HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-OR-69 Riverboat'' ' ORDINANCE NO. 2006-OR-69
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE
JEFFERSONVILLE RIVERBOAT GAMING AUTHORITY
WHEREAS, at the general election held on November 7, 2006, approximately sixty
percent (60%) of the voters of Clark County, Indiana, affirmatively approved the following
public question at referendum: "Shall riverboat gambling be permitted in Clark County,
Indiana?"; and,
WHEREAS, the voters within the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana ("Jeffersonville") at
such general election affirmatively approved such referendum question by an even greater
margin; and,
WHEREAS, on or about July 20, 1993, the Common Council of the City of
Jeffersonville adopted Ordinance No. 93-OR-47 which authorizes the docking of a riverboat
gaming facility within the boundaries of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, pursuant to the
provisions of IC 4-33-6-18 and IC 4-33-6-19, which ordinance remains in effect as it has not
since been repealed or amended in any manner; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to Indiana law and the above-referenced ordinance, the City of
Jeffersonville, Indiana, is now a location at which the Indiana Gaming Commission may
issue a license permitting a riverboat gaming facility to locate and operate; and,
WHEREAS, this Common Council deems it to be vitally important to the interest of
the citizens of Jeffersonville and the Southern Indiana region that an orderly process for the
evaluation and investigation of all opportunities available for the location of a riverboat
gaming facility in Jeffersonville be identified and implemented; and,
WHEREAS, this Common Council has now further determined that the
establishment of the Jeffersonville Riverboat Gaming Authority (hereinafter "Authority")
pursuant to the provisions of this Ordinance is warranted as a part of such an orderlyprocess.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THIS COMMON COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA, that the Jeffersonville Riverboat Gaming
Authority is hereby established and vested with the following duties and obligations:
Section 1. Purpose, Duties and Responsibilities of the Authori~
1.1 Until further direction issued by ordinance of this Common Council, the
Authority shall serve as the exclusive body with which any and all individuals, corporations,
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limited liability companies, partnerships, or other entities that may be desirous of locating a
'' ' riverboat gaming facility in Jeffersonville shall communicate. The Authority shall serve as
the liaison between the City of Jeffersonville and its political subdivisions, this Common
Council, and the Mayor and any person or entity that is desirous of locating a riverboat
gaming facility in Jeffersonville.
1.2 The Authority is an advisory body only. The Authority has no power,
jurisdiction, or authority to bind or obligate the City of Jeffersonville or any of its political
subdivisions, this Common Council, or the Mayor with respect to any proposal or offer
received from any person or entity that desires to locate a riverboat gaming facility in
Jeffersonville.
1.3 The Authority shall gather information which shall be presented to the
Council and the Mayor for due consideration regarding all matters related to the potential
location of a riverboat gaming facility in Jeffersonville. The Authority shall regularly report
its activities and undertakings to this Common Council and the Mayor during either regular
or special public meetings of this Common Council.
1.4 The Authority shall make recommendations to the Council and the Mayor
regarding any and all matters related to the location of a riverboat gaming vessel, specifically
including any proposals received from entities that desire to locate a riverboat gaming facility
in Jeffersonville.
1.5 The Authority and its members shall be bound by any and all provisions of the
Jeffersonville Ethics Ordinance, as well as all other applicable provisions of the
Jeffersonville City Code and Indiana law regarding the conduct of elected and appointed
officials.
Section 2. Authority Members. The Authority shall consist of seven (7) voting
members and four (4) ex off cio (non-voting) members, which members shall be appointed in
accordance with the terms of this Section 2.
2.1 Voting Members. The seven (7) voting members of the Authority shall be
appointed in accordance with the following terms:
2.1.1 The duly elected Mayor of the City during his term of office.
2.1.2 One (1) member of the Clarksville Town Council or its designee who
shall be appointed by such body annually.
2.1.3 One (1) member of the Board of Clark County Commissioners who
shall be appointed by such body from its membership annually.
