| Chapter 015 |
| 2023 -- H 5262 Enacted 05/15/2023 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- HISTORICAL AREA ZONING |
Introduced By: Representatives Donovan, and Speakman |
| Date Introduced: January 27, 2023 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 45-24.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-24.1 entitled "Historical |
| Area Zoning" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 45-24.1-3. Creation of commission authorized — Membership appointment — Term |
| of office. [Effective January 1, 2023.] |
| (a) In order to carry out the purposes of this chapter any city or town council shall have the |
| authority to create a commission called the historic district commission. The membership of a |
| commission in a city shall consist of seven (7) qualified members, and in a town shall consist of |
| not less than three (3) nor more than seven (7) qualified members, whose residence is located in |
| the city or town; and provided, that the historic district commission of the city of Providence shall |
| consist of eleven (11) qualified members, two (2) of whom shall be members of the city council |
| elected by the city council from its councilmanic members to serve for a term of four (4) years. In |
| a city the members shall be appointed by the mayor, except as provided in the case of the historic |
| district commission of the city of Providence, and in a town, by the president of the town council. |
| Members of an historic district commission shall be residents of the city or town. |
| (b) The appointed members of the commission shall be appointed for three-year (3) terms, |
| except the initial appointments of some of the members shall be for less than three (3) years so that |
| the initial appointments are staggered and so that subsequent appointments do not reoccur at the |
| same time. |
| (c) Any city or town has the right to name an auxiliary member of the commission |
| appointed in addition to the regular members of the commission; provided, that the city of Newport |
| and the town of Bristol shall have the right to appoint two (2) auxiliary members to its their historic |
| district commission commissions. An auxiliary member shall sit as an active member, upon the |
| request of the chair, when and if a regular member of the commission is unable to serve at any |
| meeting of the commission. |
| (d) Appointed members of the commission are eligible for reappointment, and, upon the |
| expiration of their term, shall continue to serve until replaced unless otherwise provided for in local |
| law. |
| (e) In the event of a vacancy on the commission, interim appointments of appointed |
| members may be made by the appointing authority to complete the unexpired term of the position. |
| (f) Organized and existing preservation societies may present to the appointing authority |
| of a city or town a list of qualified citizens, from which list the appointing authority may select |
| members of the commission for his or her respective city or town. |
| (g) Members of a commission shall serve without compensation. |
| (h) Members of a commission shall be required to participate in continuing education |
| courses promulgated pursuant to chapter 70 of this title. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
| ======== |
| LC000794 |
| ======== |