Human rights board

(a)

Created. There is hereby created the Tampa Human Rights Board, hereinafter called the "board."

(b)

Composition. The board shall be composed of nine (9) members who are appointed by the mayor and approved by city council. Board membership shall be chosen to assure representation for all ages, races, religious beliefs and conditions of employment. There shall be on the board at all times at least one (1) representative from each of the following fields: retail merchandising management; industrial management; real estate sales; property leasing; mortgage financing; law enforcement; and labor council. Property leasing shall include managing rental of apartments, mobile home park lot leasing and motel management. The administrator shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member of the board.

(c)

Terms. The initial appointments to the board shall be: five (5) members appointed for a term of two (2) years and the remaining initial members for three (3) years. All appointments thereafter shall be for terms of three (3) years. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner provided for the original appointments for the remainder of the unexpired term. No person shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms.

(d)

Board meetings; compensation.

(1)

The board shall hold meetings as necessary to hear and dispose of pending matters. The administrator shall schedule each meeting and give notice of the time and place of meetings to all board members, all parties to be heard and the public. The chair-person may call an unscheduled meeting and meetings may also be called by written notice signed by three (3) members of the board. All meetings shall be public. The mayor may provide such staff as may reasonably be required in the mayor's discretion to assist the board in the performance of its duties. The mayor may provide a regular meeting place for the board.

(2)

The members of the board shall receive no compensation. Board members may qualify for reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their board duties as prescribed by city policy.

(e)

Powers and duties. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, the powers and duties of the board shall be:

(1)

To receive and initiate complaints alleging any violation of this chapter for investigation by the administrator;

(2)

To adopt, promulgate, amend and rescind rules and regulations for the operation of the board and to effectuate the policies of this chapter;

(3)

Upon failure of conciliation, to review whether the evidence supports the administrator's decision to find reasonable cause, and to order further investigation if it does not;

(4)

Any other powers and duties provided elsewhere in this chapter not otherwise expressly delegated to another city department or division.

(Ord. No. 92-147, § 2, 9-10-92; Ord. No. 93-146, § 2, 9-23-93; Ord. No. 96-252, § 2, 11-14-96; Ord. No. 98-246, § 1, 11-5-98; Ord. No. 2022-51, § 4, 3-17-2022)