2.1.4 Four (4) members of this Common Council for. a term of three (3)
\' years beginning December 1, 2006, and ending November 30, 2009. If a member of the
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~--,, Jeffersonville City Council that has been appointed to serve on the Authority resigns or no
_ longer serves as a member of the Council, but remains a City resident, said member shall
continue to serve on the Authority until the expiration of the then current term. A Council
member who ceases to be a resident of the City shall automatically be deemed to have
forfeited and vacated their office as a member. The City Council shall appoint replacement
or successor members from among its membership at the expiration of a regular term or as
the need otherwise arises.
2.2 Ex Officio Members. The four (4) ex officio (non-voting) members of the
Authority shall be appointed in accordance with the following terms:
2.2.1 The duly elected Mayor of the City of Charlestown, Indiana, or his
designee, during his term of office.
2.2.2 One (1) member of the Sellersburg Town Council who shall be
appointed by such body from its membership annually.
2.2.3 One (1) member of the Clark County Council who shall be appointed
by such body from its membership annually.
2.2.4 One (1) member of the board of directors of the Clark -Floyd
Counties Convention and Tourism Bureau who shall be appointed by such body from its
w membership annually.
2.3 The names of all persons appointed shall be transmitted in writing to the
Jeffersonville Clerk-Treasurer promptly after their appointment. The Jeffersonville Clerk-
Treasurer shall mail a notice of appointment to each member immediately after receipt of
such notice. Before entering upon their duties, each member shall take and subscribe an oath
of office (in the usual form), which shall be endorsed upon their certificate of appointment.
The certificate shall be promptly filed with and maintained by the Clerk-Treasurer.
2.4 If a person appointed as a member of the Authority either (i) fails to qualify
within ten (10) days after notice of his appointment is mailed to them, or (ii) qualifies but
then dies, resigns, vacates their office because they no longer reside in the City, or is
otherwise removed from office, a replacement member shall be appointed by this Common
Council for the remainder of the remaining term. The Common Council shall appoint
successor members of the Authority as necessary for so long as this Ordinance remains in
effect.
2.5 Members and their immediate family shall not hold any direct or indirect
pecuniary interest in any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, or other
entity that seeks to locate and operate a riverboat gaming facility in Jeffersonville. Any
member that fails to disclose such pecuniary interest shall be removed as a member of the
authority, and the entity that seeks to locate and operate a riverboat gaming facility in
`' Jeffersonville shall be immediately disqualified from receiving or holding a permit for same
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upon discovery of such interest. It is expressly provided, however, that the holding of any
shares of stock in a publicly traded company that is engaged in the gaming industry shall not
operate to disqualify the member from the Authority or the gaming company, its subsidiaries
or affiliates, from seeking or holding such permit. The act of abstaining from votes affecting
an entity in which a member or their immediate family holds a pecuniary interest prohibited
under this section shall not in any manner serve to remedy such prohibitions.
Section 3. Conduct of Meetings.
3.1 All meetings of the Authority shall be conducted in compliance with the
provisions of the Indiana Open Door Law. The Authority may conduct executive sessions
regarding any and all matters permitted under the provisions of the Indiana Open Door Law.
3.2 All information, minutes, memoranda, and other documents made or
maintained by shall be subject review and production in accordance with the the Indiana
Public Records Act.
3.3 The initial members of the Authority shall hold an organizational meeting
within thirty (30) days following their appointment at a time and place designated in a notice
posted by the Clerk-Treasurer. The members shall elect officers, including a president, a
vice president, and a secretary. Each of these officers shall serve from the day of their
,~^, election until the first Tuesday in December in the year following their election, and shall
hold over until their successor is elected and qualified.
3.4 The members shall adopt rules and bylaws governing the conduct of Authority
proceedings, the performance of the Authority's duties, and the safeguarding of any funds or
property held by the Authority. The members shall hold regular meetings at least monthly,
and may hold additional regular and special meetings as they consider necessary. The
members shall issue notice of the place and time of all such meetings in accordance with
Indiana law. The secretary or the Clerk-Treasurer shall record the minutes of all such
meetings, which minutes shall be recorded in a book provided by the Clerk-Treasurer for
such purpose. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum for purposes of conducting
business, but the concurrence of a majority of the entire membership of the Authority shall be
required to authorize any official action of the Authority.
