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AN ORDINANCE CREATING AND PROVIDING FOR THE OPERATION AND CONTROL OF THE JONESBORO PARKS COMMISSION
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BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, to-wit:
Section 1: There is hereby established and created a City Commission to be known as the Jonesboro Parks Commission to consist of five members to be appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council, and shall hold office for a term of five years, provided however, that those commissioners first appointed and confirmed after the passage of this Ordinance shall serve for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years each to be designated by the mayor and City Council, and thereafter, upon the expiration of their respective terms, commissioners appointed by the mayor and approved by the majority vote of the City Council shall each be appointed for a term of five (5) years. In the event of a vacancy occurring on the commission, it shall be filled by appointment by the mayor, subject to the approval of a majority vote of the duly elected and qualified members of the City Council. Each commissioner shall file the oath required by law in the State of Arkansas of public officials.
The commission shall each year elect one of its members as chairman and he shall not be eligible to succeed himself and such other officers as may be deemed proper and necessary, and shall establish such rules and by laws as it deems necessary for its guidance.
The commission shall meet regularly each month or at a special meeting on the request of its chairman and any three of its members. Said meeting shall be attended by the Parks Committee of the City Council.
Any commissioner may be removed for cause upon a vote of 2/3 of the duly elected and qualified members of the Council. Three consecutive absences from said meetings shall be prima facie cause for removal.
Section 2: The commission shall operate the Jonesboro Recreation Program, all park facilities including Craighead County Forest except Community Center Number One which shall continue to be controlled as set forth in Ordinance 662 and amendments thereto.
Section 3: The commission shall employ such personnel as deemed necessary for the operation of the park facilities and programs. The park director(s) shall be appointed by the mayor and approved by a majority of the City Council and shall serve and hold office at the will and discretion of the said City Council.
Section 4: The commission shall promulgate reasonable rule and regulations which shall govern the operation of the facilities and shall establish, where desirable, reasonable schedules of charges to be made for the use of the facilities. The commission shall make park facilities available to all members of the public without discrimination at times and without preferential treatment to any individual or group of individuals, and membership of any private association shall not be necessary to enable the use of the facilities. All rules and regulations and schedules shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor and City Council before becoming effective.
Section 5: The commission shall improve, see to upkeep and repair, establish and supervise programs, make rules and regulations and in general manage for the public welfare all property under its control.
Section 6: The commission is authorized to receive funds for the use of the park facilities by the general public or other associations, to expend any proceeds from the rent or the sale of the products of land, or minerals or improvements thereon, and to make expenditures from such funds for the maintenance and operation of the facilities. All funds appropriated for or collected by the Commission shall be deposited to the City Treasurer. Said commissioners shall not have the authority or power to sell, mortgage or encumber said property unless otherwise authorized by the statutes of Arkansas. All expenditures by the Commission shall be by the City Clerk who shall maintain records of same, and records shall be presented to the City Council monthly for approval by the Finance Committee of the Council. The Commission shall maintain proper books of account of all revenues and expenditures in accordance with the established accounting procedures and shall render an annual accounting to the municipality.
Section 7: The commission shall have no control over any special tax millage levy, bond payments or the acquisition or disposition of land.
Section 8: This article in no way shall effect or limit in any manner Community Center Commission of Community Center Number One but shall supersede ordinances establishing Community Center Commission of Community Center Number Two, Craighead Forest Commission, and Jonesboro Park Commission.
Section 9: Should any portion of this Ordinance be unconstitutional or invalid and so declared by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the remainder of this Ordinance shall not be affected by such partial invalidity.
Section 10: It is found and declared by the City Council that this Ordinance being necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Ordinance shall take effect form and after its passage and approval.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 17th day of January, 1972.