§ 2-87. Attendance of board members.

1.

For purposes of this section, the term "board" shall refer to all city boards, commissions, authorities and other public bodies except the council, as defined in section 9-101 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans ("Charter").

2.

Every city board shall submit an annual report to the city council and the office of the mayor containing the attendance records for every person serving as a member of the respective board on the date of submission.

(a)

The report shall be submitted no later than February 1 of each calendar year, and shall cover the period January 1 through December 31, inclusive, immediately preceding the date of submission.

(b)

The report shall list every board meeting that was scheduled to take place during the relevant period, including any meetings that were cancelled due to a lack of a quorum, and shall identify for each member whether the member was "present" or "absent" for each meeting.

(1)

It shall be the responsibility of each board member to advise the board not less than 24 hours before the start of any scheduled meeting whether he or she intends to be present at the meeting.

a.

Regardless of the member's stated intent, he or she will be deemed "present" or "absent" according to their actual attendance, or failure to attend, the meeting.

b.

In the event that a meeting is cancelled in advance of its scheduled start due to an anticipated lack of a quorum, each member shall be deemed "present" or "absent" from the meeting according to his or her stated intent.

i.

Any member who fails to timely advise the board as to whether they intend to be present shall be deemed "absent" from the cancelled meeting.

(2)

A board member who is physically present at a meeting shall nonetheless be deemed "absent" from that meeting if:

a.

The member leaves the meeting prior to its completion; and

b.

The meeting is suspended or adjourned at any point after the member leaves due to a lack of a quorum.

(c)

The absence of any board member from more than 25 percent of all scheduled board meetings in any 12-month period shall constitute reasonable cause for their removal by the appointing authority pursuant to subsection 9-104(2) of the Charter.

(1)

The appointing authority shall initiate the removal process within 180 days of the end of the 12-month period that is being considered.

(2)

Any member so removed shall have reasonable opportunity to be heard publicly before the council, and in such event the removal shall be effective only if approved by a majority of the council.

3.

A city board shall submit to the city council and the office of the mayor the most recent attendance records for any member of the respective board who has been nominated for reappointment to that board.

(a)

The board shall submit the member's attendance records for all scheduled board meetings within one year prior to the date of their nomination for reappointment. However, the board need not resubmit attendance records for any meetings that were previously submitted as part of an annual attendance report pursuant to this Section.

(b)

The board shall submit the required records within five business days of receiving notice of the member's nomination for reappointment.

(M.C.S., Ord. No. 24132, § 1, 9-16-10)