Section 4. Legal Representation of Authority.
4.1 This Common Council shall retain legal counsel for the Authority on terms
and conditions it deems appropriate pursuant to the provisions of IC 36-4-6-24. The attorney
shall provide this Common Council with a regular itemized billing statement for services
provided to the Authority.
4.2 The attorney retained by this Common Council shall provide legal advice to
'' the Authority. However, the attorney shall owe this Common Council the duty of full
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disclosure of all matters and actions considered or taken by the Authority, and shall promptly
and fully respond to all inquires made by this Common Council.
Section 5. Severability.
5.1 If any provision of this Ordinance, or application thereof to any person or
circumstance, is subsequently found to be unlawful or otherwise invalid, such invalidity shall
not affect any other provisions or applications of this Ordinance that can be given effect
without the invalid application or provision, and to this end each such invalid provision or
application of this Ordinance is severable.
Section 6. Effective Date.
6.1 This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect following its adoption by this
Common Council, and either approval by the Mayor or override of any veto by the Mayor in
accordance with the provisions of Indiana law.
WHEREFORE, on this 4th day of December, 2006, this Ordinance was approved on
its third and final reading by the Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, by
the affirmative vote of five (5) members in favor, one (1) member against, and one (1)
member absent and not voting.
Vii':
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BARBARA L. WILSON, President of the
Jeffersonville Common Council
Attest: _~- e _
Peggy Wil Jerk-Treasurer
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CERTIFICATE OF PRESENTATION TO MAYOR
The undersigned hereby certifies that on the day o
2006, the above Ordinance was presented by me, as the duly elected Clerk-Treasurer of the
City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, to the Mayor of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana.
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p Wil erk-Treasurer
APPROVAL OR VETO OF ORDINANCE BY MAYOR
The undersigned, as of this ~~ day of ~,!w~t,/ , 2006, and as
the duly elected Mayor of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, hereby takes the hereinbelow
described ac ion regarding the above Ordinance as authorized by the provisions of IC 36-4-6-
16 and as idenced by my signature affixed below (check below as appropriate):
I hereby APPROVE this Ordinance, which approval was entered within ten
(10) days after its presentation by the Clerk-Treasurer to me.
~' I hereby VETO this Ordinance, which veto was entered within ten (10) days
after its presentation by the Clerk-Treasurer to me. The reason(s) for this veto are as follows
(attach additional sheets for explanation as necessary):
NOTE: In the event that no action is taken by the Mayor to either approve or veto this
Ordinance within ten (10) days after its presentation by the Clerk-Treasurer, then this
Ordinance shall be deemed as vetoed pursuant to operation of law. The Clerk-Treasurer
shall promptly report any (i) express approval of this Ordinance, (ii) express veto of this
Ordinance, or (iii) veto of this Ordinance by the Mayor's failure to approve or deny within
such period by not later than the next regular or special meeti 'Common Council
following the occurrence of any such action or inaction.
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Attest:
peggy Wii erk-Treasurer
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RO EB RT L~'VAIZ~JR., Mayor of the
City of Jeffersonvi e, Indiana
C;~--'°-~--'
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a CERTIFICATE OF OVERRIDE OF MAYOR'S VETO
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The undersigned, as the duly appointed President of the Common Council of the City
of Jeffersonville, Indiana, hereby certifies that on the day of
2006, the Common Council of the City of Jeffersonville, Indiana, at its first regular or special
meeting following either (i) the express veto of the above Ordinance by the Mayor of
Jeffersonville within ten (10) days after its presentation to him by the Clerk-Treasurer, or (ii)
the failure of the Mayor of Jeffersonville to either approve or veto the above Ordinance
within ten (10) days after its presentation to him by the Clerk-Treasurer, PASSED and
ADOPTED the above Ordinance over the veto of the Mayor of Jeffersonville by the
affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) vote of its entire membership. The provisions of the
above Ordinance shall be fully effective from and after such action of the Common Council
in accordance with the provisions of Indiana law.
BARBARA L. WILSON, President of the
Jeffersonville Common Council
Attest:
h peggy Wilder, Clerk-Treasurer
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