2430                               County Local Laws

tion on the affirmative vote of a majority of Council members in office,
and the Secretary shall be a career position under the Merit System, sub-
ject to removal by the Council in accordance with the Personnel Regu-
lations. Other employees of the Council shall be appointed by the Sec-
retary with the approval of the Council and shall be career merit system
appointments.

16.2    Non-Merit and Advisory Council Appointments.

Appointment of members of boards and commissions directly advisory
to the County Council, members of the County Personnel Board and other
persons who under the Charter are to be appointed directly by the Council,
shall be appointed for such terms and for such compensation, if any, and
in such manner as shall be prescribed by the Charter or by law; other-
wise, as the Council by resolution shall determine. The affirmative vote
of a majority of members in office shall be required for any appointment.

16.3    Confirmation of Executive Appointments.

When any vacancy exists for the Chief Administrative Officer the
County Attorney, the head of a department, office or agency of the Execu-
tive Branch, or when any vacancy exists on any board or commission to
be appointed by the County Executive, the County Executive will within
the time prescribed for filling such vacancy, if any, submit to the Council
for confirmation the name of a qualified person to fill such vacancy,
together with such written material as he shall desire, describing the
qualifications of such person. Merit System Personnel Regulations shall be
followed for persons nominated by the Executive for appointments as heads
of offices and agencies. The County Council shall act within thirty days,
by resolution, to confirm or disapprove the appointment. The affirmative
votes of a majority of Council members in office shall be required for
confirmation. If the appointment is not confirmed, the County Executive
shall promptly thereafter appoint another person to that vacancy and sub-
mit the same to the Council for confirmation.

Section 17. PUBLIC HEARINGS; QUORUM NOT REQUIRED.

17.1    General.

The rules in this section apply to public hearings held upon pending
legislation, six-year programs, and the budget, and to general public hear-
ings. Except upon declaration of an emergency by the Council, in which
case a hearing may be held any time after notification to news media
(Section 2.7), hearings will be held after public notice of not less than
fifteen (15) days by advertisement in one newspaper of general circulation
in the County of the time and place of the hearing, the subject matter
of the hearing and a place where copies of the matter to be heard may
be obtained. Such hearings shall ordinarily be conducted in non-legislative
sessions, and copies of proposed legislation shall be made available in rea-
sonable numbers for distribution to the press and the public at the time
of hearing and at the office of the Secretary prior to the hearing. A
verbatim transcript shall not be taken except upon order of the President
or at the request of a Council majority, or if required by law. A quorum
of Council members shall not be required to conduct a public hearing,
except as may be expressly required by the Zoning Ordinance or other law.

17.2    Preliminary Action.

Upon convening the hearing, the presiding officer shall give a brief
explanation of the purpose of the hearing and shall cause to be presented