall serve another term.
(h) If a vacancy occurs on the Board, the appointing authority shall appoint a person to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
(i) A municipal executive, member of a county fiscal board, county executive, or member of a municipal fiscal body may not be appointed to membership on the Board.
(j) A member may only be removed for cause, in accordance with I.C. 36-10-3-6, as amended from time to time.
(k) Waiver of political affiliation. Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1)c. of this section, the Town Council may, by a majority vote, waive one (1) or both of the following requirements of a citizen Board member only if the waiver is necessary due to absence of persons who are willing to serve on the Board and who satisfy any or all of the requirements:
(1) The requirement that a citizen member of the Board be affiliated with a political party.
(2) The requirement that not more than two (2) of the four (4) citizen members of the Board be affiliated with the same political party.