CLG Standard 2

Table of Contents

Establish an adequate and qualified historic preservation commission by State or Local legislation.

Each city’s historic preservation ordinance and each county’s historic preservation resolution contains a section specifying how commissioners are appointed; their qualifications, including desirable experience, training, and expertise for commissioners; the length of appointment; the number of commissioners; requirements for decision making; and filling vacancies. These specifications complement Iowa Code requirements found in Chapter 15 Part 27 (15.445-15.459) et seq. and the National Park Service requirements for CLG participation and are covered in the CLG Agreement between the City/County and the State of Iowa.

Qualifications

The ideal historic preservation commission is composed of the following:

  • a historian who specializes in Iowa, local or public history
  • an architectural historian who specializes in American architecture
  • an archaeologist (North American prehistory or history)
  • a preservation architect
  • an attorney specializing in preservation law
  • a planner with extensive preservation experience
  • owners of rehabilitated, National Register listed properties; and
  • a developer who works exclusively with historic properties.

Annually, cities and counties in the CLG program shall seek and recruit historic preservation professionals and others with relevant skills and expertise to serve on the commission. However, the reality is that most Iowa towns do not have an array of historic preservation professionals in residence. Do not be discouraged—all Iowa cities and counties do have residents who can learn "on the job” if they have the time and interest to do so. Frequently, current commission members are knowledgeable about who in the community is interested in historic preservation and should be contacted for a roster of potential appointees.

Commission members should reside in the city or county and be in residence for  most of the year. Commission members should be able to attend meetings and occasional training workshops or conferences. Elected officials shall not be appointed to the commission. This represents a conflict of interest since the commission’s responsibility is to advise the elected officials. CLG cities and counties should ensure annually that all positions on the commission are filled and that elected officials appoint new members or approve re-appointments. This information should be retained in a “historic preservation commission membership file.”

Each time there is a change in commission membership, the City or County should submit the new commissioner's signed biographical sketch to the SHPO for review and approval.

Commission Training

Under the CLG Agreement, each year, at least one commission member or representative shall participate in State approved historic preservation training. The more commissioners, staff, elected officials, and residents who participate in historic preservation training, the better. Getting everyone in the city or county acquainted with the commission through participation in training opportunities benefits all.

Historic preservation training focuses on one or more areas covered by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation. These include Preservation Planning, Identification, Evaluation, Registration, Historical Documentation, Architectural Documentation, Archeological Documentation, and Historic Preservation Projects which include the Treatments for Historic Properties: Preservation, Rehabilitation, Restoration and Reconstruction. If you have questions about whether a particular non-SHPO sponsored workshop qualifies the training requirement, please contact the CLG Coordinator.

Cities that have established municipal registers of historic places and where the historic preservation commission regularly conduct design review and issue certificates of appropriateness should ensure that new members and new commission staff receive special training every two years. The training should include understanding how to apply the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines and local design guidelines to proposed projects and training on how to conduct quasi-judicial meetings which include a public hearing as well as a formal review of the proposed project with testimony, examination, and cross examination.