[Adopted 1-6-2003 by Ord. No. 343-03; amended in its entirety 6-2-2014 by Ord. No. 422-14]
A.
The Board of Supervisors has the authority to create advisory bodies
from time to time to aid it in the execution of its corporate powers
and has determined the need to engage various skills and capabilities
of the Township citizenry to advise it on the best approaches and
practices in addressing current and future needs.
B.
There is hereby created and established the Easttown Citizen's Advisory
Committee ("ECAC").
C.
The ECAC shall be comprised of not less than five and not more than nine members, serving three-year terms (subject to the interim term schedule set forth by § 13-12D herein). Members are to be appointed in all cases by the Board of Supervisors. ECAC may make appointment recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and shall follow a process of recruiting and interviewing prospective candidates who possess skills, including, but not limited to: accounting, human resources and benefits, information technology, insurance, risk management, labor relations, management, and procurement.
[Amended 12-7-2020 by Ord. No. 446-20]
D.
The change
from two-year terms to three-year terms by operation of this section
shall not affect the duration of any currently serving ECAC member’s
existing term. In order to stagger ECAC membership terms going forward,
and to provide continuity of service, the Board of Supervisors may
appoint the next occurring ECAC regular-term vacancies as follows:
[Added 12-7-2020 by Ord. No. 446-20]
(1)
For
the three ECAC seats currently expiring in December of 2020, the Board
of Supervisors may fill any of those seats, up to three, for three-year
terms beginning in January of 2021, and expiring in December of 2023.
(2)
For
the six ECAC seats currently expiring in December of 2021, the Board
of Supervisors may fill any of those seats in accordance with the
following schedule:
(a)
For three seats, the Board of Supervisors may fill any of those seats,
up to three, for three-year terms beginning in January of 2022, and
expiring in December of 2024; and
(b)
For three seats, the Board of Supervisors shall fill any of those
seats, up to three, for four-year terms beginning in January of 2022,
and expiring in December of 2025.
(3)
Thereafter,
any ECAC member appointed to any subsequent term shall be appointed
to serve on ECAC for a three-year term.
E.
The Board
of Supervisors reserves the right to fill such number of seats as
it may determine, in its sole discretion, to create ECAC membership
of not less than five, nor greater than nine, members.
[Added 12-7-2020 by Ord. No. 446-20]
A.
The ECAC shall appoint a Chairman and Recording Secretary. The Recording
Secretary shall take minutes of the public meetings and record them
in a minute book. Public meetings shall be conducted monthly on the
second Monday of the month at 6:15 p.m.
B.
The ECAC is at all times subject to the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act,
the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law and the Pennsylvania Public Official
and Employee Ethics Act,[1] as an agency of the Township. Members of the ECAC shall
not release Township information without clearance from the Township
Right-to-Know Officer.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 701 et seq., 65
P.S. § 67.101 et seq. and 65 Pa.C.S.A. § 1101
et seq., respectively.
A.
The mission of the ECAC shall be to evaluate and make recommendations
to the Board of Supervisors that improve the financial position and
operational effectiveness of the Township. The ECAC may advise the
Board of Supervisors in the following functional areas:
(1)
Debt and bond obligation.
(2)
Revenue and taxation.
(3)
Expenses and cost containment.
(4)
Pension funding.
(5)
Pension performance and planning targets.
(6)
Optimization of Township assets.
(7)
Capital planning and project control.
(8)
Improvement of business processes, including but not limited to budgeting
and planning.
(9)
Service delivery assessments and decisions regarding allocation of
resources.
(10)
Identification of savings opportunities and revenue enhancements.
(11)
Bench marking critical comparative metrics with neighboring
townships.
(12)
Easttown Municipal Authority.
B.
The ECAC is an advisory function to the Board of Supervisors and
as such has no audit or watchdog responsibilities in day-to-day operations.
The ECAC will primarily focus on needs and solutions that have a future
and strategic impact on the Township. Such audit and controls are
part of Township operations and are a critical responsibility of the
Board of Supervisors.
C.
The ECAC may engage in review of the Township's financial systems
and procedures, operations, etc., that meet the advisory mission.
The review may encompass any activities, programs, departments, policies,
procedures, processes, operations, contracts, agreements and plans
that produce or consume Township resources.
D.
The ECAC is strictly advisory in nature. It will make observations,
analyses and recommendations. Approval and implementation of any of
the ECAC's recommendations shall be solely the responsibility of the
Board of Supervisors. As a follow-on to the advisory nature of the
ECAC, the ECAC has no audit, compliance, certification or verification
authority and thus no corresponding responsibilities or accountabilities
in these areas.
E.
The ECAC is charged to make reports on any findings or recommendations
it may have. The ECAC's recommendations are advisory only and not
binding on the Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 10-16-2023 by Ord. No. 458-23]
F.
The ECAC is prohibited from incurring expenses, making payments,
entering contracts, leases or obligations without the expressed consent
of the Board of Supervisors.
G.
Township staff shall facilitate ECAC document and material requests,
subject to limitations for certain personnel and legal-related matters
or other material confidential by law.
H.
The ECAC may be aided from time to time by experts or advisors in
their particular area of study. No expert, advisor or consultant shall
be contracted without the express consent of the liaison to the Board
of Supervisors.
