(a)  The legislative body may, at the time of the adoption of an ordinance declaring that there is a need for a commission to function in the community or at any time thereafter, by adoption of an ordinance, declare itself to be the commission, in which case all of the rights, powers, duties, privileges, and immunities vested by this part in a commission, except as otherwise provided in this part, shall be vested in the legislative body of the community.

However, in any community in San Bernardino County that is a charter city, the adoption of any order or resolution by the legislative body acting as the commission shall be governed by the same procedures as are set forth in the provisions of the charter, and the mayor shall be chairperson of the commission, having the same power and authority in the conduct of the commission and the meetings of the legislative body acting as the commission that the mayor has in the conduct of the affairs of the city.

(b)  If the legislative body has declared itself to be the commission, the legislative body shall appoint two additional commissioners who are tenants of the housing authority if the housing authority has tenants. One tenant commissioner shall be over 62 years of age if the housing authority has tenants of that age. If the housing authority does not have tenants, the legislative body shall, by ordinance, provide for the appointment to the commission of two tenants of the housing authority, one of whom shall be over 62 years of age if the housing authority has tenants of that age, within one year after the housing authority first has tenants. The term of any tenant appointed pursuant to this subdivision shall be two years from the date of appointment. If a tenant commissioner ceases to be a tenant of the housing authority, he or she shall be disqualified from serving as a commissioner and another tenant of the housing authority shall be appointed to the remainder of the unexpired term. A tenant commissioner shall have all the powers, duties, privileges, and immunities of any other commissioner.

(c) As an alternative to the appointment of tenants of the housing authority as commissioners pursuant to subdivision (b), if a community development committee is created as provided in Section 34120.5, the governing body may make tenant appointments pursuant to subdivision (b) to the committee, rather than to the commission.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 17, Sec. 80. Effective January 1, 1998.)