[Ord. of 2-28-78]
The human services commission is hereby established and shall consist of seven members who shall be residents of the City. Such members shall serve without compensation. Specifically excluded from serving on the commission are salaried staff members of human-service-providing agencies.
[Ord. of 2-28-78]
The Mayor shall appoint the members of the commission with the consent of the council, one member of which shall be designated by the Mayor as chairperson. In the first year the Mayor shall appoint three members to one-year terms, two members to two-year terms, and two members to three-year terms. All subsequent terms shall be three years in length and so arranged that the terms of not more than three members shall expire each year on the first day of February. If, for any reason, a vacancy occurs in the membership of the commission, the vacancy shall be filled forthwith by the Mayor with council approval for the unexpired term.
[Ord. of 2-28-78]
Beginning in February, 1979, and every year thereafter, the commission shall elect the chairperson from among their own number. The chairperson shall, annually, appoint a member to serve as secretary. If the secretary is absent from a meeting, the chairperson shall designate another member to function as secretary for that meeting. If the chairperson is absent from a meeting, the secretary shall assume the chair. If both the chairperson and the secretary are absent, the member with the most seniority on the commission shall assume the chair. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
[Ord. of 2-28-78; Ord. of 10-14-80]
The human services commission shall meet at such times as may be necessary for the proper exercise of its powers and duties. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson, provided that forty-eight-hour notice is given the other commissioners either in writing or by telephone contact. The chairperson is responsible for setting the agenda for each regular and special meeting.
An affirmative vote of four members is required for any motion to pass. The chairperson may limit debate among members of the commission and may limit presentations, from interested parties and guests, provided that he/she does so prior to the beginning of the debate and/or presentation, and provided that a minimum of 10 minutes be given each side debating or presenting an issue. The commission may make such additional rules and regulations for its own government and in relation to its, officers and members as it may deem expedient and proper. On all matters of parliamentary procedure not provided for in these rules or by law or ordinance, Robert's Rules of Order shall govern.
[Ord. of 2-28-78; Ord. of 9-9-80; Ord. of 10-14-80]
The human services commission may exercise all the powers vested in the human services commission under the law or prescribed to it by law and shall perform such duties as the City Council by ordinance may from time to time prescribe. The human services commission shall analyze, evaluate and set priorities for all requests laid before it for aid and/or services to the various human services agencies in North Adams and such other human services agencies as the commission may determine to be within its jurisdiction. It is the duty of the human services commission to encourage the effective and efficient operation of human services agencies within its jurisdiction.
The human services commission shall assist in coordinating the services of the various providing agencies, assist in eliminating the duplication of services, and act as a source of guidance, as needed, to said provider agencies in the procurement of appropriate state and federal grants.
The human services commission is empowered to conduct investigations, surveys and analytical studies of human services agencies in order to determine their efficacy and efficiency. The commission is authorized to demand such reports and information from said agencies as the commission may deem necessary for the proper analysis and evaluation of said agencies' requests for aid and/or services. The names of individuals receiving aid or services from human services agencies are not to be among the types of information required from human services agencies when the commission is gathering data for its analytical and evaluative process.
Each human service agency at the time it enters its application seeking funds from the City of North Adams, may it be for a partial fiscal year, an entire fiscal year, or a one-time request, shall submit no less than the following:
(a) 
A balance sheet and/or financial position statement of the current fiscal year or period including the total amount appropriated to the agency delineated by the various funding sources, a line-item breakdown of the agency budget, and an accrual of expenditures to the last prior month-end at the time of the application submission.
(b) 
A copy of the closed-out budget and/or balance sheet, of the immediate prior fiscal year or period.
(c) 
A pro forma budget with line-item entries of the ensuing fiscal year or period for which funds are being sought.
Upon completion of their review, the human services commission shall make recommendations for any appropriations for human services agencies to the Mayor.
In order to facilitate timely and equitable review of funding requests, human services agencies must submit such requests by May 1 of each fiscal year. The human services commission shall then submit their recommendations to the Mayor by June 1 of each fiscal year and the Mayor shall then, if he is inclined to so submit, submit appropriating orders to the City Council by July 1 of each fiscal year.
The human services commission may make contracts, subject to the approval of the Mayor and City Council, with such human service agencies as it may determine to be within its jurisdiction pursuant to the laws of the commonwealth and the City Charter governing the making of like contracts, except that if federal moneys are used in, financing said agencies, the commission may act in the manner prescribed by federal authority acting under the laws of the United States and any rules or regulations made thereunder, notwithstanding any other law of the commonwealth or Charter to the contrary.
[Ord. of 2-28-78]
The human services commission shall, from time to time, conduct public hearings in order to ascertain the human services needs of the community. Representatives of existing human services agencies will not be allowed to address the commission at this time as they have standing access to the commission through the agenda process of the commission. Interested individuals may voice their opinions and/or present documentation to the commission at such public hearings regarding the community's human services needs and priorities provided that a maximum of five minutes be allotted for each individual. The time and need of such public hearings shall be determined by the chairperson.
[Ord. of 2-28-78]
The human services commission shall keep a detailed record of its acts and proceedings and shall make an annual report to the Mayor in connection with such record.