About the Open Space Advisory Board

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Authorization

View Ordinance (14-13-3-7)

Board Purpose

A board composed of seven citizen volunteers appointed alternately by the Mayor and City Council, which meets at least once monthly to implement a broad range of duties required by City ordinances, policy resolutions and administration of the open space system. Major concerns of board include investment policy for the Open Space Trust Fund, Acquisition of selected Additional open space lands, maintenance of the existing system, plans for improvements such as trails, revegetation, or visitor access, and coordination with the Bernaillo County open space system. Consistent with the requirements of the Open Meetings Act, all meetings of the Board are advertised in advance and are open for public participation.

Board Composition

1. Study data, including ecological data, which should guide the adoption and amendment of open space plans and programs, maintain liaison and seek input from citizen interest groups including especially the Open Space Task Force.
2. Advise the EPC, the Mayor, and the City Council as to an appropriate city open space program, which advice shall include:
   1. Implementation of adopted open space plans;
   2. Priorities for the acquisition of "major public open space" or "public easement or rights" implementing the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan;
   3. Basic policies on management of city-owned open space; and
   4. Criteria for evaluating proposals for significant physical changes and installations on and adjacent to open space lands;
   5. Evaluation of proposals to install extraordinary facilities on city-owned open space; and
   6. Evaluation of proposals to sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of open space exchange lands or other lands acquired with open space funds.
3. Annually make recommendations to the EPC, the Mayor, and the City Council on updating the open space program, including land acquisition and other open space capital improvements.
4. Periodically review open space plans in consultation with citizen interest groups, especially the Open Space Task Force. Advise the EPC, the Mayor, and the City Council on needed new plans and plan amendments, ranging from detailed project plans to the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan. Make recommendations for the annual proposed city planning program.
5. Upon request, advise or assist the Mayor in negotiations for open space land acquisition.
6. The Board's recommendations shall be consistent with the conditions imposed on expenditure of interest of the Permanent Fund for Open Space as specified in §§ 4-2-3-1 et seq. and the conditions imposed on the expenditure of monies from the Quality of Life Fund as specified in Resolution 89-1987; the Board's proposals shall also take into account all funding sources available for the Open Space program.
7. Approve the sale or lease of certain interests in Open Space Exchange Lands, as provided in § 4-2-3-5. ('74 Code, § 7-15-6) (Ord. 10-1983; Am. Ord. 79-1989; Am. Ord. 39-1990)

Part 1: Procedures for Board Meetings

1.1 Meeting: The Board shall convene on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Unless otherwise noted, the meeting location will be the Open Space Visitors Center. The Board may meet and at other announced times in special meetings.

1.2 Attendance by electronic means: Under circumstances including travel or illness, a Board member may not be physically present but may participate in a meeting including voting-- by such methods as skype or telephone.

1.3 Agenda: A board member may request a subject to be included on an agenda before the agenda is published by notice to the Secretary of the Board and the Chair of the OSAB or by motion during a Board meeting. Other government agencies such as City, County, State, Federal, MRGCD may request by notice to the Secretary of the Board that a subject be included on an agenda before the agenda is published

1.4 Request by a member of the public to make a presentation to the Board: By notice to the Secretary of the Board and the Chair of the OSAB a member of the public may request to make a presentation at a Board meeting. Approval of that request shall be at the discretion of the chair.

1.5 Designation of agenda items as action items: Any item needing a Board action to approve, deny, or recommend shall be advertised on the agenda as an action item. No action shall be taken at the same meeting at which an item is presented. Rather, at the discretion of the chair, the item may be placed for action on the agenda of the next regular meeting.

1.6 Public Comment: There shall be a time during each meeting for members of the public to provide comment on either specific agenda items or comment on issues and concerns involving open space facilities or operations. The chair may call on members of the public to also comment while an agenda item is being discussed by the Board. The time limit shall be 2 (two) minutes or at the discretion of the chair.

1.7 Continuing Agenda items: Certain agenda items such as Board recommendations regarding “Extraordinary facility on open space requests” shall be kept on the agenda until disposition by the EPC.

1.8 Closed Meeting: If the Board desires to close an open meeting for any of the enumerated exceptions under the Open Meetings Act (NMSA 1978, § §10-15-1(H)(1)-(10)), then the Board shall only do so after a motion and majority vote of a quorum. The Board may discuss in a closed session any prospective transaction, purchase, acquisition or disposal of real property including land or property rights presented to the Board by the Real Property Division. The closed meeting is limited to discussion only. The Board shall not take minutes during the closed meeting, however, when the Board reconvenes the open meeting the Board shall note that only the matters in the motion to close the meeting were discussed during the closed session. If the Board decides to take a vote on the matters discussed in the closed session as it relates to § 14-13-3-7(B) of the City’s Open Space Advisory Board Ordinance, such vote must occur in an open session.

1.9 Special Meeting: In accordance with the Boards and Commissions Ordinance, the Board may convene a special meeting with public notice at least 72 hours in advance. A special meeting must be requested by a majority of the Board's members.

1.10 Subcommittees: from time-to-time, the OSAB will use sub-committees to research particular topics or issues with a subsequent report to the full Board for its action.

1.11 All issues not addressed by either City of Albuquerque Ordinance or Resolution or by these rules should be defaulted to the Roberts Rules of Order.

Part 2 Conduct for Board Members

2.1 Conflict of Interest: A Board member must acknowledge a personal or business financial interest in an item on the agenda as a conflict of interest and shall notify the Board of that conflict and offer to recuse himself or herself from any discussion or vote concerning that item. After hearing the explanation, the Board shall decide if this conflict rises to the level where the member should be recused

2.2 Contact with Interested Parties: Board members may not discuss with any property owner or agent, any interest that property owner has in any discussion or decision regarding property acquisitions considered by the Board. Property owners shall provide information for the Board's consideration only through the property acquisitions process managed by the Real Property Division of the City, pursuant to ordinances or resolutions or decisions taken by the City Council.

2.3 Communication through the Chair: to prevent duplicate requests going to various agency staff, the preferred process for a Board member to request information is through the Board chair who will then make the request to the Board secretary.